Today is a day for the book lovers, a day for the classics, a day for the sound of cracking spines and the indescribable smell of a REAL LIVE book (remember those?!) in your hands.  To non-book lovers or the e- Reader fanatic these may seem like trivial details but WE know…it’s not just the story but the aesthetic elements AROUND the story that fuel our passion for our favorite past time. Poetic, right?

Seriously though,  there’s something about real old fashioned ink and paper that scream “MARK ME UP!” From textbooks to Tolstoy, the experience isn’t complete without a highlighter in hand.

Swipe a favorite passage, tag a word that you only pretend to know and secretly go back and check, scrawl intellectual phrases in the margins that leave the next reader thinking you are so profound and astute it’s intimidating; it’s up to you, and the Gel highlighter is ready when you are.

It is the perfect tool when reading for pleasure or educational advancement, as it will stay as bright and fresh from the moment you uncap until you need a  reading respite (maybe more frequently when thumbing through a textbook). Although I try to avoid non-recreational reading at all costs, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and study; and if you need to do it, do it right the first time.

So, to help you do just that I have included a list of highlighting and reading tips from Studentle that are sure to make you the brightest in the classroom!

• Read the text. The first thing that you have to do is to read the text so that you know which words and phrases to highlight. While reading, make sure that you understand the text. Take note of the important details that you need to highlight. If you already know the content of the text that you are reading, it will be easier for you to determine which words and phrases to highlight later on.
• Highlight important parts. Now you can highlight the important parts of the text. Make sure that you leave off unnecessary parts. Highlight important terms, dates, definitions and concepts. You can also take note of the important things that the teacher discusses so that it will be easier for you to study for a text. Some people tend to highlight chunks of text and end up having a whole paragraph completely highlighted. Avoid doing this.
• Use different colors. It may sometimes be more helpful if you use different colors for highlighting. Use one color for all the terms and another color for the definitions of each word. Use a different color for the concepts and facts. This will make it easier for you to find what you are looking for, especially if the text is too long. When using different colors, make a small note on the side of the text so that you know which colors correspond with the text that you highlighted.
• Go over the things you highlighted. After highlighting, go over the text one more time to see if you did not skip anything important. This will also give you a chance to review the text and understand the things that are important. Afterwards, you can study your textbook and just focus on the important points that you have already highlighted. This is very useful especially if you are studying for an upcoming test.
• Choose bright colors. Another important thing that you need to consider is the color of highlighter that you are going to use. It is best to stay away from dark colored highlighters such as blue or purple since it can darken the text and make it harder for you to study. Stick with fluorescent colors such as yellow, green, orange or pink.