Now is not the time to stop reading. From fiction, to articles, to read aloud and more, there are so many ways to read. In a world — and a government — actively trying to limit diversity and media, reading and especially reading critically are becoming incredibly important skills. Reading is a crucial mechanism for understanding the world, developing your own opinions and being an active citizen. It allows you to connect with different perspectives and viewpoints, to diversify your worldview and is a window into a better world and clearer imagination. 

Reading is a key way of engaging your mind. Rather than turning your brain off, it serves as a mechanism to strengthen your memory and cognitive function. The more you read, the more engaged you become. It’s like training a muscle — it grows stronger as you exercise it. Placing yourself in this more active mindset allows you to engage more deeply and intentionally with the texts you read and the rest of the world around you. 

Reading helps you stay informed. It allows you to actively think about, form opinions on, and engage with current events in the world around you. Reading to be informed can be anything from reading daily news to keeping up with current events. It can also mean researching a topic you find interesting or picking up a short article on a new film that piques your interest. In many cases, it’s good to strike a balance between reading about current events and reading about subjects you’re interested in. However, an engaged reader doesn’t just engage with ideas from their own perspective. They also seek out readings that allow them to connect with diverse perspectives — other cultures, other political viewpoints and even other languages. Reading is a pathway to expanding your worldview.

Reading offers an opportunity to better understand yourself and others. Some stories provide mirrors, a way for you to feel as if your identity is represented in the text and reflected back to you as the reader. Other texts provide windows, a way for you to better empathize with others.  By reading texts that are windows, readers can better understand people who differ from them — in culture, race, gender, sexuality, and every possible identity in between. Reading widely is important because people vary widely. The world becomes so much brighter and bigger as you explore more texts — reading gives you the power to expand your life and your worldview all while sitting on your couch. 

Reading doesn’t just help you be more engaged and informed, but it also helps you be more engaging and informational. 

Reading makes you a better writer. The more you read, the more styles of writing and language you are exposed to and the more eloquent a writer you have the potential to become. Reading expands your understanding of what language can do, since you encounter new uses of language in the different texts you read. In becoming a better writer, you can better articulate your points, become more persuasive, and ultimately have better language for communicating. In a world where many problems don’t have simple answers, being able to accurately demonstrate your point becomes all the more meaningful. 

This might sound like a lot — especially when reading this as a college student who’s already loaded down with work — but reading comes in many forms and can be done many different ways. It doesn’t just mean sitting down with a book or an article. It can also come in the form of audiobooks, podcasts and even having someone else read something aloud. Additionally, reading doesn’t have to be expensive. With a library card you have access to thousands of digital, physical and audiobooks. Reading doesn’t have to feel impossibly weighty or boring — you can make it fun and personalized to you and your needs. Additionally, cultivating a habit of reading more often can start as simple as reading for a short five minutes each day.

Reading is just one mechanism through which you can engage with the world around you. It can be an important step on the journey of becoming a more active, invested and thoughtful member of your community. Reading changes lives. Let it change yours.

Lauren is a senior studying English literature, communications and film. You can connect with her at [email protected].