Critical Reading: a short introductory course

This short 45 minute course will make all the difference to your reading as you start University. It is free for anyone to do. The course is also available on Moodle, Cambridge's Virtual Learning Environment. You will need your raven login to get to the Moodle course.

Type of resources

The kind or type of resource that is on a reading list is important, and will have an impact on how you choose to access it. Some options to consider based on the format (print and electronic) and size of the resource:

• If it is just one chapter or an article in a journal/periodical, reading it online is likely to be an effective use of your time
• If the item is clearly a whole book check if it is available in print and electronic before making a decision. A lot of studies show that students often prefer to read books in the print format, but the print format isn't as easy to search for keywords. 
• Consider the types of notes you might take - what is different about your note-taking with online vs print materials
• If you find a dictionary or reference book is essential to have by you, using electronic might be easy, but marking up your own copy of a print dictionary might suit you for other reasons.

There is no right or wrong way of using print and electronic. Varying how you read, where you read and what format you read may be good for working out what is most effective for you.