Book Review - The Scholarship Offer System: How to go from not recruited to on coaches radars and more exposure in 30 days or less

About the Book
The Scholarship Offer System is a detailed step-by-step guide that breaks down everything one needs to know to ultimately be awarded an athletic scholarship. What sets this guide apart from all the others out there is that it has been proven to produce results in as little as 30 days and sometimes less.

This guide was written for athletes (and their parents) who know they have what it takes to play at the next level, but they may not be getting a fair shake at their school, or the athlete who isn't showing up on recruiting boards due to lack of exposure, and the athlete who may be getting interest from some schools but not the schools that they would like to attend. 

This book helps combat all of those scenarios and gets the athlete and their parents on the right track in the recruiting process.

What's covered in the book:

• The importance of SAT/ACT exams
• Financial Aid and how it plays into recruiting
• How to get on the radars of schools that you choose FAST
• How to keep coaches interested throughout the recruiting process
• Templates and examples that are proven to work

 

My Take on the Book
This was a great book that really allows you to explore the whole concept of getting recruited to play sports in college. The author has done a great job at providing parents and students a roadmap to see what recruiters are looking for. The book also helps you to lay out a gameplan for how to change up what you are doing to allow your student to stand out in a whole new way! 

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - The College Bound Organizer

About the Book

College Bound Organizer is your step-by-step comprehensive guide to organize every step of the college application process from college search through college admission.

College admissions is tougher than ever: Between now and 2020, about 90 million high schoolers in the U.S. will try to get into college. And, nearly three million students are expected to enroll as first-time freshmen in degree-granting institutions in the United States this school year. Each of these students will apply to many schools ― five, 10, perhaps as many as 20 ― and each of those applications has a daunting number of T’s to cross and I’s to dot. With standardized test taking and school visits, the college application essay to write and forms to fill out, there is so much to do. Applying to college is intimidating and overwhelming for both teenagers and parents.

“Planning ahead and “getting there first” can do more than help students get into a good college ― it can provide them with life skills, a solid education, and lifelong friends.” – Business Insider

If you intend to be college bound: The challenge is to be well informed, prepared, focused and organized throughout the multi-step college search and admission process. Your solution is The College Bound Organizer,the ultimate guide to help students effectively navigate this very complicated and stressful process.

"Using The College Bound Organizer is one way to help you stay focused on what is really important."--Edward B. Fiske, bestselling author of Fiske Guide to Colleges

The College Bound Organizer helps students:

• Understand what admission officers are looking for in an applicant
• Prevent common mistakes students make on their applications
• Build a personal profile
• Plan an individualized testing schedule
• Research colleges to identify schools that are a good fit
• Develop a balanced list of schools
• Secure letters of recommendation
• Complete and submit applications accurately and on time
• Develop the college application essay
• Apply for financial aid and scholarships
• Ace interviews
• Sort through and manage application results
• Make a final decision

My Take on the Book
As a college admissions professional I am always looking for new resources that I can recommend to people that are either supporting someone looking at attending college or someone that wishes to attend college themselves. This book is a great resource as it is very practical in nature and walks you through the steps that you must follow to be able to get into the college that you wish to attend. The book has a ton of great worksheets that are easy to follow and complete and by the end you have answered most of the important questions that you need to answer to make an informed decision. The book also has a ton of great tips that they share to help this process more streamlines and clear for all. The book is written for people that truly need it which makes the book such a valuable resource.


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - The Complete Guide to Paying for College: Save Money, Cut Costs, and Get More for Your Education Dollar

About the Book
College costs are straining every family except the richest. Most financial aid goes to the neediest families. The middle class typically doesn't qualify for need-based financial aid, even though most can't afford to pay cash for college and their salaries haven't allowed them to save enough to cover all costs. If these families are trying to put more than one child through college, the challenges are exponential.

