Ever since I can remember, reading has been my favourite hobby. I spent almost every day of my childhood with my nose in a book, immersed in the words of Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling. It was actually partly because of this love of reading that I decided to major in English Literature once I got to university. However, shortly after entering university, I began to fall out of this hobby; I started spending all my time doing schoolwork, trying to make new friends, and adapting to living alone in a new city. Throughout my university experience, my relationship with reading has dwindled. And it’s been replaced by spending more time on my phone or hanging out with friends. In this article, I want to explore how and why this relationship has devolved and what you can do if you too have struggled with being a reader in university.
I remember having such a difficult time picking which books to bring with me to university, and my parents telling me that I shouldn’t bring a lot because I wouldn’t have time for reading. I shook off their warnings and selected ten of my favourite books to accompany me to Kingston. Looking back on that first year, I would approximate that I only ever touched one out of those ten novels during the entire eight months. So, why did I completely fall out of a hobby I loved so much? When I really think about it, the main reason was because I didn’t have the energy for it anymore. At the beginning of my university journey, I felt exhausted all the time; I was waking up early to go to class, going to the library, meeting my friends for dinner, and doing schoolwork until I went to bed. Unfortunately, reading didn’t exactly fit into my days anymore.
Another huge reason for my lack of reading was because of how much I had to do for school. From Shakespeare to my huge politics textbook, there was always something to read for school and never the time to read anything for fun. I think being forced to read large amounts of literature, especially if it’s not enjoyable material, takes much of the joy out of reading. In my mind, reading became a chore — something to ‘get over with’ so I could go have fun with my friends or do something else.
Near the end of first year, I tried to get back into the hobby and I managed to read two books during the summer. But I definitely wasn’t reading as voraciously as I used to. This year, I’m more adjusted to university life and I’m involved in multiple extracurricular activities that take up a lot of my free time, so I still haven’t been doing much reading. While I’ve read a couple of books (better than first year!), I still want to read more in my day-to-day life. One thing that I’ve tried to start implementing to help me get back into reading regularly is incorporating it into my daily routine. Trying to read a little bit every day has made it a lot easier for me to pick up a book and not feel overwhelmed. I’ve also tried to take some pressure off myself—instead of forcing myself to read a certain amount every day or finish a book by a certain date, I’ve allowed myself to read when I actually want to read, and at the pace that’s going to work best for me. Another huge piece of advice I can give anyone struggling with being a reader in university is that it’s okay not to have the energy or time to read! For a while, I would be upset with myself without acknowledging the fact that I didn’t really have the capacity for it at the time. Being a student can be difficult and giving yourself grace is incredibly important.
I also think that it’s important to note that reading is a hobby that you can put down and pick back up whenever you please. Unlike some hobbies that involve physical fitness, you can go years without reading for pleasure and get back to it instantly. In this way, even if you feel like you should be reading more right now, you still have plenty of time to catch up on the books you’ve missed later. And if you have the desire to read, don’t make it a chore, make it a habit! Pick books that excite and intrigue you, not ones that will put you to sleep. If your TBR list is full of lengthy, slow-paced books, maybe venture outside that and choose something short and snappy to get you into the reading headspace. I find that thrillers and some romance novels are great reading palate-cleansers that can make you excited about reading again. While being a reader in university can be a serious struggle, there are some great ways to work through the challenges and ease any pressure on yourself.