I spent my reading week on holiday and regret nothing

Realistically, unless you’re one of those people in seminars who’ve got annotated notes of the additional readings you’ve probably never used reading week for any actual reading.

Sure it would be useful going to your seminars in week seven having done the reading and the prep work, but you’ve managed all year without. Why start now? If you have good intentions and meticulously plan all that work you’re going to finish in the special week in October and February  you need to stop lying to yourself.

You are not going to do any reading during reading week. And lets face it, anything that you do manage to achieve over the week will probably never be enough anyway. Reading week usually comes hand in hand with a reading list the length of the average forearm. Even if you gave us a reading month finishing those critical readings is not going happen.

Picture this: future you begging the boss to be able to use up five of your 28 days holiday to get time off from your miserable 9-5 life. This 25-year-old (hopefully) employed you dreams wistfully of that magical time at university. You’re probably not going to be thinking “gee I’m sure glad I stayed in Selly Oak for reading week”.

I’ll take this over Alton any day

As much as we all love the friendly man in Drinks 2 Go and a cheeky roosters, by week six Selly’s bubble can certainly grind you down. Unless you’re a fresher and the novelty of living among other messy people hasn’t rubbed off yet, getting away and being in a place with a full rack of clean glasses is quite the luxury.

Yes, you might be further in your dissertation, but people on holiday were probably happier. And that’s what matters right?