NORTH CAMPUS DAYS

About the Book

During my first year at UCLA, I often wondered if I had chosen the right school.  To me, college meant having a big group of friends and finding the girl of my dreams.  Much to my dismay, neither of these things was happening.  Classes were too big, friends non-existent.  The imposing institution was swallowing me whole.

Because I lived at home and wasn't very outgoing, the odds were stacked against me.  Sure, I met a few people here and there, but they were merely passing acquaintances.  By June, I had made no inroads whatsoever and faced my sophomore year starting at square one.  I felt like such a loser; I had missed out on a whole year of fun!

My second year didn't start off any better.  It was more of the same . . . 500-seat lecture halls, no group of friends, no relief in sight.  I started spending more time on campus, figuring something had to break.  Just when I was ready to give up, I ran into a guy I knew from high school.  He seemed to be enjoying UCLA much more than I was.  A few days later, he introduced me to some of his friends.  Soon, I had some folks to hang out with.  It was a bit awkward at first, but at least it was something.

The new people were diverse and fun.  They had known each other for a year already, but didn't mind welcoming me into the fold.  Their regular meeting place was a popular outdoor community known as “North Campus.”  Before long, it became my second home.

From freshman orientation to graduation day, North Campus Days offers a unique account of college life with a poignant yet humorous slant.  It is not the typical college tale with the usual characters.  Romance, betrayal, heartache and joy figure prominently as we are drawn into the author's world of relationships with the opposite sex, everyday happenings with his friends, twenty-first birthday parties, good classes, bad classes – all woven into an entertaining story that grabs the reader like a novel.

About the Author

John Paul Tancredi was born in 1965 in Santa Monica, California, and grew up in nearby Pacific Palisades. After attending Loyola High School in Los Angeles, he graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1987 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. During his time on the Westwood campus, he kept an informal diary that would later become the foundation for North Campus Days. Since graduating from UCLA, the author has worked in the financial services industry as a market research analyst and technical writer. He earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University in 1991. Mr. Tancredi lives in Brentwood, California, not far from the UCLA campus.