4 Reasons Why You Should Catch Up On Outside Reading Over Winter Break

Relax With A Good Book Or Other Reading While You’re Out Of School For The Holidays We can’t stress the importance of outside reading enough. Oftentimes it’s hard for students to find the time to read books or other materials for fun, but winter break is the perfect time to catch up on some outside reading you haven’t been able to do this semester. For many students outside reading can be a task that they keep putting off until it feels too overwhelming to accomplish. However, using any free time you have (including breaks!) to sit down and read, even if it’s just for an hour or two, can help you reap the benefits of outside reading that you’re missing out on if you don’t. Here are four reasons why college bound students should do some of their outside reading over winter break! It Will Help You Develop Your Interests If you’re a freshman or sophomore and you’re still exploring and developing your interests, winter break outside reading will help you! Use some of your free time this winter break to read about what interests you, whether that’s fashion, robotics, art, business, economics, social justice, or anything else that you want to learn more about. This doesn’t have to just be books. You can read trade publications, blogs, related news articles, and more. Seek out materials that relate to your interests and read them during your down time. This can go a long way toward helping you becoming a specialist and brainstorm other ways to get involved with this topic in your extracurricular activities. Reading Will Make You A Better Writer When it comes time to apply to college, you’ll be writing a lot of essays. One of the best ways to become a better writer is to read more! Not only will it help develop your vocabulary, but you’ll also become familiar with different sentence structures, story telling devices, and more. This can help you become a better writer in the classroom, on the SAT or ACT, and within your college application essays. You Can Fight The Winter Break Brain Drain You’ve heard of summer brain drain, but did you know a smaller scale version of that can happen over winter break? Outside reading can help you stay fresh during your time off by keeping your brain engaged and learning. It’s Fun! Don’t think of outside reading as a chore. Especially when you’re reading material that you really enjoy or that relates to a topic you’re really passionate about, reading can be fun. If you start to read a few things and find yourself getting bored, don’t give up! Keep searching until you find the material that makes you hungry for more. Not sure what to read this winter break? Check out our recommended outside reading lists below: Recommended Reading for High School Students 8 Summer Reading Suggestions for High School Students IvyWise Summer Reading List 2013 Summer Reading List We hope you have a safe and fun holiday season! Enjoy your winter break!