Why Freshmen Fail: and How to Avoid It

by Carol Reynolds, Paul Bass (Illustrator)

Are you ready for college? Each year bright-eyed freshmen arrive on campus anticipating success and the freedom—finally—to enjoy life as an adult. But too many of those students fail to complete their first year. Some may enter college for the wrong reasons. Some may be overwhelmed by academic or social pressures. Some may discover that their goals and motivations have changed or are not well matched with their chosen institution. And some students need more time and breadth of experience before entering college. As a tenured professor at Southern Methodist University, Dr. Carol Reynolds watched students come and go, listened to their frustrations, and helped to put some of them back on track. She explains that failure is often predictable . . . and avoidable! In these pages, she lays out the primary reasons for failure based on her personal experience and observations in the trenches. More than that, she offers a lighthearted prescription, to students and parents alike, for avoiding the pitfalls and turning college into a rewarding experience.

137 pages, Paperback

Published December 29, 2016

Reviews

[Catherine Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for parents and their high school students to read as they make decisions and prepare for attending college. It's an easy read, packed with important and practical information about how to avoid typical mistakes managing school and establishing relationships with professors. The author also does a good job addressing reasons why a gap year between high school and college may be appropriate, making me wish I'd read this the summer before my student's senior year rather than the summer after. I plan to address some of the suggested topics with my graduated high school senior this summer, and pass the book to her.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

Although this book didn’t exactly blow my mind, it did have a variety of helpful things to think about! I can tell Carol loves what she does, and I appreciate her honest and open approach as she gives advice to incoming freshmen and their parents. I think this book would be especially helpful to any seniors in high school who aren’t quite sure what they want to do after high school, or are under confident (or, alternatively, overconfident) about college life.

[Kathy Kuhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, helpful, at times funny. Recommended on my website, http://learndifferently.com