 That's it, I quit. This book is so boring and I can't learn it. Why is this so hard? What if we told you that studying doesn't have to be this hard? There's a better way. Would you believe us? Give us five minutes and we'll prove it. SQ5R helps you read to succeed. It untangles your study process and makes learning new material easier. Instead of trying to memorize content, the SQ5R technique focuses on understanding concepts and new ideas. It uses set strategies for reading, taking notes, and organizing the content to help you understand the what and why of your classwork. SQ5R has seven steps. Survey, question, read, respond, record, recite, and review. Let's explore each one to see how they can make studying easier and more effective. We'll start with survey. Open your book to your homework assignment and don't read from start to finish. Instead, read the introduction and the conclusion, then skim the material in the middle. Look for bolded text, definitions, drawings, and graphs. During the survey step, the goal is to understand the main ideas and themes in the chapter, not to absorb everything. After skimming, write down questions you have about the chapter. These may include what you want to learn from the reading, what was unclear from the headings or subheadings, and what the overall themes are. It's okay if you don't have too many questions. Depending on your familiarity with the material, you may not be able to ask specific questions. In this case, use questions like who, what, where, when, and why to get started. Now you can move on to actually reading the material. This is where you'll read the chapter in sections or small chunks. Read a section, then stop and think about what you've read. Take a small break in between each section or chunk. This helps you focus on the content one section at a time. Along with read is respond. For each section or chunk you read, consider the questions you had and apply them to what you just learned. Does the material answer your questions? This is part of reflecting on material and deepening your understanding of it. The next step is record. In this step, use whatever note-taking method you like to make note of the key points. You can highlight the keywords or phrases in your book. Rewrite your thoughts in a notebook, type notes with your computer, or use a speech-to-text program. You'll be using these later, so be sure you can read what you've written. Now we come to recite. In this step, talk to yourself, someone else, or even your pet. Put what you've just learned into your own words. Can you clearly explain the key content without looking at your notes? During this step, you're building your understanding and reinforcing what you just learned. Review is the final step in the process. It's where everything comes together. Review the text and your notes one final time. Think about how the content and ideas are linked and look for major themes. Consider how all this information fits together. Review the main points and sub points again, and explain each one to yourself using your own words. This is where you cement your understanding. You are now ready for that big test, a class discussion, or your homework questions. So that's it. Those are the SQ5R reading steps that can make learning easier, faster, and more effective. It's not complicated. It's a great way to read a textbook and to complete your homework. Keep in mind that just like with any new skill, the more you practice and use this skill, the faster you'll get. SQ5R can untangle your reading process, ensure you understand the material, and have you mastering new content in no time. You are now ready to use a SQ5R technique on your own. You've finished the SQ5R study technique.