5 Must Read Self-Help Books for Students

You can never go wrong with a good book. Reading improves your vocabulary, writing skills, and teaches you valuable lessons about life. Books can leave such a positive impact on teenagers, especially self-help books. This genre can help you better explore life, guide you toward your goals, and inspire you to be who you are rather than who everyone else expects you to be.

We’ve compiled five must read self-help books for students to get you started on your reading journey:

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie’s best-selling book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, is a self-help guide on interpersonal relationships, communication strategies and attitudes towards life. Since its release in 1936, this book has sold more than 30 million copies.

This book is filled with rock-solid advice that has helped thousands of people climb the ladder of success in their personal lives. Carnegie starts with the weaknesses of human nature and offers readers various methods to avoid or overcome them. Carnegie believes that financial success is “15% due to professional knowledge and 85% due to the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people.”

Read the book and learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

In this book, Covey uses his own experience to communicate with teenagers in an engaging way. Through vivid stories and cartoons, this book helps high school students break through the boundaries of "average" and stand out from the crowd, and offers seven habits to help teens improve self-esteem, build friendships, resist peer pressure and tackle the new challenges of the current time such as social media.

This book is also an indispensable read for parents, teachers and adults.

3. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

“Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” was written by Carol Dweck, a world-renowned Stanford University psychologist. This book has topped Amazon's psychology booklist for a decade. Dweck introduces a phenomenon called “false growth mindset” and guides people to adopt a truer growth mindset, a mindset that believes abilities can be developed.

Dweck also applies the concept of mindsets to larger groups and shows that, with the right mindset, everyone can inspire those you lead, teach and love, and work together to change their lives as well as your own.

4. What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, by Richard Nelson Bolles, Carol Christen, Jean M. Blomquist

In today's competitive environment, it’s becoming more and more challenging to figure out the right path post-graduation. This book’s authors help direct high school seniors and college students to realistic career goals and define the unique passions that will lead students to their dream job.

This book is based on the “Parachute Method” developed by author Richard Bolles. The method provides an overview of job outlooks, income potential, personality traits needed for success, required skills, recommended types of training, colleges matching the chosen field, and the steps to take toward reaching your chosen field.

With the latest updates on the specific challenges of today's job market, this book contains a lot of big-picture advice that will help you find a path that's best for you and help you develop into the person you want to be.

5. The Mindfulness Journal for Teens: Prompts and Practices to Help You Stay Cool, Calm, and Present by Jennie Marie Battistin MA LMFT

We know you have a lot going on in your life, and balancing school, your social life, and your other responsibilities can be overwhelming. That’s where this mindfulness journal comes in.

According to Mindful.org, “mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”  Practicing mindfulness can not only help you improve your focus–which can help you complete your homework more quickly and easily–but it can also help you manage day-to-day stress.

Final Thoughts on Self-Help Books for Students

These are just a few of the most-impactful self-help books we’ve found for students. Didn’t see something you felt drawn to? No worries! There are endless books available online, at your local bookstore, or at a library near you, so you’re sure to find a book that you connect with.

Looking for more guidance on your study? Sign-up for UPchieve and get access to free online tutors and college counselors when you need it. Our tutors will not only help you with your academic problems but also help you develop good learning habits and work together towards success. Sign up today!