Embrace Your Freedom: Winning Strategies to Succeed in College and in Life

As a parent navigating the tightrope walk between encouraging independence and providing support, I found Embrace Your Freedom: Winning Strategies to Succeed in College and in Life to be more than just a guidebook for incoming college students—it’s a heartfelt and deeply practical manual for launching young adults into the world. Written by Philip A. Glotzbach, President Emeritus of Skidmore College, the book is part roadmap, part pep talk, and part life philosophy, all grounded in decades of experience in higher education and parenting.

What stands out most is Glotzbach’s understanding of the emotional and intellectual leap college demands. In the opening chapter, he likens the transition to being “between trapezes”—a vivid and honest metaphor for the exhilaration and fear students (and their parents) feel during this life change. He doesn’t downplay the challenges, but instead frames them as opportunities for growth. This sets the tone for the book’s central message: embracing freedom requires responsibility, self-awareness, and intention.

Glotzbach structures the book in three thoughtful sections: the “Big Picture” of what a college education is really for; “Eight Steps to a Highly Successful Life,” which reads like a motivational yet grounded checklist; and finally, a crucial section for parents. As a mother, I especially appreciated Chapters 10 and 11, which address our role in this journey—not as managers, but as partners. The advice to “be supportive but not intrusive” resonates, and I found myself bookmarking passages to return to during moments of worry or uncertainty.

Throughout, Glotzbach draws on real stories—like that of Chris, a Skidmore alum who shifted from aspiring writer to successful app developer—to illustrate the unpredictable yet rewarding paths that liberal arts education can foster. His argument that students need a “cognitive Swiss Army knife” to thrive in a rapidly evolving job market is both compelling and reassuring, especially for those of us who worry about the future our children are stepping into.

What elevates this book beyond standard college prep fare is its emphasis on lifelong learning, civic engagement, and personal integrity. Glotzbach doesn’t just want students to graduate; he wants them to become thoughtful, resilient, and responsible citizens. His voice is warm, wise, and refreshingly unpretentious.

Whether you’re a student preparing for campus life or a parent navigating the letting-go process, Embrace Your Freedom offers comfort and challenge. It reminded me that education is not just about career readiness—it’s about becoming fully human. And that’s a message worth passing on.