Benefits Of Reading Beyond Academic Books

By Author: Geetha Kumari
Total Articles: 11
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Those with a knack for reading typically go beyond reading just their academic books. They tend to look for additional books outside their academic requirements and this is known as ‘extensive reading’. Apart from being a leisure activity for those reading books for recreational purpose, it also comes with a number of additional benefits.

Gaining additional knowledge
The academic syllabus of a student may be restricted in terms of its contents regarding the subject. While the syllabus is created keeping in mind the learning capacity of the general student population, those with a craving for knowledge would seek additional information. Reading books beyond the academic ones help them gain this knowledge and therefore get a better understanding of the topic. Moreover, this extra knowledge can be of great help during competitive exams and in the long run in general.

Better comprehension
Not every student learns in the same process. A book which is easy for one student to comprehend may be difficult for another. In such cases, going beyond the academic books is of great help. For instance, if an academic ...
... book explains a subject through large volumes of text and a non-academic one deals with the same topic through illustrations, the latter might be easier to comprehend. A student struggling to understand the topic from the academic book would benefit from consulting the non-academic one instead.

Improved writing skills
It is a well-known fact that reading enhances writing skills. Although there is no exact logic behind why this happens, building a reading habit has proven effective for individuals trying to grow their writing skills. Academicians suggest that this is because reading regularly brings an individual closer to the language in general, allowing them to understand it in a more detailed way. Now, when one individual ventures beyond academic books and starts reading non-academic ones, he/she is likely to come across various new words or phrases. This helps to develop vocabulary and in turn, speaking and writing skills.

Developing broad global knowledge
The same subject can be seen from a variety of viewpoints. However, it is quite common to come across books where it is explained only from a specific viewpoint, i.e., the author’s. When one starts reading non-academic books, he/she would be exposed to other viewpoints and opinions as well. This plays a crucial role in helping the individual step out of a narrow mindset and gain a broader, global view of the subject. The reader would then be able to perceive and judge an event from a variety of viewpoints at once and understand others’ ideas better.

Decreasing stress
Studying only academic books can prove to be stressful for a student unless he/she has a particular knack for studying. Going beyond academic books and reading fictions or other books in a more casual manner can act as a great stress relief method. In fact, studies have shown that reading is as effective as humour and yoga when it comes to stress relief. Students can therefore seek reading non-academic books as a healthy recreational habit to get rid of the monotony of studying.

Books in general are an amazing source of knowledge and recreation. There is no reason why one should stick strictly to academic books only. As the popular belief goes, there is no end to learning and the same applies to reading.

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