Customer Reviews

It's OK if You're Clueless: and 23 More Tips for the College Bound

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This slim, slim book is the text of a high school commencement address given to Terry McMillan's son's high school graduation class.

It reads like it. The hardback covers are thicker than the pages.

I can "see" that this could be a popular speech with the high school graduation crowd. Take what your parents say with a grain of salt. Read everything. Travel. Have good posture. Be responsible with alcohol. Exercise.

This book is in desperate need of linking its 24 tidbits of advice with a reality check. Reading Playboy is okay for reading everything? McMillan thinks so. Parents really don't understand the world these new graduates will be facing? Yes, says McMillan.

Then there is the little matter of details. Eat right, pronounces McMillan. How? Exercise! When? Money isn't everything! So... back to the Peace Corps? [No slam to the Peace Corps intended... it isn't for everybody, but it is incredible for a few.]

This reads like a commencement speech that isn't boring, and that makes the audience laugh. I'm all for an entertaining speech. But to think that it transcends entertainment and becomes of enough value to BUY...?

Maybe this book fits into the "read everything" category (hey, it works for me!). I think Dr. Seuss was a lot more entertaining, and at least as wise.

Here is the dangerous thing. Great high school students know the entertainment value of a speech like this. Poor students may not. Maybe witty McMillan doesn't mind. Well, that's not fair... of course she minds. These (usually) witty comments just don't deserve to be legitimized in book form ("Do my laundry, Mom... I read it in a book!").

Bottom line? This book is a poor investment in the future. If you are looking for a gift for a graduating senior, how about a dictionary, a watch, a resume polishing session, or sponsor a visit to a college. This book is not even big enough for a doorstop.

I gave this book to someone as a gift. She had a few ideas of what she wanted to go to college for, but was undecided which one to choose. It bothered her going into college not knowing exactly what she wanted to major in. Even though everyone around her told her those feeling were normal I guess reading it made it better. This book was perfect, it let her know those feeling were normal (like we told her) and that after a few classes it would come to her. I guess heating it from a strange made her believe what everyone around her was telling her. After her 1st year of college she decided on her childhood dream and is on her way to becoming a pediatrian. I think this is the perfect gift fo any student entering college that is undecided or scared. It gives great advice, tells how parents and students feel about the transition of leaving the "nest".

Our three teenagers are college-bound, all within a three-year period. This book is short and concise, but has valuable information for them to consider, like exercise, getting enough sleep, eating properly, etc...all basic information for the youngsters to work into their daily regimen. I liked the little 'wise' book and have already reviewed it with the first one going off. Terry wrote it for a HS graduating class in Berkeley, California, and it contains wisdom and good sense.

This book is really an interesting read. It's funny, factually serious, and will make you laugh at the same time. As the title suggests, there are times when one will be clueless while in college, or during the middle of an exam, and that is okay because it will balance out eventually. It is a learning experience and not the end!

The book is easy reading. The chapters flow very well and the imagery in each chapter is very apparent. The most appealing chapter is about "Doing it with gusto!" Chapter number five is fireworks! Having self confidence, doing it with enthusiasm, and getting it right are ways to live by.

There are some golden nuggets to live by in this book. For example, getting a summer job when school is out is a great thing. One should not get sloppy drunk and stay away from street drugs. Getting physical and staying in shape is a must. It is wonderful to get adequate sleep at night. Eating veggies and making God proud is awesome! These are some golden suggestions mentioned in the book.

One can read this book in short order. It is excellent and will stimulate the mind. I have read it twice already.

Recommendation of other books to read: Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul, and A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul which includes the new Epulaeryu poetic form.

I'm long past my college years, but I picked this up from the library because I thought it might have some inspiring words for those of us who lose our way every now and then in the day-to-day. McMillan doesn't tell you anything you don't know--fake it (confidence) 'til you make it, follow your own calling, the only way to succeed is through the investment of time and energy. But she's so delightful that reading her book is like spending an hour with a smart, witty, and supportive friend.

I can see how it could make a good gift for a college-bound student--or any student, high school or college, for that matter. In that period in life when you're trying to grow up and figure out how to live your life, McMillan offers the kind of wisdom, love, encouragement you need to stay grounded and sane.

This book is the perfect gift for a high school graduate who is preparing to enter college in the Fall. Even parents have told me they enjoyed reading the book. Buy it for your soon-to-be-gone college freshman - a wonderful investment in guidance.