When I was in elementary school, I read after school every day. There were days when I would come home and read for hours straight; there were days when I started a book in the morning and finished it that night. And it was awesome.
Then, sadly, high school hit, and my reading habits slacked off. Actually having homework definitely put a damper on my afternoon reading sessions. (Also the discovery of Netflix, not gonna lie.)
The thing is, I really care about school. I have good grades, and I’m proud of them, and I am constantly working to make sure that I am the dedicated student that I want to be. Sacrificing reading time to study for a test or get ahead on homework is something that I’m willing to do.
Why am I telling you this?
Recently, I’ve been in a massive reading slump. Or, not a slump, because I want to read, but I just…haven’t. I haven’t had time. AP Tests (massive exams for college-level classes you can take in high school) are coming up at the beginning of May, so it’s studying crunch time for me.
The point is, I have been reading the same book for nearly three weeks now. It’s a great book, and I know that I am hurting my enjoyment by stretching it out so much. But the problem is that I usually only read during class or on weekends, and recently, I haven’t had time in class or on weekends. Reading isn’t something I have to do anymore, it’s something I do when I have free time forced upon me.
Which brings me—finally—to my point:
Do you guys read after school? Do you treat it as homework, i.e. something that you have to do on your off time?
I don’t, and I haven’t for a while now. But this recent slump has got me thinking that maybe I should start to expect myself to read on school days. Maybe reading a few chapters every few days should be on my To Do List, alongside math homework and refilling my mini stapler.
I have started to think of reading as something that I do only when I clearly have time, which I’ve lost recently. Without that obvious time to read, I’ve basically stopped reading…and it sucks.
What do you think? Is reading something you do after school, or is it only a weekend thing for you? How do you balance being a student and a reader?
52 Letters in the Alphabet 
Tough question. If reading is something that you feel you need to do to make yourself a happier person, then yes maybe try scheduling a certain amount of time each day for it. But, like you said, your focus right now is on doing well in school and, unfortunately, that is a full-time job. Don’t beat yourself up if your time is limited for other things like reading.
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Thanks 🙂 Reading makes me happy, but so does sleep, so it’s a difficult choice. It’s easier when I’m really in the mood for reading than when I’m stuck in a slump.
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Reading is mostly a mood-thing for me. I sometimes don’t have the energy to read a book and then I simply don’t do it. My hunger for stories always comes back eventually, and then I can devour 3 books in a week.
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I definitely have weeks where I feel like reading more than others, but I always end up reading a bit. The weeks when I love reading and get through a lot of books are the best though 🙂
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I actually have weeks where I don’t read at all. Time is just spent differently and then I don’t even think about picking up a book. I love the weeks I read a ton more though!
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I read before I go to bed almost every night! I have a similar problem though; high school is a lot of work!
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I’m afraid of reading in bed because either I’ll fall asleep and forget what happened or get hyped up and not be able to fall asleep
And yeah… High school is crazy *internal screaming*
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I feel that! I don’t read when I’m under the covers, generally, because then I’ll fall asleep 🙂
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I’ve been thinking the exact same as you. I’m also year 11 and all my time for reading and actual things I want to do has vanished!
I’m using it like a reward, say if I get this, this and this done then I can read. But I’m still not reading as much as I’d like either, how about trying to read on commutes etc? AND maybe put that book down for a smaller one, the fresh start and smaller appearance might make it seem more doable at this time, that’s what I do anyhow.
Good luck!
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Junior year is CRAZY for everyone, I think. I’m glad that I’m not the only reader who’s struggling.
I usually read in the morning while I’m eating breakfast and during class (I finish my work early A LOT). My commute is basically five minutes, so there isn’t really reading time there–but if it were longer, I’d totally read then!
I’m in a tough spot, because the book I’m reading right now is part of a series, and I have the next book and I’m planning on reading it next, but I know that the next book will also take me a while, which might hurt my momentum more…which would suck. I’ll definitely be reading something short and light-hearted soon, though–I need it!
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Ooooh, that’s tricky then! Totally not alone – I even feel guilty when I finally sit down to read because I know I could be using the time for work! It’s so crazy, all I’m thinking of is that long summer and my books *heart eyes*
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Don’t feel guilty taking some time for yourself! We can’t be working all the time
Summer will be so awesome for reading–I can’t wait!
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Reading is never Homework for me! I love to read and reading helps me destress and relax! I think if reading feels like homework, your not reading the right books!
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It’s not so much that reading IS homework for me–I totally want to read. It is more me wondering if I should “schedule” reading as homework to make sure that I have time between real homework to dedicate to it. Thanks though 🙂
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When your in school it’s is hard to read I hear you. But I always managed to find a little time before bed to read. And also lunch time I read when friends weren’t around.
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