Jimellow

I used to read a lot.. Back in high school I was always reading something.. Then I went to college (majoring in English), and it seems I only am reading what's assigned. This is likely a good thing, because I'm reading "better" writers than I read on my own, but it's also forced reading and I don't think I will ever enjoy that as much as books I pick out on my own and read.

It's not even that I don't have the time to read on my own, because I do. It just seems that the time I allot for reading is used up on required reading, and by the time I'm done with that, I'm not "into" reading anything else.

I did read a bit over summer and enjoyed that, but it seems that once the semester starts, choice reading is nonexistant. Also, when breaks start up, it seems I don't even read then initially, because there is still carryover from thinking I should have required reading to do, when I don't.

Anyone else experience this?

boom29

Absolutely. The amount of reading I was given in college did not leave much time for any other reading. Not only did I struggle to finish the required readings (at times not being able to do it all), but I was also so burnt out from reading that the last thing I wanted to do was read something on the side.

I think there was a study conducted that conluded that the average amount of reading given out by college professors over the course of a semester is more than is physically possible (and healthy) to do. So if you don't get it all done, don't worry too much, chances are not most people didn't either.

Grancey

As a fellow English major I know where you're coming from. In college, I read everything that was assigned. I also spent a year in law school, and the combination resulted in severe burn-out. Reading for pleasure has never been the same since.

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Stompy

I like doing stuff when I do it on my own.

I hate doing stuff when it's assigned.

I'm majoring in Comp Science, but of the whopping 2 english classes I had to take, one was a nightmare. We had to read Crime and Punishment, Catcher in the Rye, Heart of Darkness.. hated em (probably cake compared to stuff you need to read). They were very easy reads, I just hated doing it because it was assigned.

If I had read them on my own, I might've liked em, but the constant in-depth analysis of these books left me with a bad taste in my mouth. For example, in C & P, the teacher made a big deal about why the guy used the blunt end of the axe as it "symbolized his inner demon blah blah".. yeah, I HATE when people do that stuff.

Ever since then, I haven't had the need to read much of anything except techincal/educational books.

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Pip

I once took LitHist, mostly for fun, to get a bit of culture. I had a teacher who talked for two hours about this poem by Goethe:

And I bet he wished he had two hours more to speak about how clever and wonderful "Ein gleiches" is. (It is a lovely poem!) It got me pretty burned-out about reading too, I still don't read as much as I did when I was younger. If I had had infinite amounts of time, I would've read everything on the required reading list twice, once for the pleasure and once for the analysis.

roachboy

this too shall pass, i expect.
after graduate school--which is worse in terms of reading load--i did not think that i still enjoyed reading in the way that i did--like it had been taken away from me--but it turned out otherwise. not right away, however. i woudl let this sense play itself out over time, then--you'll probably find it disappears.

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Daoust

I know where you're coming from. I have almost completely stopped reading since University where I was a History/English student. And I was exposed to so many good books there, books that I would like to actually pick up again and read (many for the first time) like Under The Volcano, and Dubliners, and The Secret Agent, for example. I think I'm more into non-fiction these days, which comes mostly in the form of short books or magazine articles, but even still, I feel emptier because I'm not reading as much as I know I should. I do sometimes feel burdened too, because there are soooo many books out there, and when I read as rarely as I do, I always feel that I have to be very picky and selective about the book I choose. I feel like I don't want to 'waste' my pick, by picking something I don't like and /or finish.
Now you've got me all flustered about not reading enough... And I"m a teacher too, so I feel the need to stay informed in all genres of literature...

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yoyoyobro

Agreed! There is just sooooo much. In fact I don't get around to reading much of my assogned reading until the last minute. I don't even have time to read my sports illustrated anymore

Tralls

Too much beer pong. Kinda interferes with the whole reading thing!!

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Suave

No, I don't do that much reading for university. I have a lot ASSIGNED, but I just don't really do it. I read here and there, maybe a couple of days a week, but on the whole, I have plenty o' time for "recreational" reading.

Gortexfogg

I've made it a point to read as much as I can on my own while at university. Classes and required reading can get in the way, but I don't enjoy them near as much as reading something I'm totally into. Also, I can't think of any time besides retirement where I'll have the amounts of free time I do now to read what I want.

Slavakion

Catcher in the Rye was one of the... *counts on fingers* maybe three assigned books that I've enjoyed. That, Lord of the Flies, and A Prayer for Owen Meany (although she damn near ruined that one by making a motif out of every other word...)

Jimellow

I can relate to those of you saying you may not read everything assigned.

I too have half-assed my share of reading assignments, and I think it's unfortunate. It's like I've read the book, but I haven't really. Therefore, down the road when I am thinking about re-reading the book I begrudgling read in college, I think I will figure I've "read" it and thus, pick up something else instead.

I definitely think that being forced to read something and taking a negative attitude, will result in a lessened experience and understanding of a book, and furthermore, it may negatively affect your chances of reading the book again, even if by choice.

Sometimes, I will read an assignment half-assed and not read a book for leisure because I'll constantly feel like I should be reading the assigned work more completely, haha.

Also, it doesn't help that one of my professors requires that we write chapter summaries of the works we read, except that he doesn't even read the summaries, and just gives full credit to everyone. By now, everyone is handing in mediocre efforts, because there really isn't a point to do more than that. So, once again, we are getting a "lessened" reading of a work. Granted, we are consciously doing this ourselves, but if the professor would actually read our summaries and grade them realistically, we would likely be more motivated to do quality work.

silent_jay

Just started experiencing that myself. I had just started a book the weekend before I started school and it almost 2 months later and it's still at the same place, I haven't read a thing well except required reading and when you are taking Programming and Network Systems analyst it isn't that exciting to read.

I'm hoping to get back into reading again I've tried a couple of times but to no avail, maybe someday soon I will start again I hope, because I really miss it.

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mystmarimatt

it's so frustrating.

at the end of summer, i was reading On The Road and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, but i haven't had a chance to pick them up for over 2 months.

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snowy

I too am an English major...I read all of the assigned stuff and still read for pleasure. How? I allow myself 15 minutes for reading before I go to bed, and allow myself a couple of hours for reading on the weekends. In five years of college it's a system that has really come to work for me.

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Mephisto2

I can't ever imagine losing my absolute love of reading.

It's terrible for you guys that having to read so many books for college has dulled your interest in one of life's greatest pleasures.

I can only suggest taking it slow and choosing carefully. There are so many good books out there, but so many more bad ones.

Try starting with The Life of Pi by Yann Martel (if you're into fiction). A winner of the Mann Booker prize, this is one of the few non-factual books I love. If you like non-fiction, then I highly highly recommend The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes.


Mr Mephisto

The Prophet

I am a creative writing major and I currently have three seperate literature classes, so I certainly understand not having time to read the books you would choose yourself, but I can not imagine losing the desire.

I agree with Mephisto, take it slow and pick up a book when you have time to enjoy it. Onesnowyowl has a good point too - take the time. Sometimes you have to say to hell with everyone else.