Patrick Combs Self-Help Guide for Needful College Freshmen

If there is a recipe for self-help books, two of the necessary ingredients are an endorsement from a name self-help or motivation guru/author and trotting out the old Teddy Roosevelt man in the arena mantra. Combs has both Tom Peters kudus on the cover and The Roughrider on page 28. Whats missing is a touch of truth and reality.Nowhere does Mr. Combs describe his own supremacy (perhaps I knew Id never be happy until I got a self-help book published) or many students real world (perhaps a chapter on major(ip)ing in the success of your dysfunctional family, lack of money for traffic fines, broken or stolen personal property, drugged-out roommate and boy/girl friend issues). Instead, Mr. Combs supplies his readers with 154 pages detailing and expanding on a individual maxim figure out what you want to do it life, and do it. major(ip) in Success has whatever major flaws as well up as some great advice. Nonetheless there is a great deal to be gathered from Major in Success, but probab ly not in the vogue Mr. Combs planned. Some great lessons can be learned from understanding not just what is in the book, but what it is that makes the book successful, despite its shortcomings.There are some(prenominal) flaws in Mr. Combs advice. First and foremost, the text is replete with anecdotal evidence and devoid of meaningful, quantifiable facts and statistics, and those used are rather disingenuous. In the chapter Never Mind the Grades he cites a recent study by the College Review Board indicating GPA is below ten other factors considered by employers (47). He uses this fact to buttress his business line to never mind the grades. He fails to mention that in a rattling competitive job market when ALL of the applicants have those first ten factors, it testament likely be factor 11GPAthat makes the difference.The second glaring discrepancy relates not solo to grades but also his contradictory attitude towards the deduction of grades. His theory college is for developin g your talents to learn and do, so that you can learn and do anything you like (20) begs the question then how is that measured? Most people, including employers, will use grades as the yardstick for learning ability. Mr. Combs fails to address the significance of a students focus or major in college.He claims if time spent on extracurricular activities is having a negative impact on your grades, dont panic (50). He advises telling the prospective employer to the effect sure my grades were mediocre, but mixed club memberships and internships were my priority. Ask yourself if you would like to say that on a job interview, or I managed to knock down a 3.7 GPA with a major in math and a minor in history while working 25 hours a week to help pay tuition and come on?Throughout the text Mr. Combs offers a follow your inner voice, go for happiness, not money philosophy. Goals change, life events come unexpected and being prepared to shift gears quick is a key asset. A student may regret having used his college time to develop his knowledge and skills in an area of particular interest only to be caught short later when his interest, income needs, or location changes.The follow your passion regardless of income theory works well for those without monetary needs, retirees, and even second or third career adults capable of turning a hobby into a profitable business. However, the practicality of the theory may come into question years later, when either a more fundamental education (liberal arts) gives flexibility or a mainstream certificate program (nursing, teaching) provides job security.There are no less than three very good reasons to read this book. Mr. Combs has filled the margins with hundreds of hot tips and quotations. Included are a large number of references to other texts and sources. He also provides an excellent chapter entitled Classes outlay Their Weight in Gold, detailing almost a dozen courses with universal value. A concentration on these classes wi ll do wonders for marketplace flexibility. The chapter sincerely Get Into It provides a detailed list of seventeen items designed to turn interest into expertise.There are less obvious lessons to be learned from Major in Success that are arguably just as important as the ideas expressed in the text. Mr. Combs has a Special Thanks page lean probably a hundred or more persons who assisted him. Success is usually a team sport, and the value of associating with mentors and goal-oriented people is invaluable. The book is very well organized the Table of Contents lists three major sections divided into twenty-nine succinct chapters. If there is ever a life lesson to be learned, particularly for a college student, it is the value of organization.Additionally the text is filled with lists. Making lists is essential for planning, organizing, and tracking in college and throughout life, for anyone. Finally, the format of the text is very effective, with graphics, margin notes, and lists in a unique and out of the box manner. Individuality cannot be overemphasized. Today there is no typical college student, and whether the reader is an eighteen-year-old freshman or an older adult returning(a) for a second career they will find something in Major for Success applicable to their specific situation.Works CitedCombs, Patrick. Major in Success. California ten-spot Speed Press, 1998.