My mom calls me a few times a week and every time I mention doing something like going to a concert or cooking dinner, she hints or just outright says that I’m in college to study, not to do other things. I disagree with this, and I’m sure you all do as well (unless you’re Mom who I’m sure will call me tomorrow), because we didn’t come to college to study. And we didn’t come just to get a degree for a job. If you did, I really don’t even know why you are reading the Viewpoint section. It isn’tfurthering your one minded goal of getting a degree and getting out.

No, we came to college to learn. And I don’t mean just in class. All those parties, small social interactions, awkward pauses in conversation, flirting, all of that is learning. We’re learning about ourselves, and I genuinely love that. People are so interesting that I could spend forever just getting to know them.

But no one does spend all their time with people, and it’s what I do in these little moments between class and friends that makes me feel so alien compared to the rest of the campus. See, I read. Because I love learning, and that’s what we’re here for.

D. H. Hill holds most of the 3.6 million books that N.C. State has floating around. So why have I never seen people reading? Oh, don’t get me wrong, students study there all the time, especially around exam times. The humanities majors leave the library like pack mules, carrying dozens of books for that crucial final paper. The East Wing tends to always be populated, especially the new game stations. But how many of these people use it as an actual library instead of just additional work for class or a place to study?

I don’t get it. Why don’t people want to know things? There are books in D.H. Hill about everything. We have translations of rare Japanese novels, the first works of cult-classic authors, histories of film directors and manuals that teach you anything under the sun.

It’d be one thing if everyone was going elsewhere and learning things, but we aren’t. That sounds like a bad judgment call, and maybe it is, so bless all of you who don’t enjoy wasting your time and do learn independently. But it’s so rare. Even fiction gets you a weird look, if it isn’t Harry Potter. I’ve tried asking quite a few people what the last five books they read were. Aside from Mr. Potter, they’re allrequired by classes or just blank stares.

Compared to TV or videogames or sudoku puzzles, reading gives you so much. Do I really need to give examples? Because of D. H. Hill, I know how to dance, how to play the guitar, how to teach someone else to play the guitar, how to actually think for myself and question everything, how to understand that which is outside my culture, and just so much more — and I’m still single, ladies. I’m a better person because I read. Simple as that.

We’re in college. We are here to learn. Anyone who says they’d rather read a book than participate in a social activity is probably socially stunted, so I’m not going to agree with that. But please realize that reading and learning isn’t just a good thing to do, it’s essential to being a decent human being. Don’t say books are for when you’re in class, and that you just don’t have time. You finished reading this article,after all. So pick up a book. If you don’t like it, go for another. We’ve got 3.6 million ways to become a better person on this campus, so use them.