I can't keep up with the reading or bring myself to speak in seminars
Read strategically for graduate seminars and find a way into the discussion that works for you.
In short
Start here, today. Take this week's readings for one seminar. Spend no more than 10 minutes on each one's abstract, introduction, headings and conclusion, then write two lines: the main argument, and one question or reaction you could bring to class. This takes about 40 minutes.
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Triage the reading list
When you make your Weekly Plan, sort the readings into those you'll read closely, those you'll read for the argument and those you'll skim. Central texts, ones your instructor highlights and ones that connect to your own research go in the first group. Everything gets at least a first pass.
Read for the argument first
Before reading from the beginning, look at the abstract, introduction, headings and conclusion. Then read with questions in mind: what is the author claiming, how do they support it and who are they arguing with? You'll take in more and remember it longer.
Write a short note for every reading
Keep one paragraph for each text: the main argument, the evidence, one strength, one weakness and one link to another reading. These notes are what you'll actually use in seminars, in papers and later in your thesis, so keep them somewhere you can search.
Bring one thing to say
Arrive with one prepared contribution: a question, a point of confusion or a connection between two readings. Try to say it in the first 20 minutes, before the conversation picks up speed and joining feels harder. A clarifying question counts, and it often helps other people who were wondering the same thing.
Build on what others say
You don't always need a new point. Saying “I want to pick up on what Amira said about the sample” or “I read that part differently” is a real contribution, and it's easier to make than an opening argument. Look at your classmates as well as the instructor when you speak, since a seminar is a conversation, not an oral exam.
Talk to the instructor if it stays hard
If speaking is still difficult after a few weeks, tell the instructor in office hours. Many will help, for example by inviting you in with a question they know you can answer, or by accepting short written responses. Most instructors would rather know than assume you're not interested.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- You have hundreds of pages a week across your courses, and you're reading every word of all of them.
- You finish a reading and can't say what its main argument was.
- The discussion moves fast, and by the time you've formed a point the conversation has moved on.
- Other students seem to talk easily about theories you've only just met.
Why this happens
Graduate reading lists are rarely meant to be read with the same care from start to finish. Undergraduate habits, like reading every page in order and highlighting as you go, don't scale to several articles and a book each week. Reading for a seminar is closer to reading for an argument: you need the main claim, the evidence, how it connects to the other readings and what you think of it.
S. Keshav's short guide How to Read a Paper, often assigned in graduate courses, describes a three-pass approach. The first pass takes 5 to 10 minutes and covers the title, abstract, introduction, headings and conclusions, so you can decide how much more the paper needs from you. The second pass, which can take up to an hour, is a careful read that skips the finer details. Only papers central to your own research need the third pass, a full reconstruction of the work.
Speaking up is a separate skill, and being quiet doesn't mean being unprepared. Seminars reward people who think out loud, which is hard if you prefer to think first, if you're working in a second language, or if you were taught that questioning a published author is disrespectful. Ralina Joseph, writing for the University of Washington's Graduate School, describes seminars as early practice at being a scholar, and suggests taking readings seriously enough to say what they contribute as well as where they fall short.
Worth a look (6)
- Succeeding in a Graduate Seminar, Ralina Joseph, University of Washington Graduate SchoolAdvice on preparing for seminars, contributing to discussion and writing seminar papers.
- How to Read a Paper, S. Keshav (ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, 2007)A two-page guide to the three-pass method for reading research papers quickly and well.
- How to Read Like a Graduate Student, Katrina Dunlap, George Mason University Graduate DivisionPractical tips including skimming, reading the ending first and turning headings into questions.
- Google ScholarA free search engine for scholarly articles, theses, books and court opinions in every field. Set up alerts so new papers on your topic come to you.
- Semantic ScholarA free search engine for research papers from a nonprofit AI institute. One-line summaries and citation links help you see how a topic fits together.
- OpenAlexA free, open index of hundreds of millions of scholarly works, authors and institutions. You can search it directly or use its data for bibliometric research.
More on finding and reading research in the resource library
When to bring someone in
If reading itself feels slow or exhausting, your university's learning or academic skills centre can help with reading strategies, and accessibility services can help if you have, or think you might have, a learning disability. If English is an additional language, ask about academic language support for graduate students. If worry about speaking is affecting your sleep or keeping you away from class, the counselling service is a good place to talk it through.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify