College: How to Find Time to Read (for Fun)

Between classes, homework, friends, clubs, and everything else, college doesn't leave a lot of free time. And when it does, it's usually taken up by catching up on sleep. For a lot of people, college means pleasure reading is now a thing of the past.

It doesn't have to be. Here are five tips on finding time to read for fun during college.

1. Find time.
This is the biggest thing. Chances are if you say "I don't have time to read" it's not true. Take fifteen or twenty minutes to read before bed. If you have an hour between classes that you don't need to use for last-minute studying, find a quiet corner somewhere and read. If there's a meal that you have to eat alone, bring a book and read while you eat.

2. Prioritize free time
A couple weeks ago my roommate said she wanted to read a favorite series of mine, but she didn't have time. This is the same roommate that spend four hours yesterday playing Sims 3. If you want to make time to read, you might have to make some sacrifices.

3. Read to de-stress
Reading can be a great escape from the stress of life. Last semester during finals week I re-read two of my favorite books because I needed to de-stress between finals. If you need to relax, don't be afraid to take an hour -- or even a half hour -- to curl up with a good book.

4. Keep a book in your backpack
Always come prepared for a few minutes of reading time. This way you'll never find yourself sitting outside of class waiting for it to start without a book to read.

5. Don't force books that aren't holding your interest
Chances are if you're having to force yourself to read a book, you're not going to be as likely to want to find time to read that book. So if you're struggling with something, move on to something new.

Comments

Caitlin said…
This is such a good post. I know that I have so much trouble finding time to read. I think that this is mostly due to the numerous distractions at college. You always can be hanging out with friends, studying, and let's not forget the internet which sucks away so much time. Thanks for posting.
Jessica L. said…
I've stopped watching television, so I found myself having a lot of free time that I now use to read.

I also read a lot on public transport. I have to go an hour each way to go to uni, so I have so much time to read. I probably wouldn't have gotten so much stuff done if not for the train, haha.
Ash said…
I always have at least one if not two or three different books [or my Kindle!] in my backpack or purse [Yeah, I carry those gigantic tote bags most of the time] because I do try and cram reading in whenever I can. Its my trick to reading such outrageous amounts of books every year. I read whenever I can even if I can only get a few pages in here and there.

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