After I’m done with my homework, I often find myself being bored(Removed videogames) and want to do something productive…Title says it all, and should I invest ALL my free time into reading books, or can I like do something active(playing a sport, or going outside), or learn more about the topics I’m familiar with at school? I’m kind of confused with how I should manage my reading time, since it does benefit my English on the long run, and it will definetely help for SAT/ACT english portion.
Let me also add on to the title: How long and often should I read?
There isn’t a set amount of time, or an amount of books that you should read. Do what works for you. For me, for example, I usually read about a book a week as well as reading the newspaper everyday and flicking through websites like Buzzfeed, NPR, etc. occasionally. But when schoolwork amps up, I read less. I would recommend reading at least two newspaper articles a week as it keeps you updated on current events.
If you’re thinking about college admissions, I highly recommend finding extracurriculars to get involved with, for example playing a sport or joining a club or getting a job. Colleges don’t only want academic-oriented kids.
I do read on my free time. Unlike you, though, I don’t read books. I would usually read 3-5 political articles from Politico, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, South China Morning Post every day alongside 1-2 articles from a more diverse genre pool. I don’t measure how long I read and can not give a prediction because I don’t read all the articles at once. This is a habit that I do suggest you assimilate yourself into if you’re interested in this type of reading.
As for tips on managing your time, studying for standardized tests does not seem like a bad idea. Assuming you’re a junior, you only have a few months until college applications begin. But you also have a few months before you take your college admissions exams. Take the time to maximize your score so that your application is as competitive as possible.
OP is a freshman. Too early to study for standardized tests.
Sure, make a goal for yourself of one book every other week or something. See how that goes.
One book (ya or classic or contemporary novel, non fiction…) finished every other week + 2 solid newspaper/magazine* articles a week would be good. You can add some manga and graphic novels to that (Maus, Persepolis, for instance.)
- examples : the washington post, LA times, New York times, Wall Street Journal, the economist...
Reading is good but it won’t really supplement a lot of EC’s if that is what you are thinking.
I love reading but I usually save it for summer break and other various breaks. I honestly don’t even touch novels because I have to do school-related reading.
Regular 'long form 'reading every day is necessary to your academic success. Textbook reading is only one part.
However, indeed, it won’t change the fact you need one or two ec’s, even if your goal is your state flagship. The only universities that only admit by GPA x test scores are schools like the CSU’s or Iowa State or universities with guaranteed honors college admissions for stats only.