THE COMPLETE U

Cohan shares 103 lessons for incoming college students to maximize their college experiences in this guidebook.

The author, a sociologist and professor, gives a new definitional slant on college as a “hope structure” that facilitates individuation, growth, and reinvention. According to the author, each year a student spends in college serves a purpose: Freshmen learn to make themselves at home, sophomores focus on socialization, juniors seize opportunities like internships, and seniors prepare to launch into the workforce or graduate school. Using the effective metaphor of a water ride, Cohan instructs readers to “Embrace the water,” “Swim against the current,” and “Find what anchors you.” However, she admits that adjusting to college can be rough: “It will be bumpy. It will be stormy. It may make you nauseous and scared.” Students are encouraged to get out of their rooms, develop a good relationship with their adviser, and strategically design a schedule that includes “mind-blowing experiences.” Along the way, readers learn about the ins and outs of declaring a major—or two—and why it’s OK to wait to declare one. There are practical writing tips, AI cautionary tales, and group project pointers, but just as important is the book’s guidelines for communicating appropriately with professors, creating community, and recognizing abusive relationships. The book concludes with tips for post-graduation success. Cohan’s practical advice encompasses not just academics but also the logistical and social aspects of undergraduate education. She is also refreshingly blunt in advice like “Read the F*cking Syllabus” and “Get Your Ass to Class.” The book’s inclusive narrative also addresses the needs of students with disabilities and LGBTQ+ identities. However, some of Cohan’s claims (e.g., “It’s clear that the students who’ve retreated to their rooms the most are less successful in school, less happy socially and emotionally, and increasingly withdrawn and isolated”) lack scientific rigor. Other tips, like encouraging students to bring their own supplies, seem so commonsensical that they barely merit mentioning.

An enthusiastic and practical collection of college hacks whose wisdom sometimes leans too much toward the conventional.