Generation Z Goes to College

by Corey Seemiller, Meghan Grace

Say Hello to Your Incoming Class—They're Not Millennials Anymore Generation Z is rapidly replacing Millennials on college campuses. Those born from 1995 through 2010 have different motivations, learning styles, characteristics, skill sets, and social concerns than previous generations. Unlike Millennials, Generation Z students grew up in a recession and are under no illusions about their prospects for employment after college. While skeptical about the cost and value of higher education, they are also entrepreneurial, innovative, and independent learners concerned with effecting social change. Understanding Generation Z's mindset and goals is paramount to supporting, developing, and educating them through higher education. Generation Z Goes to College showcases findings from an in-depth study of over 1,100 Generation Z college students from 15 vastly different U.S. higher education institutions as well as additional studies from youth, market, and education research related to this generation. Authors Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace provide interpretations, implications, and recommendations for program, process, and curriculum changes that will maximize the educational impact on Generation Z students. Generation Z Goes to College is the first book on how this up-and-coming generation will change higher education.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Academic, Teaching, Grad School, Psychology, Professional Development

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2016

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you've never heard of the Internet, Uber, Kickstarter, online education, No Child Left Behind, and the like, there's a lot to learn in this book. So very much of it is a very brief overview of everything that's happened in the last 10 years, including Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth (Oh, had you already heard of that? Honestly.) Written almost entirely in two-paragraph sections that have almost no relationship to one another and based on "research" consisting of surveying some Gen Z students and sharing their self-reported values and thoughts as straight-up facts rather than as their impressions (e.g. "I'm more responsible than my peers." and "My generation cares more about X than other generations.") and without exploring any other kinds of data to support or complicate those impressions, this book feels extremely juvenile. It's also in a hilariously large font. I read it for a book discussion group at my university, but I can't go back to that group because I hated this book so.very.much. It's got an interesting title, but ultimately, if you've not been hiding under a rock, it's not helpful. The only things I actually learned were that Gen Z is more financially conservative than Millennials (which isn't surprising, but I hadn't thought about it) and that 41% of Gen Z students surveyed report going to religious services regularly--that statistic is quoted a LOT in the book. That's it. So now that you have that information, you don't need to read the book, which would be a waste of your time. Also, for the English teachers out there, this book concludes with one of your all-time favorite bad thesis statements: "Generation Z students are in many ways like every other generation before and yet vastly different at the same time." Whoa, they're different but the same! Same, but different. How this got published is beyond me. I'm also kind of sad this book completes my reading challenge for the year. On to a better book, stat.

[Alexa Trumpy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might be the most poorly written book I have ever read. An average first year Soc 100 student could do a better analysis.

[Christina M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative on how to best reach, interact, and serve Generation Z as they start going to college and into the workforce.

This books shows several insights on how Generation Z reacts and responds to the world around them based on life-altering events in their youth, and today.

[Corey Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this as a personal read for work since it has been on my shelf for a year. And it applies pretty directly to working with College Students!!!

To be honest, this book did not feel like the best resource. I wanted it to be better, but the actual research felt quite limited in scope. Only captured the experience of 1,143 students, only half of which completed the survey in its totality. For a generation that is estimated to be about 69.31 million individuals, this sample size feels quite limited.

Also, this study used 1995 as the beginning of Gen Z's population, which has been almost universally altered to 1997, with the stipulation generation of "Zillenial" where Millenials and Gen Z crossover. Just felt like this work was published at a time in which Gen Z was still being defined, and therefore left its observations lacking for me.

I think the book is important, but I think needs a hefty overhaul, with a wider research base, as well as more transparency on the type of questions asked. A lot of the claims made felt quite different than what I have come to observe and understand the makeup of Gen Z to look and act like.

The most helpful chapter was the final chapter regarding tactics on how to engage with Gen Z proactively and intentionally. But the options laid out did not seem anything different than what I have already been doing/heard of from others. Granted this book was written in 2015, so the ideas they present may have been revolutionary at the time, but 10 years later, seem like old news.

[Ginny · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are entirely and completely out of touch with today's young people, then you would probably learn a lot from this book. If you have even the most miniscule amount of knowledge about their lives, then there are a lot better written and better researched books out there for you. As someone who works in and researchers higher education, the analysis of survey data and the level of research in this book is poor. The analysis is surface-level, at best. Very few, if any, of the references are peer reviewed sources. I will say that chapters 9 and 10 are particularly helpful advice for people who teach and work in higher education and are struggling to find tangible action steps for engaging students. I, for one, learned relatively nothing from this book. There are much better books out there about higher education and Gen Z.

[McKenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generation Z Goes to College describes the generation after the Millennials, the digital natives who are graduating from high school now and will hit the higher education and professional world just as it finally adjusts to Millennials. While this is an important topic and one that should be discussed in higher education, unfortunately I get the sense that Seemiller and Grace were so anxious to publish a book on this topic that they prematurely published one that ultimately does not have much depth to contribute to the conversation, as they use their somewhat limited research to make broad generalizations that may be flawed.