If you've been asking how your child can receive a quality education even though you can't pay today's college tuition out of pocket, The Complete Guide to Paying for College is the answer. This step-by-step guide includes actionable tips to save on education costs and the many living expenses, room, board, books, activities that apply to the first year and beyond.

Leah Ingram, a money-saving expert and parent of two college students reveals the insider tricks to pay for college, including:

• How to find bona fide scholarships, not spam and scams. 
• Where parents can work to receive tuition benefits. 
• The pros and cons of earning college credits before graduating high school. 
• Which schools give out the most merit aid, even if you're not a rocket scientist. 

Paying for college just got a lot easier for millions of families!


My Take on the Book

As someone that works with students going to college, there is always room for additional resources that will assist students and parents with making good decisions about college and for knowing ways to save and find money for college. This book is a practical guide that shares some great hints, tips and more on what you can do to make college affordable. I loved how the book explores ways that you can start saving money through things you do in high school, as well as exploring the myriad of different college scholarships that are available too. This book provides you with amazing practical solutions that will assist you in finding money for your own child. If you have a child that will go to college someday, this is a book you will not want to miss!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Solving the Student Loan Crisis: Dreams, Diplomas & A Lifetime Debt

About the Book
Higher education should not be a business from which many profit while millions go into a lifetime of debt! American higher education is at the point of colossal failure. Thanks to the creation of "Higher Ed Inc.," we now live in a dysfunctional country with millions of Americans struggling to pay or completely unable to pay their student loan debts. Millions of new students going to college will end up equally in debt, saddled with loans and unable to join the middle class and enjoy the American dream. The student loan debt crisis is no longer a matter that each student or family can solve on their own. We need everyone to put our voices together to push aggressively for change. Read this book and join us if you are among the millions of current student loan debtors, future students and parents about to take out loans, or policymakers and politicians who want to help fix our broken system of higher education.



My Take on the Book
I have worked in higher education for many years and have found that the amount of debt that students are leaving their degrees with continues to exponentially increase. This crisis in higher education in my point of view is making higher education more and more unattainable for some. The other challenge is that there have been some student loan companies that have followed questionable practices over the years in how they solicit and sell the products that they have.

This author provides a down-to-earth, understandable conversation to demystify the student loan industry. The author does a great job at helping the reader to understand the history behind the practices as well as lays out the problems with the current system. She even provides some possible fixes that were interesting and unique.

I appreciated the stories that were shared in the book and you can truly see the passion that she brings to this topic due to her own personal experiences.

The book provides a great guide for understanding student debt, this book is a great primer!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Audiobook Review - The End of College

About the Book
From a renowned education writer comes a paradigm-shifting examination of the rapidly changing world of college that every parent, student, educator, and investor needs to understand.

Over the span of just nine months in 2011 and 2012, the world's most famous universities and high-powered technology entrepreneurs began a race to revolutionize higher education. College courses that had been kept for centuries from all but an elite few were released to millions of students throughout the world - for free.

Exploding college prices and a flagging global economy, combined with the derring-do of a few intrepid innovators, have created a dynamic climate for a total rethinking of an industry that has remained virtually unchanged for a hundred years. In The End of College, Kevin Carey, an education researcher and writer, draws on years of in-depth reporting and cutting-edge research to paint a vivid and surprising portrait of the future of education. Carey explains how two trends - the skyrocketing cost of college and the revolution in information technology - are converging in ways that will radically alter the college experience, upend the traditional meritocracy, and emancipate hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Insightful, innovative, and accessible, The End of College is a must-listen and an important contribution to the developing conversation about education in this country.


My Take on the Book
As a college administrator myself this was an interesting "read". I found the book to be one that did not hold a lot of surprises to me. However, I will say that for someone that has not worked in this realm it will be an eye-opening experience. The author has done a great job at laying out many of the challenges and realities of college today. By doing so readers are given the opportunity to make better choices for their college decisions in the future!

You get a bit of higher education history, educational change and reform, as well as the current state on higher education today. All of this and the author's predictions make the read an engaging one!

