At a moment when college students—and their parents—are scrutinizing the "return on investment" of humanities courses, Carlo Rotella opens the door to a classroom full of wary first-year students. He follows thirty-three students through a required literature course and captures the transformation unfolding on both sides of the seminar table. Their initial doubt—"How will this get me a job?"—slowly shifts as they grapple with demanding books, exchange ideas, sharpen their thinking, and form a genuine community. Along the way, they discover how to make meaning from the world around them—an indispensable life skill. Warm, vivid, and deeply humane, this book offers a rare look at what students truly encounter in college and why it matters. Carlo Rotella is a Professor of English at Boston College, a regular contributor to the NY Times Magazine, and writes about cities, boxing, music, and literature.