Tips from a 2nd year student for your Reading Week

Hello Warriors! I’m Anusha and I’m currently in my 2A term of Honours Health Sciences. I currently work with WUSA as a Communications Assistant. 

Now that almost a month of classes is over – and in a flurry of assignments, deadlines and possibly midterms too – it’s time to wind down a bit during Reading Week.

A week of peace, bliss, and time to spend on yourself and your loved ones. But how do you make your Reading Week productive and still enjoy yourselves? Look no further – I have some tips for you from a humble 2nd-year student (me!) who did not know how to spend Reading Week in their first year.  

• Catch up on your sleep! This is very important. I know, personally, that I powered through many classes with very little sleep, and I couldn’t bring my usual energy to everything. That being said, catching up on sleep means having a regular sleep schedule during Reading Week. Sleep and wake up at the same time every day – and make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep.  

• Review/catch up on any course content! Reading Week passes by quite quickly, from my past experience. If you want to be more productive, just spend a little time every day reviewing or catching up on course content (2-3 hours should be enough but it’s just my recommendation). Space out those 3 hours so you don’t get burned out and tired. A lot of assignments or tests might be scheduled for right after Reading Week so make sure you know your deadlines!
   
• Spend some time with people you love! Hang out with your family and friends – some of you might not be able to see them for a long time once classes start after Reading Week. Play that board game your younger sibling wants to play with you, treat yourself and your family to that dinner, or go on that date you’ve been taking a rain check on. Reading Week is here to give you time for all that!
  
• Have some ‘me time’! It’s always nice to spend time with yourself, whether it’s listening to your music jam, watching your favorite TV shows, or discovering new hobbies. Reading Week is also the time to focus on yourself – don’t worry, I won’t ask you to reflect on your future goals! But do make sure you wind down with some sort of relaxation techniques, which could be different for everyone. Relax, rejuvenate, and rebound so you can be at your best once Reading Week ends!  

You may like some of these tips or you might find them unhelpful – that’s okay! Everyone has different ways of coping with stress and pressure from courses. These are general tips that you can tailor to fit your own needs and wants. Reading Week gives you seven days to experiment with how you can spend your time the best.  

Anusha Akella
Communications Assistant