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

by Harlan Cohen (Author) "Welcome to the first page, the first day of college, and my first tip..." (more)
Key Phrases: naked roommate, student activities office, fifth wall, Failure Rate, Indiana University, Some Risks (more...)

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.

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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 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 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)

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."

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this for my college bound teenagers, June 27, 2007

By	The Bean Blog (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

The author, Harlan Cohen, gives advice on the hard issues, like dating, sex, alcohol and drugs, plus tips on going Greek, getting involved, skipping class and dealing with roommates and the stuff we tend to overlook, like avoiding the 'freshman 15' and doing laundry without losing your unmentionables. And yes, there is a tip on how to deal with a naked roommate (tip #16). My all time favorite advice is what to do if your roommate enjoys having sex in your presence. First he suggests you talk to her and let her know it bothers you and if that doesn't work then invite friends over to watch. She might move her lovemaking to somewhere a little more private if she realizes she has an audience.

There are so many things to love of about this book, but let's start with humor. Harlan doesn't spend over 400 pages preaching. Instead he writes as if he's sitting around chatting with his friend [and that friend is you, the reader]. He cracks jokes. He invites you to check out his mySpace and Facebook pages. And he never once talks down to you. This is great considering the target audience is teenagers and I think we all know how hard they are to get through to.

Another great thing about this book is the testimonials. Each tip begins with a comment from a real live college student. And the tips come from students all over the U.S., even Iowa. It was great to hear from students who are living it, have learned from their mistakes and are willing to share [anonymously]. It made the advice feel more credible since we're hearing it from all different types of students from all different kind of schools.

But what I love best about this book are the chapters on the tough stuff; sex, alcohol and drugs. I'm one of those who thinks we can [and should] preach abstinence and `just say no' to drugs and alcohol, but we also need to make sure our kids understand the consequences and know what to do if they don't listen to our preaching. Some of our kids will experiment and they need to know what to do in those situations. Harlan does a great job of giving both sides.

In the sex section, his advice is to not have sex until you are absolutely ready and in love and won't be ashamed of it in the morning. Several times he states you must feel comfortable enough with your partner to discuss both of your sexual histories. He discusses different birth control options plus what to do if you make a mistake. And he pounds home the point that you need to make sure you aren't doing something drunk that you wouldn't do sober.

In the alcohol and drug sections, he makes it clear that not everybody on campus is getting drunk and high. Kids come in to college thinking everybody gets drunk four nights a week, but the reality is more than half of students are there to [gasp] get an education. But he also has advice for those students who do decide to drink or do drugs. He suggests they figure out how to balance it all; drinking and making it to class so they don't flunk out. He also has some suggestions for dealing with druggie roommates or alcoholic friends.

This is the stuff our college students want to hear about. They don't want to hear their parents preaching "be safe." They want real advice about what to do when they find themselves in these situations and Harlan gives them those answers.

I could go on and on about the great tips offered in this book, but instead I'll just leave you with one last tip; finding your place on campus (tip #3). Throughout the book Harlan emphasizes the need to be involved. Several tips talk about joining sporting clubs or religious clubs or political clubs or starting your own club. This is one of the most important tips in the book. Too many kids spend their first few months holed up in their room not making friends. College is such an amazing experience. Not one second should be wasted and I think with the help of this book kids will be able to dive right in and make the best of it. If you have teenagers get a copy of this book. If you have toddlers, put this in your Amazon wishlist so you'll remember to buy the latest edition when they are teenagers. I can't wait for my teenagers to read it.

11 of 13 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)

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.