I've always been a reader. I'm the kid who leafed randomly through the World Book Encyclopedia finding out things about Bolivia, carpenter ants and zygotes just because. When I was young I read Shakespeare with my mother, and everything from Charlotte's Web to a remarkable novel called Memed, My Hawk by Turkish writer Yashar Kemal, which our local librarian refused to let me check out until my mother vouched for me. (I only had a children's library card at the time and it was a "grownup" book.) Reading was a pleasure fully integrated into my daily life, a part of my experience, not separate from it.
I mention this because I worry that reading, that is, the imaginative interaction between an author and an individual through the medium of writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, has become little more than a chore to be completed or a way to gather information for something else. In a recent survey conducted by the consulting firm Ruffalo Noel Levitz, 38% of students at public and private four-year colleges reported that "Books have never gotten me very excited." And 45% said "I don’t enjoy reading serious books and articles, and I only do it when I have to."
When broken down by gender, significantly more women than men reported getting a great deal of satisfaction from reading (53% vs. 35%), with a nearly equal gap in reporting that "Over the years, books have broadened my horizons and stimulated my imagination." (61% to 47%). (What's up with the men here?)
While overall percentages suggest that reading is still important to college-aged students (54% say "Over the years, books have broadened my horizons and stimulated my imagination"), the significant percentage of students with a problematic relationship to reading spells trouble for colleges and for students. When a significant portion of the student body doesn't read, how does it expect to be part of the world's conversations?
When Amherst still conducted applicant interviews in the early 90s, I met with a young man who seemed to have all the qualifications for admission. After chatting for a while, I asked him what he was reading. "I don't really like to read," he replied. I was stunned. Why would someone who doesn't like to read want to attend a college where reading was a central activity?
I'm not saying that everyone should read a prescribed core of "great books" or that not enjoying reading automatically makes you suspect. However, one of the great advantages of reading, aside from the activity itself, is how it develops one's imaginative powers. Whether in fiction or non-fiction, entering into a dialogue with characters and authors widens a reader's perceptions of the world, a condition that greatly increases an individual's ability to grasp the complexities that surround us, at the same time interacting with them and creating new forms and ideas. (Consider the popularity of the musical Hamilton, based on the lengthy but fascinating biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Hip-hop meets history.)
Many high school students I tutor, even as seniors, have been taught to "read" mechanically. Instead of diving into the book and talking about the characters or the ideas, they look for devices, facts and technical features. Most concerning, they have a very literal, surface level understanding of what they read. They've been taught to extract facts and information from the "text" but not to understand the characters or the ideas they contain. Worksheets and diagrams leave no room for personal reactions or interpretation. That spells trouble if we're concerned with creating an educated, thoughtful and engaged population.
Going to college enables us to connect with great minds and great ideas. That in turns deepens our own sensibilities. My college experience taught me to dive into reading, question what I read and make new sense out of it. Reading and debating stories, articles, papers, and books are integral to our growth as human beings, not luxuries. Mark Twain said, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” Without reading, the mind remains fallow; with it, the reader can go anywhere.
Right now, as thousands of high school seniors are putting the finishing touches on college applications, they're probably thinking more about future careers, majors, and how to get where they want to go. Parents are worried about paying for all of it. They'll all want to see "practical" things in the course catalogue and good news on the employment front. No matter what direction you choose, do some great reading in college, whether it's in fiction, history, science, math or any other subject. (Yes, there are great writers in the sciences!!) Let yourself be challenged by professors who can help you dig down beneath the surface of a book. It's the last opportunity you'll have to enjoy it before the world of work catches up to you; with luck, though, you'll learn how to make room for reading whatever you do.
