As I watch my younger sister get into the Harry Potter series like I did at her age, I am taken back to my own journey with reading and how I got to where I am now—an avid reader and passionate president of my school’s Book Club. Now that I am older, I realize how lucky I was to have parents who instilled in me the value of reading from a young age. As a high schooler, I can see the importance of these values every day.
Being a reader subconsciously acquaints you with language rules. This is a monumental advantage, as it gives you exposure to the language our world runs on like no other. Our way of communication is by means of language, and to unlock the full potential of this language is like finding a hidden way to thrive better. Although almost the whole world speaks English, not many people these days are truly readers—especially with the rise of technology. As a reader, just this small habit of reading can truly give you an advantage in everyday life. Along with comprehension, communication becomes vastly easier too. It is easier to effectively communicate with an expansive vocabulary, and many discrepancies in communication are limited.
Although being a reader does not directly translate into making school easier, I have noticed a consistent pattern with the two. I have always excelled in English class and used to attribute it to simply being one of my “strengths.” But I later realized it would be very different if I had not been exposed to reading as much as I have been. For me and my peers who are readers, writing feels effortless. This comes in handy especially in essays in higher rigor classes. The more proficient the language, the easier AP and IB assignments tend to be. For example, in AP US History, I found it much easier to understand the complexly worded documents written decades ago. In IB Theory of Knowledge, the long-drawn and obscure philosophical questions were easier for me to translate than for some of my peers. It simply feels good to be able to use the exact words to describe your experience or convey a certain message. Sometimes the wording or even structure of your sentences changes your writing and speaking drastically.
The biggest difference I noticed was when the time for standardized testing of SAT and ACT began. The reading and English questions seemed too easy, and this is when I realized only reading can truly get you in a position to make life easier as a student. The questions are not extraordinarily hard, but in fact quite simple if you are a fairly proficient reader. You don’t even have to be a book lover—just someone who is well-acquainted with reading. I never had to truly study for the English or Reading sections of the ACT; it is simply the act of reading in my life that made it tenfold easier, making the English questions feel like light work without having to put an extraneous amount of effort into memorizing the ways of the English language.
I have also learned that reading helps you keep an open mind. Like my older cousin told me, people who read are exposed to a multitude of stories and are able to interpret the world in many ways—staying open to new perspectives and ideas, and making it easier to adapt and absorb new information. Due to my reading habits, my life was made much easier without me even realizing it. And now I can appreciate the perks of being a book nerd.
However, the most important part is that I am not the most avid reader at school, and I am definitely not someone who can miraculously finish a book a week. From a young age, I have read many fictional books and just whatever interested me. And you can too—no matter how old you may be. If you begin reading anything—from a fictional mystery series that entices you to a wildlife guide—you can easily work on increasing your English proficiency. And it will help you in ways you haven’t thought of: from being able to send well-worded emails (without even needing Grammarly), to making your speaking and writing more interesting with a variety of punctuation and vocabulary, overall sounding more confident.
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