By Dr. Roger McIntire
$11.95

This sensible and readable overview for the college-bound and their anxious parents offers the valuable advice we all could have used in our search for the right college, right major, right living situation. It also provides the guidance needed to make the right decisions and avoid the four big mistakes in habits, housing, health care and management of time and money throughout the college years.

Dr. McIntire, Professor Emeritus, was Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies during his 32 years at the University of Maryland. He directed campus-wide programs to help students succeed and annual summer workshops for anxious parents. Dr. McIntire continues to be an academic advisor and friend to freshmen, returning students, students in times of trouble, and students celebrating success--among them his own three daughters.

Dr. McIntire's style has an attractive and humorous quality punctuated by anecdotes from his years on the college firing line. His chapter for parents shows an unusual sensitivity to the parents' apprehensions at sending their son or daughter off to college.

FROM THE REVIEWERS:

Joy Sherry, columnist, "The Southern Illinoisan," March 29, 1998
"This book is filled with easy-to-read practical tips and it is inviting because it speaks in clear terms to the young reader. It also has sound advice for parents in preparing to send their children to college....College Keys is the most readable book of its kind that I've found in many years."

Professor Donald Pumroy, Director of the School Psychology Program, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, Oct. 1997
> "Practical, user-friendly, inside tips no student should be without."

EXCERPTS

"Your move to college has some danger points. Choices you haven't worried about up to now are suddenly crucial....Bad habits that creep into your routine and poor decisions about housing and health care all can have effects that will last all through college."

"Having that first offer in hand is a great relief. You may feel tempted to call or write immediately and 'get it all nailed down'-- especially if this college is one of your first choices....Take the time your first college has allowed you to keep the options open for a few days."

"You need to be sure some of your freshman program has special interest for you."

"You will see students who are taking care of themselves just fine, and you will see some real failures."

"While you're thinking about college, think about the typical day in the careers you have in mind. It's important to think about not only what you want to be but also of what you want to be doing."

"Your usual caretakers are not around anymore. It's a good time to try being a little different, but it's also a good time to look out for yourself! The most dangerous habits are (1) the substances you take; (2) the routines that wear you down; and (3) a poor diet."

"Students' living conditions, social situations, jobs and commuting times all influenced their spirit for college and their progress in it."

"College is in the business of helping people learn, grow, and change....Students often believe that if only they could get through college, the demands of learning and tests would be over. But after graduation, they learn that new learning tasks are always presenting themselves both on the job and at home....Students with good learning skills will always have an easier and more enjoyable experience with changing job and career requirements."

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Preface: Ready for College?
Part I: Keys to Getting In
1. Collecting Information and Taking the Entrance Tests
2. College Facts: Filling in the Blanks
3. Applications!
4. The Long View of College Majors and Life Careers
Part II: Keys to Doing Well
5. Tips About Courses, Credits and Hours
6. Doing Well is a "SNAP"
7. Remember Good Test-Taking Strategies
Part III: Keys to Avoiding the 4 Big Mistakes
8. The 4 Big Mistakes--In Habits, Housing, Health Care and Time and Money Management 9. The 4 Big Mistakes and Who Graduates, Who Doesn't?
Part IV: What Can An Anxious Parent Do?
10. Helping Your College-Bound Student Take Flight
Appendices:
Resources
Composite Chart of Facts and Answers
Survey of Risk Facts That May Lead to Dropping Out
Index