If you’re anything like me, you arrived at college with far too many books than you have time to read. Despite warnings from my parents and friends, I brought almost a quarter of my extensive collection of books. And now that I am almost through my first semester of college, I find that I haven’t even finished two of the fifty or so books in my dorm room. This led to my friend asking the one question that never crossed my mind: Why not try listening to an audiobook? I have been the number one advocate for hardcover and paperback books for years, but I started to consider that maybe part of the college adjustment included my reading habits, too. Since then, I have discovered a couple of reasons as to why listening to audiobooks is a good alternative for when you don’t have time to pick up a book.
Audiobooks help reduce negative thinking.
Listening to books helps with mood and disrupts negative thinking patterns. Your brain cannot “talk” when you are actively listening, and immersing yourself in a story is often the best way to listen. When we read words, our mind has the ability to wander through our days and our dinner plans. But listening to a book makes those wandering thoughts a lot harder to form. Audio directly slows and disrupts our negative spirals, allowing us to enjoy our books without worrying about anything that pops into our anxious minds.
Audiobooks help relax our eyes.
As a college student—or someone who deals with any type of screen for a majority of the day—you are bound to get a headache after being on your laptop or reading for too long. At the end of the day, we often want to close our eyes and forget about using them ever again. The urge to open up a book and read as a way to wake up, go to sleep, or generally relax is lessened after continued strain or blurred vision. Audiobooks give us the break we need from words on a screen or paper so that books can be our hobby no matter what else we have done with our day and a much needed break for our eyes.
Audiobooks improve listening comprehension and skills.
Reading books is known to improve vocabulary, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills. Luckily, listening to audiobooks does not eliminate these same benefits! Listening to audiobooks can improve vocabulary as well as listening comprehension. Just as analyzing and understanding what we read takes concentration, so does listening. Being able to listen to a story then follow along and engage with the plot takes skill, one that can transfer into everyday life. These listening skills gained from following along with a book can be used in conversation with friends and family.
Audiobooks allow for multitasking.
Audiobooks, as well as podcasts, are easy to turn on in the background while completing chores or assignments. If you’re someone, like me, who needs some sort of sound in the background when completing certain tasks, audiobooks are a great way to enjoy your responsibilities and get further in a book you cannot put down (or rather, stop listening to). Doing laundry, making dinner, or cleaning your dorm/apartment are perfect activities to soundtrack with an audiobook to engage your mind in one activity and your body in another.
Overall, audiobooks are a great way to immerse yourself in storytelling without always having to carry a book around. Although there is something unexplainable about physically reading a book, audiobooks have just as many benefits and can easily transfer into whatever your schedule may be. Next time you are walking to class, having a mentally rough day, or you simply want to hear a story, don’t be afraid to try out an audiobook!
Resources to find audiobooks and podcasts:
- Spotify
- Audible
- All You Can Books
- Scribl
- And so many more!!
*some sites are available for free download while others require paid subscriptions