Practice for Life

This book...reminds us that a substantial amount of the learning that takes place--perhaps the majority of it--occurs outside of the college classroom. The arguments in this book will remain with me in the coming years in my role as a faculty adviser, or when I am meeting with students in my office hours, or even when I am considering how to invite students to connect more deeply with my courses.-- (08/15/2016) I read this book first as a college president and then as a parent. In both respects, I found my views challenged as the authors opened up new avenues for thinking about and understanding how students experience college. By focusing on the daily decisions students make, the authors explore the ways college is practice for life and the strategies colleges (and parents) can use to deepen the learning that takes place across campus.--Adam Weinberg, President, Denison University At a time when the value of college is a major subject of debate, this book answers the question: what do students really learn in college? The authors convincingly demonstrate that liberal education provides the critical framework needed for students to develop the ability to understand choices and make life-changing decisions. The depth of research reflected in this book, involving hundreds of students interviewed over the course of four years of college, makes it a unique resource for college and university administrators, professors, and students and families who seek to understand the nature of the college experience.--Alison Byerly, President, Lafayette College Unlike many books on higher education, Practice for Life doesn't rely on the usual ways of categorizing the undergraduate experience. The authors examine the most normal--even obvious--features of college life in new and insightful ways, showing how what students actually do in college can be profoundly important to how they live the rest of their lives. A satisfying read.--Daniel Chambliss, coauthor of How College Works [Practice for Life] has been invaluable as a way of thinking about helping my students adjust to college...For those interested in advising students, the vignettes collected here provide much food for thought.--Jason B. Jones Chronicle of Higher Education (09/08/2016)