The Thinking Student's Guide to College: 75 Tips for Getting a Better Education (Chicago Guides to Academic Life) - Hardcover

"By addressing students directly, drawing on his experience and observations in academic life, Andrew Roberts provides an accessible and credible account of how to make college a valuable experience educationally." - Michael McPherson, president of the Spencer Foundation, former president of Macalester College "Andrew Roberts has a light touch, gives students excellent advice, and writes in a direct, engaging style. What I find particularly interesting is the perspective from which he counsels students, that of a serious academic fully dedicated to his profession despite what he sees as its flaws." - Michael Koppisch, Michigan State University"

Each fall, thousands of eager freshmen descend on college and university campuses expecting the best education imaginable: inspiring classes taught by top-ranked professors, academic advisors who will guide them to a prestigious job or graduate school, and an environment where learning flourishes outside the classroom as much as it does in lecture halls. Unfortunately, most of these freshmen soon learn that academic life is not what they imagined. Classes are taught by overworked graduate students and adjuncts rather than seasoned faculty members, undergrads receive minimal attention from advisors or administrators, and potentially valuable campus resources remain outside their grasp. Andrew Roberts' "Thinking Student's Guide to College" helps students take charge of their university experience by providing a blueprint they can follow to achieve their educational goals - whether at public or private schools, large research universities, or small liberal arts colleges. An inside look penned by a professor at Northwestern University, this book offers concrete tips on choosing a college, selecting classes, deciding on a major, interacting with faculty, and applying to graduate school. Here, Roberts exposes the secrets of the ivory tower to reveal what motivates professors, where to find loopholes in university bureaucracy, and, most importantly, how to get a personalized education. Based on interviews with faculty and cutting-edge educational research, "The Thinking Student's Guide to College" is a necessary handbook for students striving to excel academically, creatively, and personally during their undergraduate years.