How to remember the books you read. We’ve all dreaded learning large, complex books packed with information, like course textbooks. Is there a method to make it easier? There is and it’s called the SQ3R method. It stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

Surveying a book is examining the structure, like the table of contents, headings, illustrations, beginning and end of each chapter, and the end of the book. When questioning, take a closer look and form questions you want to answer as you read the book. Rephrase headings into questions.

Moving through the 5 techniques, slow down and read to comprehend.

Reciting is asking questions out loud. Take copious notes in your own words. Underline and highlight physical books, and highlight Kindle books. Review is about summarising. Take all the underlines, highlights, and notes to create a summary of the book. This is the essence of SQ3R.