Millennials Go to College: Strategies for a New Generation on Campus

by Neil Howe, William Strauss

This updated edition of Millennials Go to College features new data on the Millennial Generation, confirming how they are changing higher education. The authors address issues ranging from the rise of ratings-driven admissions to the rising burden of student loans, to greater challenges facing career counselors, to the new transition from Boomer “helicopter” parents to Gen-X “stealth fighter” parents.

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Believe it or not, this is the first book I ever read for a book club! I have to say I really enjoyed that aspect of this experience and look forward to going to more of the book group meetings through Training and Development. The book itself, while a relatively easy read and good fodder for discussion, wasn't that special to me. There wasn't much I hadn't heard before and I felt that either some things rang true and therefore I knew from my own experience or other things didn't' fit with my observations and therefore were meaningless. The historical overview and backdrop of the generations is helpful and some of the statistics were interesting but not life-altering. The biggest piece I took was understanding the Gen-X parents that we are and will continue to deal with in the field. I'd be more interested in reading a book on that phenomenon.

[Simone Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Millennials Go to College is a continuation of the theory presented in Generations- that the United States has seen four repeating general cohorts since its inception, and that these cohorts have a significant impact on national trends. Millennials focuses on one of these cohorts in particular- the Civic generation. Today's manifestation of the Civic generation is what authors Neil Howe and William Strauss call the Millennial generation, and what many others refer to as Generation Y.

Millennials Go to College discusses the implications of this generation entering university grounds. Strauss and Howe argue that, because this generational cohort is inherently different, it must be treated differently by university administrators and faculty- lest they suffer backlash or loss of prestige and interest.

Ultiamtely, Millennials Go to College is a bit focused for the average reader, but it serves as an excellent, user-friendly introduction to not only the Millennial generation, but also the Generations concept. For readers not interested in university trends and administration, I would recommend simply reading Part One of this book, which focuses on the general generational premise.

[KR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be an excellent read. If you work for a college, interact, or will be interacting with Millennials, this is a great book to read! If you plan to have a future working in a college, you should take a look at this book! I feel that it gives a very accurate depiction of Millennials as they are today, and it does a good job of pointing out the differences between Millennials and Gen X or Baby Boomers at the same age.

[Francie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a community college instructor that serves primarily lower SES students, I found this book disappointing. The focus is almost exclusively on four-year universities, and primarily on the "haves" in society. I did pick up a few insights that will be helpful with my students, but not as much as I had hoped.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept, comparing the student's currently entering college with the generations preceding them. I think they sometimes hammered on a point a little too hard, but for the most part it is good information, especially for anyone who works on a college campus.

[Dwayne Harapnuik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great insight into the attitudes and experiences of Millenials