Customer Reviews

How to Survive Your Freshman Year: By Hundreds of College Sophmores, Juniors, and Seniors Who Did (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This year I was fortunate to have 3 grandchildren going off to college. I reviewed numerous books and tried to find for them the best set of books to help them be successful. This was not one of them.

What this book is, is a collection of short quick little blurbs from a zillion college students with different,and sometimes opposing points of view. Their is no singluar voice. Now they say that variety is the spice of life, but what I was looking for was some heart felt insightful advice to pass on to my grandson. Instead I got bullet items such as:

"Don't live in the dorms. There's too much going on, everybody's always messing around. I suggest living off campus your first year."

However, the very next bullet item in the book is,"Try to get placed in the freshman dorms..." If didn't know better I'd say that was in direct conflict with the previous piece of advice.

As you can see, by not having a consistent voice you get contradictory advice that will probably confuse most people.

Don't let the slick cover fool you, this book is best left closed. If you want real advice, I would like to suggest:

Been There, Should've Done That II : More Tips for Making the Most of College (ISBN: 0965608611)

College 101 : The Book Your College Does Not Want You To Read (ISBN: 0966412206 )

Now if you want your kids/grandkids to eat well - get them:
Where's Mom Now That I Need Her: Surviving Away from Home
(ISBN: 0961539003 )

This book had to have been written by someone with the attention span and interests of a high school senior. My son couldn't put it down and kept interrupting the family to tell us one little story after the other. It prompted great discussions in the family too. The format of this book really makes the difference, the short stories each contain their own 'nugget' of gold.

I think the best thing about this book is that it really gives the reader the sense that they are learning first-hand from people who really want to help them have a great college experience. Its full of great advice and isn't written from just one perspective. Even though I graduated over 20 years ago, I found myself nodding in agreement with much of what was written and glad that my son has the benefit of this foresight.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is trying to prepare for a great college experience.

This book gets it right. Colege kids talking to others soon to be in their shoes. I didn't agree with all the advice - ok - so my college days were decades ago - but I felt the honesty and helpful spirit of each entry. The format makes sense - the topics are relevant - its a book that will be used before and way after freshman year.
Unless you are the kind that thinks that only parental advice is worthwhile - this is a great senior year - freshman year find.

I first saw How to Survive Your Freshman Year after I already had one son in college. The advice and stories were consistent with what I had experienced getting him ready, deciding what to take,where to live, etc. We managed on our own, but winged it. It would have been very helpful to have had this book to guide us both. Lots of decisions have to be made and it is nice to know how others survived the onslaught. When my son announced he was studying abroad this summer, I recalled the chapter on studying abroad and we read it for an insight on what to expect. After my son came home, he said the advice of a New York University student, "When you go to school overseas, you get a better perspective on the world..." is exactly right.

My daughter and other son have their big brother to advise them about college life, but they also have the advantage of having "hundreds" of other teens tell them what they need to know because we now have this great book. Today's teens are savvy and busy and the advice in this book is on target, quick to read and honest. Every high school graduate should have a copy before leaving home.

My son received "How to Survive" as a gift. I grabbed it from his room to leaf through last night. I am impressed that it includes sound advice that I would like to give him, but I'm sure he wouldn't listen to me! I feel that he'll pay attention to the book, because the nuggets are from students close to his age. Also like the layout - you can read it straight through, flip it open to any page or find a chapter for specific topic information. Great graduation present for other seniors. Solves that problem nicely.

I bought this book for my niece who will be starting college next fall. It is FANTASTIC! I couldn't put it down, and read it cover to cover. The book is well written and the advice is completely on point. Really gives future college freshmen an idea of what college life will be like. I highly recommend this for any high school senior who will be starting college next fall!

I bought this book for my niece when she visited as part of a pre-freshman trip to her two top colleges. She read it cover to cover, alternately chuckling, sighing, and saying "I can't wait." The book was a huge hit. It's funny, poignant, and dead-on accurate.

This book includes great, honest insight. It's perfect for every incoming freshman who is even the least bit apprehensive to start college. I wish I had read it last year when I was a high school senior... I'd have been a lot more prepared! (Great grad gift idea)!

My niece is starting college in the states next fall and was very scared because she could not imagine how college life would be in another country. After she read the book, she feels much more comfortable with her year in America. It gave her a sense of college sub-culture and life in a fun way.

This book includes great, honest insight. It's perfect for every incoming
freshman who is even the least bit apprehensive to start college. I wish I
had read it when I was a high school senior... I'd have been a lot more
prepared! (Its a great grad gift idea)! The book is a compilation of
stories, tips and advice. Unlike a book of long chapters and one authors
ancient recollections this book is much more readable and fun because it has
the wisdom of hundreds of people. Its quick. Its funny. I've given copies
to several recent high school graduates and they too couldn't put it down.