Why You Should Pick Up A Book
Looking for a way to escape some of the stress from college? Reading a great book can be the perfect activity to feel productive, keep your mind engaged, and take a break from the expectations of school. Here is a compilation of why I think YOU should pick up a book. Like right now. Stay until the end for some books recs for easy reading!
You can actually learn something
Believe it or not, whether it's fiction, fantasy, or even romantic novels, there’s something to learn in every book. Reading helps you expand your vocabulary, provides you with better memory, and can highly improve your writing skills.
2. You can relate to something
There are thousands of books out there about the stage of life you are at right now. Books could help you find solace in a difficult time of your life or help you deal with a hardship. For example, reading books about someone else dealing with grief could help one deal with their own. Reading is a form of therapy.
3. It is an easy thing to do anywhere
College provides many scenarios that are a perfect time to pick up a book. On the bus, between class, while cooking. Those are just a few times you could knock out a few pages. Feeling pressure to finish a book in one sitting can often defer people from reading. Take it from me, there's nothing wrong with taking weeks to finish a book. Choose your own pace!
4. Better activity before bed
Instead of spending two hours on Tik Tok, reading a couple chapters before bed is a better way to ensure you can fall asleep a little easier at night. Instead of rolling around all night, a book could put you right out. Blue light glasses will only get you so far.
5. Make you feel productive and smart!
In college, everyone has those days where you don't have the brainpower to complete that last assignment. Sometimes this feeling can weigh heavy on a student and make them feel like wasted space. Reading a book is a great activity to do on those days when you need a break from homework. It will keep your brain at the same mental spot and still make you feel productive. It's okay to have an off day!
Recommendations:
Like I said, I am not a “read a book every night” or even every week person by any means. I am a slow reader but I still always feel accomplished after finishing a book. I recently took up a major interest in memoirs, essays, and other non-fiction books. Connor Franta has a great pair of memoirs: Work in Progress and Note to Self. Both of Franta’s books have comedic aspects but also open up about mental health. Cazzie David also created humorous essays that she calls written stand-up fiction. Her book is titled, No One Asked For This. Each essay is stand alone so this is a great book to have on hand when you find yourself reading intermittently.
Last, I recently have read two books about girls in college or high school that have studied and traveled abroad. Titled Again, but Better by Christine Riccio and Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch, both books are fiction but include a lot of insight about what it would be like to visit the different European countries. I highly recommend reading these books if you are planning on studying abroad! If not, feel free to read these to live vicariously through someone else anyways.
