Reading = College Success (Seriously!)

So maybe you're looking at the title of this post and thinking, Reading?  Doesn't this dude know we're in the digital age? Hasn't he ever heard of Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, etc. etc.?

Trust me on this--I know all about digital.  But I also know that being able to read and understand a piece of text, be it an online article, a selection from an etext, or a chapter in one of those clunky print textbooks, is vital to success in college and almost every profession you can think of.

It's also the key to a satisfying and fulfilled life.

I'm not the only one who believes in the power of reading.  New York Times's columnist Frank Bruni recently reported on research that indicated a connection not only between reading and intelligence (no small thing) but--for readers of fiction--between reading and empathy.  Coming to grips with the complexities of human behavior makes people, in Bruni's words, "more adept at reading people [and] sizing up the social whirl around them."

That's right: Reading fiction makes us more aware, more empathetic (something inhabitants of this planet sorely need), and better able to connect with others.

That's not all.  Bruni cites research by Emory University neuroscientists who have found "enhanced neural activity in people who'd been given a regular course of daily reading."  Translation: Reading trains our brains and keeps our minds in shape.  It helps us become more focused and orderly thinkers.  It's the equivalent of regular exercise, only from the neck up. 

All this isn't intended to dismiss the value of film, video, and the ever expanding digital universe. They're clearly important in their own right.  But so too is the printed word, which can often make us think, feel, and remember in ways like nothing else.  Good writing, no matter what its subject, leaves its thumbprint on our minds and hearts long after we've read the last page or logged off our laptop.

So do your brain a favor this summer and read a book.  Or several books.  Or a good daily newspaper. Being a proficient reader will absolutely help you be more successful in your classes.  It will score points with your professors, who'll be impressed by your ability to understand and respond thoughtfully to assigned texts.  And best of all, it will make being alive that much more fun and interesting.