Once they've handed you the diploma and cashed that last tuition check, it's official: you're out of school and on your own. Now what? First of all, don't panic. If you haven't a clue as to what you are going to do with the rest of your life, check out the valuable information in here. The Everything After College Book is a down and dirty introduction to the real world and just happens to contain everything you need to get your act together, including how to:

Jump-start your love life
Make new friends
Move into the real world
Play the official political game
Deal with your family
Find a great apartment
Cook for one
Land the right job
Handle your finances

So if you've found yourself reluctantly packing your bags .....for home (!), or are twisted with grief over whether or not to dump your college beau, or if you can't imagine moving into the Big City after life in the cozy confines of the university, this is one Everything book you can't afford to miss!

Average Customer Review: ( 14 customer reviews )
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Congratulations on your impending or recent college graduation. I'm sure this is a very exciting and scary time for you. The decisions you make now will determine whether or not you get the experience and knowledge that you will need to build a beautiful life. If you start by knowing what you want, you'll do a lot better. I'm on your side and hope that you do get everything from life that you would like.

As time passes, you will come to realize that helping others selflessly is one of the most rewarding part of life. I suggest that thinking about what you would like to give of yourself should be one of your life goals that you establish now.

I recommend you avoid this book. Let me explain why.

This book manages to focus on almost every question that will come up near college graduation time in a short and superficial way. The book assumes that the reader has never considered anything other than where to get the next date or the next beer prior to graduation day.

The book always takes the easy way out, if it is available. For example, the section on Living at Home after college talks about volunteering for the easiest, fastest-to-be-done chores (taking out the trash ranks first) so you can continue to take advantage of dear old Mom and Dad. On the question of where to go for graduate school, "It's as easy as one, two, three." " . . . [Making the decision] shouldn't take more time than figuring out which was your favorite subject in college." "[Just apply} . . . to the appropriate school."

To show the high analytical rigor of this book, consider the preface. "College graduation is like getting on an elevator without any knowledge of which button does what." Now, if you have that little idea of what might come next, one would think you would like a little helpful advice. What does the book propose? "Cultivating the ability and desire to learn from your past mistakes will ensure future triumphs." So essentially the idea here is to help you make lots of mistakes quickly and learn from them? Hmmm.

The first four chapters focus on issues like how to keep a relationship with your old college steady after one of you moves way, moving back into your parents' house, getting a place to live on your own, or starting to date people who aren't in college. In evaluating each of these areas, the primary perspective is how to get the most out of your social relations.

By chapter five, the idea of a job appears. "Getting the Job You So Desperately Need" is the name of the chapter. Clearly, this is just a stop gap between social engagements. The focus is primarily on applying and getting the job rather than fitting into your life goals. Then once you've got the job, chapter 6 gives you ideas for not abusing the job so much that you get fired. And it encourages you to look to the next pasture. "If you're less than content . . . , there's simply no reason to turn down another offer." It's like dating, in that way.

Before you're done you'll also get a little financial advice, such as avoiding borrowing money on credit cards and how your employer's pension fund contribution plans work.

My advice is to those who want to have a happy life: Don't look at this book. It will just send you off in the wrong direction.

Take the time instead to think about what you would like to accomplish, what your priorities are, and what it takes to make you happy. Write your goals down, and review them every so often to check for whether or not you are on the right track.

God bless you and good luck with achieving your goals!

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Go out and get it!Oct 10, 1998

I loved this book! Even though I've been out of college for about four years now, this book really helped me cope with some issue I'm still facing today.It's a must read for anyone under 30.

10 of 12 found the following review helpful:

ThoughtlessMay 04, 2003
By Christopher Nucci
If Earth wasn't your birthplace, then the chances of you getting something out of this book just crept up to slim. The narrow-minded advice presented in this guide is nothing spectacular and will probably insult your intelligence.

7 of 8 found the following review helpful:

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOKMar 05, 2003
By Competent Reviewer
I'd give this book zero stars, but the minimum rating is 1. It's a wonder that the authors were even able to publish it!! My kid sister could write a better, more insightful book than this!

Trust me, the advice contained in this book is [bad]. It's incredibly superficial--not thought out at all. Any reasonably intelligent person would be repulsed by the material and the way it's presented...

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

A must-read for college grads and soon-to-be college grads!Sep 27, 1998

It's about time that someone recognized that graduation isn't always one big party. This book presents real solutions to after college problems in a funny and interesting manner. I recommend this book for all recent college grads.

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