…A Parents Guide to the Very Best College Experience (for you and your child!)

by Harlan Cohen, a bestselling author (The Naked Roommate), nationally syndicated advice columnist and professional speaker who has visited over 300 college campuses.

This is an advance review of Harlan’s new book scheduled to come out in May 2010.

I just finished reading an advance copy of The Happiest Kid on Campus: A Parent’s Guide to the Very Best College Experience (for you and your child!). It was like taking a trip down memory lane with both my kids and their college experiences. If only this book had been written eight years ago when I sent my daughter off to college, I might have avoided many sleepless nights, worried moments, and confusing dilemmas during those tumultuous four years. My favorite quote from the book: “Life (and college) is 90 percent amazing and 10 percent difficult.” It’s the 10 percent difficult that Harlan Cohen addresses in his book. And it’s that 10 percent difficult that ALL parents need to be prepared to deal with.

This book answers those nagging parental questions:

• Will my child be safe?
• How much should I be involved and where should I draw the line?
• How do I help my child adapt to living away from home and getting along with others?
• Is it OK to ask questions?
• How much contact from home  is too much and how do I set boundaries?
• What do I do when they call home with a crisis?
• How do I talk to my child about sex, drugs, alcohol, academics, Greek life, roommates and getting involved?

Harlan uses tips and stories from students and parents to show us real-life college experiences. While doing that, he covers all the topics from the summer before college, to moving day, to the first few months, to parents weekends. He discusses controversial topics like drinking, sex, eating disorders, and even campus safety, offering parents direction and advice on how to discuss and handle them if and when they arise. He gets you up to speed on texting, Facebook and Twitter and discusses how to use them to stay informed and involved in your college student’s life without being intrusive.

On a personal note, while I was reading this book I was transported back to the early days of college when my daughter and I experienced so many of the college dilemmas Harlan discussed: overpacking for freshman year; dealing with a disagreeable and annoying roommate; living with her friends and regretting it; hazing during sorority rush; the freshman 15; struggling with certain classes and surviving; wanting to transfer because of a boyfriend; getting involved and finding her place. He addresses EVERY college dilemma with advice from his own experiences, other parents, students and college professionals.

If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, you should pick up a copy of this book BEFORE your teen heads off to college. It will prepare you for their years in college and give you that peace of mind knowing that everything you are faced with is all part of the college experience. You’ll worry less, sleep more, and ensure that you and your child have an amazing college experience.