After finally removing Christmas tree decorations from my apartment last weekend, it seems hard to believe spring break is just a few hours away. Harder still, is believing that in a few short months, I'll be enjoying my last summer break, leaving me wondering if I'm really ready to face the 'real world.'

Bob Roth's The 4 Realities of Success During and After College serves as a good guideline to help students prepare for and excel in their futures.

Roth outlines his book into four different segments, which he terms "realities," that emphasize ways to be successful in college, land a good job, work effectively at a job and survive independently.

The 4 Realities uses simple outlines that illustrate key issues in being successful. Roth touches everything from choosing the right college to balancing a checkbook and establishing a budget that's financially responsible and practical. His outlined style makes it easy to use as a checklist for completing these skills and helps even the largest tasks seem less daunting.

The book is filled with useful tidbits of advice. Although some of it may seem obvious, Roth makes several good points that can easily be overlooked, like something as basic as what outfits are appropriate for certain situations. His advice is effective and simple, and addresses the questions everyone wants to know but is too afraid to ask.

Roth uses his experience as the founder and president of Practical Services Corporation, a company that helps businesses increase employees' effectiveness. His consulting experience shows through in his writing, as he seems to assume the next question people want to know and answers it. Plus, knowing that companies like Nabisco and Seiko have used his experience helps his credibility.

Roth's book is so diverse that I believe anyone, regardless of his or her experience, can learn something new from it. Although the subject matter can be a little dry, Roth's book is so helpful it almost feels as though he's doing a one-on-one personal consultation. Grade: A-

-- Reviewed by Megan Rundle