At Hopkins, students are often pressed for time, busy with schoolwork, activities, clubs and trips. Many students struggle to find free time to relax and release the stress associated with hard classes, difficult material and pressing tests or essays. When they do have free time, many choose to spend it at evening social events and weekend gatherings, perhaps enjoying alternative beverages with friends. I propose reading as a superior stress relief solution.
As a recreational activity, reading is a rewarding source of personal enjoyment, relaxation, stress relief and intellectual probing. This is because it trains the mind’s attention span, strengthens one’s ability to discern implicit and subtle meanings, allows people to learn, exposes us to diverse topics and varied opinions and improves one’s reading ability. This final point, despite appearing as a circular argument, is valid. Continually improving reading skills can create a virtuous, self-reinforcing cycle. As one reads more, one reads better. Therefore, one finds more meaning and substance in reading, creating an incentive to read more and restarting the process.
Even those who view reading as a chore when they start out generally find pleasure in it after awhile. Because reading can and should be fun, this allows it to fulfill simultaneously the two important needs of the intellect: to be exercised, and to be rested. Anything that is fun, even something that is difficult, is relaxing and relieving. Less philosophically, reading well is a crucial element for many professions.
Reading has some clear advantages over other popular recreational activities. Books are light and portable and require no maintenance aside from normal care. By using the library (either the one here on campus or another in Baltimore) and by borrowing books from others, books can be obtained for little to no money. They provide many hours of use, with none of the negatives associated with the use of electronics — such as the use, waste and cost of electricity, or the monetary cost of tech products. More importantly, they do not require the use of any substance or drug.
Think of it like exercise: just for the brain. Many Hopkins students dedicate a good deal of time into physical fitness. Why not, then, dedicate time to fun mental fitness — especially when that time would otherwise go to numbing the mind for fun? After all, there must be some concrete benefit to reading that explains why so many people have read books all over the world, and all throughout history.
No matter what major or discipline, reading will help strengthen the skills you need, be they logic-based, creative, memorization or information retention. Reading makes you a better problem solver by enabling you to think through situations encountered in books or to predict ahead in the parts you haven’t read yet. By testing your reading level with either a greater difficulty of material or an unfamiliar subject, you can practice a higher work ethic and improve your ability to persevere through a challenge. Don’t worry about the opportunity cost; by spending time reading, valuable time has been used, not wasted. Effort put into reading will come out as improved success in other endeavors.
It’s no coincidence so many successful Hopkins students love to read. Perhaps they enjoy great literature by authors such as James Joyce, William Faulkner, Thomas Mann or Jorge Luis Borges. Others prefer series’ like Harry Potter, Twilight or the Hunger Games, or maybe popular science, history, philosophy or even comics. The list of worthwhile and enjoyable books goes on and on, in every genre, style, and subject.
But too many of those who would often read during high school now only read over breaks or in the summer. These students are losing out on an important, positive habit for the duration of the semester. Reading can be a solution to many problems over that time. I for one read voraciously throughout high school and indeed my whole life. While preparing for my year here, I brought a small collection of books to read and share with others. Classes started. I found myself barely reading.
After recognizing the problem, I’m now making my way through Thomas Pynchon’s Bleeding Edge, which I highly recommend to anyone who has read Pynchon, or is simply interested in good literature. In it, Pynchon recounts the events of 9/11, but, as is he is accustomed to do, adds slight layers of conspiracy, falsehood and intrigue. This enhances his fabricated story and gives us insight into his way of seeing the world. All this helps me contemplate my own thoughts and discuss them with others. I have noticed an improvement in my general happiness now that I’m back to doing something I love.
Of course, other students did not read much or at all before coming here, and likely continue that indifference now. While this is fine, I still recommend trying it out. There are many theories on which books are worth your while, but so long as you feel you are benefitting and being entertained, what you read really doesn’t matter. Until you give it an authentic try, you really can’t say it is not worth your time. At least give try it. Start at a proper level with an interesting subject, and go from there. You may be more of a bibliophile than you think!
Nathan Bick is a freshman from Washington, D.C. Like many freshman, he’s not yet decided on a major.
