Whether a college-bound student is in their senior year of high school or has already graduated and is on summer vacation, it’s never too early to get ahead by reading the right texts. That doesn’t mean heading to the library and checking out a book on economics or sociology. Rather, literature is taught throughout all four years of a college education. So instead of waiting, students can get started with the following list of titles.
American Literature
One part of American literature are stories that are character driven. They exemplify how authors can put onto pages the many internal conflicts people face in their lives. They include:
-The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
-Moby Dick by Herman Melville
-As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
-Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
Another characterization of American literature are the books that work for social change or that point out failure in areas as complicated as politics and racial relations. Consider reading these works:
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
-The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
-Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
-Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
World Literature
The works assigned in college certainly go beyond the borders of the United States. Students can expect to read works about events and characters from all over the world. Many works of world literature give students a perspective of history such as:
-Heart of Darknes by Joseph Conrad
-The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
-Night by Elie Wiesel
-Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The summer before college starts isn’t a time to take a break or start slacking. While students should certainly try to enjoy the free time that they have, it can be highly beneficial to get a jump start by reading one hour a day some of the major works they will be assigned in college.