Hope Jayne, freshman photography major, reads Little Women while lying on a bench near the cottages on campus.
Reading is a pastime that many students enjoy but cannot always find time to do. The stress of school and busy schedules are often what keeps students at California Baptist University from doing so.
Dr. Berniece Alspach, associate professor of English, gave many tips on how to find time read. This includes turning off phones and the TV, scheduling time to read as one would an important event, going to a library or coffee shop to find a cozy corner, joining a book club or enrolling in reading challenges.
Trying any of these ideas can help one grow as a reader. For some students, reading can mean more when it is not an assignment they are required to do.
Finding comfort within the surroundings they create can make reading more enjoyable, or even getting together with friends and picking a book shared with a common interest.
Having the phone or the TV on can be a distraction to anyone who needs to focus. Dr. Alspach said to fully turn them off so readers can give their full attention to the task at hand.
“I definitely want students to value reading outside of assignments because part of growing and developing as a university student is deciding to learn outside the confines of being a student,” Alspach said. “The classroom is only the beginning of learning. I want students to develop into lifelong learners, but I also want them to play and find joy in what they learn.”
Shekiah Warner, senior intercultural studies major, said she enjoys reading in her spare time, but she finds it hard to do so during the semester because of her busy schedule.
Another challenge Warner faces is that because the majority of her homework is reading, she does not always want to read in her spare time.
“Being intentional about removing distractions really helps pave the way to be able to read. Set aside time for something you truly take delight in. It’s not a chore unless you make it out to be,” Warner said.
Warner said she likes to sit in the corner of her living room where the light from the window brightens it. She sets aside time in the morning to read with her favorite chai drink and a blanket. Having the time and comfort to read like this is what can make it more enjoyable and less stressful.
Readers have many different ways of focusing. Some concentrate well in active environments, while others may require quiet solitude. Discovering one’s tendencies toward focusing or not focusing can help increase the enjoyability of reading.
Hayley Angle, senior English major, said she finds it hard to read in her spare time during the semester because her major is geared toward reading all the time which diminishes her desire to read in her free time. Angle did note, however, that reading in a new space can enhance the experience.
“I like going to coffee shops to read. I can concentrate better on reading if I am surrounded by white noise,” Angle said.
While finding time to read during the semester can be hard, it can still be accomplished. Removing distractions ensures full concentration when reading.
Finding a corner or a coffee shop to read in makes it more relaxing and enjoyable and being determined to find the time is what will make it possible.
