Gen X Guides

REAL LIFE • STRAIGHT TALK • NEXT CHAPTERS

We grew up without a manual.
They don’t have to.

Practical, relatable guidance for the moments when college gets real... for both residential and commuter students, parents, and the schools preparing them.

Shop the Guides For Schools & Counselors

Digital guides students and parents can return to when the questions suddenly become real.

Getting into college is only part of being ready for college.

The acceptance letter answers where they’re going.
It doesn’t teach them what to do when they get there.

THE COLLEGE COLLECTION

Support for both sides of the transition.

Two practical guides. One shared goal: helping students navigate college with more confidence, independence, and perspective through real-life guidance for the situations nobody puts on the syllabus.

FOR STUDENTS

The College Student Survive & Thrive Guide

Practical, relatable guidance for the academic, social, financial, emotional, and everyday realities of college life.

Includes a dedicated commuter section for students learning how to make campus theirs even when they don’t live there.

Inside the College Student Survive & Thrive Guide, including the dedicated College Commuter section and topic highlights.
View Student Guide

FOR PARENTS

The College Parent Survive & Thrive Guide

Practical, relatable guidance for the moments when parenting a college student feels emotional, unfamiliar, or hard to read.

Real-life support for stepping back without disappearing, handling homesickness, responding to academic struggles, understanding when they change, and knowing when to help and when to hold steady.

Inside the College Parent Survive & Thrive Guide showing key topics included in the guide.
View Parent Guide

WHY GEN X GUIDES?

Life transitions can be exciting, overwhelming, and unfamiliar. Gen X Guides turns lived experience into practical advice that helps people feel more prepared for what comes next, especially when real life gets messy.

1

Clarity at the Moment of Need

Advice is easier to use when it’s direct, practical, and available right when the problem shows up.

2

Better Conversations

Students and parents get practical language and useful printouts for conversations that can otherwise turn into avoidance, panic, or conflict.

3

Know When to Get Help

Independence doesn’t mean figuring out everything alone. The guides reinforce using professors, campus services, and trusted people early.

FOR HIGH SCHOOLS & GUIDANCE DEPARTMENTS

Help students prepare for college, not just get into college.

Guidance counselors already help seniors navigate applications, financial aid, deadlines, college selection, and graduation. Gen X Guides extends that preparation into the everyday academic, social, financial, and emotional realities students face after they arrive.

The Equity Impact

Not every student has the same level of guidance at home. School-wide access gives every graduating senior a practical baseline of information, regardless of who they happen to know or which conversations happened at home.

Practical support students can return to when the guidance counselor isn’t standing next to them.

Ask About Institutional Licensing See School Options

Flexible ways schools can use the guides

  • Senior transition programming
  • College & career readiness initiatives
  • Senior seminars or advisory periods
  • Parent information nights
  • Graduation preparation
  • Digital resources for students and families
  • Guidance department resources
Institutional & Bulk Access
  • Student Guide
  • Parent Guide
  • Family Bundle (both Guides)

THE GEN X VOICE

Firm. Funny. Kind. Memorable.

“Use your words before you use your attitude.”
“Stop trying to solve the semester. Solve today.”
“Confusion is not a relationship status.”
“Don’t pay tuition for the same lesson twice.”

LET’S TALK

For families, schools, and organizations.

Questions about the guides, institutional licensing, or bulk access? Reach out directly.

Shop the Guides Contact Gen X Guides