‘You Got In! Now What?’ Is An Essential Guide For New College Students From Stanford’s Jay Hamilton

Soon-to-be high school grads getting ready to head to college may be wondering what’s in store for them, or how they’ll manage, and a new book from Jay Hamilton, Stanford University’s Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, aims to help.

“You Got In! Now What?: 100 Insights into Finding Your Best Life in College” is a comprehensive guide for students transitioning into college life, offering 100 lessons to help shape their college experience and prepare for life afterward.

Hamilton, who has spent decades teaching and mentoring undergraduates at prestigious institutions like Harvard, Duke, and Stanford, aims to address the challenges students face once they secure a spot in college. His book provides insights on finding purpose, managing time, maintaining relationships, and choosing classes, majors, and careers.

The book also highlights the common pitfalls students encounter, such as avoiding challenging experiences or striving for perfection at the expense of personal well-being. Hamilton helps students navigate these challenges by providing essays based on research and reflections from students, alumni, and professors.

“People who obsess about getting into college can forget that another, more important challenge comes after: actually getting the good of your education, allowing it to create the maximum enlargement of your powers,” said Richard Brodhead, President Emeritus of Duke University. “Funny, practical, wise, and rife with life-lessons from successful contemporaries, Jay Hamiltons book meets this need head-on. This is an essential companion for anyone asking, Im in. Now what? — and maybe even more, for parents wondering how to truly help.”

Hamilton’s extensive experience in education, including his role in implementing Stanford’s Civic, Liberal, and Global Education requirement, informs his approach to guiding students, and he’s also the author of three award-winning books on media research.

“Toss out all those college success volumes that tell you to take good notes, go to professors office hours, and learn time management skills. Hamilton offers students far deeper and more enduring lessons about how to make the most of your college education,” said Louis E. Newman, former Dean of Academic Advising and Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Stanford University and author of “Thinking Critically in College: The Essential Handbook for Student Success.” “Read it before you begin college and return to it repeatedly. You wont find a better guide to navigating college.”