How to Juggle College & Reading

When I first got accepted into my college, I was hit with a sudden moment of realization. Would I be able to continue my passion for reading books and sharing bookish content while in college? In high school, I somehow managed to keep up my grades, film for my Youtube channel and post photos on my Instagram. But even doing so in high school was a struggle, so how would I pursue this passion in college? Hopefully, this post will help you through the same problem I'm facing at the moment. In the end, the world will make time for the things that you love. Also, note that these tips are from my personal experience. They definitely won't be the same for everyone. 

Tip 1: Acknowledge That You Won't Be Reading As Much

The first step in managing your reading time right is first facing the fact that you probably won't be reading as much as you used to. College is a pretty demanding environment where you'll be asked to do things you've never done before. Some days you just won't have time to get any reading done. Acknowledging this will help you avoid squeezing time in your schedule to read as much as you read before going to college. Hopefully, it will help you step back and create a more reasonable schedule for your reading.


Tip 2: Get Rid of Your Goodreads Challenge! 

If you're an avid reading, you probably have a Goodreads challenge. Before college, Goodreads challenges were my life. I would always get super disappointed when I didn't achieve my reading goals or try to speed up my reading by the end of the year just to meet my goal. We can have a whole discussion about why Goodreads challenges hurt more than they help, but if you are even slightly pressured by your GR challenge, I would highly recommend holding off from it until winter break or something! 


Tip 3: Don't Eat More Than You Can Chew

Something I've learned in the past month of being in college is not to purchase so many books if I don't have enough time to read them. You'd think that buying more books would motivate you to read. However, studies show that when you have too many books to read, you actually feel more overwhelmed and unmotivated to read (and by studies I mean that my life has been the only test subject lol). This doesn't just apply to book buying. When you're packing for college, don't bring your entire bookshelf. Going back to step 1, acknowledge that you won't have as much time to read and pack accordingly. If you underestimate your time, you always have the chance to purchase more books or borrow from the library. 


Tip 4: Switch to Audiobooks

Let's face it, there won't always be time for you to pull out a book and start reading. Sometimes reading gets in the way. We want to read a lot of books but we don't want to take away time from more important things like studying for a test or sleeping. Audiobooks are great for multi-tasking! Usually, I listen to my audiobooks while I'm on the treadmill at the gym. That's 40 minutes of some good reading and working out. I understand that audiobooks can get a bit pricey, and as college students, we're always looking for cheaper alternatives. I find my way around the price by borrowing from audiobook libraries or simply asking friends to borrow their audible accounts if they have the book. 


Tip 5: Make It A Social Event 

Before I arrived at my campus, there was always a constant fear that if I wanted to read a lot I would have to sacrifice my social life. However, that is definitely not the case! You can host reading parties where you and your friends all come together and read. It could also be a lot simpler! You could read with your roommate while they are doing their own readings. You could join a study group, but instead of studying you could read your own book. I've found many ways around it since coming here. 


Tip 6: Change Your Reading Environment

Just because you can't read in your dorm room or lounge doesn't mean you can't read at all! I know every time I'm in my dorm all I think about is taking a nap, so I don't get any reading done in there. All you have to do is take your book and move to a different environment. The best place to go is the library, where others will perhaps be reading and it will be quiet. This method will also allow you to better explore your campus. It took me quite a while, but I finally found my reading spot! It's a giant circular window in the library (see picture below). 

As I spend more time on campus and it gets closer to the midterm season, I will come across more tips and methods for reading more. But at this time, these are just a few of the ways I've been able to come up with that have helped me so far. College is an all new experience, and I am glad that I am able to still continue my passion and do what I love on the side of my education. That's all for now folks.



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