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missmethven 's review for:
Being an Adult: the ultimate guide to moving out, getting a job, and getting your act together
by Lucy Tobin, Kat Poole
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
I’ll start off by saying that this book is full of crazy good advice from the get go, everything is explained in a very easy way - no jargon or hard to understand lingo - which makes every day issues seem more accessible than they often seem. I also really liked that you can skip over parts that don’t apply to you - for example, for me the how to pass your driving test or finding your career path weren’t things I needed help with! The addition of lots of links at the back of the book is the perfect way to close off all the fabulous advice and tips.
That being said there were a few things that I didn’t enjoy. The main thing really is that a lot of the sections need to be broadened:
I’m Scottish and I felt that the book centres around England and leaves out other UK countries - NHS England and prescription costs (free in Scotland) & union information. I would have liked to see research done for more inclusivity and given the amount of research that went in to other sections, it was disappointing. The section on student loans discusses repayment breakdowns etc but again focuses on England only - Scottish people still get student loans/bursaries (not as much as in the rest of the UK because education is free here ) - does that section apply to Scottish people too or was the research limited to England again?
The work section is very centred around office jobs (isolating to those of us working outwith those parameters) and while the information can apply to certain things there are specifics that are mostly office related (i.e. networking). It’s easy enough to skip over those parts though so not a huge deal.
The section about ending friendships includes a part where it’s suggested you make an excuse if you don’t want to see someone - I don’t like that at all, the book is better than that.
The section on money is generally good advice but as someone who has to budget regularly it’s not easy to stick to certain parameters when inflation continues to rise but our wages don’t - it is becoming increasingly hard to stretch my incomings each month (especially when I already limit my spending to the basics) so it’s not always easy to stick to the advice given here. There’s only so much that people can do with what they have - the rest is out of our hands.
The ‘Rent’ section of ‘How To Find A Home’ is geared toward London and flatshares with friends.
The final and more specific bugbear is the advice about when best to contact doctors surgeries (they suggest in the afternoon) - unfortunately they aren’t always quieter in the afternoon (especially if they close for lunch) so it’s sometimes very hard to get through any time of day (I would argue the afternoon can be harder than most) - I work in healthcare and communicating with GP surgeries is a huge component of my job. Sticking with the health section I felt that the addition of calories didn’t need to be included within it.
That being said there were a few things that I didn’t enjoy. The main thing really is that a lot of the sections need to be broadened:
I’m Scottish and I felt that the book centres around England and leaves out other UK countries - NHS England and prescription costs (free in Scotland) & union information. I would have liked to see research done for more inclusivity and given the amount of research that went in to other sections, it was disappointing. The section on student loans discusses repayment breakdowns etc but again focuses on England only - Scottish people still get student loans/bursaries (not as much as in the rest of the UK because education is free here ) - does that section apply to Scottish people too or was the research limited to England again?
The work section is very centred around office jobs (isolating to those of us working outwith those parameters) and while the information can apply to certain things there are specifics that are mostly office related (i.e. networking). It’s easy enough to skip over those parts though so not a huge deal.
The section about ending friendships includes a part where it’s suggested you make an excuse if you don’t want to see someone - I don’t like that at all, the book is better than that.
The section on money is generally good advice but as someone who has to budget regularly it’s not easy to stick to certain parameters when inflation continues to rise but our wages don’t - it is becoming increasingly hard to stretch my incomings each month (especially when I already limit my spending to the basics) so it’s not always easy to stick to the advice given here. There’s only so much that people can do with what they have - the rest is out of our hands.
The ‘Rent’ section of ‘How To Find A Home’ is geared toward London and flatshares with friends.
The final and more specific bugbear is the advice about when best to contact doctors surgeries (they suggest in the afternoon) - unfortunately they aren’t always quieter in the afternoon (especially if they close for lunch) so it’s sometimes very hard to get through any time of day (I would argue the afternoon can be harder than most) - I work in healthcare and communicating with GP surgeries is a huge component of my job. Sticking with the health section I felt that the addition of calories didn’t need to be included within it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia
Mention of calories and how to manage/reduce intake