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Company law: Managing the reading

Manage your reading when studying Company Law. Start from the big picture – gain an overview of the topic.

Step 1: Outline of the topic

The lecture PowerPoints provide a guide to what is important for each Company Law topic – read, understand and make your own notes before the lecture and before reading the textbook.

Step 2: Read the chapter outlines

Look at the table of contents in each chapter – this gives you an overview of the areas and subareas in the chapter.

Read the key points/overview at the beginning of the chapter.

Contents page, showing chapter title, followed by sub headings: table of contents, area, sub area. Tips: Read the key points and overview at the beginning of the chapter, go through headings.

A sample title page of a book chapter. Certain features of the page have been highlighted. They are: the chapter title, the table of contents, and the areas and sub areas withing the table of contents.

On another page, the 'key points' section has been highlighted with the text in the margin reading: "Read the key points and overview at the beginning of the chapter". A heading on the same page has been highlighted with text in the margin reading: "Go through headings".

Step 3: Surveying

Go through headings in the chapter to understand the structure of the topic as well as any charts, diagrams, flowcharts and tables which explain the text.

Step 4: Read the relevant sections of the chapter

Read relevant sections of the chapter highlighting key points, legislation and cases.

Step 5: Make a mind map and/or summary

Make a mind map and/or summary of the key headings and subheadings in this topic and their relationship with each other.

Step 6: Test your knowledge

Test your knowledge by redoing quick mind maps and summaries. Each time you redo a summary or mind map, you remember more. You also find out where the gaps in your knowledge are.

Don't just summarise the whole chapter. Instead use the lecture PowerPoints as a guide for your reading and notes. This way you can focus on the topics and subtopics that are important for the lecture. Not everything is relevant to remember in each chapter of your textbook.