Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles: 101 Real College Stories from Real College Students

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Amy Newmark

Chicken Soup for the Campus Chronicles is a book for any current or prospective college student who wants to know what really goes on in the dorms and in the classroom. Great high school graduation gift for kids going away to college, or taking classes in the community.College life can be fun, stressful, exciting, and educational in more ways than one. This is a book for any current or prospective college student who wants to know what really goes on in the dorms and in the classroom. Story topics range from the academic, like studying abroad and picking majors, to partying and life choices. Chicken Soup for the Campus Chronicles is about growing up, making choices, learning lessons, and making the best of your last years as a student.

Genres: Nonfiction

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2009

About the author

Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker and author. He is best known as the co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 124 titles and 100 million copies in print in over 47 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.

Canfield received a BA in Chinese History from Harvard University and a Masters from University of Massachusetts. He has worked as a teacher, a workshop facilitator, and a psychotherapist.

Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. The stated mission of Self Esteem Seminars is to train entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees to achieve their personal and professional goals. The focus of The Foundation for Self Esteem is to train social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals.

In 1990,he shared with author Mark Victor Hansen his idea for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. After three years, the two had compiled sixty-eight stories.

Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN's Talk Back Live, PBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live and the BBC.

Canfield's most recent book, The Success Principles (2005), shares 64 principles that he claims can make people more successful. In 2006, he appeared in the DVD, "The Secret," and shared his insights on the Law of Attraction and tips for achieving success in personal and professional life.

Jack Canfield was born on August 19, 1944, in Fort Worth, TX. He is the son of Elmer and Ellen (a homemaker; maiden name, Taylor). He attended high school at Linsly Military Institute, Wheeling, WV, 1962. He went to college at Harvard University, B.A., 1966; University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.Ed., 1973. Canfield married Judith Ohlbaum in 1971 (divorced, November 1976); he married Georgia Lee Noble on September 9, 1978 (divorced, December 1999); he married Inga Marie Mahoney on July 4, 2001; children: (first marriage) Oran, David, Kyle, Dania; (second marriage) Christopher Noble. He is a Democrat and a Christian, and his hobbies include tennis, travel, skiing, running, billiards, reading, and guitar.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not impressed with this book. Too much emphasis on study abroad and journalism majors. Some essays just seemed to end without much of a conclusion.

[Mikala Barber]

DNF

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just okay. I wouldn't recommend to anyone.
Now Normally I loved their books but not this one.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you're feeling icky, there's nothing better than a bowl of
chicken soup. Unfortunately, as every college student knows, that
stuff doesn't microwave easily, so we have to make do with cheaper or
simpler alternatives - things that won't get slimy or too greasy after
being heated in a microwave. A simple alternative and great gift is
the Chicken Soup books, particularly Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus
Chronicles. The book, like all of the Chicken Soup series, is filled
with personal stories about life.

This book, specifically, is about the many aspects of campus life.
From choosing majors to finding love to studying abroad, it's all
here. Reading such stories is so refreshing for me, knowing that
someone else has been through what I'm going through. College is a
very confusing time and a lot of students these days don't or aren't
encouraged to share their stories. They don't tell what they went
through to change majors or what they want to do with their degrees or
how hard they worked to get this scholarship and that loan, how they
felt upon getting accepted to college. Here, I can finally hear some
of those stories told by the people who lived them.

College can be a scary, confusing place, even as an upperclassman or
grad student. The same questions seem to keep sprouting up. The one
I've heard the most is "what are you going to do after college?"
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles provides several examples
of people answering that question themselves and prove that that
answer can be found anywhere. It also answers other questions like
"where can I go to make friends on campus?" "how would/did study
abroad change my life?" "what did I learn from living in a dorm room?"
"how can I juggle a full class-load and a job and/or a relationship?"
and "how did I get over heartbreak/disaster striking in the middle of
the semester?" The various authors tell their stories well and the
organization of the book make it easy to navigate if you want to read
about a certain subject. All in all, Campus Chronicles gets a 100%

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chicken Soup books are always good for reading at the gym, and even though I'm nearly 10 years out of college, I figured this one would bring back memories, both good and bad, of the 4 years I spent there. As happens often when I reflect on college, especially reading other people's accounts of their experiences, I feel that I definitely made some mistakes but somehow everything worked out in the end. Should have studied more, but at the same time enjoyed more of the social life that college brings. There were stories of students whose academic dreams came true and they found their true passion, whereas I felt I fell short academically and only found my passion by sticking with what I knew I wanted before college (a job at the biggest hospital in my city, and one that didn't deal with gross stuff) and using the degree I got to qualify for my job in the lab associated with our organ transplant program. Others talk of meeting the love of their life or realizing that their boyfriend/girlfriend from home was worth the long-distance relationship, but I'm still looking, having not found anyone at college nor anyone to return to here at home.
At the same time, I read some of the stories and it reminded me how good I had it in college. I went to a state school close to home, so it neither broke the bank for me to attend nor did it sever the close relationships I had with family members, as I could come home for every major and minor holiday. Similarly, I was paired with a great roommate freshman year such that we decided to stay in the same room in the same dorm together all 4 years, and have kept in close contact ever since. No nightmare roommate stories here, but there were quite a few in the book.
Definitely a book worth reading for students in the summer before going to college because if nothing else, it will prove that everyone's college experience is different, with ups to be cherished and worth striving towards, and downs that may require some tough choices but can be overcome with work and dedication.

[Tommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(this book counts as 3)

This book reminds me of a Cheat sheet. It really does, it has about 100 plus stories. I'm not saying this book is preparing me for college but i might be exspecting some things to happen.

My favorite story was talking about your first week of college. talking about move in day how it's the last day with your parents and how everything is a mess. I can't wait until college and move in day. It's funny to say that I'm looking foward to move in day.

I recommend this book to every senior that's going to college. You'll learn something's.

[Kelly Salasin]

Chicken Soup sent me a complimentary case of these books because I was a contributor: http://kellysalasin.com/2009/09/05/1130/
When I give them as gifts to graduates, I tell them to skip my story, "It's too sad."

[Brittany Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you at chicken soup I thought I was the only one who had terrible room mate experiences. I finally found a good one on my second try but my first was dreadful. This book was a huge comfort when she left makeup all over the sink and her empy wrappers on the floor.

[Moraimag · Rating 4 out of 5]

No only because it has my story in it, also because it makes you see that people can overcome a lot of things and enjoy every period of your life...

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't feel like the stories were as thoughtful and meaningful as some of the Chicken Soup books I've read.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to rate an anthology because there will always be some good ones and some bad ones. I'm rating this meh because most of the stories were meh. I haven't read a Chicken Soup book in a while and I hadn't realized they were so... goody-goody. I just couldn't relate. A lot of the stories were "I was happy to go to college until I got there... Then I was elated!" :/