Nobody has to spend hours in the library reading Shakespeare to reap the rewards of reading. A newspaper headline may inform you and prompt you to think as much as reading “Hamlet” would.
Reading informs you of current events and also cultivates an appreciation for literature. It allows you to form educated opinions and decisions, see things from different perspectives and learn from other people’s experiences.
Some of the smartest people owe their intelligence to their reading habits. Well-read people stand out, not only because they rack up in Trivial Pursuit.
These cosmopolitan people know brilliant conversation starters and add depth to any discussion. It does not matter whether a group converses about Mars or martinis-well-read people always seem to understand the current topic.
Even a cursory familiarity with an issue will earn you entry into conversations that others deem esoteric. These people are not omniscient and they do not gather this information through osmosis-they just read frequently.
While some people adore reading, many abhor it. These people that have never set foot in a library would rather do something than read about it.
Personal experiences teach unparalleled lessons, no doubt, but experiencing things vicariously through reading also educates. You will feel as though you have experienced something before you have actually done it.
If you cannot focus long enough or you get too frustrated with the amount of time it takes to read word-for-word, skim.
Read the first few lines of an article or the first few pages of a book to grasp the main point. You may find yourself reading further than you thought.
Here are some other ways to start reading more and to broaden your knowledge base:
* Peruse local and national papers. Broaden your horizons. Tutor yourself in issues pertinent to your friends in Mississippi and to your relatives in New York. Many newspapers exist in their entirety online. Spend 10 minutes and read something that interests you.
* Always read the op-eds. Knowledge can fill an open mind the most easily. Before forming an opinion, read to find out the basics of opposing viewpoints. Do not base decisions on someone else’s argument-learn the background information and context, then make up your mind.
* Read children’s books. Whether you are 6 or 60 years old, children’s books have timeless appeal. The simple writing style makes them a joy to read. Try Dr. Seuss’s “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street” or Antoine de Saint-Exupry’s “Le Petit Prince.”
* Buy your favorite books, clip articles that you enjoyed and re-read both. People buy DVDs to watch their favorite movies whenever they feel like it. Why shouldn’t we read things over again? Re-reading a treasured story reveals previously unnoticed details and deepens your understanding.
* Find magazines that interest you. Magazines are easy reads, and you can find ones spanning all of your interests, from shopping to playing tennis. They contain a lot of easily digestable information. Numerous pictures splash the pages and break up the text. Suddenly, the task of reading an entire article does not seem so daunting.
* Read your textbooks. I admit that you do not necessarily need to read the textbook to do well in a class. But class becomes much more lucid when you start reading the assignments. Suddenly, the teacher starts speaking English instead of Greek.
Whether you read for entertainment or to find information everyone should read more often. Remember what John Adams said in a letter to his wife, Abigail: “The more one reads the more one sees we have to read.”
Jenn Rousey is a senior English, French and communication major. She can be reached at [email protected]