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How to Survive Your Freshman Year: By Hundreds of College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors Who Did (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides) | 
 enlarge | Author: Hundreds Of Heads Books
Creators: Mark W. Bernstein, Yadin Kaufmann, Frances Northcutt
Publisher: Hundreds of Heads Books
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $8.28
You Save: $7.67 (48%)
New (25) Used (16) from $7.37
Avg. Customer Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 127278
Media: Paperback
Edition: 3rd
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 5.9 x 1
ISBN: 1933512148
Dewey Decimal Number: 378.198
EAN: 9781933512143
ASIN: 1933512148
Publication Date: March 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The perennial bestseller, How to Survive Your Freshman Year has become known as the college freshman's "bible.” The Third Edition offers college freshmen 30 per cent new material: more real-life advice and experiences from interviews with college students and graduates across the country, plus tips from the book’s new special editor, Frances Northcutt, an academic advisor and instructor. New entries reflect today’s world of new freshman lifestyle and experiences, including all wireless digital devices, social networking, global and political awareness, and the importance of volunteerism.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 "Great Advice From Those Who Have Already Been There" July 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 7/2008
What a great graduation gift! Going to college right out of high school is one of the biggest transitions one can make. This book is filled with practical advice that is given in short blurbs. You can read it in one setting or just a few minutes at a time.
There are chapters about: Money, what to take with you, and social situations. The only point that I did not see in this book is that it is wise to not have roommates--even if you have to spend extra money. I really cannot stress that enough. I completely agree with the point about not allowing your roommate's significant other to sleep over. That only leads to them eventually moving in.
This is not necessarily the advice your mother and father would give you. Frat parties, hangovers, and pot smoking is addressed. However, there is a theme of responsibility throughout the book. Perhaps you are a parent who does not want to talk about these parts of college. Give this book to your child!
Get this book for your graduate. I recommend this!
Makes a great gift July 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I gave this book to 2 graduates as part of their gifts. They really enjoyed the suggestions and are a little more relaxed going away to school. Their parents also read the book and loved some of the ideas to prepare. Great read
 Informative but... July 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First of all, I would like to point out that I just graduated from high school and will be a freshmen next year. I bought this book in hopes that it would help with the anxiousness I was feeling regarding the transition to college. I'm glad to say that after reading this book, I felt far more prepared for college than I did before I read this book.
What I liked most about this book is that the authors found and interviewed students from all types of colleges across the US. Students from small colleges, large colleges, public colleges, private colleges, and anything else in between. Many of the students gave the same or similar recommendations/suggestions. Some people may find that repetitive or redundant but I found it reassuring. It was reassuring to know that students from completely different colleges agree on certain aspects of college life. There were some opinions that were opposite and some people may find that it is strange for authors to give contradicting information. I, however, found that each person who gave their opinion also explained their reasoning behind their opinions. This made it easier to pick sides and pick who you really agree with.
The reason I gave this book a 4/5 instead of a perfect score was because it lacks the authors' opinions. The authors of the book were the ones who interviewed the thousands of students and I'm sure that not everything that was said by the students made it into the book. If the authors had given their opinion as well, and maybe summarized or pointed out specific things they noticed in what the students said, then that would've left me with more of a satisfying feeling after reading the book. When I finished the book, I was unsure as to what exactly it was the authors wanted me to get from the book.
Overall, in found this book extremely insightful. It help me calm so of the nerves I was feeling about going to college. If you or someone you know is about to head off to college, I would definitely recommend this book. Everyones says that you're supposed to hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and expect the unexpected. This book definitely helps you prepare for the worst and allows you to expected some of the things that would've been unexpected.
Real Advice on Real Topics July 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read this book as a college senior, and was hit with a wave of "Wow, this would have been so helpful to have three years ago!" This book is stellar - real advice that is, admittedly, all over the board. Since the book is made up of tidbits from hundreds of people, some of it is in direct conflict with itself! But that's the beauty of it - there's plenty to every side of all the arguments in here.
Does this book tackle touchy subjects like drinking, sex, and questionable academic practices? Yes, of course. But that's because these are things students have to deal with at every college - from the most conservative Christian school to the biggest party school. If you are a parent and you don't think your soon-to-be-college-freshman child can handle it, then you are simply sending them to school unprepared. These are topics they will have to deal with no matter what - why not read this book, have your kid read the book, and then discuss the topics afterward?
