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College years are supposedly the best years of our lives. But between classes, extracurriculars, and working a part-time or even full-time job, the “best years of our lives” dissolve into a huge pile of stress and exhaustion. In fact, 45 percent of college students feel more than average stress, according to The American Institute of Stress.

The stress and lack of time makes it seem nearly impossible to sit down with a free reading book, which is bad news for booklovers everywhere. Reading can improve memory, concentration, and stress management, which are three things college students need to get through college. So here are some tips on how to be a bookworm while in college.

Find a Book You Enjoy

It’s not pleasure reading if you don’t like the book. So find one you actually like and preferably one that’s more for entertainment than literary enrichment. You already have plenty of enrichment from your college classes. The last thing you’ll want is non-required reading that makes you work just as hard as your textbook. Reading books you like will make you more likely to read. If you don’t know what you like to read, then explore. Your college library has a joy reading section somewhere. Take a half-hour study break to peruse and find one you’re interested in. Or, if you like romance novels, sign up for my newsletter and get a list of free, full-length romance novels I’ve rated 4 stars or higher.

Read For 15 Minutes A Day

No matter how busy you are, you can find 15 minutes a day. Whether that’s in the bathroom, waiting in line at the cafeteria, or right before you go to bed, you can find the time. Set a timer on your phone and make it a point to joy read for 15 minutes. If you’re reading a print book right before bed, it might even help you sleep better.

Keep a Book On Your Phone

How often do you look at your phone? Multiple times a day?

We don’t even think twice about pulling out our phones when we have even a second of free time. We do it while waiting for class to start, when we’re walking to and from class, and especially when we don’t want to make eye contact with our freshman year roommate.

Reading apps make books more convenient to read during busy days because not only will we never forget our phones, but we’re always on them anyway. Instead of scrolling through social media, open up a reading app like the Kobo Reading App to read for a few minutes of downtime. You might get frustrated at first because it takes practice to read a book 30 seconds at a time without reading the same sentence over and over. But eventually, you’ll be able to escape into your book for a mini vacation while waiting for your class to start.

Use the Pomodoro Technique

One of the best ways to increase productivity and avoid burnout is to have frequent breaks to relax and refresh yourself. The Pomodoro Technique is a famous structured time management strategy to help you do just that.

I definitely encourage you to read more about it because it’s fascinating. But it’s essentially 25-minute work sessions with a 5-minute break in between. It’s important to use those 5-minute breaks wisely for maximum benefit. Which often means a light, healthy snack, stretching and walking around, and not looking at screens. Joy reading during this time is also a good way to relax and let your mind take a break from work.

Listen to Audiobooks

Listening to audiobooks counts as reading. And after a long day of textbook reading, it’s a nice break on the eyes. You can listen to audiobooks while in the gym, walking to and from class, or any time, really (just maybe not while in class). It’s a good way to get more reading in while managing a busy college life.

Not only that, but you can support your local bookstore by listening to audiobooks. Libro.FM is an audiobook platform where you can have either a subscription or just buy books “a la cart” and the money from your purchases will go to an independently-owned bookstore of your choice. It’s an easy and convenient way to support local businesses while also getting more reading time in.

Want more books while on a broke college student budget? Learn how to be an avid bookworm on a budget.