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Hey man. I have been helping students prepare for the FG exam for the past year or so. I am going to try and answer your questions as best as I can, but please feel free to ask more if you want.

1. Those REG Review guides will work fine. You can buy updates, if you like, from their website. However, I usually stress not to take REG Review as gospel. There are several errors within their study guide book, and the quizzes. I am not a big fan of the books, but they do give the individual a good place to start. If you see something in the book/quizzes that you feel is off, take the time to research it. It will help you tremendously.
   
   
2. There are many online practice tests for 101 courses, mineralogy, petrology, glaciology, and many more. They are usually study guides or practice tests from university classes, available online for students, or associated with textbooks. Search these out, or make your own study guides or quizzes. Use pictures and diagrams and construct fill in the blank practice quizzes.
   
   In regards to the practice exams, keep in mind two things-- they are much harder than the actual exam, and it is impossible to know everything.
   
   
3. Save your money, there are plenty of online resources. Email an old professor or TA and ask if they can give you some old quizzes or handouts (yes, I know this is easier said than done). I had a few professors send me some old tests, but I think I just got lucky.
   
   
4. Eh, pretty much. Add relative age dating.
   
   
5. I used my old textbook to study, but there are structural lab manuals online.
   
   Textbook-- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/structural-geology-of-rocks-and-regions-george-h-davis/1116750487/2674186308854?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Marketplace+Shopping+Textbooks_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP20456&k_clickid=3x20456
   
   This is an older edition. But for $3; who gives a shit?
   
   Lab Manual-- http://www.usouthal.edu/geography/allison/GY403/StructuralGeologyLabManual.pdf
   
   
6. Study with friends. Run through some practice tests or exams and study what you missed. Remember that you will not know everything, and that is okay. The test is scored on a gradient, more or less. Stick with the basics.
   
   Be sure to set aside time to study and don't freak out.
   
   Hope I helped!
   
   Edit: Here are a few websites that may help you study:
   
   Physical Geology Textbook supplemental material:
   http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072402466/sitemap.html?Qui
   
   More Physical Geology practice quizzes:
   http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/Exams/ExamMaster.HTM
   
   Mineralogy and Geochem:
   
   http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/FundamentalsIndex.html
   
   I do not remember much geochem on the FG exam when I took it. But it doesn't hurt to brush up a little.
   
   Also, if you feel the need to purchase a historical book, I recommend "Evolution of the Earth" by Donald Prothero. Even though it pains me to recommend it, dude's a Class A creeper, the book is really good. Buy an older edition like the seventh or so. The only difference I remember between seventh and eighth edition are a few side notes about hominids. Pretty much moot between the two.

I haven't read Basin and Range, but I remember enjoying Meldahl's Rough-Hewn Land, which is also primarily about the geological history of the West. If I recall correctly, the chapters are actually in a West-to-East order, (starting with the ophiolites visible in San Francisco and gradually working across to the Plains. It's also got a bit of cultural history splashed in, which makes it much less dry than a straight-up textbook.

I really like Roadside Geology of Colorado; the maps are clear and the descriptions are concise but informative. However, that series is definitely written in a style that's meant to be helpful for somebody actually driving along the routes described, rather than reading about it from your living room. If you can't go out and see the features in person, it would lose something. And it doesn't really do justice to the "big-picture" geology that shaped the whole region. Ultimately, probably a bit dense for casual reading.

As a wildcard, you might also enjoy something like Blown to Bits in the Mine by Eric Twitty. It's primarily a history of explosives and how they radically changed the face of mining, so the geologic history aspect is tangential at best. But if you're at all interested in the history of mining or enjoy reading /r/OSHA, it's a pretty fun read anyways. Fun fact: if you're always having issues with your dynamite freezing (who doesn't??), just throw that sucker in a pot of water on the stove! As long as the nitroglycerine doesn't sweat out,, you'll be ready to get to blasting in no time!

A good chisel to go along with her rock hammer is great for sampling

Also, a scratcher/scribe with a neodymium magnet on the end is incredibly useful for testing hardness and magnetics of a rock

I use a compact mineral identification guide a ton as well. There are many out there, but this one is the one I use - others may be better

Edit: And the most (imo) important part of fieldwork are the notes you take, so a waterproof field notebook is a must-have if she'll be mapping in a rainy environment. This one has geological charts and diagrams in it as well


Above are good lower priced items, but if you really want to go all-out, good boots and a rain jacket are indispensable , but they have to fit very well so she may be better off picking those out herself (at least that's the way I feel about them)

Hope this helps!

Phew lets see if I can set you straight. The Himalayas were formed by continent-continet collision (i.e., India with Asia). These plates will never 'merge' although they may become sutured together. Collision zones such as these generally remain zones of weakness due to structures that form during the collision and in some cases these areas are spatially associated with rift zones if/when the plates diverge (e.g., the Appalachians mark a collisional zone but eventually rifted along the east coast). Again these concepts we are discussing are generally only applicable to continent-continent collision. When ocean plates collide with continental plates a whole different series of events is expected (see any intro geology book).

As to you second question rifting can break apart any tectonic plate. Continents are not themselves strictly the plate. These are just portions of the plate that are dominated by more buoyant crustal material. Look at a map of tectonic plates and you will notice the the continental margins don't strictly correspond to plate boundaries. Plumes do produce extensional effects however they are generally separate from regular tectonic processes. Strictly speaking rifting is caused by high heat flow and mantle convection processes. Furthermore, most plate motions are heavily influenced by dynamic mantle flow. We are just now beginning to understand in detail how differential plate motions relate to mantle flow (we've known about it for a while but many of the complexities and the importance of 3D motions are coming to light).

Long story short the Earth is one big thermo-gravitational engine. Convection in the mantle is driven by the core which in turn drives differential plate motions and related interactions. Complicated yes, but can be understood.

Hehe....hope that helps unfortunately there are a large number of concepts that go into truly 'understanding' tectonic processes and if you are just generally interested I would recommend and intro geology textbook. Or if you want a better novel style read check out this book by Richard Fortey its a great read!

http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Intimate-History-Richard-Fortey/dp/0375706208

Cheers

So it sounds like you are looking for some thing at the pretty basic level?

For David Attenborough books, try something coffee-table-y like the Smithsonian Earth guide. It's about much more than geo, but it's got everything you listed above and lots of pretty pictures and interesting things.

For something more academic, but still introductory, try Understanding Earth. Easy to read yet descriptive. If you don't want to pay $120, try going back a couple of editions.

One more step up might be Planet Earth: Cosmology, Geology, and the Evolution of Life and Environment which has a few less pretty pictures and a few more maths (optional). Even though this book is supposedly "below" my educational level I still love it. I also wish I'd read it back when I was first starting down the scientific path - it really covers the basics of just about everything you'd every need to know.

It sounds like you have an Intro Geology book.

For a nice overview of historical geology, I was enraptured by "The Earth: An Intimate History" by Richard Fortey. It starts slow but delves into the major developments and ideas of geology as the author visits many significant locales around the world.

Stephen Jay Gould was a very prolific science-writer across paleontology and evolution.

John McPhee has several excellent books related to geology. I would recommend "Rising from the Plains" and "The Control of Nature."

Mark Welland's book "SAND" is excellent, covering topics of sedimentology and geomorphology.

If you are interested in how society manages geologic issues, I would recommend Geo-Logic, The Control of Nature mentioned before, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, and Cadillac Desert.

These are some of the texts I used in university:

• Nesse's Introduction to Mineralogy
  
• Winter's Principles of Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology
  
• Twiss and Moore's Structural Geology
  
• Bogg's Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
  
• Burbank and Anderson's Tectonic Geomorphology
  
• Davis's Statistics and Data Analysis in Geology
  
• Burbank and Anderson's Tectonic Geomorphology
  
• Fetter's Applied Hydrogeology
  
• White's Geochemistry (pdf online)
  
• Shearer's Seismology
  
• Copeland's Communicating Rocks
  

I have a few geology guide books, but by far my favorite is my Audubon society field guide to rocks and minerals. It encompasses many different kinds of rocks and minerals, and has clear pictures of each one along with more information about various characteristics of each one, how they are formed, how to identify them, etc... The Audubon society always does a great job with their field guides, and for someone interested in geology I guarantee it will not disappoint.

