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U Thrive: How to Succeed in College
From the professors who teach NYU's most popular elective class, "Science of Happiness," a fun, comprehensive guide to surviving and thriving in college and beyond.
Every year, almost 4,000,000 students begin their freshman year at colleges and universities nationwide. Most of them will sleep less and stress out a whole lot more. By the end of the year, 30% of those freshmen will have dropped out. For many, the unforeseen demands of college life are so overwhelming that "the best four years of your life" can start to feel like the worst.
Enter Daniel Lerner and Dr. Alan Schlechter, ready to teach students how to not only survive college, but flourish in it. Filled with fascinating science, real-life stories, and tips for building positive lifelong habits, U Thrive addresses the opportunities and challenges every undergrad will face -- from finding a passion to dealing with nightmarish roommates and surviving finals week. Engaging and hilarious, U Thrive will help students grow into the happy, successful alums they all deserve to be.
Every year, almost 4,000,000 students begin their freshman year at colleges and universities nationwide. Most of them will sleep less and stress out a whole lot more. By the end of the year, 30% of those freshmen will have dropped out. For many, the unforeseen demands of college life are so overwhelming that "the best four years of your life" can start to feel like the worst.
Enter Daniel Lerner and Dr. Alan Schlechter, ready to teach students how to not only survive college, but flourish in it. Filled with fascinating science, real-life stories, and tips for building positive lifelong habits, U Thrive addresses the opportunities and challenges every undergrad will face -- from finding a passion to dealing with nightmarish roommates and surviving finals week. Engaging and hilarious, U Thrive will help students grow into the happy, successful alums they all deserve to be.
304 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2017
73 people are currently reading
1037 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 4, 2017
This book is a pastiche of every self-help book starting with "The Power of Positive Thinking" up to Angela Duckworth's take on "grit" and every pop psychology "study" conducted by friends of Malcolm Gladwell. All of this results in perhaps the most awkward and embarrassing book of advice for college students I've ever read. I would be ashamed to give it to a college student and mortified to receive it if I were a college student.
Authors Daniel Lerner and Dr. Alan Schlecter are accomplished professionals, the former a clinical instructor at NYU and an "instructional staff member" at Penn as well as a "performance coach" for Type-A folks; the latter a clinical assistant professor at NYU and the director of the Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program at Bellevue Hospital in New York. So they have some real credits and credibility.
That's all shattered quickly as they describe how they begin their NYU class The Science of Happiness: "There's a reason we hurl marshmallows at all 450 of our students before the class on positive emotions, and why last year we prepped everyone for the final exam by turning the volume all the way up on some hip-hop and surprising them with a whipping, Nae-Nae-ing, jerking, twerking, Harlem Shaking, popping, locking, and dropping performance by an NYU dance major who goes by the name of ZebraKid, who finished with a sick backflip that sent everyone into a frenzy of cheers."
To put it bluntly, Lerner and Schlecter write as if they were middle-aged parents trying to "communicate" with their college kids by appropriating their language, movement, and clothing and showing up at a dorm event ready to par-tay! with all the dudes on the hall. In my own life experience, it would be as if my parents suddenly appeared in the rec room in frilled paisley shirts, orange bell bottoms, granny glasses, love beads and platform shoes murmuring "Groovy, dudes!" "That's so rad!" and worse in front of me and my friends.
The lingo they adopt is so awful it's worth quoting a few more passages to give a feeling for how skin-crawlingly un-hip it is: "And every choice you make--good or bad--continually fatigues that willpower muscle. That muscle wakes up like Lindsay Lohan circa 'Mean Girls' but by bedtime is the hot-mess Lindsay Lohan of today." "If your stomach is dialing 911 and FLAMIN' HOT Cheetos are answering, hang up!" "Extreme optimists underestimate the risk of health problems and are less likely to quit smoking, are more likely to contract STDs (and less likely to go for treatment...ewww)..." And finally, although I could go on and on, "Far more important, using MC can help you get together with that person you are crushing on! (I know, right? Can you imagine how different high school would have been with this seemingly magical power? Prom?!)"
So, both embarrassing and pervy.
