College can be one of the most exciting transitional periods in a person’s life, with seemingly endless freedom and opportunity. However, it can also be filled with emotional and academic uncertainty.
Throughout these formative years, I have turned to books, specifically memoirs from a diverse range of authors that offer insight into their lives and journeys. These books helped guide me through my own experiences, while also offering an enjoyable escape.
"Make Something Wonderful" by Steve Jobs (2023)
This book presents Steve Jobs’ philosophy, reflections and viewpoints on Apple alongside selected speeches, emails and interviews. It chronicles his journey after founding Apple, including his departure from the company, his work at Pixar and his eventual return to Apple.
The book goes beyond a traditional memoir recounting Jobs’ path through Apple and Pixar. It offers practical insights and advice, especially for young people navigating life and careers. It also features Jobs’ renowned Stanford commencement address and explores how the speech came together, providing inspirational guidance for graduating and college-aged students.
“Make what you love your work,” Jobs said at the end of the commencement address.
I found this quote to be a useful gauge in my search for a company to intern with., The quote emphasizes how we spend so much of our lives working that, if possible, we should find work we love. Overall, this book is a strong starting point for anyone who feels stuck trying to figure out what they want to do for work.
"Educated" by Tara Westover (2018)
This memoir is written by memoirist Tara Westover, who grew up in a survivalist Mormon family. She recounts her unconventional childhood, during which she did not attend school and instead worked in her family’s junkyard and sustained life-threatening injuries. She avoided doctors, survived abuse within her family and eventually pursued an education, earning a doctorate from the University of Cambridge.
The book offers a powerful perspective on the importance of education, both academically and emotionally, from someone who was not allowed to attend school and instead had to fight for her education. Westover emphasizes how education shaped her personal development.
“An education is not so much about making a living as making a person,” Westover wrote.
The memoir also evoked strong emotions, leaving me feeling frustrated and confused because it challenged my beliefs about healing and relationships with loved ones. At the same time, this reaction felt meaningful. As students, this period of transition is an important time to challenge our beliefs, as we are often more open to accepting new ideas. This beautifully written memoir is a must-read.
"Know My Name" by Chanel Miller (2019)
This memoir is written from the perspective of survivor Chanel Miller in the infamous Stanford University sexual assault case and addresses the long-lasting trauma caused by sexual assault. The book responds to the criticism and blame she faced after coming forward. It is notable for taking readers through Miller’s experiences before, during and after the assault and showing how profoundly it affected her life.
Many students have become desensitized when reading or discussing sexual assault, and discussions often center on perpetrators rather than survivors, as Miller points out.
“We force her to think hard about what this will mean for his life, even though he never considered what his actions would do to her,” Miller wrote.
This book helps restore empathy and evokes an emotional response by recalling the trauma and real-life experience behind it. Personally, I found it jarring to read about how Miller was treated in court, by Stanford University and by the perpetrator’s family.
"Becoming" by Michelle Obama (2018)
In her memoir “Becoming,” Michelle Obama recalls the struggles she and former President Barack Obama faced during his election campaign. The book offers a candid perspective on what it is like to live so publicly in the political spotlight. It also explores Michelle Obama’s personal life in greater depth, which is especially compelling. She is open about her struggles with feeling fulfilled by her work, pivoting her career and balancing the demands of being a working mother with a politically active husband in the public eye.
This book is particularly important for students because Michelle Obama shows that becoming your own person is not always a linear process. It was reassuring to learn that an Ivy League graduate working at a top law firm in the country still felt uncertain about what she wanted to do professionally.
“I felt empty doing it, even if I was plenty good at it,” Michelle Obama wrote. “This was a distressing thing to admit, given how hard I’d worked and how in debt I was. In my blinding drive to excel, in my need to do things perfectly, I’d missed the signs and taken the wrong road.”
It is the honesty behind her seemingly perfect life that truly intrigued me.
I read each of these books at different points in college without really looking for any advice or meaning that I would take away, but somehow these books did leave a lasting impact on me, which is why I want to share these books with you. I hope, whether you are trying to find something or not, these books are a great read!
