Annotating Books...

I figure this is the best place to ask this on 4chan, but it still probably won't do very well.  Anyway, here goes.

I've just started taking Eng 102 over the summer because I can't avoid it any longer. Don't get me wrong, I love reading, but I'm not very good at what the the course calls "Active Reading;" constantly challenging and commenting on what the author is saying. I guess I'm a better passive reader, since I read for pleasure.

Well, the teacher highly recommends highlighting and annotating the literature to become a better active reader. I've got a vague idea on how to do this, so I've started marking a number whenever I see some imagery, irony or other literary devices I think are important and commenting on them in my notebook.

Does anybody have any further advice on doing this?

Annotate what makes sense to you. The teacher may tell you to look for some things in particulay but if they're not things that stand out or matter to you, then instead annotate for obvious things like imagery, syntax, and characters. When in doubt just make notes that keep track of the plot in the margins.

When I read a really good book, and not a book I read for leisure, I can't help but annotate. Useless annotations, but some sentences just strike me as being exceptional and I can't help but underline or star them.