I have to say that I do not agree with everything that was said, but is more philosophical than anything else.

All-in-all this was an interesting read, and definitely one that will open the eyes of many!

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Handbook of Strategic Enrollment Management

About the Book
Improve student enrollment outcomes and meet institutional goals through the effective management of student enrollments.

Published with the American Association for Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the Handbook of Strategic Enrollment Management is the comprehensive text on the policies, strategies, practices that shape postsecondary enrollments. This volume combines relevant theories and research, with applied chapters on the management of offices such as admissions, financial aid, and the registrar to provide a comprehensive guide to the complex world of Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM). SEM focuses on achieving enrollment goals, and sustaining institutional revenue and serving the needs of students. It provides insights into the ways SEM is practiced across four-year institutions, community colleges, and professional schools.

More than just an enhanced approach to admissions and financial aid, SEM examines the student's entire educational cycle. From entry through graduation, this volume helps SEM professionals and graduate students interested in enrollment management to anticipate change and balancing the goals of revenue, access, diversity, and prestige. The Handbook of Strategic Enrollment Management:

• Provides an overview of the thinking of leading practitioners that comprise SEM organizations, including marketing, recruitment, and admissions; tuition pricing; financial aid; the registrar's role, academic advising; and, retention
• Includes up-to-date research on current issues in SEM including college choice, financial aid, student persistence, and the effective use of technology
• Guides readers creating strategic enrollment organizations that fit the unique history, culture, and policy context of your campus

Strategic enrollment management has become one of the most important administrative areas in postsecondary education, and it is being adopted in countries around the globe. The Handbook of Strategic Enrollment Management is for anyone in enrollment management, admissions, financial aid, registration and records, orientation, marketing, and institutional research who wish to enhance the health and vitality of his or her institution. It is also an excellent text for graduate programs in higher education and student affairs.



My Take on the Book
This was an amazingly complete book that looks at all aspects of Enrollment Management! Being that I work in this area, and you hear about this topic throughout our industry, this book is a must have in today's fluctuating college market. This book is written for anyone who is working to be strategic in regards to their enrollment goals and plans and who want to reconsider or revitalize their plans for their own institution. The book is thorough and very expansive. With close to 600 pages of information and resources, individuals that actually take the time to examine and think deeply about what is being shared here will truly gain valuable insight that can tremendously assist them and their campuses as they move into the future. This book is a book that I feel all will find useful, whether your main goal is enrollment or retention or not. The book opens your eyes to issues that are so important in higher education today and should be considered by all, regardless of their role at the institution!



----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Advising Student Groups and Organizations

About the Book
The only manual for faculty and staff who work directly with student organizations

Advising Student Groups and Organizations is a one-of-a-kind book that equips faculty members and administrators to competently and confidently serve as advisers to clubs and other student groups. The second edition is here to help colleges and universities keep up with the skyrocketing number of student groups and shifts in the legal landscape. New chapters on crucial topics, updated case studies, and a full suite of practical resources simplify the process of navigating student organizations.

With Advising Student Groups and Organizations, educators can turn the chore of advising into a rewarding activity that benefits everyone. Challenges like student apathy, university politics, and budgetary restrictions can be overcome with the ideas and activities presented here. And in this fully updated edition, new chapters contain everything you need to know about:

Advising fraternities and sororities
Navigating laws such as FERPA, Title IX, and the Clery Act
Working with online distance students and using social media as an advising tool
Conflict mediation and training student advisors

You'll want to keep this guide handy so you can take advantage of tools like reflection questions, activities, checklists, and sample forms. Advising Student Groups and Organizations even covers the use of assessments such as True Colors and StrengthsFinder. Now you'll be able to cut through bureaucracy to make the student advising experience truly transformative.




