by Josh Wilson

In a fast-paced schedule where students are consumed with their coursework, students commonly use their free time to watch their favorite television series, connect with friends on social media and play video games. Although these leisure activities are highly entertaining, they have contributed to the decline of students reading books for pleasure. After speaking to Kantley Mckown and Kelci Brooks of the women’s volleyball team, they discussed that they do not get the opportunity to read any books outside of their busy schedule with athletics and coursework, where they already have to read a lot of material. The common reason most students do not read outside of class work is that college students spend most of their time reading class-assigned textbook material, so when the student is presented with free time, reading a book can feel like a chore.

Pleasure reading has many benefits such as helping to reduce stress. Finding a book that is interesting to the reader can help entertain the reader, making reading not feel like a chore. Reading for pleasure can also help improve a student’s vocabulary. Reading a book is more beneficial than scrolling through social media because reading can improve the student’s memory and concentration. This is unlike TikTok, where on that app, it is possible to watch 50 short videos in 30 minutes and not remember what was watched.

Reading books does not give us instant gratification, but instant gratification can be harmful to students’ brains, decreasing their attention spans, which negatively affects their academic performance. Reading books is great because it requires students to focus for long periods, which can improve students’ ability to retain information.

 The Collegian spoke with Dawn S. Bish, the reference and instruction librarian of Greensboro College, about her journey with reading books for pleasure. Bish mentioned when she and her sister were in college they loved reading books in their free time. Bish believes that reading is an excellent way to spend free time. Bish also discussed that it would be a great idea if a book club were started at Greensboro College. In this book club, students could speak about their current books. What makes reading great is that books allow the reader to paint the picture in their head, but telling the story of the books could be equally enjoyable.

I have recently picked up reading as a hobby and have finished three books this year. Completing a book is a fulfilling experience, and I have found that it has improved my attention span and helped me to relax. A quote that motivated me to read more was from William Faulkner and he said: “Read, read, read. Read everything- trash, classics, good and bad and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You will absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you will find out. If it is not, throw it out the window.” Books can take you on exciting adventures, help you relax and improve cognitive functions. Why not try reading for fun? Grab a book and enjoy the journey it takes you on!