OPINION: Give recreational reading a chance this semester

As college students, finding free time is difficult enough, so the last thing we want to do is add another task on top of our workload. However, picking up a book doesn’t have to feel like just another task. If we change our mindset about reading, books can open avenues we never considered.

With the semester starting up, getting into a routine and adjusting to new classes always causes a lot of stress. Even once you have adjusted, the workload itself is still stressful. Because of this, we’re always seeking ways to manage our stress, and reading is something that can help. According to a 2009 University of Sussex study, reading can help reduce stress by 68% and works faster than other coping mechanisms like listening to music or drinking a cup of tea.

There are other benefits of reading that can improve our experience in school as well. Considering literacy skills are the basis of most college courses, it’s important that we’re good readers. As is the case with any skill you practice, readers become better at it the more they do it.

This goes hand-in-hand with another benefit of reading: improving one’s ability to concentrate and memorize. Because you have to focus on what the author is saying, you ultimately become better at that skill too.

Reading fiction can also help boost creativity and imagination, which is important for our schoolwork when we need to use that part of our brains for projects and problem solving.

However, considering the amount of required readings we’re expected to do in our daily lives — newspapers, academic papers, emails, traffic signs and so forth — it’s understandable that we want to avoid doing more work than we have to. Still, it’s important to remember reading doesn’t have to be a chore. I’ve found a lot of enjoyment in leisure reading.

When I talk to my peers about reading, I often get the response that they haven’t read a book since middle school or something similar. Almost in the same breath, I also hear that they despise reading. For me, those two points are connected. Most people dislike reading because they associate it with the challenging, boring books assigned in grade school. This lack of autonomy over what they choose to read creates boredom and thus a hatred for reading.

One way we can tackle this mindset is by thinking of other activities we’re required to do in grade school yet still find enjoyment in. For example, there are documentaries, movies and video clips we watched in class that aren’t particularly interesting, but we don’t dislike watching television or films as a result. This thought process should be applied to reading as well.

You may be thinking you want to try reading now, but you think you simply don’t have the time. However, there are ways to make time for reading in your schedule. For example, try reading in the morning and before going to bed. You can also listen to audiobooks, which are both entertaining and helpful in sharpening your mind.

If you’re unsure where to start with reading, try thinking of the genres of television you like to watch. I always find mysteries interesting, and I’ve found I enjoy reading them just as much as I enjoy watching them.

Hesburgh Libraries also provides a guide to recreational reading and can help you find which books to start with.

Buying books can be expensive, and you might not have time to go out to the bookstore or other public libraries in search of reading material. The NC State Libraries have tons of books you can search for online and pick up at whichever campus library is most convenient for you. If NC State doesn’t have the book on hand, the interlibrary loan system allows us to get books from other universities too. Additionally, local libraries like Oberlin Regional Library in the Village District provide plenty of resources through free memberships. As students, we have impressive access to books, we just have to utilize our resources.

Most obstacles to finding joy in reading can be overcome, we just need to look in the right places and have the right intentions.