Here is the link to the guide on amazon. I know the book is geared toward North America but I imagine it will still work in Europe. Enjoy!

If you've never done Petrology before aquiring a good lab guide will be very useful, the one my university recommended us to get was:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocks-Minerals-Thin-Section-Colour/dp/1874545170/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451826653&sr=1-1
This helped in my first semester of Petrology a great deal. To accompany this I also, as Of-Quartz said, took pictures using my phone of the thin section down the microscope. I then created a study guide to accompany these pcitures, Example for Olivine:
http://imgur.com/7KBPGE4
The exam itself was based more around the theory side of petrology, End member diagrams such as Kynaite, Silimanite and Andalusite, along with general questions about Bowen's recation series and other figures that help explain why the thin section you're looking at, looks like that.

As for Sedimentology and strat you'll be looking at photos of outcrops and sedimentary successions alot. Sedimentary logs, Bouma sequences and identifying features such as Load casts, flame structures and dessictaion cracks to name a few.

Just make sure you understand the fundamentals and everything else should come to you easily.

3rd Year geology student (UK), Taken Sed/Petro classes every semester.

"The science of rocks and minerals" is an incredibly broad topic. To be specific, if you do a degree in geology, you will do a minimum of 1 course just on understanding minerals, and 2-3 courses on rocks (plus another on fossils).

As for essential reading, there is not exactly a generic geology "bible," but often subdisciplines have such books. There are a lot of good books out there -- "The map that changed the world," "Why geology matters,", "Walks and talks in the geological field" (a classical and somewhat outdated text, but still a great read that covers basic observations quite well), or any number of other books. Most physical geology textbooks cover the same material in slightly different orders, so any of them are good. Historical geology is interesting to me, and again, any textbook will do just fine.

In addition to those mentioned I would add:

Colliding Continents by Mike Searle is a fantastic read! Both from a geology and mountaineering perspective.

Annals Of The Former World by John McPhee is also good, currently making my through it, very accessible and covers a lot of ground in North America.

Also, more for its humour value than anything: Exploration Days: An A-Z of Ways of Dying in Mineral Exploration by S.J. Waddell is a good, light read written by a former exploration geologist working in SE Asia in the 60's and 70's, can be had on iBooks for about $5.

How far along is she in her major? Do you know if she has completed field camp yet? You could always look into getting her a nice rock hammer, a nice hand lense (make sure it is 10x magnification), a rite in the rain book specifically for writing notes outside - these have some good geology guides in the back, or even like a "field pouch". All or any of these things she will need at some point as a geo undergrad

I'd recommend about geology (http://geology.about.com/) which has a comprehensive discussion on most aspects of the subject, but geology is a subject where there is a fair amount of crossover with other subjects (which in my opinion makes it so fascinating), so you shouldn't just hem yourself into looking at straight, pure geology.

If you're willing to buy a book I'd recommend you to read http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Intimate-History-Richard-Fortey/dp/0375706208 which gives a great overview of the history of the earth.

I really like Horseshoe Crabs and Velvet Worms or any book by Richard Fortey, really if paleontology and the biological history of the earth is interesting to you.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded is also great, especially if you like volcanoes. And sort of similarly is Eruptions that Shook the World.

I also second The Seashell on the Mountaintop that /u/ap0s suggested. It's very good!

For books:

• Someone the other day posted [this link] (http://earthds.info/) to a basic introductory textbook which may tide you over.
  -I find this field book to be the best newbie friendly to "what's that rock?"
  
• Raiding your local thrift store/used books for anything geology related may help.
  
  Get your students to talk about geology they've seen in their life to connect it to what's being taught in lecture. I'm learning more about the natural history and geology of my home city of L.A. on the opposite coast than I did living there for half my life by talking in class.

Get a good mineral/rock ID book (I suggest buying this one ahead of time).

You will probably have really good mineral specimens in lab so you won't need a hand lens just yet, but you should buy one anyway (I suggest this one).

