How to find balance between reading and school

With the school year well underway, bookworms will begin to find difficulty in leisure reading while juggling schoolwork. Luckily I, Biblio Virgo, am here to give you some quick tips to an easy fix. These tips will offer you ease in finding more time to read during the busy school year.

 

1. Keep a schedule

My life is made much easier thanks to my agenda. If you do not use a daily planner I suggest you do – it will make a world of difference. With an agenda by your side you can evaluate your schedule to view when assignments are due and your work hours.

 

Whenever you have a free day make a notation in your agenda saying “reading time” and be creative. These little annotations will make reading time much more accessible as you are not scrambling to find a day to dish out the time.  

 

2. Road trip

What motivates my reading habits during the school year is physically bringing the book with me to school. Whenever I have downtime or a break in between classes I will find a place to read, such as a cafe and unwind between the pages. Having a book on hand with you creates convenience.

 

3. Reminders

You know that app everyone has on their phones, the one that barely gets used? It starts with an ‘R’ and ends in “inders?” Yes, reminders. They are wonderful things which keep me on top of my daily routines such as book blog posts and reading time. Make yourself a daily reminder at a consistent time of day saying “don’t forget to read” or whatever phrase suits your personality. You will find this will give you more incentive to find time for reading during the day.

 

4. A.m., p.m.

This tip may be one of the easiest for people to use. Put aside an hour in the morning or an hour at night to read. Catering to all early birds and night owls, leave yourselves enough time at the beginning of the day or the end of the day to unwind with a book. (Personally I am a night owl, give me an iced coffee and I am good to go).

 

5. Breaks are healthy

It is important to maintain sanity while completing homework and projects. Do not overwork yourself. If you have already been studying for an hour, take a half hour to sit back, pick up a book and read. This will allow your mind to unwind and relax. While your mind regains its strong focus you are also getting reading time. It is a win-win situation.

 

I hope you find these tips helpful, insightful and inspiring. Next week I will be reviewing The Lying Game by Ruth Ware.

 

Until next time, keep on reading.

 

• BV