The influence of time on the decisions that students make about their academic reading

The study reported here investigated reading among students from the perspective of how students choose to use their time and whether they self-ration it. A survey of undergraduate students found that their self-reported allocation of time to academic activities other than reading was positively correlated to the reading that they did and that students’ reading was significantly correlated to their belief of being time constrained. Furthermore, the study found that students’ participation in nonacademic activities had a negative correlation to the reading they did for their courses. Finally, the study also found that students who allocated time for reading earlier than the day of class/lecture were more likely to complete these readings than those who allocated time closer to the day of class/lecture. This article argues that both students and faculty should have greater awareness of the choices students make in how they allocate their time and toward reading and other related activities.