How to Use Your Mind | Page 7

not only for good memory, but for good mental habits of all kinds. In all your
reading, hold to the conception of yourself as a thinker, not a sponge. Remember, you do
not need to accept unqualifiedly everything you read. A worthy ideal for every student to
follow is expressed in the motto carved on the wall of the great reading-room of the
Harper Memorial Library at The University of Chicago: "Read not to contradict, nor to
believe, but to weigh and consider." Ibsen bluntly states the same thought:
"Don't read to swallow; read to choose, for 'Tis but to see what one has use for."
Ask yourself, when beginning a printed discussion, What am I looking for? What is the
author going to talk about? Often this will be indicated in topical headings. Keep it in the
background of your mind while reading, and search for the answer. Then, when you have
read the necessary portion, close the book and summarize, to see if the author furnished
what you sought. In short, always read for a purpose. Formulate problems and seek their
solutions. In this way will there be direction in your reading and your thought.
This discussion of reading notes has turned into an essay on "How to Read," and you
must be convinced by this time that there is much to learn in this respect, so much that we
may profitably spend more time in discussing it.
Every book you take up should be opened with some preliminary ceremony. This does
not refer to the physical operation of opening a new book, but to the mental operation. In
general, take the following steps:
1. Observe the title. See exactly what field the book attempts to cover.
2. Observe the author's name. If you are to use his book frequently, discover his position
in the field. Remember, you are going to accept him as authority, and you should know
his status. You may be told this on the title-page, or you may have to consult Who's Who,
or the biographical dictionary.
3. Glance over the preface. Under some circumstances you should read it carefully. If you
are going to refer to the book very often, make friends with the author; let him introduce
himself to you; this he will do in the preface. Observe the date of publication, also, in
order to get an idea as to the recency of the material.
4. Glance over the table of contents. If you are very familiar with the field, and the table
of contents is outlined in detail, you might advantageously study it and dispense with
reading the book. On the other hand, if you are going to consult the book only briefly,
you might find it necessary to study the table of contents in order to see the relation of the
part you read to the entire work.
5. Use the index intelligently; it may save you much time.
You will have much to do throughout your college course with the making of
bibliographies, that is, with the compilation of lists of books bearing upon special topics.

You may have bibliographies given you in some of your courses, or you may be asked to
compile your own. Under all circumstances, prepare them with the greatest care. Be
scrupulous in giving references. There is a standard form for referring to books and
periodicals, as follows:
C.R. Henderson, Industrial Insurance (2d ed.; Chicago: The University of Chicago Press,
1912), p. 321.
S.I. Curtis, "The Place of Sacrifice," Biblical World, Vol. XXI (1902), p. 248 ff.
LABORATORY NOTES.--The form for laboratory notes varies with the science and is
usually prescribed by the instructor. Reports of experiments are usually written up in the
order: Object, Apparatus, Method, Results, Conclusions. When detailed instructions are
given by the instructor, follow them accurately. Pay special attention to neatness.
Instructors say that the greatest fault with laboratory note-books is lack of neatness. This
reacts upon the instructor, causing him much trouble in correcting the note-book. The
resulting annoyance frequently prejudices him, against his will, against the student. It is
safe to assert that you will materially increase your chances of a good grade in a
laboratory course by the preparation of a neat note-book.
The key-note of the twentieth century is economy, the tendency in all lines being toward
the elimination of waste. College students should adopt this aim in the regulation of their
study affairs, and there is much opportunity for applying it in note-taking. So far, the
discussion has had to do with the content of the note-book, but its form is equally
important. Much may be done by utilization of mechanical devices to save time and
energy.
First, write in ink. Pencil marks blur badly and become illegible in a few months.
Remember, you may