My Take on the Book
For anyone that advises student organizations, this is a valuable resource that walks you through every step of the advising process. I love how thorough this book was and how willing the authors were to hold nothing back from the reader. The book was practical and easy to read, and I found myself marking pages as there was so much that I could practically put to use immediately. That is one of the best things about this book. This is a book you can easily pick up and just start using. One of the other things that was powerful about this book was how well it addresses some of the legal concerns that sometimes impact student groups. As any advisor knows, most times you are thrown into this role with no training or no idea what you are getting yourself into. This book aims at providing any advisor with the tools, resources and training needed to be an effective advocate for student organizations on campus!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - The Art of the College Essay

About the Book
“You can do this,” Glancy tells us. “I’ll show you how.” Face-to-face with a blank page and the pressure of writing the most important essay of their lives—the college essay—students often encounter what successful writing coach and college admissions expert Gabrielle Glancy refers to as that which shall not be named—writer’s block. "Everyone tells you what you should do—tell a story; start in the middle; show don’t tell—but no one tells you how to do it," Glancy explains. Using examples from essays that got students into the colleges of their choice, The Art of the College Essay shows what makes great essays great—and then tells you how to write one. Glancy provides a clear, highly readable, student-tested guide to writing college essays that are so powerful—so gripping, authentic, and real—that the Ad Com can only say yes. Helpful appendices list up-to-date college essay prompts, winning adjectives, grammar tips, trouble-shooting suggestions, and a step-by-step breakdown of the process.


My Take on the Book
What was great about this book was that the author was able to take a student from start to finish creating great personal statements/essays that can be turned into any college. As someone who has worked in College Admission for over 15 years, the writing of our candidates has become more and more challenging, so strong statements always put a smile on my face. That being said the author approaches this topic in a fun way that will engage any student. I found myself even motivated to get out some paper to write up a statement myself! I would also say that even though this book is geared toward the college essay process, the skills the author is teaching transcends this and can really be used for any writing endeavor!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Confessions of a Community College Administrator

About the Book
Those who lead community colleges and those who aspire to lead them will discover keen insights from this frank discussion of the particular issues that are unique to community college administration. This timely book offers realistic advice on how to handle the challenges—current and future—that such leaders must grapple with.

Matthew Reed, the formerly anonymous author of Inside Higher Ed blog Confessions of a Community College Dean, describes the current landscape of community college leadership and addresses some of the fundamental questions that face community colleges. He examines proposed solutions from outside academia as well as those emerging from inside the community college world, offering guidance and encouragement for the next generation of community college leaders.




My Take on the Book
As a past community college administrator this was an interesting book that really explores not only some fundamentals into community colleges in general, but also goes deeper into ideas and resources that all community college administrators and people interested in the future should consider. While the author of this book has a distinct opinion for where he thinks community colleges should focus, other may have differing opinions. In reading this though I have to say that I have to agree with many of the points and ideas shared by the author and I think many others will be too. While the book is not inclusive of all issues and concerns that are out there for community colleges today I will say that I enjoyed reading this and felt that the author was open and honest about the issues he addressed.


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Generation on a Tightrope: A Portrait of Today's College Student

About the Book
An understanding of today’s undergraduate college students is vital to the effectiveness of our nation’s colleges and universities. As Generation on a Tightrope clearly reveals, today’s students need a very different education than the undergraduates who came before them: an education for the 21st Century, which colleges and universities are so far ill-equipped to offer and which will require major changes of them to provide. Examining college student expectations, aspirations, academics, attitudes, values, beliefs, social life, and politics, this book paints an accurate portrait of today’s students. Timely and comprehensive, this volume offers educators, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and employers guidance and a much-needed grasp of the forces shaping the experiences of current undergraduates. The book:

• Is based on completely new research of 5,000 college students and student affairs practitioners from 270 diverse college campuses
• Explores the similarities and differences between today’s generation of students and previous generations

My Take on the Book
While I am not a part of the generation that was being spoken about in the book, I work with this generation on a daily basis as a college administrator. In reading this book I will say that I have seen many parallels with the students I work with and the data that is presented in this book. While there are always some differences in students, I believe that the author brings up many valid points that will impact how I and others who work in higher education.

