SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read,

[Ambitious]

SQ3R was developed in 1941 by Francis P. Robinson of Ohio
State University. It’s an old system, but it still works. Millions
of students have successfully used this system, or a variation
of it, to improve their reading and studying. SQ3R stands for

Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review.

Let’s take a look at
each one of these elements

Survey
The purpose of the

survey step in SQ3R is to help you

become familiar with your textbook organization. To survey
material you’re about to read, look quickly at the following
types of features:
• Titles and other headings
• Illustrations, photos, charts, and graphs
• Text printed in highlighted boxes
• Boldface and italic type
• Self-check questions
• Summary, if appropriate
Scanning these features will give you a good idea of what topics

you’re about to study.

Question
The next step in the SQ3R method is

question. This step

requires you to leaf through the pages you’re about to read

and turn the headings into questions. Doing this helps direct

your reading and your thinking. Then, as you read and study
the material, you can look for answers to your questions. For
example, look at the first few headings at the beginning of
this study unit. Here’s how you can turn them into questions:
• What are the advantages of my program?
• What is the gap and how can I bridge it?
• How is my program designed?
• What study materials will I be using?
• What kind of examinations will I have to take?
The better your questions are, the better will be your understanding
of the material