Congratulations! You have a high school graduate! This is a milestone and you want to give your student just the right gift(s). A graduation gift can be very personal and we have lists of suggestions to get you started. Be sure to check out our list – and then get your creative juices flowing.

Let’s get specific here about some summer (and beyond) reading.

If your student is headed off to college, there’s a lot to learn and understand about the college world, and your student may be both excited and anxious about how things will go. Among those graduation gifts, a book or two (or three or more) might be just the thing for your student to read over the summer as they prepare for college and also take with them for reference later. (Maybe a little surprise tucked into their luggage for discovery while they’re unpacking!)

There a lots and lots of good books about college life, college success, and career readiness out there. We have a full reading list with books for parents and books for students. But for now, here are our top six favorites to gift to your student as they head off to college. You may not want them all, but check them out and see what seems to fit your student best.

Your student’s health:

We recommend both of these books to go off to school with your student. They don’t cover the same material and both will prove to be excellent resources when (not if) your student get sick or just wants to work on a healthy college life style.

The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook by Jill Grimes

• This is like having a Dr. along with you at college. A great reference for what’s wrong and what to do about it.
• (Read our review of the book and listen to our podcast interview with the author)

The Greatest College Health Guide You Never Knew You Needed by Jill and Dave Henry

• Jill and Dave have worked with high school students as coaches. This book addresses all of the healthy lifestyle questions their students have asked over the years. And it’s a fun read, too.
• (Read our review of the book and listen to our podcast interview with the authors)

Prepping, transitioning, and making it work:

How to College: What to Know Before You Go (And When You’re There) by Andrea Brenner

• College transition expert Andrea Brenner shares with students what to expect and what to do once they arrive at college to help make the transition more comfortable.
• (Read our review of the book and listen to our podcast interview with the author)

How to Get the Most Out of College by Elliot Felix

• Set up in short, readable tips, this covers suggestions for about your identity and how to find the groups that will help you feel a sense of belonging on campus. Action oriented and reflective at the same time, this is a great reference.
• (Read our review of the book and listen to our podcast interview with the author)

Success and crushing the GPA:

Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy by Daniel T. Willingham

• Each chapter in this book explores academic pursuits, such as listening to lectures, taking notes, or studying for exams. Willingham describes the challenges and offers helpful strategies that help students improve their learning and boost their confidence.

College Secrets of Highly Successful People by Lindy and Tom Schneider

• Before the authors begin to tell students how to be successful, they help students think about what that means then they weave together important lessons by sharing stories of famous, and not so famous, people. Reading this is fun.
• (Read our review of the book and listen to our podcast interview with the authors)

And a bonus:

The Talking College Card Deck by Andrea Brenner

• This one isn’t a book, but would be a great graduation gift for your high school grad. This set of over 200 conversation prompts will help you and your student discuss the topics that are so important before beginning college. It’s fun to pick a few up every now and then to see what everyone has to say.
• Buy directly from Andrea’s website and save $2.00 off the purchase price with the code CPCSAVE.

Be sure to check out our full list of books for both you and your student. (Parents are making a big transition, too!).

Note: Some links in our post are for affiliate products. If you use our links, College Parent Central receives a small percentage of your purchase price. This does not change the cost to you.  We think it’s only fair to let you know that.