This paper analyses the metacognitive awareness as well as reading strategies employed by diploma and pre-degree students at Universiti Teknologi MARA Kedah and how these strategies could help them to become strategic or skilled readers. Metacognitive awareness is a non-linear process and it plays a crucial role in allowing us to tap into the students' mental processes when reading academic-related materials. The respondents in this study were required to the complete the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) developed by Sheorey and Mokhtari (2002) which consists of 30 items measuring the students' metacognitive awareness of reading strategies. It is further divided into three sub-categories namely Global Reading Strategies, Problem-Solving Strategies and Support Reading Strategies. The students also participated in interviews which gauged the level of awareness and how it can help to improve the comprehension process. The results of this study have important implications for the teaching and learning of reading.