Getting a reading routine in place

[ruth_shouldbereading]

I'm a PhD student (in Cultural Studies, practice-based), currently self-funded, but about to be partially funded from October (yay!). I've been working full-time since last October because I ran out of money - this meant I had to take a break in studies  But I'm back studying again now, working part-time - I have time to read and think again, it's amazing. But it's not as easy as that. The pace of reading and researching is very different to doing my job, where I've been manically trying to show how deserving I was of a permanent part-time position, demonstrating efficiency, speed etc. But now I need to go slowly, read things carefully, flit around between things as I make the connections, go back to read up on certain theorists and then return to the text that mentioned them. I'm trying to set up some systems and a regular weekly routine. Is anyone else trying to get a routine like this set in place, especially around jobs etc? I could really do with some cheering on and being in touch with others in the same position. This PhD business can be quite isolating!

Edited April 27, 2016 by ruth_shouldbereading

[ihatechoosingusernames]

I can't help you, but I'm trying to do the same thing and would love to see other people's responses!

[zipykido]

Read before bed, it'll help you retain stuff. Also get in the habit of positively reinforcing reading. Isolate yourself from distractions and pour yourself a nice cup of your favorite drink and just do it. Speed and comprehension come from practice while habits are built on repetition. 

[Concordia]

Any useful software for tracking what you read?  I'm thinking of library trips where you have to scribble a few things about a reserve book, list a few other sources you find on the way, knowing that you'll have to dump it all into a bibliography and be able to remind yourself a year from now where you found it and what if anything you saw in it.

[ruth_shouldbereading]

13 hours ago, zipykido said:

Read before bed, it'll help you retain stuff. Also get in the habit of positively reinforcing reading. Isolate yourself from distractions and pour yourself a nice cup of your favorite drink and just do it. Speed and comprehension come from practice while habits are built on repetition. 

Thanks Zipykido, sounds like you speak from experience. I'm trying to have certain times when I read, e.g. I'm carrying a photocopy of a chapter from quite a dense but key book in my handbag to read on commutes to work although that's hardly a distraction free environment. I've also  got a pile of quite similar journal articles which I'm trying to get through in 20-30 mins each, just making notes on key aims in the abstracts, key theorists and concluding points. I'm hoping to become someone who sees a spare half an hour and thinks "I'll read another journal article now". I've read 3 out of 9 of these so far, and planning to find a whole new set to read next Wednesday - my next library day. All this is hopefully habit-building...

[ruth_shouldbereading]

10 hours ago, Concordia said:

Any useful software for tracking what you read?  I'm thinking of library trips where you have to scribble a few things about a reserve book, list a few other sources you find on the way, knowing that you'll have to dump it all into a bibliography and be able to remind yourself a year from now where you found it and what if anything you saw in it.

Thanks Concordia, I must seem such a luddite, I still handwrite so much and feel I really take things in while handwriting, but I'd love to find good software if it would work the same way (or even better?!). I'm aware of things like Mendeley and Zotero but don't feel particularly inspired to investigate further. I want to have the computer switched off, focus in on text on the page, think and write and not be distracted by the internet. Although maybe this is holding me back - wanting too much for things to feel "right" before I settle down to my work. Do you have any software suggestions - which actually work?

[Concordia]

Sorry-no.  Other than a Moleskine notebook and odds and end that I put into a 3-ring binder, my main tools are Word and Excel, although EasyBib is a useful adjunct when it comes to manufacturing citations.  

Still, my resulting computer directories are a real ragbag, and I am fortunate to be having to cope with only a master's thesis right now.  At this point, I'm looking at spending a day or more doing nothing but cleaning up footnotes and making sure that all of my sources (cited and not) are actually in the bibliography that looked halfway-decent last fall.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Concordia

[ruth_shouldbereading]

1 hour ago, Concordia said:

I'm looking at spending a day or more doing nothing but cleaning up footnotes and making sure that all of my sources (cited and not) are actually in the bibliography

I just assume this is part of everyone's life! I probably spend about half a day on this everytime I need to pull some text together for my tutors... I just try to make sure I reference all my notes as I go along, however sprawling they are. Nothing worse than having a great quote that becomes central but you can't work out exactly where you originally found it...

[Concordia]

Well, somewhere out there is software that makes it easier to look around your desk.  But I won't commit to one package until I've seen a few of them tried in front of me.  Switching is a frightening prospect.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Concordia