Why I’m Prioritizing Reading This Semester

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, but after seeing a few TikToks of people listing a combination of serious and silly resolutions, I decided to follow suit. I wrote out a few silly resolutions in my notes app, then I sat and thought about the more serious ones. After writing down “figuring out what I want to do after college,” and subsequently freaking the hell out that I’ll be graduating next year, I wrote “make more time to read during the semester.” 

I have always been enthralled by reading. Whether it was Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Percy Jackson in elementary school, any John Green or young-adult dystopian novel in middle school, or the countless classics I read throughout high school, I never got bored of the hobby. I still have yet to get bored of reading, but college has definitely made it more difficult. After reading nearly every day the summer before my freshman year, I didn’t read a single book outside of my assigned class readings my entire first semester of college. I read a little over winter break, then neglected the hobby again until summer rolled around. Sophomore year, I repeated this pattern.

As last summer ended, I came to dread going back to school. I was working nearly full-time and taking calc III online, yet I was nowhere near as busy as I am during the school year. I was about to lose so much of my cherished reading time. I had done this twice before, why did it seem so much harder this year? 

My second semester of freshman year was very academically challenging, and I think that’s what spurred my neglect of reading and the unhealthy ‘grindset’ I came to adopt my sophomore year. While I also failed to make time to read during my first semester, I think that was more due to my prioritization of social activities. Regardless, I rarely rewarded myself for studying after my second semester: Rewarding yourself isn’t only buying $9 coffees, but also small things like watching a movie or reading a book. I only really felt okay about doing those small, fun activities if I did well on an exam or assignment, not after finishing a busy day of classes and assignments. It sounds miserable, it was miserable, and that’s why I dreaded going back to school so much.  

So, to combat my misery, I made it a point to prioritize my mental wellness last semester. When I had a week without exams, and a lighter workload, I allowed myself to read as much as I could before getting slammed with more deadlines. I know, it sounds so simple, but sometimes it’s hard to find time to just breathe when your schedule is packed with difficult classes. It feels like every second you spend relaxing should be spent reviewing instead, but I found this past semester that spending more time relaxing and less time studying than I had previous semesters actually helped me immensely. I had the best grades I’ve had since my first semester of college. By relaxing, I performed better during my exams!

As I wrote my New Year’s resolutions towards the end of winter break, I found myself excited to return to school. Was this semester going to be easy? Of course not. I have to take advanced biochemistry and pray my professor is merciful with the exam questions. But I was going back to my incredible roommates, amazing boyfriend, and alongside the new Kindle I got for Christmas! Knowing my new gift wouldn’t go to waste put a smile on my face. 

• #MentalWellness
• #school
• reading