Campus Life Exposed: Advice from the Inside [Paperback]

Harlan Cohen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Harlan Cohen, author of the syndicated "Help Me, Harlan!" advice column, comes to the aid of rising freshmen with Campus Life Exposed. Cohen goes beyond credits and blue books to delve into the real life problems that have been sent to him by his college-aged readers. The hurdles facing new students are gathered into chapters like "Finding a Date on Campus" and "My Disgusting, Angry, Irresponsible, Alcoholic, Pot-Smoking Roommate" and illustrated by a few selected columns. The book is engagingly chatty, and Cohen is unafraid to dig into his own experiences to make his points. In fact, he makes a special point of exposing college's dirtiest little secret: it is entirely possible that freshman year might suck. Cohen goes into the possible reasons for said sucking, and suggests ways of getting around them. While Campus Life Exposed definitely comes down on the side of common sense--there is an extended section on STDs and a graphic cautionary tale on binge drinking--it never makes the mistake of getting preachy. Cohen acknowledges that most kids cutting loose on a college campus for the first time are going to do a little experimenting, and that college is a time for making mistakes. He also suggests that students who make those mistakes write in so he can share their hard-won wisdom in the next edition. --Ali Davis

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Peterson's; Original edition (August 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0768904986
• ISBN-13: 978-0768904987
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,346,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harlan Cohen is the bestselling author of four books, a professional speaker, a musician, and one of the most widely read and respected male syndicated advice columnists in the country.

Harlan's writing career began at Indiana University's school newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student. He shifted his path toward advice after interning at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in the summer of 1995. Harlan was inspired to begin writing his column after meeting a writer who had penned a similar column while in college. When he returned to campus, Harlan immediately launched his "Help Me, Harlan!" advice column. At first he wrote questions and answers to himself. When he started to help himself, he knew he was good. Then real letters started rolling in. Harlan's balance of honest advice, helpful resources, and sharp humor turned the column into an instant success on and off campus. As the column
spread, Harlan began writing books, speaking on college campuses, and creating original music to bring the topics addressed in his writing to life.

Harlan is the bestselling author of the books "The Happiest Kid on Campus"(Sourcebooks), "Dad's Pregnant Too!" (Sourcebooks), "The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College" (Sourcebooks), and "Campus Life Exposed: Advice from the Inside" (Peterson's). Harlan is a contributor to "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul III" and has been featured as an expert offering advice in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition, Real Simple, Seventeen, Psychology Today, and hundreds of other newspapers and publications. King Features Syndicate distributes Harlan's "Help Me, Harlan!" advice column worldwide. Harlan is a frequent guest on television programs across the country and has appeared on hundreds of radio programs. Harlan is a professional speaker who has visited over four hundred college campuses. He is an expert who addresses teen issues, college life, parenting, pregnancy, dating, relationships, sex/no sex, rejection, risk taking, leadership, women's issues, and a variety of other topics.

Harlan is the founder of the websites www.HappiestKidonCampus.com, www.NakedRoommate.com, www.DadsPregnant.com, and www.HelpMeHarlan.com.He is the producer, lead singer, and musician on his album Fortunate Accidents. He is also the founder and president of Rejection Awareness Week (February 7-14 annually)
and the International Risk-Taking Project. He lives in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and two young children. In his spare time he thinks about how little spare time he has (and then his spare time is over, leaving him thinking about how he squandered his spare time, eating up more spare time).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best College Book Out There, August 22, 2000

By 

"queen_daniella" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Campus Life Exposed: Advice from the Inside (Paperback)

I bought this book for my son and he never put it down. He's not a reader, but he couldn't stop. He was anxious about going away to school, but after reading this book he seems completely at ease. The author writes a syndicated column that runs in college newspapers everywhere and uses letters from current college students and some personal stories. His writing style is smart, honest, and funny.

When my son put the book down, I picked it up. It was fun to think back to college and see how things have changed. The sex, STD, and drug chapters were a little shocking, but it's happening and I'm glad there's finally a book out there. I'm getting a few more copies to give to my friends kids as going away gifts! thanks Harlan

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Getting Through College Without Too Much Damage, April 1, 2001

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Campus Life Exposed: Advice from the Inside (Paperback)

This book is very hard to grade. It has excellent aspects, such as its candid descriptions of the very real dangers of campus life (STDs, drugs, alcohol, date rape, depression-driven actions, and theft). The cover photograph is brilliantly funny. Some of the letters and advice from those who wrote to him are very good. On the other hand, the book's style is very repetitive (you will hear Mr. Cohen's story about his girl friend in high school, his loneliness at Wisconsin, and so forth ad nauseum). Mr. Cohen has little training for his calling of providing advice, and primarily encourages people to communicate and to seek professional help. The biggest weakness is that Mr. Cohen almost totally ignores issues related to academics. He basically encourages you not to get so drunk or over-drugged that you don't make it to class. Most students leave college with overwhelming debt burdens. The book fails to provide any financial advice for dealing with that issue. While this book will prepare you for surviving the worst that could happen to you in college, it fails to prepare you to capture the best.

The book primarily focuses on the topics of coping with loneliness, making friends, getting dates, handling roommate problems, sexual relations, avoiding sexual relations, avoiding and handling STDs, drinking, drugs, sexual assault, and a tiny smidgeon about academics. Most students will find these issues relevant, because their lives will touch in these areas. I would encourage people to read this book, because it will probably help prepare them for a situation or two that they will run into. The book will be most valuable if read during the summer before starting college.

On the other hand, the opportunity to write the definitive guide to attending college remains. I hope Mr. Cohen will use the good foundation he has here to create that guide. I will be glad to read it, and give it five stars when it is ready.

After you read this book, I suggest that you start by setting some written goals for what you want to accomplish by going to college. Then review your progress once a month to see how you are doing. And review your goals once a year to see if they still are the right ones for you.

Seek the best!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and truthful answers for college freshman, August 10, 2000

By 

Ranee Stevens (CHICAGO, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Campus Life Exposed: Advice from the Inside (Paperback)

The most anxious time for a teen is the weeks leading up to college. The teen has a million questions with no one to answer them honestly. Part of the reason is that no matter one's experience in college, within one week exposed to the real world, college seems to be a utopian universe that will never be again.

"Campus Life Exposed" gives college freshman the answers they need. The author's quirky sense of humor and excerpts from his nationally syndicated column "Help Me Harlan," provides unprecedented insights into the beauty and horror of the first year away from home.

The book isn't just about school, sex, drugs and drinking. Harlan addresses how to deal with annoying roommates and how to overcome loneliness. He gives useful tools to help a depressed or abusive friend.

Cohen's writing style is straightforward. He uses comical antedotes from his own college experiences peppered by a sarcastic wit that has made Help Me Harlan a hit on college campuses.

Be sure that although the soon-to-be freshman will learn from Cohen, he/she will also be entertained by chapters titled "Sex Souvenirs On Campus" (the STD chapter) and "My Disgusting, Angry, Irresponsible, Alcoholic, Pot-Smoking Roommate."

Give this book to a friend before school starts and reduce the chances that his/her first semester will result in poor grades, date rape, an STD, alchohol poisoning and/or a drug overdose.

Also, give it to someone who could use a good laugh before starting school.