12 books every college freshman should read their first year

college student reading outside

College is a time of rapid discovery — not to mention uncertainty.

To help incoming freshmen cope with the onslaught of newness, librarian Gwen Glazer of the Readers Services department of the New York Public Library has pulled together some helpful titles.

They range from how-to books to thoughtful works of fiction.

We can't guarantee they'll produce straight As, but they should help freshmen make some sense of the world.

'Stuff Every College Student Should Know' by Blair Thornburgh

College helps students advance toward their careers, but it also helps teenagers become adults.

Thornburgh's book covers a wide range of skills all freshmen should have in their arsenal, including cooking with and without a microwave, cleaning a mini-fridge, and forming study groups.

As Glazer told Business Insider, it all comes together in a "handy pocket-sized guide."

'The Naked Roommate: and 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College' by Harlan Cohen

A similar compendium of advice, "The Naked Roommate" covers a lot of ground for navigating the weird waters of college.

Much like the first day of kindergarten, freshman year involves a host of strange social interactions that have no well-defined etiquette.

The book talks about dating, relationships, going to class, how loans work, and other practical topics.

'Now You Tell Me' by Sheridan Scott, Nancy Allen, and Anya Settle

How-to books may offer a partial picture of university life, but only recent grads can offer the clearest picture of what newbies should expect.

"The title says it all!" Glazer said. "Learn from the experience of older students who were recently in your first-year shoes."

In "Now You Tell Me," the students bestow wisdom related to one-night stands, forming new friendships, and other situations that you may have a harder time finding in the typical how-to.

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