You've had a lot of "firsts" lately--first move on your own, first time in communal housing, first time in a communal shower (yikes!), etc. You've made it this far. You're unpacked and settled in. Now what? How do you deal with the roommate? How do you cope with the crowds? How do you make friends? Here are some tips from Harlan Cohen to help you adjust to your new social network.

Harlan Cohen, syndicated advice columnust (Help Me, Harlan! distributed by King features Syndicate) and author of The Naked Roommate, has pulled together tips on 107+ issues related to college and college life that you just might find helpful. "Most of college is great!" writes Cohen. But, not a lot of college is easy; and it really helps to know a little bit about a lot of things from day one.

In Naked Roommate, Cohen has coalesced ten years of experience providing advice to college students and their parents into one concise and humorous volume. He covers topics ranging from:

• life on campus,
• dealing with roommates,
• handling boyfriends/girlfriends(yours and your roommates),
• managing your classes,
• financial aid, credit cards and employment (money),
• greek life, and the
• college party scene.

If your parents and friends didn't tell you a lot about college before you left, you'll want to take a look at Naked Roommate. It's a very small book loaded up with truly helpful advice. And, writes Cohen, "at the very least, it can be used as a doorstop, a coaster, or a way to level out a shaky table."

If you're interested in some unbiased advice flavored with a good bit of humor, you can find a copy of Harlan Cohen's The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College (2005) for about $14.95 US at your local bookstore or through online booksellers. (Sourcebooks, Inc.: Naperville, Il.)

Happy reading!

Lynn Byrne

Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:

• College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
  
• Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
  
• The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.