10 Pros And Cons of SQ3R For Students

Last Updated on October 2, 2023

Every student wants a shortcut to learning something new or someone who needs to learn new information in any field, it is important to have a good study method that works 100% for you. We tell you one of the most popular study methods that are SQ3R, which stands for Survey, Question, Reading, Recite, and Review. In this article, we cover this topic in detail that is the pros and cons of sq3r, so you can decide if it’s the right study method for you.

The sq3r technique is a popular method invented by Robinson that has advantages and some disadvantages.

But we recommend students follow this method, we will tell you how this method can be beneficial and which students should follow it to improve their knowledge and academic success.

So lets get started!

What is the purpose of sq3r?

The main purpose of using the SQ3R reading strategy is to help students to focus on critical thinking while reading, and this is the teacher’s responsibility to teach the importance of sq3r because many students use a simple method to gain fewer results.

At any student level like a high school student, college student, or university student, By following the technique, this method gives exams with good grades and students can learn to identify the main ideas, get a better understanding and key details of a text, ask themselves questions to deepen their understanding, take notes to aid in retention, and review the material to reinforce their learning. The SQ3R strategy is an effective tool for students to improve their reading skills and develop a deeper understanding of the material. 

SQ3R Methodology

As I said earlier sq3r means to survey, question, read recite review. It is also known as the sq3r reading strategy. It is a five-step process that gives you the best study skills with a concept map to read and learn anything. Psychology teachers and students always use this strategy to improve their learning and reading skills.

1. Survey 

A  “survey” in SQ3R means looking at the material you will be reading before you start, to get a general idea of what it’s about. You can look at headings, main points, and pictures, and quickly read some parts to understand the main topics. This helps you understand the material better when you start reading it more carefully later on.

2. Question

In SQ3R, “Q” means “Question“. This step is about asking yourself questions while you read and giving answers according to them. It helps you understand the information better and remember it later. Asking questions also helps you study and review the material later.

3. Read

The “R” in SQ3R means “Read” which is the first step in 3R. This is about reading the textbook and finding the most important information and taking notes and gaining knowledge of anything in the book or any things that you want to read. The main goal is to read and understand the material. We give you the advice that you should also read the content chapter list that is on the first page.

4. Recite

The second R of 3R means, “recite” to recall and summarize the information you just read in the 1st R step. After reading and recalling, students can close the book or turn away from the screen and try to remember what they just read. This helps you to understand areas of confusion or gaps.

5. Review 

“Review” in SQ3R means going over what you learned again to make sure you remember it well. It’s like practicing or studying what you read so that you can understand and remember it better. You can do this by taking notes, reading and reciting, or making flashcards. This is the last step Of 3R that is very effective for your reading and learning experience.

10 Pros and Cons of SQ3R

Now, we describe the main topic which is “pros and cons of sq3r for students” Students and teachers both they must read before working on this method :

Pros of SQ3R:

1. Better Understanding

The first pro of SQ3R is that it makes it easier to understand and remember. For students who want to read any textbook and memorize, anything, this method is important because it makes your learning process easier and better to understand.

2. Helps you focus

The second pro of sq3r is that it makes you more focused while studying. When you realize what is important in the material you read, you can focus on that and skip over the less important parts. This really helps you to stay always focused because the focus plays a major role in student’s success.

3. Can be used for any subject

The third pro of SQ3R is that it can be used for any subject, from math to history to science, etc. The method is very good in a psychological way and can be applied to any type of material you want. This makes it a useful study method for students of all disciplines.

4. Helps you prepare for exams

The third pro of SQ3R is that it helps you learn and remember information, which can help you prepare for exams for school or university. When you see the exam time is near, this method is working to give you the best results. 

5. Improves critical thinking

Last but not least benefit of using and implementing this strategy is that you ask questions about the material for a teacher or in your mind, then this will improve your critical thinking skills. This helps you understand the material better and develop your critical thinking skills and make you smart.

Cons of SQ3R:

6. Required practice

SQ3R is useful but it has cons that this method requires a lot of practice. Students can benefit from practicing the method consistently to develop proficiency and integrate it into their learning habits. That’s why this method is 100% work when you practice again and again.

7. Not work for online classes

The SQ3R method is a way of studying that requires students to do certain things with their physical textbooks or printed materials, like marking them up and taking notes. However, in an online class, students might not have access to physical textbooks, which can make it difficult or impossible to use the SQ3R method effectively.

8. Difficult for non-native speakers

Non-native speakers may struggle with the language used in the text, which can affect their ability to understand the material and apply the SQ3R method effectively.  

The technique requires strong reading skills, including the ability to identify main ideas, which may be challenging for non-native speakers who are still developing their reading skills in any language. Thats why, it is important for non-native speakers to practice the SQ3R method and work with a tutor or language exchange partner, to improve their reading and language skills 

9. Difficult for group study

Group study involves interacting and sharing ideas with your classmates, which may not fit easily into the structured steps of the SQ3R method because the SQ3R method is primarily for individual use, and without it Adapting collaboratively can be difficult, compromising its effectiveness. This can make it difficult to incorporate the SQ3R method into group study sessions.

10. Takes time

The reason why it takes time is that each step requires careful attention readers and focus.  surveying the material involves previewing it to get an overview, generating questions requires critical thinking, reading involves active engagement and note-taking, reciting involves summarizing, and reviewing involves reinforcing your learning.

While SQ3R may take some time to complete, it can ultimately save time by improving comprehension and retention of the material.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the SQ3R method of studying is a very popular study method that has more pros and fewer cons. It can help you understand the material, help to focus,  can be used for any subject, help you prepare for exams, and improve critical thinking.

However, it can also be required practice, note work for online classes, difficult for non-native speakers, difficult for group study, and takes time. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if SQ3R is the right study method for you.