Reading week is more than just a week off from school – it’s a resource whose importance needs to be understood if students are to maximize it. With reading week just around the corner, here are some reasons why I think reading week is crucial.
Having a week off from school gives students time to catch up on sleep that they may have missed out on during classes. It’s a good time to rejuvenate both body and mind for the second half of the term. I like to use reading week to prepare myself to push through the remainder of the term by balancing co-op applications, interviews, and academics.
Reading week provides time to review all the material you’ve learned up until this point in the term and to catch up on courses if you are falling behind. If you’re already caught up, it’s a good time to revise and even study ahead to reduce some of the burden you will have over the next six weeks. In some faculties, like Engineering, reading week is dubbed the “mid term break” since students have most or all of their midterms after this break. Naturally, these 10 days could be utilized to prepare for midterms as doing well in exams will encourage students to be hard-working and motivated throughout the rest of the term. This time off could also be utilized to assess one’s understanding of material learned in class, as knowing your strengths and weaknesses is essential going into six weeks of school that, for the most part, decide your final grade.
While there are lots of important tasks that students can do, it’s a good idea to de-stress by pursuing your hobbies, something that might be difficult when the term is in full swing. Reading week presents a good amount of time to travel or go back home to meet family and friends, and a change of environment often leads to a change in mindset. If used well, reading week can be a catalyst to both academic and personal growth over the term.
