We all wish we could have more free time within our busy schedules.

Between classes, extracurricular activities and jobs, most of us find that our weekdays are packed with obligations. Many people prioritize just staying on top of their work and not falling behind.

As a result of this, having some down time is a rare commodity that is worth much more than its weight in gold for Wake Forest students. But, because free time is so sparing, we are never able to do all of the things that we would like. One activity that many students, including myself, wished they could have more time for is reading for pleasure.

Reading a book that I choose and at my own pace truly does bring me satisfaction, as is true for many other people. There is something soothing about being able to get wrapped up in a book and lose touch with reality for awhile.

While this is alluring, there is nothing more irritating than starting a long book and never finishing it. And the truth is, most Wake Forest students would not be able to finish a long book. They would start it and never find the time after reading those first few pages or chapters to keep up with reading it on a regular basis.

The pressure of getting everything done that needs to get done in a day usually drives away most people from reading what they want during the semester. In spite of all this though, there is a solution.

One way to gain the satisfaction of reading without the time commitment of a longer book or novel is to subscribe to a magazine.

The beauty of magazines is that they provide the opportunity to read something that you want but in much shorter and more manageable articles. 

The fact that you are reading this column in the Old Gold & Black suggests that you are a regular or semi-regular reader of a periodical already, which is great.

In addition to this, though, a subscription to an outside magazine can provide content that is much more specific towards your interests. The sky is the limit when it comes to magazine topics because there is some kind of periodical or magazine for practically anything you could be interested in.

The main reason I suggest everyone subscribes to a magazine, though, is for the reason one that can easily read a magazine article in one sitting, throughout a day or even over several days. The brevity of magazine articles when compared to a full-length book makes them the perfect reading material for busy college students.

And best of all, new editions are sent on a regular basis, so you constantly receive new material to read. What’s not to love about magazines? Whether you prefer the academic stories and photography of National Geographic or the range of topics in the New Yorker, there is bound to be a magazine that suits your taste.

If you feel like you don’t have enough time to read lengthier books, a magazine subscription is a great opportunity to read material that interests you in a format that is designed for busy people like you.