Leisure Reading Helpful; Possible In College?

Yes, to all of the above. Leisure reading is helpful and possible in college. College students will either say they love leisure reading but never have the time or they will blame college textbooks as to why books are their bane. Let’s think about it though; talk to a literature or creative writing major and see if they are ever stressed to the max wondering how they will ever get that literary analysis of Moby Dick complete yet still read the half a dozen poems and the copy of Dante’s Inferno before the week is out. Reading a good novel or work of non-fiction (notice the word “good”) is something that may seem like an impossible task, or a torturous one, but it actually will do more good than harm.

First, if you are hunched over notes and textbooks for hours at a time it’s stressful because your brain is in learning-mode and that is working your mind in an entirely different way than if you were leisure reading. While studying a subject you are either consciously or subconsciously thinking about the worries associated with that particular class, like your grades, tests, the cute guy/girl who sits in front of you and if you should ask him/her out. No wonder college students lose sleep and are overly stressed. Parties, drinking, napping in the library, and the like are no way to truly relieve stress.

Reading a good book, either for class or not, is an excellent way to expand your mind, relax, develop better writing and grammar skills, and simply escape from the hustle and bedlam of the college life. If you are reading a novel for class, just read it! Don’t highlight certain parts or commit passages to memory, enjoy the story. If you can explain your reasoning behind your answer on a test about that book then you are right. Reading is relative for the most part.

If you hate leisure reading then don’t go for War and Peace as a relaxing book, but look into young adult novels that are still great reads, but not overly complex or long. I guarantee if you sit aside a time in the day to just close the text books and become lost in the world within the pages of a novel it will melt the stress away and recharge your mind for another round of test prep and paper writing.