It’s become quite common for parents, relatives, and friends to gift one of those “survive college” manuals to their recent graduates. These books can be fun and witty but often become obsolete quickly. Instead of giving the recent grad in your life a book that they might flip through once, have you considered getting them a book that they will value their whole life?
Here’s a list of books that are valuable for life and are especially relevant to young adults:
The Defining Decade (Meg Jay, Ph.D.)
An eye-opening exploration of how laissez-faire cultural attitudes toward our 20s and 30s have resulted in huge challenges later in life. Your student does not need to have their life figured out in their 20s–most don’t (and shouldn’t). But, they should be starting to lay the foundation for opportunity and stability in the future.
Atomic Habits (James Clear)
This is one of, if not the best, books on habit formation that we’ve read. The author gives very clear instructions (pun of course intended) on HOW to make habits stick. Good news: it’s not about “drive,” “willpower,” or “motivation.”
Mindset (Carol Dweck)
This book has helped inspire tons of newer books and resources that cover the growth mindset. We often discuss this mindset in schools and businesses as if we practice it fruitfully. However, the majority of people have a fixed mindset, or limiting attitude, about something in their life that is preventing them from growing. This book is especially helpful for the overachieving student or the perfectionist who only focuses on the grade or result instead of the journey and experience of learning itself.
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
The original self-help book. Some of the examples may seem outdated, but the principles and concepts can be universally applied today.
Make Your Bed (Admiral William McRaven)
Born out of his incredible commencement speech at UT-Austin in 2014, Admiral McRaven’s little book might just help your child make major changes.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (Susan Cain)
In more recent years, we have seen an explosion of research on introverts in response to what we’ll call a realization of an extrovert-biased society. In Quiet, Cain is not just interested in dispelling myths and providing introvert validation (though your student may find this tremendously helpful), but she is determined to help all of us understand, connect, and learn from a massively overlooked portion of society.
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Author:
The College Funding Coach Editorial Team
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