Chapter 17 - The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College

This is a busy travel year for us as we have two granddaughters graduating high school. Abigail lives in Florida and will graduate in May and McKenna lives in New Hampshire and graduates in June. We plan on attending both ceremonies and are looking forward to celebrating the accomplishments of both young ladies. Both will be attending colleges in the fall - Abigail to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and McKenna to Syracuse University in New York. It is amazing to us to see how these two women have grown over the years considering we remember holding them when they were both newborn!

I started to look for the perfect gifts to give them for this momentous event. Yes, not as momentous as graduation from university but still, a milestone for them. We have found some small gifts which will mean something to each of them and we plan on writing checks to help out with textbooks or even new school clothes but I was on the hunt for something more. That's when I started to dig into possible books to buy that might help them in some way. These are a few I came up with.

The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlan Cohen - Cohen wrote this book as a tribute to all the things he wished he knew before he went to college. It is packed with advice such as navigating dormitory/quad bathrooms to dealing with social pressures and stress. His goal is to have the student excited and thriving in their new independence and his writing is funny and relatable.

Make Your Bed: The Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven - I am a strong advocate of the sentiment to always make your bed and this book is derived from McRaven's commencement speech to graduates at the University of Texas. He recounts example from his own life and from the lives of others to illustrate 10 points from his speech. Actually this book would be terrific reading for anyone you know.

Do Your Laundry or You Will Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give If She Thought You Were Listening by Becky Blades - This little book of great advice was written by a mom for her college bound daughter. There is some common wisdom like - "Do laundry before you run out of underwear." but also some deeper thoughts such as "When someone asks for help, always give her something." As a parent it is hard to fill your child up with all the things they should know before starting out on their own, this book might help.

Your Turn: How To Be An Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims - Written by the a former freshman dean of Stanford and with two children of her own, Lythcott-Haims gives practical advice to young people on how to grow into adults. Not only does she share personal insight but also gives practical strategies as young people transition from childhood into adulthood.

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse: Inspiring Conversations on Hope, Love, and Personal Growth by Charlie Mackesy - I love this book because (like AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh) it is full of wise words and good advice. The book is allegorical in that the animals represent people we meet or situations we could become involved in and even if your grad doesn't get it now, she will eventually.

So, in the end I'll get two different books I think because, after all, we have two very different women moving forward to find their place in the world.

Do you have any suggestions for good books for high school grads? Please share!