I had many issues with logical fallacies, editing, and the research underlying this book. Discounting the numerous typos I saw, arguments such as this are problematic: "Millennials have been branded the Me Generation, as evidence (sic) by Time magazine's cover story on that generation in 2013. But our study indicates that 85 percent of Generation Z studies describe themselves as loyal."

Comparing how others perceive the Millennials to how Generation Z perceives themselves is an inherently flawed argument and one which should not be used to argue about Generation Z that "given their sense of loyalty, it is likely that they will change jobs less frequently than Millennials do." Similarly, 20% of the survey's population was drawn from Oklahoma State University, which I know from experience has a student population that is more religious than many places in the country. It is therefore problematic to conclude that all Generation Z students are more religious than other generations, without conducting research with a more representative population.

Generation Z Goes to College is just the beginning of what will likely be a pervasive conversation about the next generation; unfortunately I believe this particular research would have been better presented as a journal article with disclaimers that their research is predictive and that trends will become clearer over time as more research is completed. For anyone looking to consider how to approach this new group of students, I recommend looking for other sources, or reading this book with a large amount of skepticism.

[Will · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s like reading an Undergraduate research paper thrown together the night before it was due. It is fluff, terrible survey data, and embarrassing bibliographies.

All the survey data is taken from colleges from select states. Of 12-14 colleges surveyed, 3 were in California, 3 were in Illinois, and 2 were from North Carolina. Surely, the data isn’t skewed? Additionally, they are small representations of Gen Z students at the schools.

The bibliographies could be a fourth of the size. Ironically, most of the sources are Google searches. And, no joke, most are Facebook’s about page, Twitter’s about page, YouTube’s about page, and similar. Almost all the sources are from 2010 and above (this was published in 2015!) Yes, there even are Wikipedia citations.

It is not helpful to learning about Generation Z. It is a review of popular events from the past 10-15 years with inferences that have no direct correlation with the “data” presented.

[David Ernst · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with some of the other reviews that this book, while very interesting, comes off a bit light. I came in very interested to learn about this new generation coming to campus, but left with not much clarity. It sounds like a research paper that was a good start, but i am interested for deeper and more meaningful conclusions to come about.

Thank you to the authors though for starting this conversation and really being the first to address this new population

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some interesting insights here, but the whole "Gen Z isn't engaged in public protests!" thing feels very stale post-2016. Also, some of the conclusions here are iffy at best. Just because a high percentage of Gen Z regularly attends religious services doesn't necessarily mean they're religious...it means most are still teenagers who may have no choice but to attend services.

[Marty Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative read on Generation Z. Typically, I don't find myself drawn to discussions of generational designations, but with my vocational role I try to balance that with at least being aware of the larger discussions that are taking place surrounding the current generation of college students.

I found this read to be incredibly encouraging and surprising useful. Not only did the book do a great job explaining the differences between the generations, but it also explained WHY the differences exist and what happens when certain characteristics 'parent' others in their particular contexts.

One of the most refreshing points of this read was that it was largely void of criticism for the new generation (always an easy stone to throw with every generation) and was instead full of well reasoned hope for what they bring to the table and why it will be different than any other generation,e even millenials.

The book ended with helpful tools of how to effectively work with, teach, and lead this generation. A great read that I would recommend!

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay, especially the last chapter, that provides some concrete ways to engage Gen Z students in the higher ed enterprise. Having been written pre-COVID era, the book understandably lacks key elements that affect the learning challenges facing Gen Z students who completed high school and then began college mostly online--now known as Gen P. Another quibble I have with the co-authors is the Gen Z start date of 1995. My youngest was born in that year, and, raised with 2 Millennial older brothers and having begun school a bit younger than many of her peers, she sees herself as a Millennial. In my own experience, as an academic advisor, I recall the jarring realization, two years after my daughter began college, that the first-year students on the other side of my desk were definitely not Millennials anymore. Granted, pinning down a generation is not an exact science, and a two-year transition is to be expected. I do wonder how these authors might revise their premises on the makeup of Gen Z, given the past three years!

[Laurelin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man, it was fun to deconstruct Generation Z Goes to College with my higher ed colleagues (we have an office book club), but I really can't recommend it to anyone. The first half a dozen chapters can best be described as shaky (though built upon questionable sources is more accurate), and I was completely unconvinced of the quality of the actual empirical research that informed the book's many arguments. Also, having been written in 2015, much of the content is already out of date since technology, social media platforms, and world events have caused many of the book's premises to shift.

I will say, the last two chapters were full of good, actionable suggestions, and for those final chapters alone, the book is almost worth a read. Plus, it was genuinely fun to talk about the book's strengths and shortcomings with my coworkers and find ways that the concepts were actually relevant our programs in a university setting.