These juvenile phrasings encase a series of chapters that rely heavily on a formula. First, make some kind of obvious statements about optimism or mindsets or stress. Then, refer to some study of several hundred students or others that "demonstrate" the principle involved. (I waited with bated breath for the famous grit-related marshmallow study, which did indeed come up.) Extrapolate on that study with the aforementioned "hip" references, come up with an acronym (PERMA, VIA, etc.), then provide a chapter review ("The Takeaway") and a step by step way to get your life in order: Draw a chart, list three good and three bad things about whatever, and then move on to the next wan self-help suggestion based on pop psychology and decades of other self-help books.
It's amazing that the editor and publisher went along with this insipid and cloying approach to serious college problems like stress, depression, willpower, and "being your best" in college. Aside from being awful on its own, it's doomed to be outdated the moment it hits the shelves. (Do the kids say "chillaxin'" anymore? Did they ever? Lots of what we think kids say actually comes from ads written by clueless adults.) To make matters worse, toward the end of the book Lerner and Schlecter refer to the Beastie Boys, considered grandfathers of rap by now and in the Epilogue, god help us, they cite "Dead Poets Society," a reference that was cliched and beaten to death in college application essays 25 years ago.
Perhaps some students out there will "relate" to the writers and their pseudo-hipness; I suspect, however, they'll mostly inspire groans and avoidance. It's never a good idea for adults, especially those who should know better, to insinuate themselves into the world of student culture without realizing that they can never truly be part of it. Perhaps if Lerner and Schlecter had behaved a little more like anthropologists instead of outsiders desperate to be liked, this book might have been better able to provide some decent guidelines. As it is, you can't see the grains of useful material in the dross of hyper-aphasic coolness.
NOTE: I'm sorry but I can't resist one more excerpt that had me gagging:
"Let's say you and your bestie score interviews for dream internships. Both of you are so stoked that you go out and get your hair cut, shine your shoes, pick up your best dress-for-success outfit, and hit the sack early the night before so you get a solid eight hours. Feeling great and looking great, you each head into their interview just knowing that you are the person for the job. Your resumes are flawless, and so are you. You both nail the audish, and it is on."
See what I mean?
Authors Daniel Lerner and Dr. Alan Schlecter are accomplished professionals, the former a clinical instructor at NYU and an "instructional staff member" at Penn as well as a "performance coach" for Type-A folks; the latter a clinical assistant professor at NYU and the director of the Outpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program at Bellevue Hospital in New York. So they have some real credits and credibility.
That's all shattered quickly as they describe how they begin their NYU class The Science of Happiness: "There's a reason we hurl marshmallows at all 450 of our students before the class on positive emotions, and why last year we prepped everyone for the final exam by turning the volume all the way up on some hip-hop and surprising them with a whipping, Nae-Nae-ing, jerking, twerking, Harlem Shaking, popping, locking, and dropping performance by an NYU dance major who goes by the name of ZebraKid, who finished with a sick backflip that sent everyone into a frenzy of cheers."
To put it bluntly, Lerner and Schlecter write as if they were middle-aged parents trying to "communicate" with their college kids by appropriating their language, movement, and clothing and showing up at a dorm event ready to par-tay! with all the dudes on the hall. In my own life experience, it would be as if my parents suddenly appeared in the rec room in frilled paisley shirts, orange bell bottoms, granny glasses, love beads and platform shoes murmuring "Groovy, dudes!" "That's so rad!" and worse in front of me and my friends.
The lingo they adopt is so awful it's worth quoting a few more passages to give a feeling for how skin-crawlingly un-hip it is: "And every choice you make--good or bad--continually fatigues that willpower muscle. That muscle wakes up like Lindsay Lohan circa 'Mean Girls' but by bedtime is the hot-mess Lindsay Lohan of today." "If your stomach is dialing 911 and FLAMIN' HOT Cheetos are answering, hang up!" "Extreme optimists underestimate the risk of health problems and are less likely to quit smoking, are more likely to contract STDs (and less likely to go for treatment...ewww)..." And finally, although I could go on and on, "Far more important, using MC can help you get together with that person you are crushing on! (I know, right? Can you imagine how different high school would have been with this seemingly magical power? Prom?!)"
So, both embarrassing and pervy.
