Things I used to take for granted as a student/parent number 1: time to read. For better or for worse reading is one of those activities you simply can’t do around children. Oh, I’m not talking about reading picture books or texts with simple words and basic sentence structures. No, no. I’m talking about reading reading (you know, that stuff you do as a student, for your classes, that requires lots of time and lots of focus). It is the joy of having kids while being a student. When I didn’t have kids it didn’t make sense. I thought it took a far longer amount of time to do a reading than it actually does (in part because of my frequent intermittent breaks while reading), but now I know that I was just not very good at focusing on the task at hand. I took for granted the immense amount of time I had to read, and now I sort of miss it (but I really enjoy being a father… it’s a trade off I guess).
At any rate, I recently was treated to a relatively free moment of time where I just sat and read and realized how wonderful reading can be. I read “all the time,” of course, but that is between intermittent breaks and fits and starts and other obligations. Having kids taught me one thing about being a student: you generally have way more than enough time to get done what is asked of you. If I were giving advice to myself ten years ago I would say: sit down and read more. Carry a book wherever you go. Takes notes frequently, etc. Now, though (because of children), I know the value of time. There isn’t a lot of it and when you have a free moment: use it productively. For what it’s worth: I probably wouldn’t believe future me either (but it’s true).