When the semester starts, spend a lot of time in lab alone looking at the minerals and memorizing a few key characteristics (name, formula, crystal habit, hardness, streak) of each one. Seriously, get used to being in there on the weekend, bring a beer (brown bag it). If you are good at identifying minerals in hand specimen, it will help out tremendously when you get into Petrology and out in the field. Don't rely on your instructor alone, look around for mineralogy websites from other universities. I found this series of lectures by Doug Haywick to be helpful.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocks-Minerals-Handbooks-Chris-Pellant/dp/1405359889/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407925317&sr=8-1&keywords=dk+rock+and+minerals

Lots of pretty pictures for him just now, and the text will be easy enough to read by age 10(ish), maybe younger if he maintains a really big interest like I did with dinosaurs at around that age.

I too have trouble with this, but I'm making slow progress purely through practice. I find this book quite helpful: Rocks and Minerals in Thin Section. Other good resources I've found online is Alex Herriot's collection and this collection of thin section from the Bushveld Complex

Rock hammer, leather rock hammer holster, a nice hand lens, nice quality outdoor gear for the myriad of field trips and field camp..

Oh! Get her the Rite in the Rain geological field notebook. Those things are freaking awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rain-Weather-Geological-Field/dp/B0011DGJSC

Are you interested in a particular aspect of geology?

Are you perhaps interested in sub/related disciplines? If so, I have some paleoclimate, geochemistry, etc. recommendations.

It might be blasphemy on this subreddit, but in a similar thread a ways back, a few people were really singing the praises of The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester. I frankly found it to be more than a little boring, even taking Winchester's digression-heavy style into account.

I recently started Krakatoa (also by Winchester) and it seems a bit more like what I was hoping for.

"Light" geology reading is kind of a tough needle to thread, I think.

this is an overview of everything related to geology and earth science.. its and awesome book and goes into enough detail about everything and has tons of awesome pictures

http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Michael-Allaby/dp/0789496437

Yes. Yes. Yes. Always build a strong relationship with your professor and classmates. The most important thing you can do is to look at as many resources as possible beyond your assigned text to fully learn a new concept. If you just can't grasp a concept, make sure when you go to a professor or classmate for help approach them with the knowledge you have gained opposed to stating that you simply don't know anything.

As far as my experience I was better at lab work, but when it came to the straight theoretical and conceptual I always had trouble. There are always folks in the same boat as you and quite frankly their weaknesses might be your strengths.

I actually learned the very basic fundamentals using Audubon's field guide to rock and mineral identification beyond my assigned text. It covers the very basic to the complex compositions, structures, and formation. Link to Field Guide

https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Alteration-Petrographic-Hydrothermal-Minerals/dp/0919216595

https://www.amazon.com/Ore-Textures-Interpretation-Roger-Taylor/dp/3642017827

These two are basically picture books with heaps of photos of altered rocks. Honestly though, recognising alteration is 90% experience, because your rocks will never look exactly like the photos. Everyone struggles a bit straight out of uni. Its harder now, but ideally move around a bit early in your career so you can see different rocks (and learn different ways of doing things).


https://www.amazon.com/Geology-Ore-Deposits-John-Guilbert/dp/1577664957

Guilbert & Park is good on alteration in terms of the minerals and chemical reactions involved, but its text with a few B&W diagrams.

not sure if this book is readily available in the UK, but I've read it and it's good

https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Portrait-Planet-Stephen-Marshak/dp/0393935183

(deliberately linked 4th edition to save you money)

Portrait of a planet
It's a very good book. Basic when you first read it, but you'll get deeper every time you go through it. My first and best geology book.

Thanks! This will be my first attempt at doing anything out in the field so I'm hugely excited about it, even if it will be slow going and clumsy. =)

Got any recommendations for field identification books? I've got the Dorling Kindersley and the Philips guides at the moment - but they seem a bit light on the details. Are there any "classic" field guides worth picking up?

I'm a professional mineralogist and I have that book at my desk, It's a pretty helpful guide sometimes. I also recommend Simon & Schuster's Guide to Rocks & Minerals and Introduction to the Rock-Forming Minerals

Using Geochemical data is an excellent reference guide for anyone starting out working on geochem projects. It sounds like you need to dip into some specialist papers, here, and here are a few places to start off.
Remember to read the references lists of those papers you find most informative/ applicable. Follow the trail and you can't go far wrong.