These juvenile phrasings encase a series of chapters that rely heavily on a formula. First, make some kind of obvious statements about optimism or mindsets or stress. Then, refer to some study of several hundred students or others that "demonstrate" the principle involved. (I waited with bated breath for the famous grit-related marshmallow study, which did indeed come up.) Extrapolate on that study with the aforementioned "hip" references, come up with an acronym (PERMA, VIA, etc.), then provide a chapter review ("The Takeaway") and a step by step way to get your life in order: Draw a chart, list three good and three bad things about whatever, and then move on to the next wan self-help suggestion based on pop psychology and decades of other self-help books.
It's amazing that the editor and publisher went along with this insipid and cloying approach to serious college problems like stress, depression, willpower, and "being your best" in college. Aside from being awful on its own, it's doomed to be outdated the moment it hits the shelves. (Do the kids say "chillaxin'" anymore? Did they ever? Lots of what we think kids say actually comes from ads written by clueless adults.) To make matters worse, toward the end of the book Lerner and Schlecter refer to the Beastie Boys, considered grandfathers of rap by now and in the Epilogue, god help us, they cite "Dead Poets Society," a reference that was cliched and beaten to death in college application essays 25 years ago.
Perhaps some students out there will "relate" to the writers and their pseudo-hipness; I suspect, however, they'll mostly inspire groans and avoidance. It's never a good idea for adults, especially those who should know better, to insinuate themselves into the world of student culture without realizing that they can never truly be part of it. Perhaps if Lerner and Schlecter had behaved a little more like anthropologists instead of outsiders desperate to be liked, this book might have been better able to provide some decent guidelines. As it is, you can't see the grains of useful material in the dross of hyper-aphasic coolness.
NOTE: I'm sorry but I can't resist one more excerpt that had me gagging:
"Let's say you and your bestie score interviews for dream internships. Both of you are so stoked that you go out and get your hair cut, shine your shoes, pick up your best dress-for-success outfit, and hit the sack early the night before so you get a solid eight hours. Feeling great and looking great, you each head into their interview just knowing that you are the person for the job. Your resumes are flawless, and so are you. You both nail the audish, and it is on."
See what I mean?
March 28, 2019
"What will your verse be?"
Daniel and Alan create a book that is geared toward 17-18 year olds about to enter their first year of college. Finishing up my sophomore year of college, I definitely have used a good chunk of the advice given in the book! I think the last section though was my favorite, that being making everything your best, and using everything in your life as part of your advantage.
I don't think it was glorified like most "self-help" books tend to be. And it wasn't like a here's what you need to do , but more of a here's what we suggest. And using different writing exercises and resources to help support you to actively think about what is being said really helped pass the message along.
I don't think it was the best thing I could've read at where I am now, with the various leadership seminars and programs I've been apart of, and considering the fact that I'm halfway through college, BUT I do think that it's an extremely beneficial resource to have.
Daniel and Alan create a book that is geared toward 17-18 year olds about to enter their first year of college. Finishing up my sophomore year of college, I definitely have used a good chunk of the advice given in the book! I think the last section though was my favorite, that being making everything your best, and using everything in your life as part of your advantage.
I don't think it was glorified like most "self-help" books tend to be. And it wasn't like a here's what you need to do , but more of a here's what we suggest. And using different writing exercises and resources to help support you to actively think about what is being said really helped pass the message along.
I don't think it was the best thing I could've read at where I am now, with the various leadership seminars and programs I've been apart of, and considering the fact that I'm halfway through college, BUT I do think that it's an extremely beneficial resource to have.
March 31, 2022
The biggest idea that I got from this book was that college is scary but attitude and physical well being can improve the experience. I'm not completely sure I believe this statement because it reminds me of most "motivational" books that I have read. It explains mindset in a way that makes you think it's the only factor in happiness and success, when in reality there's a lot more to it. Regarding my previous statements I still do believe that your attitude towards something has an affect on the way you feel about it, but in the end you cannot fake liking something by making the most out of it because that dislike will still be lingering within your mind. Overall I give this book 2 out of five stars simply because I don't fully agree with the ideas and the way that they were expressed to the readers. But i'm sure this book is great for some people who enjoy philosophy and would like a few somewhat useful tips for college.
August 15, 2022
Not my thing. Read it for a First-Year Course I have to reach. Some advise is wise, other just seems cult-like.
October 17, 2019
(2.3/5) - I was required to read U Thrive for my Science of Happiness course at NYU. It was easy to read and at times entertaining but I didn't feel like I gained any type of earth-shattering knowledge from reading it. It was okay.