The reason this book didn't get the 5th star is that I don't feel it tackles money topics very well. That's, of course, a limitation of the people that were interviewed for the book. But I feel like more needs to be said about how to budget, spend responsibly, and prepare for real-world finances. If you're giving this book as a gift to a soon-to-be-freshman, supplement it with a beginning financial book, as well.
Where was this when I was in college? July 7, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
If I were 18 years old and about to go off to college I would consider this an interesting book to read. I would devour it in one gulp racing from one quote to another, from one bit of dubious advice to the next at breakneck speed. In fact to save a few bucks I might read it while hanging out at Borders. Would I be any the wiser or better informed? Would this book actually help me to survive my freshmen year?
Actually it might. Although the advice is almost random, and sometimes contradictory, and coming from people who went to very different schools with very different environments, from a heartland state university to Harvard, from people who have no money to the very rich, there is some advice somewhere in these pages I suspect that will help just about every freshman.
As an old foge who hasn't seen hallowed halls in decades, this book provided not usable advice, but a kind of window into the mind of today's college student. I learned--no surprise really when you think about it--that one of the things that people going into college worry about today is gaining that "freshman 15"--that is to say pounds of fat. The main debate seems to be around whether cafeteria food is edible or not or how many days in a row you can subsist on pizza and beer. "Amy," from Princeton University says, "The freshman 15 happens to everyone, and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise." (p. 156) Best advice in the food category came from Chavon Mitchell, a Xavier grad, who wrote, "...my friend and I would scour the campus paper and fliers for events with free food...We would end up at academic speeches, random barbeques, or various group meetings, none of which we belonged to or knew anything about...We ended up eating for free at least three to four times every week...."
Okay, forget food. How about academics? Oops--21 chapters and none on academics. But no problem, "Hundreds of Heads" publishers have another book that covers this. It's called "How to get A's in College--Hundreds of Student-Tested Tips."
Wait, there is a chapter on studying. Some good advice: "Sleep a lot. And always go to class." -Sarah, Georgia Tech grad. "Flirt with the professors. It comes in handy when you need to be late on your term paper because you partied all weekend." --from an anonymous University of Georgia grad. Another U of Georgia grad named Jen says, "Buy beaten-up, used books that have been highlighted and have notes in the margins: Instant Cliff's Notes!" (p. 126) But J.T., a University of Florida grad cautions, "Be careful when buying used books. The person who had the highlighter before you may have been an idiot." (p. 137)
All right let's get to the advice on partying, which is why you're here in the first place. The chapter is entitled, "Parties 101: How to Have Fun & Be Safe." It comes right after the chapter on "Going Out, Getting Serious: Dating and Sex." Be safe? I guess they mean, don't chug-a-lug Jack Daniels or do not go into the ghetto for weed. Or speed kills (it does). Or maybe it's this from "Anonymous": "Girls, be especially careful of what you drink while at clubs or house parties, because an uncovered drink could mean a lost night and a trip to the gynecologist the next day."
The chapter on choosing classes is good, but I wonder about this advice from "S.P.": "Fall in love with someone in your class right away, T.A., professor, whomever. You'll be hard-pressed to skip class. If there is no one in your class to love, then pick someone to hate and show up every day to make his or her life a living hell." (p. 107)
There's a chapter on dorm life and one on choosing or living with a roommate. One girl (Heather Pollock from a Cal State U--it doesn't say which one) had a roommate that was "A Goth lesbian. She would sit on the patio, smoke a pack of cigarettes an hour and cry about how some girl had screwed her over." Melanie from Penn State says, "The worst thing that happened with my roommate [was] She decided to tap dance at 7 a.m. to get back at me because I kept her up at night." Hmm...seems fair.
Yes, there is a chapter, more or less, on how to deal with helicopter moms. It's called "Family Ties: Keeping in Touch & Setting Boundaries." I knew I had hit the mother lode of insight into parent/student relationships from the student point of view when I read the first three bits of advice: "My relationship with my parents has improved a lot over the phone versus in person." -Chana Weiner Bernard College; "The thing with parents is that, nine times out of ten, they love you and they want to help you. If they get a little protective when you go away, it's because they don't know how to deal with it. Help them through it. Be patient with them." -B., George Washington University; "I have caller ID on my cell phone. If my parents call, I can see it's them and let it ring. But they e-mail every day, too. They don't do IM because I haven't taught them that yet and they haven't figured it out. They say, `When you talk to people online, what does that mean?' And I say, `Oh, I just e-mail them."
Come to think of it, maybe this book would be a good read for parents.
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