Dorm Living & College Cookbook Book Review

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DORM LIVING: GET THE ROOM – AND THE EXPERIENCE – YOU WANT AT COLLEGE

When high school students think of college life, images of parties, new people, and late-night pizza instantly come to mind. Only upon moving in does a freshman realize the buzz-killing downside to the blissful freedom: a 12 x 12 dorm room often shared with a stranger. With Knack Dorm Living, Casey Lewis–herself a college senior at the University of Missouri–provides the guide she searched for, in vain, in her freshman year. She offers invaluable tips on what to pack and what to buy, what to expect, decorating, clothes, and organizing time and money. This is an ideal high school graduation gift for high school seniors — both girls and guys — set to move away from home.

COLLEGE COOKBOOK: DORM EATING AND APARTMENT FEASTING

When students start their first year of college, they face a wide array of new experiences: newfound freedom, long study hours, and seemingly endless food choices from campus cafeterias and late-night fast food runs. Schedule changes add stress, and bad eating habits often lead to the dreaded Freshman Fifteen. Enter the Knack College Cookbook, a book that doesn’t quite guarantee weight loss, but is jam-packed with enough healthy, budget-friendly choices to keep the pounds at bay. The first three chapters — known as the “gear” chapters — cover food staples, essential utensils, and basic cooking techniques. A section on nutrition, portion control, and healthy substitutions will help students balance their diets and curb bad habits. Full-color photos accompany 350 step-by-step, easy-to-make recipes and variations directed at both dorm dwellers and full-kitchen apartment dwellers; this book will have something for college students for all four years.