Edited by Sophia Savva
On the fifth day of reading week, spring break gave to me: five days of sleep, four days of Netflix, three nights out, two family dinners and one happy me. Wait a minute, **record scratch** isn’t it called READING week?
According to UTM’s website, the fall reading week was added “to allow students to catch up, get focused, and spend some serious time reading and understanding the material presented to them. For some students, it will offer a chance to relax and catch up with friends and family.” Well, to students, reading week is the latter and it stands for the Rest, Eat, Attend fun events, Drink, Invite friends out, Netflix, Get some sleep week. Most students won’t actually crack open their books this upcoming reading week… well, maybe just some light Buzzfeed reading.
It’s not a shocking revelation that most students don’t spend reading week completing their homework. Most of us spend reading week recovering from exhaustion. I for one spent a whole day of my fall reading week sitting in a stadium with a bunch of cowboys/cowgirls singing Country Roads by John Denver and watching people fly off a bull’s back. But we all know that the precious relief that we get from this break is short lived. Once school starts, we end up spending most of our days and nights in a certain peacock-shaped building. As I spend all of my money on espresso shots and sit in a wooden cubicle trying to catch up on my reading, I regret every moment I spent not studying during reading week.
This year, I have been cursed with assignments and tests due right after the break, and I’m sure many of you are in the same boat. So, it’s probably not a good idea to do nothing this week. Here are some tips on how to make your reading week as productive as it can be.
Split your day between homework and relaxing
If you are a morning person, spend your morning working and then spend the afternoon/evening relaxing. If you prefer studying at night, you could take your day off and then begin studying at night. Make sure that you set a strict schedule, for example, spend only 4 hours studying per day. That way you won’t lose out on relaxing and you will complete some work.
Block your time
If you can’t motivate yourself to get to work or you have just had a hectic semester, then take the first few days of reading week off and start studying near the end of the week. This strategy will ensure that you can catch up with your studies before going back to school, but also that you have time to recuperate.
Figure out what type of work you’re in the mood for
Some days you may be too tired to even study, so don’t force yourself to work on any difficult subjects. On the days when you are tired, you should focus on doing light readings or finishing a small assignment. On the days that you’ve slept well and feel energetic, you can study for exams or get ahead in your heaviest courses.
If you’re one of the lucky students that doesn’t have an exam after the break, you should…
- Buy a lottery ticket before your luck runs out
- HAVE FUN!
If all else fails and you find yourself unproductive this reading week, buy a neck pillow for the long nights in the library and remember, there’s nothing an espresso shot can’t fix. But I don’t think you will need this tip because I have faith that all of us can be productive this reading week and successful this semester! Happy reading week!