College Students! discussion

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the group or the site in general. We will all be happy to help you as we know sometimes it can be overwhelming to join a new community!

I decided to put together some FAQ's because I know sometimes people have questions and don't want to ask them. So..let me know if there are any things that you think should be on here..maybe things that you didn't understand when you came to the group.

Q: I’m new, where should I begin?

A: Welcome, first of all! I would suggest going to the New Member’s Corner. There is a thread to introduce yourself to us and there is also a thread called “A to Z” to get know each other. From there I would browse around the folders and look at new and old threads. Sometimes threads become “dead” but they become quite active after a new member revives them by posting something. Some easy threads to comment in when you are new would be:
-What Are You Reading/Just Finished Thread under the folder “Books, books, books,” to let everyone know what you are currently reading. I’ve found so many great books through seeing what others are reading.
- Schools under the “College Talk” folder: It’s nice to see where everyone is from. We have members from the east coast to the west coast to all the way across the ocean.
-Majors/Minors under the “College Talk” folder: Our members have such a variety of different majors! It’s nice to find others who have the same interests as far as schooling.
-Facebook/blogs, etc. under the General folder: A nice way to connect with other members via Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.

Q: How do your group reads work?

A: We generally have 2 group reads per month unless otherwise stated. Our group reads are nominated by our members. This takes place at the beginning of the month. We have two group reads to see that there might be a choice that suits everyone.
We have two categories. The first category is always just a general fiction/nonfiction category. You can nominate ANYTHING. The second category varies from month to month. We might have a classic category where the only accepted nominations are classics or a Halloween themed book where only scary/spooky books are accepted. Members are allowed to nominate one book for either category 1 or category 2. Not both. The reason for this is so that more people have a chance to nominate. We accept 12 nominations for each category.
After the nomination period is over, we then put up two separate polls for each category. We then notify members that the polls are up. The polls stay up about a week and then you have the rest of the month to get the group read. You can choose to read all, one, or none. It’s not mandatory. We then set up discussion threads about the books at the beginning of that month. Discussion is a free form basically. Sometimes discussion questions are posted and sometimes they are not. You have the option to lead the group read if you were the one who nominated it. But it is in NO way necessary that you do if you would not like to.

Q: Help! I don’t know what the group is reading this month or next month.

A: To find what we are reading this month or next month you can:

- There is a thread under Monthly Group Read that is called Currently Reading/Upcoming Reads. We keep that updated with what we are currently reading and, if we have voted on it, what will be read next month.
-check the bookshelf to see what we are currently reading and there is an option under “to read” that shows what we will be reading. You can find the bookshelf on the right hand side of the group home.
- You can always ask any of us! We will be more than happy to let you know what we are reading and where to find it!

Q: I want to nominate a book but I don’t know what you have all read in the past. Can you tell me what books have been past group reads?
A: Towards the bottom of the group there is a folder called Past Discussions of Group Reads. The first thread is the master list of our past group reads. This is also helpful if you would like to discuss a book we have already read. Members are always revisiting past group reads to get the discussion going again.

Q: I want to start a new thread topic. How do I do that? Where do I put it?

A: That’s great! It’s always nice to have a variety of threads to keep the group active and lively. First, I would suggest checking through the threads a bit to make sure the topic was not already created. There are a lot of topics but they are pretty well broken down in folders so it’s easy to just glance in a folder to see what has already been talked about. If you do not see one, then feel free to start a new topic! To do this, decide what folder you think it would best fit in. Don’t be too concerned if it’s not in the right folder. I can always move it for you. I’ll message you to let you know if I moved it and where. After you choose the folder, hit the button “view all”. There will be a link that says “New Topic”. You then can enter in a title and then enter the body of your discussion.