Read it and reap

[lead]Arts & Lit Editor, Molly Forsythe, compiles a list of must read content for Freshers.[/lead][hr gap="2"]“[dropcap style= boxed]S[/dropcap]o you’re in the middle of your very first week at UCC and it’s pretty exciting, but absolutely terrifying. It’s much bigger than your old school, you don’t know anyone and you have no idea what the Western Gateway Building is, not to mention how to get to it!In the meantime, why not take a break from the craziness that is Freshers’ Week with a good book? Each of the items listed below deals with some of the most important aspects of university life. This is the most important reading list you will receive in your first few weeks here at UCC. This isn’t like the other lists which, if you are anything like me, will either: a) get tea spilt all over them; or, b) vanish only to reappear inexplicably six months later in the cutlery drawer!Learning LessonsNora Ephron’s 1996 Wellesley Commencement Address: Nora Ephron graduated from Wellesley College in 1962, interning at the White House under JFK, and writing some of the most adored rom-coms in cinema history including When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. In this speech, she notes how access to education in the US has changed drastically in the 34 years since she graduated. “We weren't meant to have futures, we were meant to marry them,” she remarks. For me, Ephron’s speech delivers an inspiring message of self-reliance, independence and ambition and is a must read for any Fresher.Love and Other DrugsOne Day – David Nicholls: If you’re the kind of reader that prefers their romance with a good, healthy dollop of realism, this is the book for you. This novel charts one of the ultimate will they/ won’t they relationships in literature for one day over the course of twenty years. Dexter and Emma’s epic romance begins the night of graduation and continues throughout their adult life. I can guarantee you that One Day will make you laugh as much as you will cry. Ideal for calming down after a tough day running around campus; this book is the literary equivalent of a night in with The Notebook and a big tub of ice-cream… Just remember to have Kleenex at hand!How to win friends and influence peopleSeconds - Bryan Lee O’Malley: What would you do if you could go back in time and fix past mistakes? O’Malley’s modern day fairy-tale follows the protagonist, Katie, as she attempts to rectify her errors and repair relationships using a bag of (don’t laugh) magic mushrooms. Much like Katie’s mushrooms, college is perceived by many as the ultimate “do-over” spell – a chance to move on from the battles of secondary school, as well as an opportunity to meet new people and make friends. Put simply, the ultimate moral of Seconds is: ‘Don’t be a dick’, treat your friends well and don’t leave old pals in the lurch.I hope this list will provide some valuable guidance and support (in a way that only a book can) to help you get through the typical trials and tribulations that everyone faces in their first few weeks of college.