The College Girl's Survival Guide: 52 Honest, Faith-Filled Answers to Your Biggest Concerns

by Hanna Seymour

Hanna Seymour, a mentor to thousands of young college women, provides a plan for success in college based on experience, illustrations, and biblical principles.

Each year millions of young women enter the college scene and are surprised to find their glittering preconceptions shattered. College isn't exactly what they had imagined -- it's a lot tougher. Social challenges, a demanding schedule, pressure to succeed, shifting family how do girls tackle these issues, learn to thrive, and really enjoy this new phase of life?

The Girl's Survival Guide is packed with experienced-based advice that can help. Written by a mentor with ten years of experience helping college girls succeed, it's like having a big sister along for the journey. With proven tips, scripture, and inspiring illustrations, this book will coach, comfort, and inspire young women so that they can make the most of the college experience.

Thousands of young women have asked Hanna Seymour what to do about roommate drama, boyfriend trouble, choosing a major, balancing family and school life, and so much more. She's poured her best insights into this book -- answering the top 52 questions she has received -- so that readers everywhere will be armed with the knowledge and inspiration to make college the most epic, enriching time it can be.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Christian, Religion

272 pages, Paperback

Published April 3, 2018

About the author

Hanna Seymour is an author, Bible teacher, and podcast host passionate about helping people walk faithfully with Jesus in their everyday lives. As a seminary graduate, wife, and mom of three, she brings a relatable, grace-filled perspective to spiritual growth, especially through small, everyday habits. Hanna also authored The College Girl’s Survival Guide which was featured on Fox & Friends and FamilyLife Today. Whether she’s writing, teaching, or recording, Hanna is passionate about making spiritual growth accessible, sustainable, and rooted in the truth of God’s Word. Find her at hannaseymour.com.

Reviews

[Raegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and informative, though much of the advice was not new to me. I think it would be beneficial for Christian women who are anxious about heading into college

[♛primadonna♛ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a college student getting another degree myself, I absolutely loved this book! It takes you through almost every issue someone can have and sticks to answering the questions and figuring out a way to handle the issue or most importantly of all, let God handle it! It speaks about prayer and cites the Bible. I'm no longer a freshman in college or even an underclassman but some of the advice I wish I would've had and still needed to read!
I do think it could have added a section for older grade levels than just college freshman and especially for college student's who are not staying on campus and do not have "perfect" parents. Which rounded it down from 3 1/2 stars to 3.



I received a free copy of the book by the book's publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Martine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The College Girl’s Survival Guide: 52 Honest, Faith-Filled Answers to Your Biggest Concerns by Hanna Seymour is a valuable and handy resource for any young woman heading off to college or already attending college.

This book is packed with insightful answers to questions that many young women are sure to have at one point or another during their college experience.

One of the things that I like most about this book is that a reader can pick it up, head to the table of contents, locate the question they have and flip to the corresponding page to read the answer. This is the way to go, especially when writing a book for college students. They value their time and don’t want to waste it. Even though this book can be read straight through, the ease of locating the questions that resonate most with the readers and quickly receiving the answer is most appealing.

There is no doubt that Hanna has a heart for helping young women. It’s definitely felt throughout the book. She writes in a very personable tone and is clearly speaking from experience – her own and those of women she knows. I believe that readers will find her tone and approach welcoming as they read along.

This book does a great job of addressing a variety of common concerns faced by college girls. The responses to each question are short, concise and easy to read – no more than 4 or 5 pages on average. The advice Hanna shares is very practical and even though this is a faith based book it is not overly spiritual.

Even though I don’t agree with everything that Hanna advises, I do like that she doesn’t try to convince readers to do certain things. Instead, she presents options and ultimately leaves reader to choose what they will do. I definitely believe that’s the way to go and ensures that her answers don’t come off as “preachy”.

I truly believe this book will be a helpful resource to any young woman in college. It will make a great gift and is sure to help the young women who read it. This is a really great book!

I received this book free from the publisher through their book review bloggers program and I was not required to write a positive review.

[Susan Shipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I co-read this book with my granddaughter who is an undergraduate at Liberty University! Ms Seymour's heart and passion is passed on to the reader in every single chapter.
Hanna is like a dear friend who has walked on the same path just a bit sooner than the reader! Her voice is wise and friendly.
The Chapter titles are real life: "I'm super nervous about orientation;" "I'm Overwhelmed;" "I'm just not happy here;" "Help! I'm living with a stranger;" "I'm Terrified of Sharing my Faith."
Hanna Seymour calls this a Survival Guide - we think it's a guide to not only surviving college life but THRIVING in it.
We recommend this book for the new college student or the senior undergrad who is wondering "where do I go from here?"

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at the urging of my daughter who has been dealing with a fair amount of anxiety in this summer before heading to college, and who tore through this book. She LOVED the way it addressed a lot of her specific concerns... as much as Mom tells you that your anxieties about this big step are normal, there’s validation in seeing yourself in a book, and being told by someone whose not your mom that what you’re feeling is normal and that you’re going to be just fine.

I enjoyed Seymour’s conversational style and frank and honest exploration of real college freshman (and beyond) issues. She does come at things from a Christian perspective, but not in a cloying or preachy way. The whole book has a very appealing “big sister imparting advice” vibe.

[Chelsea Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! My mother got it for me for my high school graduation and I did not read it until now. I am about to be a junior in college and this is still such a relatable and helpful book. She really did go over pretty much everything I see most of my college friends and others dealing with! Even though I am no longer a freshman in college, I still loved this book and found it quite helpful. It gave me a new perspective on some things I was going through and has made me feel like I have a better grasp on college and the life I’ll live after college. Definitely the perfect gift for any college girl!

[Maddi Howard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should’ve known by the title (so my bad 100000%), however, if you are not a bible reading, super religious cisgendered female this book is NOT for you. I LOVED the formatted HATED the content (with that being said I am not a bubble reading, super religious gal so the messages just seemed comedic to me).

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really solid book about anything that you could encounter leading up to and during college. There were a few things I skipped enshrined didn’t apply to me, but overall it was really helpful. I like how it was faith based as well! I highly recommend this for any college women or soon to be college women. I’ll definitely be keeping this with me throughout my college years!

[Olivia Machado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely full of good advice for girls either going to college or moving to college for the first time. It answered many questions I had, and also ones I was bound to have should a similar situation arise. Definitely bringing this book with me when I move.

[Via Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that this is such a great book for any college girl-- regardless if you are 18 or 80. Although more geared towards 18. It seems to be very helpful in many aspects of college life-- some harder than others and a great gift! ENTER TO WIN THIS BOOK HERE--> http://bit.ly/2xVISmd

[Chelsey Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for a young person trying to figure out college and the years after. I read it as a woman in her 30’s so there were some problems in there that were hard to relate to but there were also problems in it relevant to life at any age.

[Julia Luisser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I would’ve read this sooner!!!

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Concise, interesting, and helpful

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

highly recommend for anyone transitioning to college or already in college

[Sarah Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST BOOK EVER! EVERY COLLEGE GIRL NEEDS THIS BOOK ASAP IM OBSESSED

[Jaina Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review and many more like it are available on Read Till Dawn .

I just finished my first year of college, so I figured I would be the perfect person to read The College Girl's Survival Guide and see how its tips for freshmen compared to the reality of college life.

I was right. But also wrong. Because most of this advice turned out to be pretty irrelevant to me. I didn't have a roommate, so that negates a good chunk of the book right there. I also don't have friends who pressure me to party hard or drink to excess, I don't have to face the rush to register for classes before they fill up, and I don't have the flexibility to change my major outside of some very narrow confines defined by my first-year classes.

So basically, I still don't really know how practical some of this advice is. But it all sounds solid, so that counts for something. And for those of you who do have to deal with these sorts of topics, the book does indeed cover all of the ones I listed above plus many more. Seymour covers a lot of potential problem spots, and she does so with love. She encourages her readers to pursue a fulfilling, happy college career and to deal with problematic roommates/neighbors/etc. with kindness and grace (but also firmness, when necessary). I definitely agree with that.

Seymour states at the beginning of the book that she thinks it will be helpful for girls of all faith backgrounds, not just Christians, but I don't agree. She puts a Biblical spin on most topics, quoting relevant Bible verses and encouraging her readers (in a loving, not judgemental, way) to consider God in their lifestyle choices. If I weren't Christian, I would have quickly put the book down. I still disagreed with her in some areas (mainly her belief that the guy should do the pursuing in a relationship because he would be head of the house someday), but on the whole I appreciated her practical and loving perspective.

All in all, it's a pretty good book that seems to anticipate a lot of the problems that might come up at college. It's probably a good thing that I didn't read it before I started college, because it would have scared me, but people who want a "survival guide" of this type might appreciate Seymour's advice.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly insightful, honest, and grounded look at "collegeing." There are moments that have me reflecting, and I'll probably come back to them in the next three years. That means talking about getting a "savior complex" for people who seem like they've fallen off the path ("Jesus-loving-turned-heathen"). The book puts "what you want to do with your life" into, rather than a mystery box, the intersection of your strengths and experiences (the second part of that scares me and makes me feel the urge to resist more than I'd like to admit). It reminds me that true rest takes work - intentionality, effort, organization, and planning. It talks about "the good life" whether in explicit terms or not, like this: "It's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What's hard...is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about" and then asking "What are the things you need to accomplish or experience every week for you to be doing 'what you want your life to be about'?" (233)

And it closes with a section that I find chilling because I know how true it strikes. It reminds me that the question "What's next?" never goes away, and that my life up until now has been mapped out for me (elementary to middle school, high school to graduation to college) but at a certain point that predetermination stops. I'd like to think that a "good life" is about being perfectly prepared, able to give the right answers at the right times, and knowing how to do things that I need to do, but I'm realizing - not without terror - that in reality it's about how I cope with imperfections around me and in myself, realizing that I'll never be perfectly prepared but I'll be expected to act anyways, and having to do things that I don't know how to do.

Anyway, it's a good book to make you think.

"Adulting doesn't mean you have it all figured out...Adulting does mean that you are comfortable in your own skin, that you take responsibility for your life, and that you have some general direction of who God has made you to be and how He might want to use you in this world." (53)

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't been in college for quite a few years.. but I found this wonderfully informative and thought-provoking! It gave so much application of Christ's teachings in very specific college events, but also can translate into everyday life application as a grown woman. I didn't agree with all of Hanna's writings, but I think she did a fantastic job portraying college life from a post-college perspective. This book is a great read for any woman at any point in their life.

[Via Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found that this is such a great book for any college girl-- regardless if you are 18 or 80. Although more geared towards 18. It seems to be very helpful in many aspects of college life-- some harder than others and a great gift! ENTER TO WIN THIS BOOK HERE--> http://bit.ly/2xVISmd

[Nancy Ruth Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a girl and you're about to go to college or are in college, you should read this book. Like, right now. No seriously. Go find a copy and read it cover to cover. You can thank me later.

[kalissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

my mom made me read it

[Christina Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book would help some people out.