Have You Seen The Naked Roomate?

I have a confession. This summer I bought my niece a used book for her birthday. Well, it wasn’t used when I bought it, but on the way to the wrapping paper something happened. I opened it up, took a detour to the closest comfy chair, tried not to crack the spine and read from beginning to end.


The book is The Naked Roommate and 107 Other Issues You Might Run into in College. It’s the #1 college student handbook and is required reading and a leadership training tool at campuses around the country. I read one review that said “I just know it wouldn't have taken me 20 years to get my Bachelor's degree had I been given this book when I was 18. This is a must-read for anyone headed for college—and wanting to succeed.” Can you think of a more effective sales pitch?

Cohen addresses issues inside and outside the classroom including: finding friends, encountering unimagined diversity, getting to know your professors and effectively utilizing campus resources. The topics are serious but Cohen engages students with hilarity on every page. There’s humor in the chapter titles too. My favorite is “Residence Halls: Living, Eating and Bathing with Hundreds of Strangers”.

I love how Cohen reassures students throughout the book that college life can be a rewarding and life-changing time, but also that it’s different from anything they have ever experienced. He reminds readers that the social, academic and emotional issues are challenging, but are a NORMAL part of college life and can be overcome when students have the right tools. These might include hard work, mentoring, campus student services, the support of friends and family and, of course, insights from The Naked Roommate.

The gems of this book are the tips that Cohen has collected from students during thousands of interviews at colleges large and small. Readers get real-life examples of how their peers have handled many of the awkward, confusing and emotionally trying situations that are an ordinary part of college life.

Help Me Harlan is the student advice column that complements the book. Here Cohen, who proclaims himself “like Dear Abby, but younger, hairier and a man,” dishes out fresh advice several times each week in response to students’ questions and concerns.

Cohen has not forgotten us, the parents. We get our very own resources. Check out his book for parents, The Happiest Kid on Campus and be sure to bookmark the accompanying on-line forum. Let me know what you like best about Harlan’s network of student and parent support. With his series of books and related websites, Cohen has our students’ backs and ours too.