In his new book, “The Things I Learned in College,” author Sean-Michael Green reveals a fascinating inside look at life in the elite institutions known as the Ivy League. Plenty of students have preconceived notions of what it would be like to attend an Ivy — indeed, the eight east coast schools have impressive, intimidating reputations.
Notions of rich, preppy students, beautiful old campuses and cutthroat academic competition permeate the cultural imagination. Green, who plans to release his book this May, examines just how much weight these preconceptions carry.
Over the course of a year, Green spent approximately 30 days at each Ivy League campus — sitting in on classes, interviewing students, attending parties and participating in other extracurricular activities. The result is a book filled with funny anecdotes and surprising observations that detail each school’s distinct characteristics and personality.
The book, a light read, is sprinkled with plenty of humor to keep it interesting, and although Green’s writing style is relatively simplistic, he gets his point across.
For example, Green devotes approximately one chapter to each school, prefacing with a witty “How many Cornell students does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” joke modified to fit the relevant stereotypes.
His account, based on quite specific personal experiences, makes the work subjective at times, but he tries to give a fair depiction of the schools despite any biases. The true value of the book is in the personal nature of Green’s storytelling. Rather than spewing facts, Green gives readers a remarkable sense of the intangibles involved in Ivy League life.
For instance, it’s not hard to find information on Dartmouth’s geographic isolation — i.e., in the middle of a forest — but Green shows how this plays a role in the social lives of students at the college. Certain aspects of a college cannot be found out from Googling it, and Green does an impressive job of relaying such crucial details.
As a self-professed college fanatic, Green finds the merits of each school along the journey. While he never claims outright to prefer one college over another, he explores what students like and dislike about each one, allowing the reader to decide which ones sound more or less appealing.
“The Things I Learned In College” provides a unique look at the most high-profile schools in the country. Green’s dedication to discovering the realities of day-to-day life at the Ivies, relayed in telling anecdotes, makes this an excellent resource for any reader curious about these institutions.
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