How to Succeed in College and Beyond: The Art of Learning

How to Succeed in College and Beyond is a valuable guide to the undergraduate experience that helps students balance the joy of learning with the necessity of career preparation.

Why study the arts and humanities today, in a world that tends to place a greater value on more vocationally–focused majors? This insightful guide, written by an educator and mentor with almost 50 years of experience in the classroom, gives an impassioned argument for the importance and relevance of an arts and humanities education., but does not neglect the students who choose other fields, including STEM.

The book features a wealth of advice for getting the most from an arts and humanities education – but also other fields – from high school preparation, applying and getting accepted, and financial aid, to specific advice for each undergraduate year. It helps students navigate key issues, such as time management, course selection, extra–curricular activities, study abroad programs, junior year abroad, independent study and honors work, getting excellent professor recommendations, career searches, and job interviews, in order to maximize their potential. Throughout, Schwarz emphasizes the benefits of the arts and humanities and the importance of learning how to write effectively, speak articulately, and think critically skills that allow students to succeed no matter their career choice. Packed with information that is as helpful to school and college students as it is to their parents, teachers, and advisors, this  guide is a indispensible resource for  prospective and present undergraduates, no matter what their field,  and their parents.

Daniel R. Schwarz is Frederic J. Whiton Professor of English Literature and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell University. He is a highly–regarded, author, a master teacher, an influential literary critic, and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post on Higher Education. His recent books include Reading the European Novel to 1900 (2014), Crises and Turmoil at the New York Times, 1999–2009 (2012, 2014), and In Defense of Reading: Teaching Literature in the Twenty–First Century (2008), both published by Wiley Blackwell.