Are you preparing for exams like IIT, UPSC, or GATE? You can spend hours searching for the best subject books, but students often don’t realize that there is another key factor influencing your success.
And that is the ‘how to use’ and understanding of the book, which is also important for retaining the information.
IFS officer Himanshu Tyagi – also an Institute Medalist from IIT Roorkee – shares how he chose the right books and read them effectively during his exam preparation.
He took to X (Twitter) to share tips on reading books for every competitive exam. “Book reading increases understanding, but inefficient reading is just a waste of time,” he wrote.
Here are five top tips shared by Himanshu for effective studying for exams:
1. Choose the right book
He advised students not to buy every book recommended by toppers. “Choose good books and stick to them,” he wrote.
1. “Choose good books.”
Jump into every book recommended by Toppers.
Choose good books and stick to them.
– Himanshu Tyagi (@Himanshutyg_ifs) March 10, 2024
2. Read the index
Himashu advised students to make sure to read the index before picking up any book. “Before you start, understand the book. Understand the design of the book,” he notes.
2. Read the index.
Before starting, understand what the book is about. Understand book design.
– Himanshu Tyagi (@Himanshutyg_ifs) March 10, 2024
3. Read the interesting chapters first
The IFS officer introduced a concept he calls “superficial reading” – a quick reading of a chapter that interests you.
3. Selective reading.
Don’t try to read every page of the book. Be selective about what you want to read.
Do you read in 2 steps?
– Himanshu Tyagi (@Himanshutyg_ifs) March 10, 2024
4. Deep-read all chapters
“It’s like when you go back to a chapter,” he wrote, advising students not to take notes while reading. “Make notes after completing the concept without referring to the book,” he said.
4. First step: surface reading
A quick read of a chapter that interests you.
Highlight or underline the most important keywords.
After completing the chapter, summarize it in one paragraph. Not much has been written.
– Himanshu Tyagi (@Himanshutyg_ifs) March 10, 2024
5. Read and repeat!
‘Rather than reading many books, read the same book more often,’ he advised.
He closed the thread with a question for students – “A good test for effective reading is: Can you teach the concept to someone else?” He wrote.
Read one book more often than reading many books.
A good test for effective reading is: Can you teach the concept to someone else?
Ask yourself this after reading each chapter.
– Himanshu Tyagi (@Himanshutyg_ifs) March 10, 2024
(Editing by Pranitha Bhat)