One of my favorite things is books: I wrote my Common Application about it, I buy a lot of them when I saunter around, and I would read them whenever I get the chance.

On the other hand, when it’s finals and study guides and terms seem to fly all over the place, they seem like a burden inside a backpack. Despite the newfound information gathered around in words, when sitting down and trying to remember everything, it seems like there’s a storm brewing.

Reading

When done for fun: It’s something interesting, to delve yourself into another world. Not to say it’s not done for other classes, but when the right books are used, a lot of stories are told.

When done for finals: Trying to get as much information as possible so that you could remember every single detail. For some, it’s all for the first time, as skipping the readings starts to take a significant toll. At the end of the day, putting these things off something you shouldn’t do.

Annotating

When done for fun: Something is so good, you have to remember that quote to share to all your friends and then to use as your Twitter/Instagram biography for a good while. Or it’s a criminal sin in which it has damaged

When done for finals: Something is so important and will appear on the study guide, so you want to use it for future purposes. And maybe to sound smart in the future when you reuse that quote.

Re-reading

When done for fun: Something is so poignant in the story, that you have to re-read that line over and over again until it’s imprinted in your memory. Or something shocked you and you couldn’t believe the author could’ve written that in or killed your favorite character.

When done for finals: An agonizing process, which encapsulates “reading” and “annotating” above.

A stack of books

When done for fun: So many opportunities to either read for the next few years or just décor for a nice library Or something left over for when you work in a library, because somebody didn’t check it out.

When done for finals: A wave of exhaustion falling over the head, because where is the book we needed for our paper? Or the books, neatly annotated in a nice stack, waiting to be conquered by us. Or something to make it look like we are studying, but actually daydreaming or trying avoid finals as much as possible.

Selling Books

When done for fun: Not a very fun thing—must be done to keep the bookshelf from breaking apart, or because you need the extra money.

When done after finals: Because you need the extra money to buy new textbooks for next quarter. And the cycle repeats again until you graduate.

Either way, taking time to enjoy books is important. One can note how they’ve influenced lives the world order; why not find them useful to take on the challenge to finish finals?

Good luck; and reward yourself with casual reading on your own! I promise, you can find time.