I have been thinking quite a bit recently about both high
school and college graduation ceremonies and new beginnings they symbolize. As
a result, several related books have caught my eye:
One was A Freshman Survival Guide for College Students with
Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About! written by Haley Moss, a
university student described as having High-Functioning Autism. Moss’ earlier
book about attending middle school as a student on the Autism Spectrum received
very positive reviews. Based on her more recent experiences at the University
of Florida, she offers tips and advice for surviving the first year at college.
This Freshman
Survival Guide seemed like a vital resource for several
of our Junior and Senior students and when I shared the title with our Post
High School Counselors, they were immediately interested. Unfortunately, the print copies will not be
available until June 21st, but we plan to be purchasing copies to share with interested
students and parents this summer and during the next school year. In reviewing a digital pre-pub version,
I especially liked the frank, upfront tone that the author set, acknowledging that
her experiences may not apply to everyone, but that she is trying to give an
honest account of “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” She divides the book into
sections which deal with Still Being in High School (read about college fairs,
visiting campuses, prom and more); Getting Ready for College (housing, orientation,
etc.); Dorm Life 101; Academics; Professional Life (resumes and interviewing);
Social Life (including social media); Stress and Mental Health (homesickness,
feeling overwhelmed, depression); Living Independently; and Home and Growing Up
(with notes for parents). This book is
certain to generate some productive conversations and allay concerns,
especially since it reinforces for me the strong foundation and preparation which
our students already have.
Life after College by Tori Randolph Terhune and
Betsy A. Hays focuses on “10 Steps to Build a Life
you Love.” The two authors, the CEO of
Brand Chicks who graduated in 2009 from Fresno State paired with a college
professor/motivational speaker, previously collaborated on Land Your
Dream Career for college sophomores. Here, they focus on seniors and recent grads
making the transition from college life to being a working professional. The advice in a number of categories (sleep,
living healthy, money management, career momentum, mentors, etc.) is based on
the authors’ own experiences and on interviews with professionals like a
certified financial planner and a health coach. If you like making lists and a
“worksheet” type experience, this may be a book for you. While Terhune and Hays provide often-needed and valuable information in a personal
and conversational way, it did seem a little “preachy” to me and some advice
(“buy birthday cards in bulk”) felt as though it was geared to people older
than the typical twenty-something recent grad.
Finally, I also read several essays in Should
I Go to Grad School edited by Jessica Loudis, Bosko Blagojevic,
John Arthur Peetz, and Allison Rodman. This book is designed for someone who might
be considering grad school in the arts or humanities (not engineering, law,
business, or life sciences, all of which seem to generate plenty of advice and press). Should I Go to Grad School refreshingly
starts with a section similar to the “choose your own adventure” stories that
we read in elementary school. Based on
the answers to a series of questions, the reader is directed with humor and
verve to different paths, some of which recommend applying and some of which
advocate waiting or re-evaluating. This part was fun to read and definitely
felt helpful and honest to begin thinking about the key elements of this
decision. Next came the (41!) essays, told from different perspectives and in
different styles, about the pros and cons of grad school in the
humanities. Clearly, this book would
appeal to a narrower audience, but it is well-written (by people interested in
the humanities, after all) and worth exploring if you are considering English,
History, Film or Fine Arts as part of your post-college options.
So, depending on which ceremonies you might be
attending and whether you are a student, parent, teacher/professor or friend, do
think about reading one of these books ... essentially, learning is a lifelong
process!
