Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Textbooks

I know that you have previously suggested (for text books) to activate one individual chapter at a time like mini-books. When I read at a normal superreading pace, I got through 3 chapters or about 60 pages of the textbook. Would it be okay to do 3 chapters at a time and then mind map them? Or do you think I should stick with one chapter at a time and just superread for shorter amounts of time?

By the way - your suggestion of photoreading a few books a day and trying to activate one a week was VERY successful for me. I now really have a grasp on the system and am EXCITED to delve into my textbooks - thanks a bunch.

Do what works for you. You might consider a shorter activation pass so that you focus on one chapter at a time. If the chapters have a lot in common and follow on making sense then by all means.

Sometimes the next chapter will clarifying some information from the preceeding chapter that's why we recommend PhotoReading the 2 chapters before and the 2 chapters after, the chapter, you intend to activate, just prior to activation. (You will have PhotoRead the whole book already so you are PhotoReading them again.)

Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex K. Viefhaus (edited September 23, 2004).]

Can I have more detail on this?
"By the way - your suggestion of photoreading a few books a day and trying to activate one a week was VERY successful for me. I now really have a grasp on the system and am EXCITED to delve into my textbooks - thanks a bunch."

Alex simply suggested (correct me if I'm wrong) PRing 3-10 books a day and activating one book a week for about a month. I already knew the system well, but just needed to get down and practice it - which I had a hard time doing at first. I think the prospect of reading for 20 mins solid just to do an activation pass was daunting. Even though it's not that much time - it's more than a 5-10 minute commitment and if I was in between activities, I was hesitant to photoread. Anyway - forcing myself to practice/use the system helped and I gained a stronger interest in reading.

Of course, I'm still learning as we all are in some way or another.

So I'm still reading this text book and the chapters are about 20 pages long. I spend about 10 minutes per chapter on a pass and after two passes I feel like I have all the information I need.

However, I know this rate would be MUCH to slow if I were to apply it to a 200 page book. Does this mean I should speed up and do more passages? Or am I in the clear?

Also - as I'm starting to read an economics textbook, it's really hard to superread and fly through each chapter. My mind wants to stop and grapple the individual problems in order to understand them. I know that comprehension comes in layers - but I feel like understand what comes on the next page depends on comprehension of the first page.... Let me know what you think - it's not that serious of a problem, and I did notice my slow speed so I've tried to speed it up - but wanted to throw that out there.

Ked,

Textbooks often take longer for a number of reasons. Most often we do need to put in some time in analytical reading some parts.

A 400 page textbook can take 25 to 75 hours using. With PhotoReading we can slice that down to 5 to 25 hours. We need to allow 1/5 to 1/3 the time it takes for traditional reading when working with textbooks for studying. Naturally the better you know the subject the less time you need to spend with the book and the less that you know about it the more you time you may need to reach your purpose. Since textbooks are often books required for school and courses we often want more details. Those situations where you feel that you need to know it all, take more time.

Alex

I have to put in my two cents. I was very frustrated with the results having been to the PR retreat and all. I am putting about 1/5 the time into my texts this go round in grad school but it is still a lot more than any other type of book. I spend about 1-3 hours a week reading now compared to the 10-15 hours I used to spend reading.

I guess sometimes I forget how long reading used to take me because I've been doing the system long enough - I don't remember what time "regular reading" would have taken - so it's hard to measure the 1/3 time.

But I figure if I can get through two chaps and mind map them in 1 hour (as I did today) - that is only 13 hours for the whole book (not bad for a semester of reading). I think a problem comes up though when I forget to calculate study time into the amount of time I set aside for a class.... discussion?

Also - when doing textbooks, I sometimes find I do a lot more mind mapping than regular books (maybe 2/3 the time mindmapping as I am actually activating) - is this too much?

When I'm mind mapping lectures in class, the multiple colors has been a huge improvement on my mind maps this year. Does anyone else rewrite their class notes afterwards? I find this difficult to do because not only of the paper waste, but it seems to get redudant. However, my lecture notes can get really messy if there's a lot of info and the prof is going fast. Suggestions for re-doing mms? Also - anyone find a nice notedbook of blank A1 paper? I've yet to find one in stationary-like stores.

Sorry I floated aroudn with ideas, hope my questions make sense.
-Kevin

Ked,
A3 notebooks are suffient for a class, you may need to organise it onto three pages instead of cramping it onto one as you go. I went through one of my sketch books today and actually noticed some information that was important to me personally for dealing with something in my life right now.

I personally think that the mind mapping you are doing represents a greater clarification of the what you are learning than what you noticed with traditional reading. Before considering cutting back the time ask yourself, have you covered more ground in understanding what you learned? Is it worth the time or would reducing the time spent mind mapping represent a greater loss of understanding? Considering the 80/20 rule, that 20% of your time gains you 80% of the information. Is it worth the additional 80% of the time to find that remaining 20% of the information? (it might be if it improves your score in a tough exam.)

Consider also whether in your case 80% of the learning comes from doing the mind mapping where as only 20% is actually gained from the activation alone. In which case keep doing it that way. Besides behing human you'll natually cull it to what is only necessary the more you do it and the more experience you have with mind mapping. So This week it may be taking you an hour to do the chapter next week 53 minutes and 4 weeks from now you may find that 37 minutes is giving you the 80% you need and that last 20% isn't needed at this time because you find it in class activation.

You know the system it comes to letting your hands on experience guide you to honing it further.

Alex