As someone who reads daily, I always get asked how I do it! It can be hard to incorporate reading into our busy college routines, but it is definitely possible. Reading relaxes me after stressful days and transports me to new, exciting worlds. Below are tips on how to make reading your favorite new hobby:
Experiment with genres: If you’re on BookTok, you might see rom-com after rom-com for suggested reads, but those are not the only books out there! I’ve tried out mysteries, fantasies, non-fiction, poetry as well as romantic comedies to better understand what I like and don’t like. There is so much out there you just have to find it!
Join a book club or read with a friend: While I am not part of a book club, I have heard from family members and friends that a good group of readers can be encouraging, as well as create some fun nights! If book clubs aren’t your thing, ask a friend who loves to read to pick out a book for the two of you to read together. Either way, having a support system can be just the type of encouragement you need to pick up a book and start reading!
Set an achievable goal: Setting a goal for this summer could be the perfect place to start your reading journey. Start small but also don’t underestimate yourself. My 2024 reading goal is 30 books, and while that seems drastic, I am already on book 13 of reaching it. Having this goal has encouraged me to read every night, even if I can only spare five minutes.
Make a Goodreads account: This is the perfect place to set your reading goal. Goodreads allows you to rate books, see what is popular and connects you with friends to see what they are enjoying at the moment. I love getting onto the app every time I finish a book to add it towards my 2024 goal and leave my review.Â
Get a library card: I can not recommend this enough! I have a Kindle and have spent almost no money on books this year because I can just borrow them from my library. Another tip: if you have a library card at home you can still borrow online books from it while at school.Â
Try out audiobooks: Reading paper isn’t your thing? Try audiobooks! You can also borrow these from the library. Audiobooks could be the perfect segway into reading more, and you can listen to them while doing other things, such as walking to class, working out or driving.Â
Pick up a book instead of your phone at night: I think we can all relate to grabbing our phone at night and scrolling for an hour. A new goal of mine has been to put down my phone and grab my book. Reading right before bed calms me much more than social media does! It also makes me sleepy enough to go to bed earlier rather than fall down a rabbit hole on Tik Tok.Â
Well, those are my tips! If reading still isn’t your thing after trying these out, that’s okay, but don’t count it out until you try.
My personal favorite books: Little Women, A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Hunger Games trilogy, anything by Emily Henry and Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.