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RJSPO
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Tips to Handle Dense Science Passages 22 Mar 2013, 13:22
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Hi All,

what strategy do I use to handle Science passages. They have a lot of scientific jargon,which is very difficult to understand. :?
I do active reading & try not to go into much details,but sometimes I simply can't understand a passage due to various
scientific terms & concepts.

Thanks :)

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RyanCJW
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Tips to Handle Dense Science Passages 22 Mar 2013, 13:47
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RJSPO
Hi All,

what strategy do I use to handle Science passages. They have a lot of scientific jargon,which is very difficult to understand. :?
I do active reading & try not to go into much details,but sometimes I simply can't understand a passage due to various
scientific terms & concepts.

Thanks :)
Show more

I dislike Science passages too. But you have to get through them! Superficial enthusiasm. Pretending that you're really into the topic is the one thing I learned that KIND OF helps. But it doesn't always. You just have to get over it. The passages usually aren't fun. They're meant to be that way.

If you take notes throughout the passage, trying to outline the important parts - I've found that this forces you to pay more attention.

Also, if you come across words that you have no idea about (which should be often when it comes to these boring science passages) - just give that word a different, shorter word, that you actually understand. Try to make it fit the context. In most situations, that word isn't necessary and you can come up with a suitable synonym. Other times, that part of the paragraph isn't really essential to the overall passage. If it is, you can revisit it and pay more attention to that term but in most cases, it's just there to rattle your nerves.
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RJSPO
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Tips to Handle Dense Science Passages 23 Mar 2013, 01:30
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RyanCJW
RJSPO
Hi All,

what strategy do I use to handle Science passages. They have a lot of scientific jargon,which is very difficult to understand. :?
I do active reading & try not to go into much details,but sometimes I simply can't understand a passage due to various
scientific terms & concepts.

Thanks :)

I dislike Science passages too. But you have to get through them! Superficial enthusiasm. Pretending that you're really into the topic is the one thing I learned that KIND OF helps. But it doesn't always. You just have to get over it. The passages usually aren't fun. They're meant to be that way.

If you take notes throughout the passage, trying to outline the important parts - I've found that this forces you to pay more attention.

Also, if you come across words that you have no idea about (which should be often when it comes to these boring science passages) - just give that word a different, shorter word, that you actually understand. Try to make it fit the context. In most situations, that word isn't necessary and you can come up with a suitable synonym. Other times, that part of the paragraph isn't really essential to the overall passage. If it is, you can revisit it and pay more attention to that term but in most cases, it's just there to rattle your nerves.
Show more

Thanks ...I will show maximum. interest in the passages now :-D ,and will try to follow ur tips especially the synonym part.
Do you think taking notes is a good strategy ?
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RyanCJW
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Joined: 08 Jun 2012
Last visit: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 105
Own Kudos:
33
Given Kudos: 70
Location: United States
Concentration: Marketing, Other
Schools: Foster '16 (M) Owen '16 (A)
GMAT 1: 550 Q30 V36
GMAT 2: 660 Q41 V40
GMAT 3: 670 Q44 V38
GPA: 3.27
WE:Corporate Finance (Mutual Funds and Brokerage)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Foster '16 (M) Owen '16 (A)
GMAT 3: 670 Q44 V38
Posts: 105
Kudos: 33
Tips to Handle Dense Science Passages 23 Mar 2013, 10:32
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RJSPO

Thanks ...I will show maximum. interest in the passages now :-D ,and will try to follow ur tips especially the synonym part.
Do you think taking notes is a good strategy ?
Show more

If you're doing practice problems and you're really having a hard time following the passage and getting those questions right - it may benefit you to take notes or outline the passage.

I would try a problem set of reading comp questions outlining and and another not outlining and see if there is a vast improvement between the two. Outlining does take up quite a bit of time, but it also can help you answer questions more quickly.

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Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Verbal Questions Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
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