Question

What is the best way to stay focused while annotating a book?

Answer 1

Drink coffee right before.

Answer 2

Make sure you get plenty of sleep ahead of time, and work to eliminate distractions while you are working. Perhaps a change of setting, away from normal distractions is in order.

Answer 3

if you have time, break the book and/or chapter into sections, so it's not too dense, and then you focus on those few pages. You can obviously read more pages once you're done with a section, but I believe it's easier with less. You can take more away from what you're reading.

Answer 4

DON'T focus on 'annotating a book' it is the worst way of reading a required volume. Best to set as an initial and lifelong goal a love of reading and a willingness to learn how to read (sounds basic but trust me on this one!!)
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2071616-kate I have posted my GR account as example of this. You will find many Readers (after all University has been described as [literally] READING such and such at Institution x y z. Focus on reading it so as to understand the competing arguments. There are always debates in say Sociology, Literature etc Understanding and reading up on these debates and knowing how to argue them will put you in good stead with your Lecturers rather than underlining and annotating books willy nilly.
Hope it helps and good luck.:)

Answer 5

Just a summary of whats been said here:

1. Coffee
2. sleep well
3. eliminate distractions
4.break apart the book into small sections.
5. think positively.

I had to annotate and a book called "Lord of the Flies in my freshman english class. I leraned that for me, 15 minutes on, 5 minutes off, was a good way for me to get focused on it. Also, don't eat anything. It'll distract you. Good luck!!!

Answer 6

Enjoy!!! flutter it's about pleasure but sometimes pleasure has to take some pretty abstract philosophical avenues. Grrrrh!

Answer 7

Don't use pen to annotate but use pencil because at least the person who buys your book second hand to save costs does not have their reading interupted by exciting phrases like 'Durkheim's Suicide Thesis' or 'How many expressions of anomic practice in the world today' and can make their own pretty illustrations to rub out before selling the book on to the next fortunate owner.

Answer 8

Read for sake of reading then annotations become meaningful and not hurried underlinings for sake of getting essay done the next day.

Answer 9

annotate one of Tolkien's works.

Answer 10

<3 u gandalf! Maia 4-ever