Lectures and textbook reading are the backbone to many universities nationwide. In college, textbook reading assignments can be found in a myriad of different disciplines. Completing the assignments may determine the success of a student in class and on tests. In some classes, textbook reading may make or break one’s grade in the class, manifesting as an extremely specific test question from a random passage in the reading. These reading requirements may take hours. In a lot of cases, the bulk of the reading does not get done, and negatively impacts the student. Up to 80 percent of college students do not do their assigned readings. Students with learning disabilities or specific learning preferences may be at a disadvantage in these classes or struggle in other classes while spending their time reading for another.

I’m a student in Harpur College of Arts and Sciences. Although I’m not an English major, I am assigned to read around 200 pages of dense textbook reading every week. To actually obtain all of the information thoroughly, read every word and be able to take notes on what I’ve read would probably take me hours and hours. This is in addition to all my other schoolwork, essays, homework and tests every week. I believe professors need to be more aware about how many students neglect reading, which will lead them to do poorly in a textbook-based class.

At Binghamton University, students are expected to put 9.5 hours of time into each of their four-credit classes. This does not include the three hours they spend in class each week, which brings the total to 12.5 hours per class each week. This means students who are taking the typical 16 credits are supposed to spend 50 hours a week on classwork. However, for students in class with heavy amounts of reading, they may take even longer to do their homework. Reading is a very specific type of task — the amount of time it takes to complete varies for each student. Reading is an academic practice that may be extremely difficult for students with dyslexia, speech and language disorders, visual impairment, ADHD or other disabilities. Reading comprehension and attention span can affect the understanding of the assigned text, which may be crucial content for an upcoming assessment. Thus, professors’ reliance upon the content of a textbook can be wildly unfair to students with disabilities or simply different learning styles.

Mentally, reading is exhausting. This is because it requires complete focus, as well as eye movement. When reading, our brains go wild instructing our eyes to reflect these images, comprehend them and create some sort of imagery in our brains. Oftentimes, reading requires silence and solidarity. If committing oneself to completing a full reading, a student would be alone for hours, neglecting their social lives and physical well-being. This can cause students to feel sad, lonely and lethargic, which is not healthy for a student in a campus setting with constant stimulation. For students with an unstable or anxiety-inducing home or dorm life, this quiet and relaxing environment can be unreachable. Teachers should adjust their teaching methods in order to reach the students they encounter. Reading, as a means of teaching, is not representative of the overall population of students’ preferred learning style. Reading is a means of learning that dates back centuries, but is it outdated?

Universities should investigate the implications of reading assignments and classes dependent upon textbook reading and understanding, and professors should consider redesigning teaching strategies to appeal to various learning styles.

Hannah Kirsch is an undeclared freshman.