January 7, 2018
I read this as a senior in college, and wished I had read it sooner. I worked for several years before beginning college, and I believe this book would have benefitted me in those days too. Four stars for referring to studies, readability, and inclusion of exercises and resources for the reader/student to TAKE ACTION. To get a fifth star, the book would have to be more academic—less slang (therefore less dated and appealing to a broader audience), footnotes to all the studies referred to, and more critical analysis on the part of the authors... While I think all the advice in this book is pretty well backed up, it is all presented pretty superficially. The authors do occasionally acknowledge that, and I suppose some of their 18 yo students/readers would completely disagree with me, but yeah, something a little deeper would have been nice. Still a great book I would recommend to anyone ages 16-25 or so.
September 13, 2024
I honestly was not sure what I would think of this book going into it. It is nonfiction, and the synopsis described it as a book about the psychology of happiness and how to thrive in the context of being a college student, and these types of books are hit or miss for me. Sometimes, I find them very compelling and interesting, and sometimes I find them too complicated and dry. However, I ended up loving this book. It provides so many good stories and analogies. Honestly, it reads like fiction. The best part is you don't have to be a college student to get a lot out of it. It does mention some principles that would apply mostly to college students, but anyone could find something of value in all of the chapters.
December 26, 2020
While a bit too assertive to my taste, I listened to this book and found it containing a lot of the insights that I had collected over the years of reading self-development books as well as some new ones which I enjoyed very much. Good starter for anyone, though you should always take things with a grain of salt.
December 20, 2021
"We don't know what the next page holds, or even the next line, but we are sure that whatever it does, we will keep our families close, our friends by our side, and immerse ourselves in activities that are engaging and meaningful. That is the way we thrive".
Es una clase llevada en NYU The Science of Happiness plasmada en un libro.
Excelentes consejos ;) narrativa divertida.
Es una clase llevada en NYU The Science of Happiness plasmada en un libro.
Excelentes consejos ;) narrativa divertida.
August 12, 2023
written by the NYU professors of the course on happiness; much like the Yale Course on Happiness.
written to be a text book for students. On the one hand, it covers all the topics, on the other hand, it covers all the topics--might be more impactful as podcasts and videos than a textbook as shown here. But a great resource for a wellbeing or happiness course.
written to be a text book for students. On the one hand, it covers all the topics, on the other hand, it covers all the topics--might be more impactful as podcasts and videos than a textbook as shown here. But a great resource for a wellbeing or happiness course.
April 17, 2025
4.5 stars. This is a suggested reading from the Science of Happiness course. Life is in parenthesis and that is apt because it is very practical for life. This is one of those books that collects myriad useful studies and ideas that you can immediately apply to your life. A great and easy read.
April 27, 2019
This book is great for college students and anyone who wants to change up how fulfilled they feel with their life. I read this book as a precursor to a first-year student course that I am developing. I wish this book had been around when I began my academic career all those years ago.
May 21, 2020
I liked it. As a college student, I felt that the book went a lot more in depth in that the entire time it felt like it was helping guide someone on a personalized journey as opposed to encouraging finding a template to success.
July 14, 2020
DNF. I started reading this book for information about the college process, but it was mostly about positivity and self help. One of the studies that it uses was disproven years ago, and the advice that it gives has little to do with college life and isn’t that useful.
January 12, 2019
BEST BOOK EVER!
April 26, 2020
I needed this book, so motivating
May 14, 2020
Self-help for the college-bound...not me, the kids.
Read
August 21, 2020Good Book
January 28, 2021
amazing book and teachers!!! definitely read
December 29, 2021
good prep for the college bound
Read
December 1, 2025I unfortunately had to read this for class #Scienceofhappinesswarrior
November 15, 2022
Prep work for fatherhood of college bound teens.
April 5, 2023
good advice for a happy life
April 24, 2017
The book is long and I don't know too many just graduating Seniors who are going to want to read the entire book. I discovered The Takeaways at the end of each section and started to just read those. Then if I wanted to know more I could go back and read that section. I was disappointed in the super small section about roommates. I had some awful roommates as did my son. Nothing in this book would have helped an 18/19 yo kid deal with a hard-core partier or a passive aggressive roommate.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews