My Freshman Year

By Rebekah Nathan

Subjects: Biography & Autobiography, Adult college students, Adult college students--social conditions, Nonfiction, College students--united states--social conditions--21st century, Adult college students--united states--social conditions--21st century, Lb3605 .n34 2005, Education, Education, higher--united states, Education, united states, 378.1/98, Social conditions, Education, higher, College students--social conditions, College students

Description: After fifteen years of teaching anthropology at a large university, Rebekah Nathan had become baffled by her own students. Their strange behavioreating meals at their desks, not completing reading assignments, remaining silent through class discussionsmade her feel as if she were dealing with a completely foreign culture. So Nathan decided to do what anthropologists do when confused by a different culture: Go live with them. She enrolled as a freshman, moved into the dorm, ate in the dining hall, and took a full load of courses. And she came to understand that being a student is a pretty difficult job, too. Her discoveries about contemporary undergraduate culture are surprising and her observations are invaluable, making My Freshman Year essential reading for students, parents, faculty, and anyone interested in educational policy.