<p>This describe me well:
[quote]
A poor reader will become bogged down, spending a lot of time reading:</p>
<pre><code>* Small blocks of words.
* Losing the flow and structure of the text and overall understanding of the subject.
* Skip back often,
</code></pre>
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<p>but I'm extremely good at reading relatively noncomplicated text like the text found in news articles (the text found in AP and SAT exams is also very easy and quick to read). The problem comes when it comes to reading complex nonfiction like philosophy or math. I keep on getting bogged down! and it hurts!!</p>
<p>Well, there's a whole range of kinds of reading between news articles and philosophy. And part of taking a philosophy class is learning how to read: it is possible to spend an entire semester in a graduate philosophy seminar and only get a few pages into the text.</p>
<p>In any event, a lot of undergraduates have this problem. A lot. I've graded for philosophy classes at well-respected schools with educationally privileged students.</p>
<p>I suggest that you practice. For example, Descartes' "Meditations" is a pretty easy text (which is why it shows up so much on undergraduate philosophy syllabi): why don't you pick up a copy, pick up a copy of Sparks' Notes or whatever, and try going through slowly and carefully, trying to figure out how the writer of the notes figured out what was important? Or how about something by Bertrand Russell on a topic that interests you? He's a clear writer and after the "Principia" he moved on to things that are of more general interest.</p>
<p>If your problem is "philosophy and math," maybe you're having trouble with analytic philosophy specifically and would like to read something that's more influenced by the continental tradition. Maybe Hannah Arendt's book on the Eichmann trial would interest you (although Arendt was a philosopher, the news reports that were turned into that book were written for a genuine audience).</p>
<p>Or maybe you should (if you haven't already) taken an introductory ethics or logic course in the philosophy department. Those courses tend to be geared to students who are fulfilling distribution requirements, so they're easy, but you will spend time reading philosophical texts on the one hand and more formal writing on the other. If you've already taken them, maybe your professors would be open to you showing up at office hours (not near any major deadlines in their current courses) to ask for clarification about a text.</p>
<p>If you want to read on your own, I tend to like Bonevac's logic textbooks, and you may be able to find one of the older ones cheap and second-hand. You might also want to play around with one of The Teaching Company's series; they've got some good people discussing philosophical texts. (The prices there are ridiculous in general, so you should only buy series when they are on sale.)</p>
<p>Is any of this helpful?</p>
<p>Try outlining chapters or highlighting key points, so that you're forced to keep moving and really understand and evaluate the text.</p>