Books that shaped your college experience?

I'm going to be a freshman in college soon and I love to read. Are there any influential or 'powerful' books that have significantly impacted your college experience or have changed your perspective in a relevant way? I'm excited to build up my reading list!

Hi there, it's wonderful that you're looking to enrich your college journey through reading! One influential book is "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman. It's a psychology book that explores how humans make decisions, distinguishing between rapid, intuitive thought and slower, deliberative thinking. This helped me approach problem-solving and decision-making with a more aware perspective, which is especially useful in the heavy decision-making period of college.

"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie also hugely impacted me. It's a narrative exploring pieces of the immigrant experience, love, race, and identity. It can provide some eye-opening insights about the value of diversity and empathy, which are relevant in the university context especially if your college is diverse or you're studying social sciences.

Lastly, this may sound a little out of left field, but "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott had a profound impact on me. It's technically a book about writing, but its lessons about perseverance, dealing with mental blocks, and focusing on small tasks in the face of overwhelming projects have a much broader applicability. So much of college, and indeed, life, is about persevering in the face of challenges and this book really shaped my attitude towards that.

These books not only influenced me academically, but they also shaped my worldview and personal interactions. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I did!