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These are my favorite books for high school graduation gifts to help them transition into adulthood, college life, and beginning to stand on their own.
The teacher conferences and the lunch-making are now over.
But now comes the worrying, and the impulse to call your child every 10 minutes. It’s hard to decide what final advice to give children before they leave.
These books for high school graduates make for great parting knowledge to pass on before they go off on their own.
Books for High School Graduates Heading to College
1. The Freshman Survival Guide
While there are many guides for getting into college, there are not many guides for what to do when you’re finally in college. The Freshman Survival Guide tackles the spiritual and emotional struggles of being a college freshman.
This book addresses things like how to fight off procrastination, building meaningful relationships, and even the complex issue of “what now?” The Freshman Survival Guide is a soulful aide to surviving the first weeks of college. Click here to order this book today.
2. 1001 Things Every College Student Needs to Know
So your child has gotten into college, and they’ve survived the first few weeks of college. But where is the guide for making sure they actually graduate? This book of tips and tricks provides pointers for things like staying in school, effectively communicating with professors, and budgeting time.
A nice small book with quick little nuggets of advice, 1001 Things Every College Student Needs to Know is a great gift for any college student. This book is available here on Amazon.
3. The Naked Roommate
Although college academics are challenging, it is easy to forget the challenge of just living at college. The Naked Roommate is a down-to-earth, humorous book discussing the unexpected choices of college life.
From picking a major to sex and drugs, to dealing with the titular naked roommate, this book is a conversational resource for all things college. This is one of my favorite books for high school graduates.
Books to Help High School Grads Figure Out What to Do with Life
4. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Considered a cornerstone classic by The New York Times, Barack Obama, and Spike Lee, The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a story of transformation and realization. This memoir tells an honestly blunt story of a man and his journey through life.
From boy surrounded by hate and petty crime, all the way through his transformation into a new man, this profound and compelling tale is a story of social awareness and personal change. Pick up a copy of this great book here.
5. Roadmap
Roadmap is a book that helps answer the age-old question “what do I want to do with my life?” With real-life stories and full-color graphics, this book offers an interactive and engaging experience.
Questions like “how to get a job I will love” and “what do I want with my career” are all discussed throughout the book. Roadmap provides a truly reflective and creative approach to helping your child get their dream job.
Other Helpful and Fun Books for High School Grads
6. Adulting
Your child is now an adult. But what if they don’t “feel” like an adult? They can ace tests, but what if they’ve never had to shop for toilet paper, or cook a meal? Adulting is a concisely written book, with lots of common sense and everyday living advice.
When grocery shopping, should the milk take priority over the bread? How do you clean a toilet? Adulting provides all these tips and more in a humorous and understandable way.
7. How to Cook Everything
This Amazon Top Seller is a must for aspiring home cooks. Covering over 1,000 pages of recipes, How to Cook Everything provides simple and easy instructions for meals of all nationalities including German, Italian, Chinese, and Thai (just to name a few.)
There are even entire sections for vegetarian meals. How to Cook Everything is a gift that will provide years of simple and easy recipes.
8. Oh the Places You’ll Go
Oh the Places You’ll Go is a timeless book about the challenges of life in general. Things in life may go great until they don’t. You’ll know what to do until you don’t.
Oh the Places You’ll Go provides sagely and profound advice about the confusion, doubt, joys and freedom that come with any new chapter in life. It is one of the best books for high school grads.
9. The Young Entrepreneurs Guide to Starting and Running a Business
This book is a wonderful starting point for taking a hobby and figuring out how to make a living from it. This book can help your child figure out what makes a good idea, and how to turn that idea into a business.
From marketing and financing to connecting with customers and expanding, this simple and easy-to-read guide is perfect for any young aspiring CEO.
10. How We Learn
Whether they learn to plunge that toilet, pass that exam, or learn to forgive themselves when they bomb that job interview, learning is important when going off on your own.
How We Learn provides great insights into how our brains retain information. Things like timing, mood, and sleep are all covered. Backed up by research and real life studies, this book is a sharp guide to help your child become the best learner they can be. Order this book here.
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