Book Review: College Fast Track - Essential Habits For Less Stress and More Success in College.

From time to time I get the opportunity to share a book review from authors who have sent me books or books I have found interesting.  One author named Derrick Hibbard, who wrote one of my favorite books of 2010 This Side of Eden, has also written a series of non-fiction books to help college student survive.  The first book is called, College Fast Track: Essential Habits for Less Stress and More Success in College.  I know a lot of people are headed back to school and are looking to make more money so grabbing this book for Christmas may be the perfect gift for that future college student.

College Fast Track is a quick "how to" manual that affectively hits the key areas of college academic life.  Everything from setting goals to effective reading and even taking exams.  Since I was a career college student and took what seemed forever to graduate, I appreciated the simple way Derrick approaches the subject matter.  At no point did I feel I was reading a text book or a complicated "how to" manual.  Instead it was fun and light hearted and kept me interested in the next chapter.  Even though I have graduated I found myself reading and wishing I had applied some of his ideas early on.

One chapter in particular stood out to me was about note taking.  I used to write notes for hours and hours when I was in college.  At some point I gave up and just tried to do quicker outlines for my notes and I found my comprehension level increased.  When Derrick mentions this same technique I felt validated in my skills.  I wish had known this for my first couple of years of college and could have saved a ton of time in studying.  All the more reason why this is a must have for any college student.  Filled with a number of examples, ideas, and concepts that is surely to get the college student thinking on how they can improve and even get the future student excited to attend school.  Developing these habits, as Derrick puts it, "...is doing things without thinking..." and will enhance the students ability to quickly make smart decisions in their college career.

Students will find this easy to read and may even use it as a reference guide as they are getting overwhelmed in school.  As the student prepares for a test they may want to reference the section on exam rituals and how it can stimulate the mind by listening to the same music or eating the same things they did while studying.  College Fast track will improve the average college students chances at success and prepare them for a rewarding career.

Well worth the this quick read!  He has a number of other books including the Fast Track book on Law School as well.