Classes are back in session for University of Saskatchewan students. This comes with the question, however, about whether or not leisure activities — like finishing that book you started over the holidays — can continue into the new school year.

With any luck, many students, when they were not working or spending time with significant others and extended family, got a chance to do things called hobbies over the break. You know, the luxuries that get thrown out the window towards mid-late October.

Such hobbies include leisure reading and creative writing. Anecdotally speaking, from both personal experience and conversations with fellow students, these two things seem to be the biggest casualties of university coursework picking back up — alongside the plethora of employment, volunteer and internship activities that goes with it.

Anecdote aside, a 2005 survey conducted by University of California showed that leisure reading severely declined in American university students in their first year. From the beginning to the end of the school year, the number of students who enjoyed leisure reading fell from 27 per cent to 15 per cent.

While Canadian statistics — accumulated by the Research, Analysis and Industry Development Directorate — showed that broadly speaking, Canadians still enjoyed leisure reading, this study did not appear to specifically examine habits of students in depth.

It’s not hard to see why leisure reading and other activities, such as writing, may decline in students. With a whopping gross domestic product growth of 1.8 per cent for Canada predicted to grace the country between 2016 and 2020 and no sign of a tuition break on the horizon, students are working more and doing whatever they can to land one of those rare well-paying jobs with career prospects after graduation.

When they do have a break from school and employment, their first instinct — after sleeping — is probably to engage in social activities with friends and family.

Yet, in such an atmosphere, it would appear that the mental breaks and such leisure activities are more important now than ever. A study from the Ontario University and College Health Association has shown that in 2016, 65 per cent of students surveyed in Ontario had overwhelming anxiety and 13 per cent of students had suicidal thoughts. It is probably fairly safe to infer that these are issues Saskatchewan students face as well.

If you want to continue leisure reading or writing for fun during the school year, knowing when your busy times are will be key. Factor your work or extracurricular schedule into this as well. Plan for your busy time and recognize that any fun activities will probably be put on hold, as any social activities would be.

Also consider reading short stories as opposed to lengthy novels. Short stories can offer great character development, interesting settings and compelling issues. If you must read a larger novel, just be prepared for the reality that it may take time to complete it and you may forget earlier plot devices or lines.

You could even have a bedtime book to help you unwind and then sleep. Leisure reading could be a reward for getting through some course materials or working on an assignment. This advice can also hold true for other activities like playing video games, writing for fun, woodworking, and so on. Do not feel guilty about giving yourself a break from our high anxiety society.

Lastly, don’t beat yourself up if you have trouble making time for these things or just don’t do them during the school year. Be realistic about your busy times and recognize that things get put on hold. Yet also remember to take care of yourself and find some time to do what you love, lest you find yourself hateful and spiteful about why you came to university in the first place.

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Liam Fitz-Gerald

Graphic: Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor