For the brainless idiots out there, the book is not a serious composition on the difficulties college screw-ups face in day-to-day life with pretty pictures and diagrams included for further comprehension. It’s good, old-fashioned satire meant to help relax students with frazzled nerves.
While managing to offend everyone from studious library-goers to anyone in the Greek system to liberal arts majors, Bruce takes a light-hearted approach to the college dream of late-night parties, showing up to class only when absolutely necessary and spending five minutes doing homework and studying per night.
Although the point of the book was to make fun of the college experience, many of the revelations Bruce makes are rooted in reality.
Take for instance his idea of a “good, hardworking student,” who studies hard, does extra credit, pulls all-nighters, spends long hours in the library and joins “honor societies, student government and academic discussion groups.” In all actuality, many “good” students do all the aforementioned things because those activities have a positive effect on one’s academic experience.
Though it is true that there are many straight-laced students on campus, let’s face it – parties featuring excessive drinking and failed attempts at picking up good-looking guys or girls are a reality. It was refreshing to see an adult openly admit in print what goes on in university social life, since university officials and representatives are discouraged from bringing up the taboo topic of alcohol and students.
His three basic values and priorities of sleep, sex and partying (not necessarily in that order) stereotype the average student, but at the same time portray the life of some students.
Of particular interest is Bruce’s critique of the Greek system, which he portrays as “a bunch of wasted lunatics on an all-out, tribal babe hunt.”
Specifically at N.C. State, the Greeks are working to change the image of the system from wild partiers to classy professionals. The fact remains, however, that Greeks are well known for their social events involving alcohol and their elitism, making Bruce’s portrayal somewhat serious.
When it comes to giving advice on how to screw up in non-science classes, Bruce actually hits the nail on the head.
The key to English is to write terribly but slowly improve as the semester wears on since professors grade objectively by how much progress a student has made throughout the course. Not bad advice, if one is shooting for a C-.
Screwing up in philosophy class is as simple as speaking in “long-winded, redundant, run-on sentences” and making sure nothing said makes sense to anyone. As a student taking philosophy and having had conversations with a philosophy major, this advice sums up the entire field of philosophy in fewer words than any philosophy professor or major ever could.
Watch out physical education majors! Bruce is even less kind to them than to fraternity and sorority members. He says the jocks from high school enter into college without much change.
“They just barely graduated high school, received a negative score on their SATs and still possess the IQ of seaweed. All of which means that they are just slightly overqualified to major in phys ed,” Bruce wrote.
Although this particular passage is quite hilarious and clever, even I am slightly offended at the stereotyping. Not to sound pretentious (okay, a little pretentious), but I was a high school athlete and in the top ten of my class, which means that not all athletes are dumb as rocks. In fact, N.C. State athletics places special emphasis on doing well both on and off the field.
Keeping in mind that the book was meant to poke fun at anyone and everyone, Bruce did an excellent job analyzing the inner working of college life. But for someone who advocates striving for a C- average, he is an effectual writer who can appeal to both brainless idiots and academic geniuses with his sense of humor and surprising insight.
