Genevieve Morgan

Definitely a good one to pick up if you have no clue where you're going or what your general options are for the future of y-o-u. The first few chapters help you get a grasp on who you are, what your personality traits and goals are, what that means going forward, and where you're more likely to fit. The remaining sections talk about higher ed, service, work, etc. The book is sprinkled with quick success stories, quotes, and bios of real-world giants such as Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbes.

Very streamlined, very well formatted, easy to understand and revealingly enlightening for people who need some insight on navigating life.… (altro)

I remember my last year of high school as being a little like falling off a cliff. Most of us at that time had no idea what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. i would have appreciated a book like undecided to guide me forward.

One of the strengths of this book is that it recognizes that there are many choices available to students. It gives space to aptitudes and interests, universities/trade schools/community colleges, work experience, military and service jobs, as well as gap years and travelling abroad. I enjoyed the sidebars with stories of famous people and the route they took to their current position. A wide variety of readers would be able to connect with something in this book.

Each section is both practical and conversational. The chapter on money matters, for example, gives average costs of a variety of educational institutions, as well as a table to calculate a budget. It also discusses the problem of graduating with a heavy debtload, and advises to think about how to finance your education with as little debt as possible, even if it means taking a little longer. I know many people who would have benefitted from this advice in high school.

Undecided is quick and snappy, good for teens who may be feeling overwhelmed by choices and just need a way to frame their thinking about their future.… (altro)

UNDECIDED is a great book. It's a handbook for teens trying to figure out what to do after high school, reviewing options beyond attending college/university, such as joining the military, travelling, doing community service, and working full or part time. The author starts by establishing her bona fides for offering such advice and then states frankly that going directly from high school into college isn't always a student's best decision. She even admits that not every student should go to college — heresy for the middle class!

The author writes like a friend, encouraging the reader to interact with the book and its ideas. The chapters include a number of lists, charts, and inventories readers are asked to complete as part of their decision-making, and the author repeatedly suggests readers communicate with friends, family, school staff, and potential mentors to help with the decision. Given the current unemployment rate of university graduates, the ever-increasing cost of post-secondary education, and the rapidly closing income gap between high school grads and bachelor-degree holders, teens need to talk openly and broadly about their post-high school plans. A book like this is an excellent resource for starting such conversations.

My only caution about this book is that it's directed exclusively at US students. The author's general concepts are not specific to the US, but the programs, the websites, and the policies she refers to are. Since other countries have very different systems, readers outside the United States will have to adapt their resources accordingly.

I'm glad to see a book like this on the market. As a professor, I teach several students every year who don't want to be in university — who are there only to please their parents. These students rarely last past year two, and many bail out at the end of first term. If these students knew about other options, and if families had more candid conversations about post-secondary education, employment, money, and expectations, these students — and our society as a whole — could be much happier.… (altro)