Review: Two books to decide if college is the right decision

There are about to be a lot of lasts in your household in the coming months.

The last first day of school. The last homecoming, the last Christmas program or sports event you’ll have to attend. The last spring break, the final prom, and the last day of school, they’ll all be bittersweet, but you’ll manage. As in these new books about college, you’ve got big decisions to make first.

College or not? It’s a big question for every high school senior. And the answer is…

In her new book “Make College Your Superpower” (Rowman & Littlefield, $30.00), author Anna Esaki-Smith says “It’s a great time to be a student” because, though life has been “weird” with the pandemic, shut-downs, and such, “Technology has changed everything.”

Today’s students know a lot about technology, for one thing – possibly more than do their professors, giving students “an edge.”  Facial recognition on a variety of campuses have recently shown more “happy” faces than ever before.

To be one of those satisfied students, she says, don’t go by magazine rankings. Learn the smart ways to apply to the right college for you. Play up what you do best, not what you love most. Take the quizzes and the workbook-like questionnaires in this book and know yourself. Be savvy about finances and the lack thereof.

And get out and meet people! That’s part of what college is for.

Then again, college is not for everyone.

In the new book “Rethinking College” by Karin Klein (Harper Horizon, $29.99), you’ll learn that despite what you’ve been told for most of your high school career, you can thrive and succeed without a four-year degree.

Volunteer work is a valid way to gain experience that could open doors in environmental groups, food pantries, and service groups that offer some paid positions within the organization. An apprenticeship may be a way to learn a trade through on-the-job instruction while also receiving a wage; an internship could accomplish the same. Exploring how one’s talents can be turned into a job is always possible, especially if what you love doing is in high demand. Or you could take your visionary skills and start your own business with surprisingly less money than you may have thought possible.

This is the kind of book you want to give the high schooler who’s not so-called college material, or who chafes against what college has to offer. It also opens a whole world of possibility for anyone who’s older, with high school long behind them.

If these books aren’t exactly what you or your high-school senior needs for the next few months and beyond, then ask your local librarian or bookseller for help. They’ll have books for you on surviving Freshman year, on knowing what to expect at college, on homesickness and missing your teenager, and on how to land a great apprenticeship, non-profit position, or how to start your own business. Your librarian or bookseller will have something for your Year of Lasts, and the first book you’ll want for success.

“Make College Your Superpower” by Anna Esaki-Smith

c.2024, Rowman & Littlefield     $30.00 189 pages

“Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving without a Degree” by Karin Klein

c.2024, Harper Horizon     $29.99 256 pages