The advantages of reading newspaper for students are discussed here in this article. Once upon a time newspapers were the only way to know what was happening around the world. A piece of paper that told you of all things important that happens around you. Media grew and improved with time. Radios, televisions, the internet. But still newspapers held their place. Because of tradition, utility or something else, they just couldn’t be discarded from daily routines. The print form of newspapers has it’s days numbered now of course. It’s probably going to go out of existence in 25 years or less, and that too is because of the nostalgic value it holds. But for the moment, Internet is not completely all pervasive yet, paper has not out lived it’s utility and newspapers are still in play. So what is the importance of subscribing to and reading this piece of paper, particularly for students? That is what is being examined here.
Advantages of reading newspaper for students
The advantages of reading newspaper for students are discussed below:
1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
It is important to know the world you live in. Newspapers provide to us knowledge about the major happenings in our city, our state, our country and our world in an organized and prioritized manner. From the passing away of World Leaders to terrorist attacks to the Best Picture winner of the Academy Awards, it tells us everything that we need to be aware of as citizens of the world. For students, a fair amount of general knowledge is necessary for competitive exams, interviews, quizzes and so on. It even helps you to start intellectual conversations with your peers.
2. STAYING UP-TO-DATE
Staying updated with the latest trends in the fields of science, technology and business is important for students. Depending on what you’re studying, there may be different areas you need to focus on. For engineering students, it is of utmost importance to be aware of the latest advancements in technologies of their chosen field or risk facing humiliation in group discussions, interviews and the like. For management students, they need to keep up with the latest trends in business, economics, management etc. Not just for professional purposes, even in social situations not staying updated might make you feel out of the loop in conversations. It’s embarrassing if you don’t know that your country got a new president because you forgot to glance at the headlines that day. Newspapers provide all the current affairs you seek organized into sections that are easy to find, making life simpler.
3. ROUTINE
First thing every morning you settle into a chair with the day’s newspaper and a cup of tea. It’s a cliché for a reason. Whether you read it in an armchair or on the toilet seat., a daily newspaper routine does great things for you. It brings order to a chaotic life. It teaches you discipline, makes it easier for you to stick to plans. It’s a great way to get your day off to a good start. Kind of takes away the sleepiness and brightens you up. Gives you things to think about during your morning commute. The daily newspaper routine can serve as a respite from your busy life. It helps you to unwind, relax, think about things outside your life. Also, as mentioned before, the puzzles and the crosswords are great stressbusters and helps to refresh your brain. All in all, it’s a great habit to keep.
4. EDUCATION & CAREER NEWS
Students need to be aware of latest opportunities in education including scholarships, higher education programs, different courses being offered, details of competitive exams etc. Most major newspapers tend to have a daily or weekly section dedicated to just that. Educational advertisements are included in this, making sure students don’t miss out on anything. A one stop destination for all things educational. It may also include motivational articles, tips and tricks for acing exams, stressbuster articles and the like. For older students there are career sections to guide them. Job ads, trainings, interview tips and more are provided here. These sections aim at all round professional and personal development and are highly beneficial for students.
5. DISCONNECTING
The Internet is the fast growing giant that is threatening to replace the news paper industry. The younger generation spends all of their time plugged in, multiple simultaneous conversations and information overload from every direction. Even for those who are completely dependent on the Internet for all their news needs, it might be nice to unplug once in a while and go back to the simpler life of printed words and paper. There are no distractions of the virtual world in newspapers. You can focus on absorbing and understanding the day’s news and not just swipe through headlines.
6. ENTERTAINMENT
Besides politics and policy decisions and the making and breaking of governments, newspapers also report lighter topics. There is an entertainment section to most newspapers, focusing on gossip columns and trivial mattes meant only for refreshing your mind. Students, especially high school students tend to follow this stuff religiously. Some major newspapers also publish extra supplements on weekends dedicated exclusively to lighter topics. The sports section of course provides valuable updates to those interested. Then there are quizzes and crosswords and puzzles like Sudoku. Settling down on a Sunday with a pen and a crossword is both entertaining and rejuvenates the mind. For students, such things improve vocabulary, cognitive thinking, logical reasoning and mental calculating abilities.
7. RELIABLE & TRUSTWORTHY
Social media feed is the most used source for daily news updates for a lot of people nowadays, especially for young students. WhatsApp forwards and statuses and your Instagram feed is the primary source for staying updated. The problem is that fake news spreads so fast and so far on social media. WhatsApp forwards are known for being notoriously unreliable. Nobody bothers to fact check before hitting forward to all contacts. There had been controversies during the last election when political parties were accused of spreading fake news through Facebook to manipulate election results. Newspapers are not so easily manipulated. Especially the big newspapers can be trusted, or at least the most trusted among all media platforms, to report genuine news without bias. Since they have a name to uphold and news once printed cannot be retracted, they ensure maximum fidelity in their reporting of events. So it is safe to assume that out of all available sources of news, newspapers are the moat reliable.
8. DISTILLED
Students lead a busy, packed life, always some deadline to meet, some exam to study for, some class you’re late for. Newspapers provide news in a distilled, orderly manner. Headlines that tell you what the news is, most important news on the front page, the rest sorted into sections and arranged according to priority. You can read only the section you’re interested in, or if you’re really short on time, you can just read the headlines. This, especially when compared to the massive information overloading of the Internet, could be really helpful to students.
9. READING HABIT
Those who have made a habit out of reading newspapers generally tend to also read other things more. It is a good gateway that leads you to the exciting world of reading. Students who read newspapers daily, eventually also get into novels and biographies and other light readings. It also improves your reading speed and focus.
10. LANGUAGE SKILLS
Newspapers improve your vocabulary, grammar, and your reading, writing and oratorical skills. Words used in newspaper articles maybe tough, unfamiliar, or some sort of jargon. Looking up these words can contribute immensely to your vocabulary over time. It also improves your writing skills, helps you to understand proper sentence structures, presentation, etc. Knowing your language fluently also helps you to speak it confidently. Especially students who are not confident in their English proficiency, are recommended to make a habit of reading English newspapers daily. The difference can be seen immediately.
So, these were the advantages of reading newspaper for students. There was never any doubt that reading newspapers, is of course, beneficial for students. This was just to clarify exactly how and how much it is. So even if you think your phones will give you all the news you need to know, even if you believe newspapers are old fashioned and outdated, start reading if only for the habit. It will change your life.
