How I Fell Out Of Love With Reading

Introduction

Growing up, I was always an avid reader. I loved reading at home and at school. Some of my favorite childhood books were Clifford the Big Red Dog, Amelia Bedelia, Corduroy, and countless others. As I got older, I developed new favorites like Judy Blume books in middle school and The Hunger Games in high school. My love for reading transcended genres, as long as the book interested me. However, that all changed once I went to college. In this post, I will share how academic reading made me dislike reading, how I rediscovered my love for it, and tips on enjoying academic reading more.

Academics

I have always had a passion for learning and reading, but my college experience greatly altered that. Even in classes that I enjoyed, such as literature or world history, reading became burdensome. During this time, I stopped reading for enjoyment. I would skim through books or look up reviews and summaries. I would feel gulity and confused. How could something I once loved so much become so dreadful? The tight deadlines, the need to analyze texts, and studying for tests made reading less enjoyable. In my literature classes, although there were plays, novels, and poems I genuinely liked, the pressure to achieve good grades prevented me from fully experiencing and enjoying them. And as you can imagine, reading for classes I did not enjoy felt tedious and painful. The textbooks were written in a dry, dull manner, and sometimes the topics did not appeal to me. However, this slowly began to change.

Rediscovering the joy of Reading

During my college years, I gradually reintroduced reading for pleasure into my life. I primarily read short-form texts such as blog posts, forums, and other online media. To regain my reading enjoyment, I chose topics that were fun and interesting to me. Research shows that reading can reduce stress by up to 68 percent. That was when I realized reading did not have to feel like a performance. It could be calming again. I also explored self-help books and those related to music. Reading short-form texts proved to be easier for me to digest, especially since I tend to be a slower reader and often put pressure on myself to read faster instead of simply enjoying the process.

How to enjoy academic reading more

If you want to appreciate academic writing more, it is crucial to find ways to relate to the material. Look for personal connections or examples from your own life or the lives of others. I also recommend breaking up the material into smaller chunks, focusing on one section at a time. Another way to enjoy academic reading more is by going to study groups. I haven't been to a lot of study groups, but the ones I did go to were fun. It's a great way to learn the material and to socialize with peers. I also noticed that I enjoy reading more when I'm in a different environment. Whenever I studied in a library versus at home, I noticed I was more focused. The last tip I suggest is to reward yourself. For example, I'll read or study for thirty minutes, then have a snack or go for a walk. This makes studying not feel boring and can help you switch up your routine.

Conclusion

Overall, academic reading can pose challenges and sometimes dampen a student’s love for reading. However, this obstacle can be overcome by making an effort to relate to the text or taking the time to read material that genuinely interests you. Have you experienced a similar situation? If so, how did you overcome it? Below are a few interesting facts about reading that reminded me why I wanted to reconnect with it in the first place.