I Finally Was Able to Read During the Semester

I finally made time to read during the semester, but not because my schedule is any lighter. Instead, I made one small change that allowed me to give time to books again. 

I have started every year of college wanting to find time to read books that weren’t assigned to me for homework. I wanted moments where reading didn’t feel like a chore. Yet every year, I’d get caught up in the semester, and instead of fitting in time for reading, I filled gaps of time by touching up assignments. I never gave myself time to read. So, the semester would end, I’d finally read recreationally and realize how much I missed it, and I’d tell myself I would make space for it next semester. And it wouldn’t happen.

…Until this year. It started with my studying abroad in the spring. The reason I was able to read then is fairly simple: my workload was SIGNIFICANTLY lower. It was easy to find the time when I wasn’t crunched with assignments. 

But even abroad, I wasn’t reading that much. I would pick up my Kindle occasionally, and I probably read a handful of books while I was there. Then I came back for the summer and really got back into reading again, picking up more books than I had in years. I finally felt like a “reader” again, silly as that sounds, and it made me really happy that I was back to spending my free time on an activity that I enjoyed and made me feel good. 

So I was worried that when I started my senior year, especially after spending a lax semester abroad, I would once again let the busyness distract me from reading. I knew I had to actually make it happen, even though I hadn’t in years prior. 

And by approaching the problem differently, I actually did it! In fact, I read every single day without failure. The big change? I put reading into my schedule.

I know that sounds obvious. Like, duh, schedule your time. However, I personally find scheduling my day-to-day tasks extremely daunting, and I usually don’t do it. But as someone with ADHD, structure is the only thing that keeps me accountable for getting things done. 

I didn’t just put “read today” on a to-do list. I’ve tried that method for many things, and I always end up skirting some of the list. The real reason I have been able to read every day is because it is a part of my morning routine. Every morning, I read a book while I eat my breakfast. It’s that simple, yet it works. 

In general, I have given myself more time to wake up in the mornings. It’s not much, especially on days when I have my 9 AM classes. But it’s consistent, and that means I don’t have to think about when I am fitting it into my day. Could I be spending that chunk of time doing homework in the morning? Sure, but it would be a very small chunk of working time and wouldn’t be worth sacrificing a peaceful start to my day. That is what I used to do, and my work wasn’t any better off for it. 

So, if you also want to read more this semester, make it a routine! And start small when setting expectations. My only goal with morning reading is to pick up my book, it doesn’t matter how much I get through. By routinely showing up, you’ve already done half of the work.

• Busy Life
• college
• reading
• time management