“I wrote this book because I wanted to help students make the transition from high school to college, but it includes helpful information for high school students and college students of all ages. I hope that my experiences will assist others. My book includes tips for balancing schoolwork and social activities, being a leader on campus, making great grades, getting along with roommates, and planning for a happy and successful year. I also include advice on networking, branding, managing your money and landing great internships,” says Sood, who is an AXA Equitable national scholarship recipient and founder of Esteem 4 Girls.
According to Sood, simple steps such as buying and using an agenda can make the difference between excelling and failing in college. “Having an agenda will help keep you organized and help you avoid being penalized for late assignments. You should keep all of your professors’ office hours in your agenda so you can reach them when you need help.”
Sood also suggests that students plan far in advance for success. “It’s important to have a plan that includes the small steps you will take to help you achieve your goal. If you want straight As, for example, your plan should include the amount of time you will need to study every day to reach this goal.”
Throughout Freshman Fifteen, Sood shares personal experiences that have helped her to excel in college, have fun, make a difference on and off campus, and develop leadership skills. She writes about factors that inspired her to start her anti-bullying program and her program to help young women build their self-esteem. She says that her involvement in organizations such as Girl Scouts of America, Jack and Jill of America, Leadership University, and Save the Children helped her to develop essential leadership skills. Her book includes the step-by-step plans that students can follow in order to create a successful community service project.
Freshman Fifteen: The Most Important Things I Learned in My First Year of College, by Tuskegee sophomore Aneesa Sood, is now available electronically on Amazon.com. The paperback edition will be available in February, 2014. Sood, who is the founder of the award-winning anti-bullying program But Words Will Never Hurt Me, has been featured in US News and World Report online and in Justine Magazine. She is an Eminent Scholar at Tuskegee, where she is studying biology.
For more information on Freshman Fifteen: The Most Important Things I Learned in My First Year of College, visit amazon.com or https://www.facebook.com/EmpowermentLeadershipProgram.
