Reading books is said to be good for brain expansion; however, school work can also consume a lot of time. This could take away from recreational reading time. The balance of school work and relaxing with a book can be hard to be keep up with for some.

Megan Bartelt, a junior at AHS, says, “I read out of school every night unless I work. I think reading opens your mind to more problems in society than problems in a textbook.”

Anne Wright, a junior at AHS, says, “I believe that I learn more from experiencing conversations in a classroom because being interact and discuss different ideas is more beneficial to me, rather than trying to learn by myself.”

High school students can spend time at school for other reasons than sitting in a classroom. Many students at AHS are involved in athletics and clubs. These programs consume more time from their lives more than  just going to their classes. Students involved in athletics and clubs or students who are not, may also be involved in other out of school programs. All of these things can easily add up and take away from personal time.

During personal time is when some students will relax and read a book, but with a job, school work and other activities they’re involved with, it can become overwhelming. However, some students find ways to incorporate friendship and reading into their lives by discussing books.

Wright says, “A lot of my friend enjoy reading as much as I do, so it is a good conversation starter. When we read the same books, we sit around and converse about ideas from the book that we found interesting. This is a great way for us to bond and grow as friends.”

Reading other people’s experiences can lead readers to find new things about themselves. From reading so often, some students have found one day they would like to do a career that has to do with reading/writing.

Bartelt says, “I think that one day I would love to spend time working in a library but nothing beyond that for me because I lack creativity.”

Wright says, “Being a publisher has always been a dream of mine. I got the desire for that career because of how often I am reading. After I got super into reading, I looked into some careers and a publisher really stood out to me.”