Reading for pleasure doesn’t just extend to reading the classics that you’ve been meaning to get to. I’m as big an Austen fan as the next hopeless romantic waiting on her Darcy, but I also love a good Young Adult fantasy novel. There is no shame in re-reading Percy Jackson or Harry Potter, and there’s definitely no shame in branching out into a new series you’ve just discovered. Sure, us college kids are past the target age, but honestly, books create escapes and if anyone needs to escape from the stressors of everyday life it’s us college kids. So, re-live your childhood; pretend you are a wizard or a half-blood or a shadowhunter and don’t be ashamed because it’s never a bad idea to escape into a new world and get lost.

It is my personal opinion that taking time to read for pleasure allows you to enjoy your “required” reading more than you would otherwise. It’s always easier to get lost in the words on a page when you are in the habit of doing so. If the only time you read is when your professor forces you to, then you’ll never be able to truly appreciate the great stories and epics that are being assigned. It’s already difficult to get sucked into the world of older stories because of the variations on the English language, don’t make it harder on yourself by being an out of practice reader. If you are in the habit of immediately losing yourself in the world of words, then it will come easily to you always, no matter what literature you are reading.

This rule of thumb doesn’t just apply to English majors like myself. We are lucky, of course, that so much of our curriculum is compiled of fictional stories, however, this also applies to other majors and just people in general. If you are a history major, take some time to read and research on a part of the world that interests you, rather than just the eras covered in class. If you’re a chemistry or biology major, read reports on a compound that was invented to help people or a cause that is close to your heart, rather than the compounds you draw every day in class. It’s so easy to tailor this to yourself. Reading for pleasure is as much a necessity as reading for a purpose. So, read for yourself. It’s a great stress reliever and you’ll be much happier if you do.