Helping students gain a richer, clearer, and more complex sense of their own goals for being in college, this engaging anthology of “immediate relevance” explores diverse perspectives and experiences of higher education—exposing students to the opportunities and challenges it offers and how to make the most of them. Designed to enrich students' critical thinking, communication, and research skills—vital tools for any career they choose— it features reading and writing assignments that will improve their ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate arguments; help them learn to construct their own written arguments and interpretations; plus improve their ability to do research, using not only library and on-line sources but also field research techniques such as interview and observation.