U Chic: College Girls’ Real Advice for Your First Year

by Christie Garton

An insider’s guide to what college life is really like—written for girls, by girls

From the expert team of current students and recent grads who are the heart of the U Chic community comes the #1 guide to college exclusively for girls. Completely updated and fully revised, U Chic is the one dorm-room essential that no young woman should leave for college without.

From practical tips for move-in day and acing finals to heartfelt advice on the social and emotional challenges that come with the college experience, this must-have guide will help every young woman be confident and inspired to find herself, be herself, and love her college life.

Genres: Nonfiction, College

432 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not especially helpful. Save your money and get it from the library.

[Catherine Cervone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked this book and was glad I read it, but I would have liked to see a wider variety of schools that the contributing students came from. I also felt like the headers and what was written in the paragraphs attached to the headers didn't really match sometimes, which was strange and frustrating. There was some good advice, and some advice that wasn't really helpful at all, but overall I would recommend this book to any girl going to college. I'm planning on bringing the book with me as a reference in case I need it.

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided more advice on how to survive college years - the entire life experience - than handling actual college itself. It had many articles on love/hook-ups, how to get internships, etc, which were worthwhile, but not what I was looking for in a book that I thought gave advice for the first year of college. I much preferred "The Naked Roommate" (Cohen). That said, I did enjoy and learn from UChic; its definitely worth a 20-minute flip-through, but save your money.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book for like incoming freshmen, but even though I am a Junior I still learned some helpful things.

[Nicole Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on giving advice for girls who are going to start college. I am at my senior year of college and wished I had this book before I even started my freshmen year. It has tips in getting involved in college and extracurricular activities. Also it gives tips on making a study schedule and leaving drinks unattended at a party. This is a great gift to give a girl who is going to start college. I will definitely share this with some of the girls I know who will start school in the fall!

[Lisa DeWaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would have had this book before I started college. It is full of wonderful advice and anecdotes that will help any girl who is about to start college feel a little less scared and a little more prepared.

[Sammi · Rating 2 out of 5]

wasn't that helpful.

[Clare B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book! It really helped me with prepping for college and I am excited to see how I fare in the wild and wacky world of college dorms!

[Lilly Guirguis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christie is a relatable author.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was GREAT! Okay, the cover and the title are AWFUL and a real turn-off, but the book, itself, is wonderful! I think every young woman heading to college (and her parents) would do well to read this book. It covers all kinds of subjects from what to pack for school to how to get along with a roommate, how to be respectful of roommates, how to set-up a dorm room - pluses and minuses of other housing, how to stay safe on and off campus, health vs. not healthy relationships, how to get internships, the importance of planning your study time well and looking out for your friends and tons more. It also goes into the importance of getting good health care - both physical and mental - while at school and how to go about that. It has all the inside scoop on tons of stuff and really encourages young college women to be knowledgeable and responsible - for themselves and for others - it goes into what to do when your friend is barfing from drinking too much or going off with a guy she shouldn't. All the real life situations are covered well and advice is given from other college students so it isn't an adult preaching. Of course, since it is college students tackling each subject, there are times where you might think, well this could have been written in a more refined manner, but that is part of its appeal - it is in the students' language and gives great tips. I am so glad I read this book and will be giving it to every one I know who is sending a daughter to school! One of the other great things about this book is that you can just read which ever chapters you are interested in out of order - each stands alone - but I would encourage the reader to read the whole book! I originally heard about it from a High School Senior who was heading off to college - she thought it was very helpful. I would warn people that if they read the Kindle edition, there is some kind of glitch where there are many parts that are repeated. You might want to just read the paperback. Again, I realize the cover is hideous, but as they say, "don't judge a book by its cover!" If you are looking for a gift for a High School Junior or Senior, this would be a great gift - or for parents of a girl heading to college. It is definitely written for girls, not boys.

[Caroline Yauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

U Chic's College Girl's Guide to Everything is the perfect go-to guide for all of your questions about college, whether you are in college, are nearing your freshman year or are still in high school. As a sophomore in high school, this book provides me with some great background knowledge on the whole college process from a friendly point of view. Think of it as the American Girl for girls ages 16-25! It covers everything a girl would want to know such as how to make the perfect schedule, a solution to sloppy roommates, how to get out of sticky party situations, and so much more. The best part of this book is that can apply to every single girl. It doesn't matter if you are a tennis super star, math whiz or frugal fashionista; The College Girl's Guide to Everything is literally for everyone! Definitely check this book out to make sure you get the best out of your college experience.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! I'm headed off to college this fall, and like everyone else, am nervous. I found this book today and decided to get it. After thumbing through it all night, I do not regret buying this book one bit. It has tons and tons of detailed information on most everything about adjusting to college, from new study habits to new living habits. It focuses on freshman year, understandably, but it also has a section in the back about post-college life, like landing jobs and getting into graduate school. (This is good for me because I will most likely be going to graduate school.) The book is not too preachy, and does not make college sound as scary as some other sources tend to do.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! I found it so helpful and interesting. It would especially be great for someone who has no idea of what to expect in college, but even as a sophomore with an older sister who has graduated, there was information in the book that I hadn't been told before. It definitely gave me some stuff to consider as I'm starting the next school year and helped me develop a better plan. My favorite part was the discussion about majors -- it was really comforting to read about other people's experience with changing their major and finding the right major for them. I would consider this guide a must read for college girls!

[Caroline B · Rating 5 out of 5]

U Chic is definitely the most helpful book for college girls, especially freshmen! I've found myself using this book as a quick reference for how to handle roommate negotiations to ways to stay healthy in college to time management guides. This book is so relatable, it feels like one of my friends giving me advice in written form. This would be a great gift for any college student, and it would also be a great investment for you to have on hand! I can see myself reaching for this book quite often in the future. Highly recommend!

[Katie R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am heading to college this fall... EEK. I can't believe it either. My mom got this for me last year in preparation for the "big transition" dun dun dun... There were some pretty helpful sections that I will definitely keep in mind for next year. Good hints and tips that will help out every new freshman; from books to boys, this book has got it covered.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I get nervous about things, I read. So when I was getting ready for college, I bought quite a few books about the freshman year, what to expect, and moving out. This is a great book and the knowledge given can be used throughout all of the college experience.

[Sasha Zuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a thorough book about the heterosexual girl's experience in college. Brief but to the point. I would have suggested having more references in the index than just telling people to go to the website. Brought up many topics that a every student should know and over all it was an easy read.

[Brynne R · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of the information in this book can be found in other books or blogs -- it doesn't share a lot of new information on college life, and half of what it shares is just common sense. If you read this book, I'd say you'd probably learn the most from chapters 10-12.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers great advice for those who are headed to college, or have been in college for a little time but are still looking for advice.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this as a graduation gift. A fun read with a lot of great info on college, especially what it's like to be in a sorority which I'm thinking about next year.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

review coming soon

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was very good, very insightful, and very interesting. I highly reccommend reading it.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

thanks grandma

[Shireen Khamedoost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Helpful for College Freshman! Read it when I first got here and learned a lot of helpful tips!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

very helpful. answered many of the questions I had as an incoming college freshman

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was ok. Better for freshman just entering college, who will be living on campus.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this edition from a Goodreads giveaway.

I love this book because it covers so many topics. From how sharing space to technology essentials, getting involved and sororities, love life and money matters, and staying healthy physically as well as mentally. A lot is covered in this book. I will definitely be advising my junior senior girls to take a look at it and hopefully read it cover to cover.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Solid and practical advice. Have just passed it on to my rising high school senior daughter.