Students Helping Students

This latest edition in the "Students Helping Students" series presents realistic steps to having a successful first year of college.Written by current students with contributions from other students and recent graduates, the text contains practical and in some cases brutally honest information any first year student can relate to.The student contributors represent over two dozen various colleges and universities and share experiences from their college career.They also provide vignettes and supporting comments related to the topics.Though not divided into chapters, the text consists of an introduction; eleven focus areas students will face with corresponding subsections, inspirational quotes, words of wisdom from student affairs practitioners, and additional resources.Opening with the author's perspectives on what the first year is and is not the first area addresses leaving home.As the initial step in the journey towards independence, students are encouraged to face the myriad of emotions they will experience.Within the transition of leaving home, areas such as how to pack, saying goodbye, homesickness, separating from high school friends, and preparing for the first visit home all enable students to move forward.Adjusting to life based on the size of a residence hall room and how to adjust to going to college close to home are highlighted.The next section provides a discussion of getting oriented to campus, both the physical environment and the human aggregate.Readers are encouraged to be creative in making new friends and made aware of the importance of building relationships with campus administrators.New student orientation and its importance are highlighted as one of the initial opportunities to begin the relationship building process.Beyond creating peer networks, methods for surviving the "roommate experience" and having a positive campus living experience are given.Sample ground rules and things that should expect when sharing a small space with another individual, they may or may not know are included.The reader is also introduced to the reality of "sexile," or not being able to gain access to your room because your roommate has company.This aspect may be new to many students, but the authors assert that it can be a fact of living on campus.The largest section of the book is focused on the academic adjustment first year students may face.Understanding the transition from high school work to college