The book was very practical and useful for any person working with this generation. You do have to take the data at face value and know that everything that is presented is not always going to fit every student, but all-in-all the book helps create an image of students in this generation, what they are dealing with and how best people can support them.

In regards to the data collection, I will say that I felt that the longitudinal nature of the study that he did lend credence to this body of work. I love that the data is a mix of qualitative and quantitative data that covers 30 years. This timespan alone is impressive to say the least!

I found the book to be very interesting and it challenged me to think deeper about how I am working with my students and it will definitely do the same for you too!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus

About the Book
How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus fills a gap in the student services and teaching and learning literature by providing a resource that shows how to construct and carry out difficult conversations from various vantage points in the academy. It offers a theory-to-practice model of conversation for the entire college campus that will enable all constituencies to engage in productive and civil dialogue on the most difficult and controversial social, religious, political, and cultural topics.



My Take on the Book
This book truly engages you on a voyage of discovery on how best to bring up and have meaningful dialogue on topics that can be controversial on campus. Being that I work at a law school I am always looking for ways to engage my students in new and fun ways and to push them in their own student development. This book has great ideas and resources that will help you to start these dialogues. The author has some deep beliefs that are shared, but it is in a way that challenges and encourages the reader to delve deeper and to challenge his/her own students to do the same. This book provides a call to action for any educator, and really any person to push the gauntlet on what we have done in the past to change the world for tomorrow. The book is well written and organized and allows the reader to leave with tangible tools that will allow them to take conversations/discussions on their own campus to the next level.

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Budgets and Financial Management in Higher Education

About the Book
In today's challenging economic climate, college and university administrators need reliable financial advice for helping their institutions thrive. Thoroughly revised and updated, this book is designed to help new administrators understand and become more proficient in their financial management role within the institution. Written in an accessible style, so that the book's guidance is immediately useful, the book is grounded in the latest knowledge and filled with illustrative examples from across all types of institutions. This is an ideal resource for courses in graduate programs in higher education leadership and administration.



My Take on the Book
One of the things that was missing in my Masters degree in College Student Personnel was any information in regards to understand and working with budgets in higher education. When I entered the field back in 1999 I had to do a lot of self-education to understand how things worked and how things should work. As I moved into my Doctorate degree I purposely made sure that I took at least one course in this topic, unfortunately there really were few texts that existed at the time to really grasp these concepts so we ended up reading many different authors to try and gain a better, more broad perspective on this topic.

I could only have wished that we had a book as thorough as this one when I was going through my different advanced degrees. The authors of this book were very complete in their examination of the topics. It was well-written and very practical and useful. The book starts at the beginning and works its' way into deeper topics. This format makes it easy to grasp and to work through and for someone who has never had any experiences in this area, it walks you step-by-step through everything that you need to know, or at least gives you a start on your journey!

All-in-all I would highly recommend this for students and staff alike as it was a great read and really opened my eyes, and I have been in the field for 15 years!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - A Short and Happy Guide to Being a Law Student

About the Book
In this important volume, Prof. Paula Franzese, a nationally acclaimed educator, shares essential wisdom on how to be one’s best self in law school, in the practice of law and in life. A SHORT & HAPPY GUIDE TO BEING A LAW STUDENT is an inspirational companion for law students and practitioners. It presents five guideposts for success as well as indispensable advice on how to prepare for class, how to succeed in class and on exams, how to do well on job interviews and how to find meaning in the practice of law. For the past three decades, Paula A. Franzese, the Peter W. Rodino professor of Property, Commercial Law, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and First Amendment Values at Seton Hall Law School, has shared the messages in this book with her students. The result is this compendium to help students of all ages to find success and significance on the law’s path.

Dispelling the cynic’s view of the legal profession, the book presents cause for hope and celebration in the promise and practice of law. It offers heartwarming motivation and useful insights as it guides students and practitioners on how to navigate the challenges of law school, career and daily life. A SHORT & HAPPY GUIDE TO BEING A LAW STUDENT presents the antidote for fear, worry and doubt and an answer to the naysayers.

