When we're young, we are told that reading is a good habit. Unfortunately later, many high school students are constantly lectured and nagged about reading, until it's as academic burden rather than a good hobby and source of personal growth. I developed the habit at the age of 12 when I began reading what interested me: I fell in love with historical fiction and, of course, read all the Harry Potter books. Now, I also read BBC News, Reuters, and The New York Times, and I don’t think I can imagine my daily routine without that hour or so of light extra reading.
Without equivocation, I can say independent reading has helped shape my perspectives, enhance my intellect, and make my thinking more dynamic. Moreover, I take pride in the fact that I have my own opinion on the many social, political, and cultural issues I read about. The time I earmark for extra reading on a daily basis has gone a long way in improving my writing too. Not to mention it’s also excellent preparation for the reading demands of college. Based on my experiences, here's why independent reading will bring a new vitality to your personal and academic.
Doing better in classes—especially advanced courses
If you're a student taking an AP or other higher-level course in the humanities, I would highly recommend reading beyond the curriculum as a long-term tactic to securing good grades and becoming more proficient and knowledgeable in the subject. I only came to realize the importance of doing extra reading for my academic work after commencing my IB diploma. As I embarked on subjects requiring a lot of critical thinking and analysis, I resolved to read beyond the syllabus so I could better evaluate arguments and express myself more clearly in my examinations and assignments.
Additionally, I would encourage you to focus on a specific area you enjoy in a subject so you'll feel more inclined to read. This will really help you expound on your arguments and consolidate resources to help you during revisions. Extra reading is especially beneficial in overcoming more challenging parts of a given academic subject area as it helps fill in any gaps in your knowledge.
Related: IB vs. AP: How to Figure Out Which Classes Are Best for You
Realizing your passions
Reading about new developments and ongoing events in your areas of interest can really help you discern what you would like to do for a career in the future. You'll uncover and explore new concepts, improving your own personal connection with your interests. Pick books, articles, and essays from respected sources that pique your interests. For example, if you're interested in scientific breakthroughs and research, you might read The New York Times’ Science section, HowStuffWorks, or Smithsonian Magazine. If you're looking for good sources on broader topics, I find that National Geographic, Psychology Today, and Futurism are great sources that offer a vast and diverse mix of articles and essays that are really worth the read. Reliable sources like these ignited my passion for writing as I began perusing articles and news reports about political relations, economics, and social issues. All my extra reading made me think deeper, and as absorbed information, I began to formulate my own opinions and political stances.
Improving your writing and communication skills
Doing extra reading is an essential tool for improving your writing. Good writers read—a lot. The more you read, the more you learn from example, as you are exposed to more and more talented writers and expert communicators. This will naturally inspire your own thoughts and perspectives, maybe even motivating you to express these musings. You could write articles, pitches, letters to editors, and even make videos on those particular issues and topics you have engaged with and read about. This is a fruitful experience for all high school students, regardless of what they wish to study in college, particularly considering the sheer volume of content and knowledge available on an endless amount of topics.
You might also engage with those expert voices directly. Many newsletters, magazines, websites, and newspapers have forums where amateurs and experts can interact. You may even choose to write your own papers and formulate your own primary and secondary sources of data and conduct research, even if it’s at a small scale. Some excellent sources are History Today, The New York Times, TIME magazine, Concord Review, and the BBC’s World Have Your Say, among many others.
Boosting your confidence
I feel the confidence I gained in my opinions and views by doing independent reading in high school really propelled me to take on many more opportunities. Feeling more informed can help boost your general awareness and make you feel more in touch with the world, history, and other developments from geo-politics to innovation and technology. Extra reading is also surprisingly beneficial for any students engaging in public speaking with extracurriculars like debate team, Model UN, and related activities. Keeping up to date on current affairs can help you perform well and speak more confidently at these events and take part in rigorous, informed debate with your peers.
Related: 12 Tips and Tricks to Build Confidence in High School
But who has time to read?
Many students would argue that despite liking to read, finding the time to do “extra” reading feels impossible. That's a fair point! However, I'm not asking you to give up the time you spend socializing, texting your friends, or scrolling through your feeds—those few golden hours of mindless social media hold so many of us together. But I do feel that if you make the extra effort, you can find time somewhere to fit it in. For instance, you know those times when you’re really bored and not even enjoying your feed, read the news via an app or find an article about that cool scientific discovery your teacher was talking about instead. To make indepednet reading easier, you can even optimize you phone so your favorite apps send alerts about new article, so you’re more likely to read in your free time. In this day and age, where globalization has made our world smaller but the knowledge available is so vast, it's more important than ever to take the initiative to become an informed individual. If knowledge is power, why not start powering up now?
What do you like to read in your spare time? At CollegeXpress, we're a big fan of books! And you can find all our favorites for your next great read under the "book recommendations" tag.
