Everything You Need To Know Before College

This survival guide to college explores topics like dating smart, finding friendships, adapting to different personalities, and making the most of your money.

PARENTING NEVER ENDS. From the founders of the #1 site for parents of teens and young adults comes an essential guide for building strong relationships with your teens and preparing them to successfully launch into adulthood The high school and college years: an extended roller coaster of academics, friends, first loves, first break-ups, driver’s ed, jobs, and everything in between. Kids are constantly changing and how we parent them must change, too. But how do we stay close as a family as our lives move apart? Enter the co-founders of Grown and Flown, Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell Harrington. In the midst of guiding their own kids through this transition, they launched what has become the largest website and online community for parents of fifteen to twenty-five year olds. Now they’ve compiled new takeaways and fresh insights from all that they’ve learned into this handy, must-have guide. Grown and Flown is a one-stop resource for parenting teenagers, leading up to—and through—high school and those first years of independence. It covers everything from the monumental (how to let your kids go) to the mundane (how to shop for a dorm room). Organized by topic—such as academics, anxiety and mental health, college life—it features a combination of stories, advice from professionals, and practical sidebars. Consider this your parenting lifeline: an easy-to-use manual that offers support and perspective. Grown and Flown is required reading for anyone looking to raise an adult with whom you have an enduring, profound connection.

The first practical guide of its kind that helps students transition smoothly from high school to college The transition from high school—and home—to college can be stressful. Students and parents often arrive on campus unprepared for what college is really like. Academic standards and expectations are different from high school; families aren’t present to serve as “scaffolding” for students; and first-years have to do what they call “adulting.” Nothing in the college admissions process prepares students for these new realities. As a result, first-year college students report higher stress, more mental health issues, and lower completion rates than in the past. In fact, up to one third of first-year college students will not return for their second year—and colleges are reporting an increase in underprepared first-year students. How to College is here to help. Professors Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Schwartz guide first-year students and their families through the transition process, during the summer after high school graduation and throughout the school year, preparing students to succeed and thrive as they transition and adapt to college. The book draws on the authors’ experience teaching, writing curricula, and designing programs for thousands of first-year college students over decades.

Why higher education in the United States has lost its way, and how universities and colleges can focus sharply on their core mission. For The Real World of College, Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner analyzed in-depth interviews with more than 2,000 students, alumni, faculty, administrators, parents, trustees, and others, which were conducted at ten institutions ranging from highly selective liberal arts colleges to less-selective state schools. What they found challenged characterizations in the media: students are not preoccupied by political correctness, free speech, or even the cost of college. They are most concerned about their GPA and their resumes; they see jobs and earning potential as more important than learning. Many say they face mental health challenges, fear that they don’t belong, and feel a deep sense of alienation. Given this daily reality for students, has higher education lost its way? Fischman and Gardner contend that US universities and colleges must focus sharply on their core educational mission. Fischman and Gardner, both recognized authorities on education and learning, argue that higher education in the United States has lost sight of its principal reason for existing: not vocational training, not the provision of campus amenities, but to increase what Fischman and Gardner call “higher education capital”—to help students think well and broadly, express themselves clearly, explore new areas, and be open to possible transformations. Fischman and Gardner offer cogent recommendations for how every college can become a community of learners who are open to change as thinkers, citizens, and human beings.

Getting Ready for College is the ultimate easy-to-use guide to success for college-bound seniors, first-years, and their parents. Polly Berent answers the questions you didn’t know you would need to ask: • What’s the deal on financial aid and cash management? • Should I bring a flashlight to school? Do I really need a microwave and a vacuum cleaner? • Should I call Mom every time I’m homesick? Will my boyfriend/girlfriend wait for me? • Will having a credit card help me? Do I need quarters for the laundry? • When should I lock my room? Where can I fill my prescriptions in my new town? • Should I take intro classes or harder classes? Should I join a frat/sorority? • How could I possibly have time to figure all this out and keep in touch with my old friends? This essential manual includes day planners, notes on how to take notes, tips on how to make a “real life” file, and advice from scores of college students in the trenches as well as campus health-care professionals, college counselors, administrators, and financial-aid advisers. This is everything you need to know about getting ready for college, from students and parents just like you.

Make the most of your college years with these 175+ unique activities for the ultimate college experience. From finding the perfect friend group to succeeding academically to exploring your newfound freedom, there’s a lot that goes into making your college experience a success. Instead of getting trapped in the myth that you can “do it all,” 175+ Things to Do Before You Graduate College will help you figure out what’s most important to you…and how to make it happen. With this college-themed bucket list, you’ll find everything you need to do before you graduate. Whether you’re trying to make sure your four years in college are the best they can be or preparing for next steps post-graduation, you’ll learn exactly how to set yourself up for success (and fun!) with activities like: -Becoming a TA as an undergrad for a subject you’re truly passionate about -Heading off-campus with your friends to snag the first fresh donuts of the day -Paying it forward by buying lunch for the person behind you in the dining hall line, even if you don’t know them -Getting creative and starting up a campus-wide game of hide-and-seek -And much more! It’s easy: first, check out the 175+ unique and interesting activities you can do to add some fun, excitement, and maybe even a few impressive accomplishments to your life. Then, use the journaling space to create and update your own personal college bucket list. From there, just gather some friends and get started on making sure your college experience is as happy, healthy, and successful as possible!

Students entering college may think they know just about everything, but... Whether it's their first year or fourth, college students (who think they already know everything) can always use powerful and proven tips on how to make the most of their experience. In 1001 Things Every College Student Needs to Know, Harry H. Harrison Jr.'s latest dose of trademark wit and wisdom provides practical advice ranging from class enrollment, living on campus, study habits and more, that every student-and parent-will benefit from...like buying their books before exams start

This book is for incoming and first year college students who are ready to make the most of their college experience, beyond what you might hear at at orientation. This book is a combination of the super secret insider tips to college that either us authors learned themselves, or they kept hearing from their campus leadership programs. From classroom seating tips, to self-care techniques, to scoring the perfect campus job, this book is your insider's guide to college success that most likely won't be told to you at orientation. You'll notice that the size, layout, and interactive sections of the book are all designed to make this book be your ultimate college field-guide that you can squeeze into a backpack or coat pocket. Read straight through, or thumb to a topic that's most relevant to you. College can be one of the most exciting times in your life and with our field guide in hand, you're already well on your way to going from first-year student to first year success!