Each year bright-eyed freshmen arrive on campus anticipating success and the freedom--finally--to enjoy life as an adult. But too many of those students fail to complete their first year. Some may enter college for the wrong reasons. Some may be overwhelmed by academic or social pressures. Some may discover that their goals and motivations have changed or are not well matched with their chosen institution. And some students need more time and breadth of experience before entering college. As a tenured professor at Southern Methodist University, Dr. Carol Reynolds watched the students come and go, listened to their frustrations, and helped to put some of them back on track. She explains that failure is often predictable . . . and avoidable! Dr. Reynolds lays out the primary reasons for failure based on her personal experience and observations in the trenches. More than that, she offers a lighthearted prescription, to students and parents alike, for avoiding the pitfalls and turning college into a rewarding experience.