The Three R’s are basic skills taught throughout school. They are Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. We want to put a new twist on this old-fashioned phrase for our CAA blog readers. While only one of them begins with an “R” we will cover each one and how it can relate to your college and career goals. We hope you ARE checking back each month for a new post with new insights on each!
“Books train your imagination to think big.” – Taylor Swift
Learning to read is an essential part of education. Reading can lead to learning, growing, and thriving as an intelligent person. At CAA we want to encourage our clients to find success in high school so that it can lead to success in college and, ultimately, in a career. One way to do that is to fall in love with reading and spend time sharpening your mind in this way. Not to be “Delicate”, but you can have your own “Style” with how you approach your love for reading.
All students have reading they have to do for class, but you are not limited after you finish your assigned reading. Since we are discussing reading outside of class, you get to select what you read! This can be an exciting proposition because there is such diversity in the literary world. You may want to pick up a novel or a biography or a book about learning how to code. With a quick internet search, you can even see book recommendations based on different Taylor Swift songs! You may even “Need to Calm Down” because you are getting so excited with the possibilities.
When you read on your own time you can dive deeper into subjects that you enjoy, not the ones you have to know for class. You do not have to read something boring to you; feel free to choose a subject that offers new insight to your specific interests. This may even open you to new possibilities with a new hobby, a new passion, or even a different direction with a career goal. If you find a book that you don’t like, you can declare that you are “Never Ever Getting Back Together” for a second read.
In addition to enjoyment, there are other benefits to reading on your own. How can reading translate to specific advancement in relation to college prep? Well, it’s a great way to learn new vocabulary words without having a big stack of note cards for test prep. Not only can it help you learn SAT words, but spending time reading can help you prepare for those parts of the test which require reading comprehension. Improving your standardized test score can lead to admission to colleges as well as merit-aid scholarships! As you can see, even Taylor Swift would want you to fill some of your “Blank Space” by engaging your mind through reading.
Lastly, reading can help to engage your imagination. Through reading you can open up your mind to new worlds and ideas. Add it to your repertoire with your art, music, and other creative endeavors! Look up from the “Teardrops on (your) Guitar” and pick up a book to find new hope. You may be surprised at the joy you find in it.
We encourage you to take a moment and set a goal to read more. Do some research and find where you fit. Then, go to the library and check it out or place an online order from your bookstore of choice. The moments you spend keeping your brain sharp will help you now and down the road. The CAA coaches (and Taylor Swift) hope you reach your “Wildest Dreams” in college and beyond!
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