The College Handbook shows how college is a journey rather than simply a destination, guiding undergraduates and their families through each phase of student life using a proven approach that is clear, practical, and effective.
Rachel Gable shares bite-sized tips for cultivating a mindset that empowers students to navigate the thicket of choices they will make before, during, outside of, and after college. Rather than focusing on things like rankings and GPAs, she takes a customizable 鈥測ou centered鈥� approach uniquely designed to help each student make the most of their time inside and outside the classroom, regardless of their personal history, socioeconomic background, or the type of college they attend. Gable provides questions and exercises that enable students to identify and capitalize on the critical activities, habits, and attitudes that make college a transformative experience. Along the way, she covers topics such as identifying the best college for you, preparing to matriculate, leaving home and arriving on campus, making friends, orienting oneself, mastering effective academic habits, maximizing social and personal opportunities, developing professional skills and habits, deciding when and how to leave college, and charting a path through today鈥檚 rapidly changing academic landscape.
Blending the latest research with Gable鈥檚 invaluable personal insights as a mentor, teacher, scholar, and parent, The College Handbook is the ultimate guide to college success, putting the goals, strengths, needs, and interests of students at the center of their choices.
Rachel Gable is a higher education scholar and academic administrator with more than two decades of experience at a range of colleges and universities. Currently based at William & Mary, she is the author of The Hidden Curriculum: First Generation Students at Legacy Universities (快色直播).
“The College Handbook is a practical and comprehensive guide about how to navigate the before, during, and after stages of a higher education journey and provides explanations and insights into many opportunities and challenges students may encounter along the way. The book follows the wise themes of encouraging curiosity, help-seeking behaviors, and a mindset of openness to encountering new things.”—Betty Curry, former director for academic support and the Student Success Center at Trinity University
“The College Handbook is like having both a wise and knowledgeable adviser and a kind and supportive family member all rolled into one. Rachel Gable takes a holistic approach to thriving in college, paying significant attention to the often-overlooked ways schools vary in nurturing not just your intellectual exploration but your social and personal well-being, too. A spectacularly insightful, comprehensive, and warm guide to ‘doing college,’ the book is filled with deep insights into setting yourself up for success.”—Jay Phelan, coauthor of The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success
“This veteran administrator’s emphasis on finding the right fit when picking a college is welcome. But Gable’s advice goes much further. She’s a wise guide to everything from navigating roommate drama and talking to professors to exploring careers through internships—all while encouraging students to embrace the unexpected. A great addition to any college-advice bookshelf.”—Ben Wildavsky, former editor of the U.S. News & World Report college guides and author of The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials, and Connections
“The guidance The College Handbook offers is useful and timely. I especially appreciate Gable’s attention to areas that prospective students might not consider: the fullness of the college experience; the importance of serendipity and chance; the importance of seeking help and being challenged; what faculty do and how to engage them; and why spending time away from campus is meaningful and healthy.”—Katherine Stanton, Director of the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning and Senior Associate Dean of the College at 快色直播 University
