Tip # 18: Read during the Summer or on Break

yeah.... Reading Week!!!!

I'm not exactly doing anything interesting on Reading Week, but it's still a super chance to get caught up and even work ahead.... which leads to tip #18: Read during the Summer or on Break.

If you are in an arts program, there will be lots and lots and lots of reading. Especially when you hit 4th year, you'll be averaging about three books a week (considering class and project reading). I still haven't figured out the best way to do this, but I do have one suggestion of how to make it a bit easier...

Once the book list is up for my classes, I order them from amazon or indigo online so I'll get them before class starts. During those last few weeks of summer, before things get crazy with school, I try to get through as much of the reading as I can. One important thing to remember is to make good notes (I type them) so that a few months later, instead of re-reading the whole book to prepare for seminar, you can just re-study your reading notes. This made a huge difference for me this year, especially for my History seminar.

The same can apply for Reading Week or Christmas break - it takes discipline to be reading academic stuff over your holiday, but I just keep in mind how much better things will be later on if I'm proactive with my reading now.

So, the plan for my Reading Week is to conquer the large/dense book for my poli sci seminar so I can concentrate on my paper for those last three weeks of class instead!