The first few weeks of university can be hectic and overwhelming. Although reading can be used as a tool to exercise your brain, it can also be a much-needed escape from the chaos of university life.
As a humanities student, I am no stranger to the seemingly endless string of PDF pages I must read on a daily basis. Due to this, for much of my first year I put my reading habits on the backburner under the guise of burnout and opted to consume digital media instead. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with this, my second year taught me how reading for pleasure could prevent this academic burnout and provide more mental relaxation than mindless social media scrolling.
Books transport you to a new world- whether these are fantastical realms or relatable modern-day scenarios, fiction has the immense power to immerse the reader into a different reality. Research shows that reading can positively improve an individual’s mental wellbeing and reduce the stresses of daily life, acting as a powerful tool to unwind and disconnect from the toxicities of social media.
Pick a book that is easy-to-read if you haven’t read in a while. Don’t try to prove something to yourself by picking up an 800 page literary fiction novel if you’d prefer to read a short romance story – you don’t need to impress anyone on the ‘quality’ of your books. Following on from this, don’t be afraid to stop reading a book halfway through if you don’t enjoy it. Reading should be fun, so if a novel begins to feel like a chore, try not to feel guilty about putting it to one side and picking out something new.
Not only can reading for pleasure provide you with much-needed relaxation, it can simultaneously improve your cognitive thinking and thus contribute to your academic skills. Regularly consuming literature has been shown to improve vocabulary, empathy, and imagination, along with increasing reading retention, allowing you to get through those pesky academic papers quicker.
Non-fiction books are also an excellent way to expand your knowledge in topics you’re interested in, giving you background knowledge that can help supplement your studies. These are often written in a more digestible way than course materials, so can help increase engagement and intrigue towards your subject, along with expanding your worldview beyond your degree programme.
So, when you feel you need some time for yourself in Welcome Week and busy Semester One, consider picking up a book – it’ll do you good. And of course, keep your eyes peeled for York Vision’s Literature section for any recommendations!