This is about the time in my junior-level English research course when I give the students the below list of ways to find time to read, write, and research. Of course, I know that it's impossible for someone to do all of these things, but I urge the students to apply two or three of them to their weekly routines. Thought I would share....
Less sleep. It's true. This is the easiest way I've found time. You need to have enough energy to function during the day, but eight hours of sleep each night may not be possible or realistic. Get up an hour early or stay up an hour later than usual, and use that time to read and write.
Less television. If you are watching ANY television, then you are making a big mistake this semester. You have your entire life to watch television. And your favorite shows will all be on DVD in a year, anyway. And you'll sleep a lot better (when you do sleep!) if you don't watch the news. If you cannot get away from the television, at least cut the viewing time in half.
Less lunch, more reading. Your lunch hour is a great time to read. After all, you can eat...while you read. Bring your lunch to school or work and find a place to sit and read.
Expanded Lunch Time. If you are working and you have vacation time, take an hour of vacation each day for a week and have it connected to your lunch hour. That way, the rhythm of your day (your life!) stays intact while you force time for studies to appear. Two hours in the middle of the day to read and write is a big, big deal.
Less friends, more writing. At this point in the semester's work, if you want a friend, get a dog. You don't have time to socialize...at least as much as you may have been used to doing before this semester. Tell your friends that you are still their friend and you think they are wonderful, but they need to leave you alone for a couple months until you finish the Long Semester Research Paper.
Much Less Facebook, Myspace, linkedin, sheflari, more writing. Nothing more to say here. Don't waste time with this stuff. You don't have it to waste. If you want to browse the Web, browse the Web. If you want to go to college, go to college. Make a choice.
Vacation Time. If you work full-time and have vacation time, take a day or two of vacation--get up as usual, leave the house, sit down at your local library or cafe, and read/write.
Sick Time. If you work full-time and have sick days on the books, now is the time to use them. If your lunch makes you sick, and you have to leave work early, it's not your fault. It happens. Take the afternoon off sick and go....someplace and read/write. If you wake up and your kids are sick, it's not your fault. You're just trying to be a good parent. Call out sick and stay at home to read.
Family Time. You may need to sit down with your spouse or significant other, tell the person that you love him/her, and then say that you will need to "check out" for an hour or so each night during family time in order to read or write. This can be difficult, but it's possible.
Travel Time. If you can leave the car at home and take the bus, DO IT. You can read while you ride.
Read and Walk. It's true. You can read while you walk! :) When I worked at Middle Tennessee State University for four years, I was known as "That Reading Guy," because everywhere I went for whatever reason, I walked and read. Okay, sure, I fell in a hole one day while reading, but it was a small hole, and I was able to climb out with minimal shame.
Read while in line...at the bank, in the post office, at the fast food place, and so on. The time you have to read at these locations is shocking. In short, NEVER go anywhere without a book or other reading items in your back pocket or purse.
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