[Lacey Huber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like there are some stats that are super important and interesting in this book. On the other hand they base most of the book on the older side of gen z and the 2014 era of college students. Which means that a lot of the predictions and assumptions they make are not even coming true, therefore I am struggling to read and even like the book. A lot has also happened since the book was originally made. Covid, TikTok, Social and Economic Change that almost no one could foresee. They make claims in the beginning about how Gen Z will have great work ethic based on blank, blank, and blank. I'm sorry, I'm Gen Z and even I will say our generation has terrible work ethic. The older side 95-2000 may have decent - great, but 2000-2010? Sorry but no. lol I don't blame the authors, I think for the time they wrote this book it was probably great and gave hope for a lot of people, but reading it now it is clearly needing an update or a complete rewrite.

[Arianna Pattullo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give this a half a star and not a full one. It's a terribly inaccurate representation of the whole of genZ. While doing an overly thorough description of the positives of genZ, the author fails to address some of the biggest obstacles we who are working with these incoming college students are facing: the mental health epidemic, entitlement, social anxiety, etc. Of course there are wonderful things about genZ; however, to accurately paint a pro/con list of previous generations and then only focus on the pros of genZ...such a waste of time. Not to mention, it does a great disservice to GenZ to negate discussion of their struggles and only focus on the positives as it takes away the opportunity for professionals to help them.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the presentation of data and the analysis of the results. The prescriptions at the end are a bold attempt to define the space for Gen Z. Some of them are not supported by the data; others, generic; the remainder are great ideas that every college should be doing - but how does a college do them all?

I applaud the authors' effort. This is an important book to read - it is well-researched and written in a way to engage a broad audience. I would say it is a must-read, with a critical eye involved. Worth the time and an important contribution to a broad set of data now being surfaced about higher education in these times.

[Christina Brandsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very helpful in understanding how Generation Z approaches various topics and how higher education professionals can best engage this generation in college. I found the information broadly fascinating. All of the sections feel relevant for higher education professionals and each section is very nicely organized topically. The research is strong and the conclusions and commentary are helpful. If you work with Generation Z (which everyone will soon enough), this is a good book to read or browse.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this book was fine. The sections about social media were the most valuable to me, as I currently struggle with how to best reach my students who do not have Facebook (which is something that still boggles my mind). However, I felt a lot of the information was, "Yes this applies to some of Gen Z, but not all." That is realistically the case with every generation, but this book seemed filled with those types of statements. It was fine, it wasn't great.

[Jennifer Fatula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high hopes/expectations for this book. If you teach in higher education and interact with your students at all you already know most of what is in this book. If you are going into higher education and have not yet interacted with generation z then I could see how this book would be enlightening. I did get a few useful tidbits and there are plenty of references should anyone want to further explore any claims made.

[Kate England · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for class, but tbh I actually enjoyed it! It talks about who Generation Z is and how this population is different from other generations in the way they think, how they grew up, their beliefs, their values, and their needs. Overall, I don’t think I learned all that much but it could be very helpful for someone working in higher education who is from an older generation. 3/5

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to help assist with the research for my Masters Thesis. While this was insightful, I thought that the characteristics that the generation displays is HIGHLY subjective, as the characteristics are self-reported by students on how they view themselves. In reality, after working with this generation, I'd have to disagree with a few of the characteristics.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good validation for some of my own theories and notions from being the father of a couple Gen Z teenagers and also from my teaching experience at the university level. The book provides some great ideas for adapting and focusing my communication and teaching.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Teens believe they need to be available 24/7 to their friends because, you know, someone might get dumped or into an argument with their parents. They need instant gratification and solace. Nobody can wait anymore not because they can't - but because they don't need to." John Grohol (p. 29)

[Tori Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! I feel like it had lots of good and valuable information. However, the small sample size and our ever-changing world makes it hard to take the information as consistently accurate in my opinion.

[Erin G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative facts and statistics included in this text on Generation Z. The authors make useful comparisons to prior generations to describe how Gen Z differs. Sections are split up nicely for readers to navigate to a topic area they wish to learn more about.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The oldest students in Gen Z began to matriculate in 2015. That means that most college students today are Gen Z students. And they are pretty different from the students they have replaced. I wish I had read this book in 2015.

[Hannah Purcell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gives a good intro to understanding Gen Z, but the chapters seemed to be repetitive in nature.

[Leah Wescott · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not scholarship. Self reports that "We're the
most _____ generation" doesn't make it true. Just dreadful. Shame on Jossey Bass for publishing such nonsense.

[Katie Roseau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some overall good insights. It helped me to start thinking about teaching to Gen Z. Very little substance, though.

[Paul Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite book of 2019. It contains a few helpful nuggets, but overall I found the book to be poorly written and unnecessarily optimistic regarding some of Gen Z's weaknesses.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a study done from questionnaires. I really didn't think it provided any real new information of interest.