Finding time to read in college is a struggle, especially if you’re an English major like myself. You have all these assigned readings and it’s hard to find that love you had for reading when you were in high-school. I like to call myself an avid reader but I do consistently find myself in a rut. I’ll find myself in a reading slump, reading the same book for months. It’s hard to find motivation and time to read for enjoyment. Here are four of my go-to tips to get you out of it:
- It’s okay to not finish your current read!
If you aren’t feeling the book that you’re reading, whether you’re not engaged or you just don’t like it. PUT IT DOWN! Open up another one and another one and another one until you find one that sticks. Remember that it is okay to not finish a book. It’s okay to read the first chapter of five different books. All that really matters is that you keep reading!
- Re-read your favorites!
With all the readings I have to do for my classes, sometimes I just don’t have that extra brain power to really pay attention to a whole new plot to comprehend. It is essential to me that I bring my favorite book to campus. Sometimes, I’ll read it through and annotate new things I notice but other times, I’ll just read my favorite parts. Keep in mind, it’s not important to finish it all the way through. If it gets you reading again, it did it’s job!Â
Here are my top 3 favorite book recommendations:
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – For music (specifically Fleetwood Mac) lovers. The book is written in interview/oral formal so it’s a super quick read.Â
Looking for Alaska by John Greene – For those who like young adult books and complex female main characters.
Beach Read/Book Lovers by Emily Henry – For those in need of a fluffy romance book, these two recs center main characters who are writers. I love a good enemies/acedmic rivals to lovers trope and these two books do it very well.Â
- Listen to audiobooks:
If you’re a Spotify user, you get a variety of audiobooks that come with your subscription– if you aren’t, there are lots of available free audiobooks on YouTube to listen to too. Audiobooks are helpful to me because I can get lots of things done while listening at the same time like when I walk to class, while I work out (specifically a treadmill or other cardio exercises), cleaning my dorm, etc. Another plus to using audiobooks is that you can adjust the speed especially if you’re like me with a small attention span, sped-up audio helps keep me engaged.Â
- Read a short book:
This one seems like a simple tip but many overlook this. Books that are under two hundred pages are super helpful whenever I’m in a reading slump. I just recently read The Awakening by Kate Chopin. It’s a fairly short book with chapters that were no more than five pages. It definitely sparked my love for reading again. I have been searching for more books that are similar to this one. Books like these typically have shorter chapters which help my engagement.Â
Everyone has different ways to get out of their slumps but these are four ways that usually help me. It can be hard to find time to do things for yourself in college but it’s also very worth it. We work hard for our education, we deserve to give ourselves a reward. I like to read before bed, even if it’s just a few pages.Â
So, the next time you find yourself unmotivated– give one of these a try! Or try a new method of your own.