Broke!: A College Student's Guide to Getting By On Less    edited by Supurna Banerjee Order:  USA  Can Kaplan, 2003 (2003) Softcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Where was this little book when I was at college? It's full of tips and web resources contributed by current students and recent grads, who share what worked for them. And Trent and Seppy throw in regular commonsense Reality Checks on topics like debt avoidance, to make the guide even more useful. It begins Going Straight to the Source (how to coax funds from mom and dad) and moves on through Budgeting Basics and Banking 101 to No Free Rides (on scholarships and loans), Savvy Shopping (for textbooks and supplies), College Gourmet (cheap eating hasn't changed since my university days when tuna casserole was also a regular menu item), Entertainment Value, The Cost of Greek Life, travelling tips (e.g. avoiding Spring Break scams) and housing advice (including handy Roommate Rules!) Some of these tips are kind of funny, like the unexpected health care costs that can be incurred by a bat bite, or the suggestion to freeze your credit card in a block of ice in between essential outlays. And then there are resourceful ways to make money, including volunteering for psych experiments, and counting cars going through an intersection 'for fifty bucks an hour' (wouldn't mind doing that one myself!) Broke! is a cute little manual, perfect as a stocking stuffer for any student on your holiday list. And parents can learn a thing or two from it too, in particular how to avoid a broke offspring's blandishments for cash. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews