HOW TO READ (A COMPUTER SCIENCE TEXT)

Algorithm by William J. Rapaport

WHILE there is a next sentence to read, DO:
  BEGIN (* while *)
    Read it, SLOWLY;
    IF you do not understand it, THEN
      BEGIN (* if *)
        re-read the previous material, SLOWLY;
        re-read the incomprehensible sentence, SLOWLY;
        IF you still don't understand it, THEN
           ask a fellow student to explain it;
        IF you still don't understand it, THEN
           ask your TA to explain it;
        IF you still don't understand it, THEN
           ask me;
        IF you are in an upper-level course & you still don't understand it, THEN
           write a paper about it (!)
      END (* if *) 
END; (* while *)
Since there is no next sentence (because the Boolean test in the WHILE is false), you've understood the text!

For more general information, see my web page "How to Study".


William J. Rapaport (rapaport@cse.buffalo.edu)
file: http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/howtoread.html
date: 24ag99