<p>I'm considering subscribing to the following magazines to read them regularly (The list is not in any specific order):</p>
<p>The New Yorker
The Economist
Harper's
Scientific American
The Atlantic</p>
<p>Realistically, I can't subscribe to read every issue of all those magazines, because I simply don't have enough time to read every issue of them, and I don't want to spend approximately $300 on magazine subscriptions alone every year. So I have to pick only 2~3 magazines out of those five, but I can't decide on which ones to choose. I went to a bookstore and quickly read through each of those magazines. Every single one of them seemed so good and beneficial that it was very hard to reject any of them.</p>
<p>By the way, my primary motivation of wanting to do daily reading of those magazines is that I want to become a great reader. This will help increase my chance of doing well, getting at least 12 out of 15, on the Verbal of the MCAT two years from now. This will also help me soar academically. Another equally strong incentive is that I want to stay on top of world's current events, and become personally mature and intelligent.</p>
<p>Which magazines from above would best help me develop into a great reader? Please help narrow down the selections.</p>
<p>pick the one you're most interested in, the level of difficulty in the reading is similar across those publications (though scientific american is probably a bit of an easier read than the others, and the new yorker has a lot of pulp in it).</p>
<p>honestly though, I'm a bit leery of telling you that reading a magazine on a regular basis will help you markedly improve your MCAT verbal score. I've always felt that verbal is really the section one has the least control over, and it has as much to do with one's innate abilities as anything.</p>
<p>This is not to say that it won't help; if I remember correctly, English is not your first language, and that sort of reading would certainly help you expand vocabulary and reading comprehension. It will not, however, really strengthen your critical reading capacity by much at all. Improving your reading skills is certainly a goal that will help you on all sections of the MCAT, but thinking it will catapult you into the 95+ percentile on verbal and help you "soar" academically might be just a tad unrealistic. Most importantly, stop worrying about the MCAT now, worry about it in 2-3 years (you're a freshman now, no?) and focus on your coursework and extracurriculars now (and that whole having a life thing while you still can).</p>
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...I've always felt that verbal is really the section one has the least control over, and it has as much to do with one's innate abilities as anything.</p>
<p>This is not to say that it won't help; if I remember correctly, English is not your first language, and that sort of reading would certainly help you expand vocabulary and reading comprehension. It will not, however, really strengthen your critical reading capacity by much at all.
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<p>What do you mean by critical reading capacity? Could you give me some examples of it?
Also, is there really no way of developing such an ability? Do you only have to be born with it?</p>
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Also, is there really no way of developing such an ability? Do you only have to be born with it?
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<p>Anyone can develop their critical reading skills. The only question is how much effort is needed to reach an appropriate level of skill. I had to work hard at it - I was pretty obtuse, even after my freshman year, but throughout college I improved a good deal. I'm still not great at it, but good enough. Other classmates of mine were really good at critical reading, so they needed much less effort to get the same results that I did.</p>
<p>What helped me improve were my English/humanities classes where we students were asked to analyze pieces of literature or essays. Often my TAs or professors would tell us in class to consider certain things - for example, when we were reading Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we were asked to consider the implications of all those stories where the younger son is favored over the elder. I would read whatever piece had been assigned, and then I'd email my TA or professor if I had brief questions. If I had more complicated issues, I'd meet with my TA or professor in person. Doing this over and over again (across multiple semesters and multiple classes) really helped me. It's the repetition and experience gained that improves your skill.</p>
<p>ysk. Your library has a periodicals/newspapers section. You can read the London Times. You can read Le Monde. You can read a little bit of a hundred sources on the same story. You can gain insight and perspective. You can see subtleties and nuance and undisclosed bias and prejudice. Do not spend your limited funds on subscriptions. Take advantage of what your library has. It's much better.</p>
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What helped me improve were my English/humanities classes where we students were asked to analyze pieces of literature or essays. Often my TAs or professors would tell us in class to consider certain things - for example, when we were reading Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we were asked to consider the implications of all those stories where the younger son is favored over the elder. I would read whatever piece had been assigned, and then I'd email my TA or professor if I had brief questions. If I had more complicated issues, I'd meet with my TA or professor in person. Doing this over and over again (across multiple semesters and multiple classes) really helped me. It's the repetition and experience gained that improves your skill.
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shades<em>children: Thanks so much for your advice, shades</em>children. English/humanities classes would certainly help, but I doubt I'll be able to get A's in them; I've always hated English/Socials/Humanities classes in HS, and my current verbal skills are really week. I don't want to risk my GPA just for the sake of improving my verbal skills. Can't you improve as much by doing something independently (eg. reading great magazines and books)?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Your library has a periodicals/newspapers section. You can read the London Times. You can read Le Monde. You can read a little bit of a hundred sources on the same story. You can gain insight and perspective. You can see subtleties and nuance and undisclosed bias and prejudice. Do not spend your limited funds on subscriptions. Take advantage of what your library has. It's much better.
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curmudgeon: I should really do that instead. Thanks for your suggestion!</p>
<p>YSK, unless you improve you verbal skills you'll never have to worry about your GPA. You are in college. What better place to learn? You have writing tutors, courses to take, student mentors, prof's with office hours. Again, what better place to learn skills you will use everyday and for the rest of your life? Take some freshman writing course and write. Work at it like you would a science course. Write everyday. </p>
<p>IMO you are getting the cart waaaay before the horse. Do yourself a favor -Chill out a little. Med school will still be there .</p>
<p>BTW, I lived in the periodicals section at college. I really loved the place. Kid in a candy store. It's a great big world and it was there I got to taste it.</p>
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English/humanities classes would certainly help, but I doubt I'll be able to get A's in them; I've always hated English/Socials/Humanities classes in HS, and my current verbal skills are really week. I don't want to risk my GPA just for the sake of improving my verbal skills.
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<p>Oh, believe me, I'm not a fan of English classes, either. Writing courses the least of all. <em>ugh</em> The courses I'm referring to were either for pre-med or GenEd requirements to get a diploma. :) So no extra risk involved.</p>
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Can't you improve as much by doing something independently (eg. reading great magazines and books)?
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<p>I certainly couldn't. What I really needed was that structured discussion. I mean, if you can find a really good humanities major who'll read the same stuff as you and go through it with you, then... that might be okay. But I think TAs and professors are going to be more helpful in the long run.</p>