Are college students reading?

In the information age, it can be difficult to find the time or need to read for pleasure, and that is more evident than ever as only 42 percent of college-age students read for pleasure. Between social media, required reading material, and work calling for their attention, college students are finding it more difficult to allocate time for reading. All hope is not lost though, as many college students do express the desire to read if there was more time available, which for most means reading in the summertime!

Why should you read for pleasure?

There are many reasons reading for pleasure is important and why the habit should be reinforced through college-age and beyond. Reading strengthens the brain because it engages several sensory areas which trigger parts of the brain that may have otherwise been low functioning to be active. It also increases our vocabulary and strengthens that which we already know. It seems that emphasis on vocabulary from instructors decreases as students start college, so it is important that coq develop that habit on their own to keep up with the stages they’re in. 

Not reading for pleasure can be counterproductive as the goal of every college student is to succeed academically, and research has found that “students who read for pleasure averaged higher scores than their non-reading counterparts”, and because of this positive correlation, it is important to carve out time to read!

Tips on how to become a better reader

So how can you become a better reader even when it seems there’s no time? Thankfully audiobooks are more readily available now more than ever and can be of convenience. Many people listen to audiobooks while completing their daily routines such as driving around, exercising, or cleaning. This can be a positive way for college students to engage in pleasure reading. Another tip is to replace certain habits with reading, such as reading before bed instead of scrolling through social media, or reading as you eat your lunch! Another awesome way is to participate in a small book club with friends where you rotate who pics a book. This allows for different titles and genres to be introduced which can help in the brain strengthening we talked about earlier.

All in all, finding time to read can be difficult, but the positive outcomes outweigh the negatives! 

Happy reading!