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Wandering Mind

jssc_djstjssc_djst Member
in General 16 karma

Hello Everyone,

I realize when I read that my mind is on everything else but what I'm reading. I would read the RC passage and then noticed that I picked up on bits and pieces. How do you all combat that?

Comments

  • AudaciousRedAudaciousRed Alum Member
    2689 karma

    It's a struggle, for sure. I find that running my pencil along the lines and forcing myself to read (and therefore internally say) each word can be helpful. But it's a massive struggle with some sections. Dividing up the section as one paragraph at a time and making short summaries works good, too. Then I'm not really reading one long ass passage, but 3-4 short ones.

  • Cant Get RightCant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor
    27884 karma

    Got to take interest in the subject matter. Disinterest will always cause distraction. So just remember: No matter what the topic is, it is fascinating! To encourage this in myself, I’ve made it a habit to seek out further info. Between Wikipedia and YouTube, you can cover just about everything.

  • Jane1990Jane1990 Alum Member
    197 karma

    Join the RC call with JY! There is another one tonight.

    https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/15999/rc-review-pts-58-65-all-rc-sections-may-3rd-june-2nd-9pm-midnight-edt

  • Kermit750Kermit750 Alum Member
    2124 karma

    Feigning an interest in the passages would help. You could see each passage as a way to learn new information that could actually be interesting. Also try to engage with the passage by keeping track of the different speakers present and remaining clear on who is saying what. Try not to skip over any sentence until you have a good sense of what it is. Every sentence has a role to play, and not fully understanding a sentence might lead to an incomplete understanding of the passage.

  • m.c lshopefulm.c lshopeful Alum Member
    edited May 2018 614 karma

    I think the best way to not get distracted is to stay engaged with the reading in a way that is frequent.

    My strategy was to have my own running dialogue in my head with the reading. After each sentence I would make a comment, ask a question, or just explain the purpose of having that sentence before moving on to the next sentence. It helped me to not "get lost" in the reading and stay aware of how the piece was written.

    The " " indicate an example of something I might say in my head.

    For example:

    First sentence cleverly introducing some phenomenon that won't even be the main point of the passage. "cool phenomenon, i wonder how they discovered it" Second sentence explaining how two old dudes who are about to die are fighting over who deserves the most credit for discovering the phenomenon. "ah, it's just some dispute..." Third sentence introducing the argument for who has the stronger claim for credit, the guy with the original thought, or the guy who made it happen. "I could think of reasons for both, let's see what other info there is"

  • ElleWoods77ElleWoods77 Alum Member
    1184 karma

    Creating low resolution summaries has really helped me . Because I have to summarize each paragraph into a nice concise statement I am forced to pay attention to the subject matter. Even when it is the most boring thing I act super interested and I lock my focus into the passage. Also the Memory Method has been very useful when doing untimed passages . The method forces me to make my short summaries, see how the connect, and make a main point from these summaries . I have learned to read for structure, and if I catch my attention slipping or I don’t understand something I reread it again.

  • jssc_djstjssc_djst Member
    16 karma

    Thank you all for your comments. I will try all these different approaches!

  • catgonzalez1974catgonzalez1974 Member
    193 karma

    I struggle, but I look for hidden modifier or qualifiers and I think of them as little clues as to figure out the argument or in my mind, "the game". I know it's silly, but it keeps my mind active, especially with some of the passages I have no natural interest in.

  • beezmoofbeezmoof Alum Member
    555 karma

    Meditation helps as well in focusing your mind and concentration! I would check out the 10 min guided meditation JY put up in CC

  • _oshun1__oshun1_ Alum Member
    edited May 2018 3652 karma

    I second what ellewoods and everyone above said! After you keep practicing low-res summaries and the memory method, you can pretty much still have that same disinterest, but you'll know to hone in on the important parts. For now just pretend to be interested so you can get to the point of being like wow this is boring af but I get the general structure of it and I know what the key points are. Just pretend your best friend is telling you a long rambling story and you know he/she’s gonna be mad if you don’t pay attention and engage and comment and ask questions.

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