The memories from my childhood remind me of some of the best days of my life. I specifically remember how much I loved to read. My mom would take my brother and me to the library and I remember how excited I would be to pick out a bunch of books to read over the next couple of weeks.
I genuinely read a ton of books when I was in elementary school. I loved reading novels and could sit in my room and read for hours on end. I still do enjoy reading. When it came to reading in high school and onward, I found myself hating it.
It actually started in the 8th grade when we were required to read Johnny Tremain. All I remember about this book was that it was terrible, I hated it, and I could not read more than a couple of pages without falling asleep. Since that experience, I have been terrible at reading, especially when it comes to required readings for class.
I didn’t read a single required novel in high school. I may have read a chapter or two, or skimmed a few pages, but I genuinely did not read any of them cover to cover. Unfortunately, this bad habit has also followed me to college. If I try to start a reading and I find it dry and boring, I will not read it. Even if I keep trying to read it, I fall asleep within a few minutes and nothing will get done.
If you think about it, it’s kinda impressive how I’ve gotten this far in college without doing 90% of the readings.
Now that’s not to say I never read. When I find a course interesting, I do want to do the readings and I can actually comprehend them.
As much as I love books, I find it so hard to find time to read outside of class. Whenever I think I have time to read, I think of something “more productive” I could be doing. Instead of reading I’ll try and organize my planner, take a nap, study for class, or literally anything else you can think of. I’ve been trying to finish the book I started in 2015, and it is now May 2018. I do want to read more, I really do. But the stress of college, work, and life has really affected how much I prioritize recreational reading. Here’s to better habits as a young adult and actually making time to read.