The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College [Paperback]

Harlan Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2005

In college, there's a surprise around every corner...

But that doesn't mean you can't be prepared! From sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers to sharing lecture notes, The Naked Roommate is your behind-the-scenes look at EVERYTHING you need to know about college (but never knew you needed to know).

This essential guide is packed with expert advice on everything from managing money to managing stress--plus hilarious, outrageous and telling stories from students on over 100 college campuses:

College Living
-Dorm do's, don'ts and dramas
-Lying, noisy, nasty roommates

Finding Friends
-Where they're hiding
-Friend today, gone tomorrow

Classes
-To go or not to go?
-How to get an A, C or F
-Classes in wine and bowling

Dating
-13 kinds of college hook ups
-Long distance = BIG concerns

The Party Scene
-The punch in the "fruit punch"
-Sex, drugs and the truth

Money
-Grants, loans and loose change
-Jobs: want one? How to get one
-Credit cards: handle with care

"If The Naked Roommate existed when I went to college, I would have devoured every page before I stepped foot on campus."
-Linda J. Sax, Associate Director of the Higher Education
Research Institute and Director of the CIRP Freshman Survey

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A syndicated columnist for teens and young adults and the author of Campus Life Exposed, Cohen dishes commonsensical wisdom in "the first of what will be many editions of this book." Presumably, forthcoming editions will address the ever-evolving challenges of campus life (cyber-classrooms, perhaps?), but what's in this one will feel pretty familiar to anyone who attended college within the last 25 years. Tips include: be yourself, lock your door, set boundaries with your roommate, don't drink too much and be sensitive to others' differences. Cohen tackles the ins and outs of residence halls, student organizations, friendships, dating, drugs and money-oh, and he considers classes, too, though with perhaps with less enthusiasm (and certainly fewer pages) than he devotes to sex. Though he lists interesting statistics, additional resources and plenty of first-person letters from students seeking his advice, Cohen doesn't offer much that a reasonably intelligent college kid couldn't figure out on his or her own-but that may not be a weakness: "everything's going to be okay" could be just what a nervous first-year student needs to hear most.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 11 Up–A hilarious and truthful book that gives high school students a look at college life, beginning with "Arriving on Campus" and ending with "It's Almost Time to Say Goodbye." In between, Cohen covers homesickness, laundry, Greek life, sex ("Having It, Not Having It, Hearing Other People Having It"), alcohol, cafeteria food, roommates, making it to class on time (and what happens if you don't). The author talks frankly about "Hook Ups," "One-Night Stands," and STDs. Each topic includes a "Harlan Tip," accompanied by a true story from a college student. The advice is sound; the tone is light.–Marianne Fitzgerald, Severna Park High School, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.; 1 edition (March 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402203373
• ISBN-13: 978-1402203374
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,045 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > College Guides

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

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for the college-bound, March 5, 2005

By 

Andrew Tinnin (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College (Paperback)

Harlan Cohen is an advice columnist and speaker for college campuses. The Naked Roommate is one of the best and most practical college advice guide's I've read. The tips are based on questions actual students have asked, actual students have provided real-world advice on, and Cohen has added his professional perspective on as well.

Cohen and Sourcebooks are launching an on-line companion site, http://www.thenakedroommate.com/, that I look forward to visiting.

The first, very crucial tip (and a staple in Cohen's campus addresses) is: "Relax. Have fun. Enjoy it all. Your job is simple: be your best, meet lots of people, make new friends, make smart decisions, possibly find a career, possibly find love, and take risk after risk after risk so that you can figure out what you love and what you don't love. If you do this, you'll leave college with more than a degree. You'll leave knowing what it takes for you to be happy."

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for RA Staff, March 13, 2006

By 

Sean J. Pierce "FAU Honors Housing" (Jupiter, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College (Paperback)

I used this book in RA Trianing after learning about it at the ACUHO-I 2005 conference and meeting Harlan in person. The staff loved the book, and it has a lot of great examples and speaks well regarding University resources for students to seek out and utilize. The book was so well-liked, that I bought a copy for each of the RA Staff members for International RA Recognition Day in February 2006!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I would have had a book like this when I went to college, June 30, 2006

By 

Evelyn Katz (Bal Harbour, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College (Paperback)

It would have been less stressful. The book is very well written. Easy to read and follow. It flows well from topic to topic. It's engaging and truthful without being patronizing to the reader. Gives great tips on how to handle, approach and deal with most everything one can and will encounter during their years in college. It's also very real, because Harlan Cohen has students themselves sharing their experiences. A must read for every student headed for college.