In high school, I would wake up at 5:30 every day, get ready for school, then read until I had to finish getting ready and leave. Now, I am not recommending you do anything that crazy (and no way would college me be doing that), but the sentiment of having a set time every day to pick up your book and read for 15-30 minutes still stands. Whether you have a set time every day or you work it into your schedule so you have flexibility to read in the quiet moments, you are still reading.
I would recommend reading after work or before bed. Whether you are one of those people who immediately falls asleep when you lie down with a book (me) or a “one more chapter” girly who stays up into the wee hours with a book (not me)—reading before bed can help quiet your mind, decompress the day, and I promise you will sleep better. Same with if you read after work. It’s also a great way to break an unhealthy screen habit if that’s where you gravitate during those times. Why scroll when you can read?
Flashback to high school me again: I would always have a book with me. I was the girl in the halls with the book in her hands or in her bag. (I was also the girl who would get in trouble for reading during class, so I won’t recommend that.) If your book is collecting dust on your nightstand, take it with you. Even if you don’t end up reading at all. It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
If you have it, you will do it. And it doesn’t have to be perfect! If you have five minutes between classes and you can sit on a bench and read—you are still reading. For me, if there isn’t enough time to do homework but it’s too long to be on my phone, then I’m reading. You never know where a pocket of time is going to pop up, and you can read for a few minutes.
If you have reading goals this semester, then prioritize them. Even if you love that biology textbook, if it’s time to read, pick up a fun book. Especially if reading is something that helps you decompress, it should be at the top of your list. I promise that if you make room for your reading time, you will find that you get more done in other areas of your life (like homework).
Tangibly, the main way I do this is by turning off homework at 10 p.m. every night. I work until it is no longer fruitful for me to keep working. With this routine in mind, I have plenty of time to decompress and read before bed. This way, I make time to read and put my best foot forward in my schoolwork.
For a long time, not finishing a book (DNFing) was a dirty word for me. But when it came to the school semester, I would be trapped reading a book I wasn’t feeling, couldn’t get through, and was angry at for weeks or even months. None of my goals were getting met, and worse, my to-be-read (TBR) list was growing. The answer to my self-imposed reading slump was to stop being scared of DNFing and to start embracing the 100-page rule, because life is too short to read bad books.
The 100-page rule looks different for everyone. Author Ryan Holiday’s rule is 100 minus your age; you read that number of pages, and if after that number of pages you aren’t feeling it, quit. I prefer the straight 100 pages. If I don’t like the book after those first hundred—have a nice day. Whichever way you do it, come up with a rule. Maybe your rule is, “if it takes longer than two weeks to get through, put it down.” Or maybe it’s, “if I fall asleep after reading two pages, goodbye.” Make a rule, save a habit.
Loving to read is a trait, but reading on purpose is a skill. If reading is your goal for the school semester, make it one. Don’t be surprised if it takes time, or if this isn’t your semester. I hope it is, though. Happy school semester, and happy reading!
Hayley Bigelow, Pine Reads Review Writer