The book sets forth ways to cope with stress, how to create value in and out of class and at work, how to find teachers and mentors who inspire, what to do in classes and jobs that are uninspiring, how to use social media responsibly, how to find the right career path, how to handle conflict or adversity, what to do before the semester ends, how to prepare for exams and how to avoid common exam-taking pitfalls.

A SHORT & HAPPY GUIDE TO BEING A LAW STUDENT includes:

• A primer on how to read a case book
• How to be prepared for class
• How to use the language of the law to shine in class
• How to present a case, an oral argument or a speech
• What do to when you get called on but do not have an answer
• What do to in classes that leave you uninspired
• How to build an outline to review and study the course material
• The interview: How to make a good first impression
• Exam preparation’s seven points of light
• Exam-taking: Writing a good essay and preparing for objective questions

More than a just a practical, down-to-earth guidebook, A SHORT & HAPPY GUIDE TO BEING A LAW STUDENT inspires and motivates the student and practitioner to pursue excellence and integrity in the pursuit of equal access to justice for all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paula A. Franzese, the Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School, is the creator and editor of the Short and Happy Guide series, and is the author of A Short and Happy Guide to Property and A Short and Happy Guide to Being a Law Student. She is an accomplished scholar in the arenas of government ethics, social justice and the allocation of property rights. Nationally renowned for her excellence in teaching, she is the unprecedented ten-time recipient of the Student Bar Association’s Professor of the Year Award, has been named “Exemplary Teacher” by the American Association of Higher Education and most recently was named one of only 26 “best law teachers in the United States.’’


My Take on the Book
As a college administrator at a law school, I am always looking for new resources that embody the experience of the law student so that I can delve deeper into better understanding of the law student experience. This book was an interesting read and I have to say that the author truly knows her subject matter and shares it in such a way that you know she has experienced and through her examples you are drawn even further into the law student mind and shared experience.

I loved how practical the book was. The author covers almost everything that I would consider having in a book of this topic (and even more than I would have thought). In the end the author transcends her role as a dispassionate voice but instead places herself out there for all to respond too.

I learned quite a bit from this book and I foresee that you will too!


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Helping College Students Find Pupose

About the Book
Today's college students are demanding that their educational experiences address the core questions of meaning and purpose. . . What does it mean to be successful? How will I know what type of career is best for me? Why do I hurt so much when a relationship ends? Why do innocent people have to suffer?

Faculty and administrators are in the unique position to make special contributions to their students' search for meaning, and when they work together, everyone on a college campus benefits. Helping College Students Find Purpose provides a theory-to-practice model of meaning-making that enables the entire campus community to participate in the process. Based on a practical how-to approach, the authors outline a series of concrete steps for applying the theory and practice of meaning-making to teaching, leading, administering, and advising.

Filled with real-life vignettes, this guidebook includes the background knowledge and proven tools that will help faculty and administrators act as effective mentors to students. While there is no single solution that can meet everyone's needs, the authors provide a series of classroom and cross-campus strategies that are specifically designed to help students successfully navigate their diverse meaning-making activities and effectively enhance their quest for meaning.



My Take on the Book
As someone that works with college students on a daily basis, I work to help them make meaning in everything that they do. This book does a great job at inspiring people like me to take it to the next level finding ways to engage better, motivate more and inspire students to move forward in their own development toward a bright, happy and successful future. The process that they go through is not always easy, but it is something that all have to grapple with and something that as professionals we all have to understand. Filled with not only academic prose, I enjoyed the personal stories about students that were interspersed throughout the book as it made my own meaning-making process even more tangible!

After reading through this, while I know that I have grown in my own understanding, I believe that even more important are the resources that I have gained to help the students that I work with.

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration

About the Book
What issues and trends affect higher education and student affairs today? In this fully updated handbook, leading experts discuss the answer to this and other essential questions. They provide a definitive reference for student affairs professionals at all levels of administration and management. The handbook offers specific, practical advice as well as broad approaches to planning and problem solving. It contains modernized discussions on such critical topics as institutional mission, institutional governance, understanding campus environments, finance and budgeting, assessment, program planning, staff selection, training and evaluation, and much more.


My Take on the Book
As a Student Affairs Professional, this was a book that really walks you step-by-step through the profession and what we do on a daily basis to support the students that we work with. It is a totally complete resource for all Student Affairs Personnel. I had read an earlier edition of this, and this is even more complete than the last time I read this. I have staff that never studied Student Affairs so this is going to be a great resource that I can draw from to assist them in better serving their students as well as furthering their own professional development in the field. This was well written and a book that I am so glad that I had the opportunity to re-read and experience again.


----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - FERPA: Clear and Simple

About the Book
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) compliance has always been challenging due to complex regulatory language and exposure to risk. However, institutions that do not comply are in jeopardy of losing federal funding. Accessible and user-friendly, FERPA Clear and Simple clarifies the regulations and provides a ready reference for compliance and problem solving. This need-to-have guide offers critical and relevant material (including the 2008 Amendments) from a new perspective to help staff in student affairs, academic departments, and administrative support positions understand and comply with FERPA guidelines.


My Take on the Book
As a college administrator this is an amazing book that walks you through every aspect of understanding the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). As someone that deals with students daily, I need to be able to maneuver around this act too and sometimes it is a bit unclear. This book completely cleared up so many points that I was a bit hazy on. The book is an amazing resource that I know that I can come back to whenever I need to to better understand what I need to know for the situation that I am dealing with at the point.

The authors of this book have provided clear explanations and examples that you can easily put to work at your own institution. I know for me I have already shared this with my colleagues at my university and I know that I will be keeping this in my own professional library for the foreseeable future!





----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Prep Sportswear Brings Back Vintage Clothing That Stands Out!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

About the Product
In a world where customization helps show who we are, today’s consumers are seeking stylish new ways to stand out in the crowd. Prep Sportswear is shattering the boundaries of stock clothing with unique options that allow individuals multiple designs to create a one of a kind look.

Prep Sportswear is the one stop shop for custom apparel and gear featuring your school, college, Greek, military and more. Their portfolio of brands covers all the bases and offers officially licensed merchandise in styles that speak to your individual taste. “Just because you go to the same school doesn’t mean you are the same person,” says Chad Hartvigson Founder and CEO who went on to say, “I created Prep Sportswear as a way for people to show their affiliation in a way that shouts who they are!”

The custom process starts with picking your school, college or other organization. Then choose from a wide array of t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, etc... and select the logo along with custom options. Prep Sportswear uses quality materials that include 100% cotton, organic and performance from brands such as Russell, Alternative Apparel, Champion and other trusted manufacturers, so you are guaranteed to get a comfortable fit no matter what you order. For those that are looking to customize other aspects of life, they have you covered. Personalize everything from backpacks to iPad and cell phone skins, to blankets, scarves and towels. From start to finish, your guaranteed a look made just for you!

My Take on the Product
Are you ever looking to get a new shirt or sweatshirt for your favorite team (Both well known and more obscure)? If so, I would recommend heading over to Prep Sportswear to check out the large array of clothing that they have available. You will find teams that you know as well as teams that you may never have even considered in the past. On top of this they have so much more than just sports team as well. I was able (as you can see) to try out a new Detroit Lions Hooded Sweatshirt. The Sweatshirt quality was top notch and the letters on the front were screen printed on (though there were embroidered options on some as well). In looking at the website, I liked how much customization you can do on the apparel that you are planning to purchase as well as it allows you to make your apparel truly your own. 

All-in-all this was a great company with so much to choose from. While you will not find all teams, you will find a ton! I encourage you to go and check out Prep Sportswear for yourself to see what you can find!
----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com