EDIT: SPAG

this book is a good general reference on all things rocks and minerals. the layout is simple to follow and the language is easy to understand (specialised knowledge not required).

Rocks and Minerals

it is a general guide so it probably wont cover every possible example but it is a good starting place.

Are you looking for a textbook? I like "Introduction to Mineralogy" by William Nesse. It's pretty comprehensive on mineral ID and info, including occurrence, alteration, uses, cleavage, etc.

I enjoyed Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester.

Also, and this one isn't strictly geo, but it's awesome, The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean. Basically a history of the periodic table. And it's really funny too.

One book I found particularly interesting was: Eruptions that shook the world by Oppenheimer https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eruptions-Shook-World-Clive-Oppenheimer/dp/0521641128
I am sure you can get it cheaper elsewhere, but it gives a good background to eruptions.

http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Schusters-Guide-Rocks-Minerals/dp/0671244175/ref=zg_bs_290105_7

My favorite handbook. Some essential rockhound tools would be a rock hammer, chisel, hand loupe, etc.

Even though it's not exclusively about geology, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is a fantastic read.

Although it covers everything from the Big Bang to early humans, about 7 of it's 30 chapters are on geologic topics such as paleontology, tectonics, asteroid impacts, ice ages, etc. as well as the history of the development of those fields. It's one of those rare books that is very readable and informative without being too dumbed down.

I as well am currently using this book for an ore deposits class. it is well written and easy to fallow. Another book I have for more technical indepth descriptions of specific deposits is The Geology of Ore Deposits by Gilbert and Park, this book has just about everything.

We used Klein and Dutrow for our mineralogy class and I thought it was a pretty good book (but a bit lacking on optics). I kept it for a reference book as it details many of the more common minerals in identification, structure, occurrences, etc.

The end-all mineral book. Not ideal for field identification, but amazing for the information it does contain. It's the one reference book that I have kept around and used throughout my academic and professional career.

http://www.amazon.com/Colour-Atlas-Rocks-Minerals-Section/dp/1874545170/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462489109&sr=8-1&keywords=An+Atlas+of+Minerals+in+Thin+Section

Get this book! It's awesome for minerals.

http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Earth-Donald-Prothero/dp/0072826843

Best textbook on the matter

[This book] (http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Michael-Allaby/dp/0789496437) is great for a general concept of a lot of things you'd learn in your BSc geology. It's not just geology, it also has info about the oceans and the atmosphere which you'd also encounter in your studies.

If you live in the west, this book is awesome. Still awesome if you don't...

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 is a great read.

Reflected light microscopy is a bit of a lost art. I was never taught it formally, and had to learn it later. You'll want to look for old used books, but for most silicates reflected light isn't the way to go. Are you looking at ore samples? Because that is really when it becomes useful.

This is my go-to book for mineral identification:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199827389/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0199846278&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=JH49Y9MM8HG4CQ9X8A0G

If your working with thin sections i'd suggest Gribble and Halls book, Not sure what level of detail your looking for but MacKenzie's rocks and minerals in thin section good to get the basics of optical mineralogy from.

Thirding the suggestion for Nesse. I have this version, but the old text we keep in the lab has also been incredibly helpful, although it's nice to have coloured charts and more detailed diagrams. A new edition's supposed to come out soon from what I understand, but I could be wrong. Probably isn't going to be too different, though.

I can't believe nobody mentioned John McPhee. I enjoyed all of his geology books; the four were republished as one volume in Annals of the Former World. http://www.amazon.com/Annals-Former-World-John-McPhee/dp/0374518734

This book is really good. Find it in your school's library, or get it over inter-library loan.

John McPhee's geology books are quite entertaining. Annals of a Former World is four-books-in-one, tracing the geology of the US across the 40th parallel, more or less. You learn some geology, some geography, some personal history, and US history.

These are the two favorites of the ones I have.
http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Minerals-Gemstones-Walter-Schumann/dp/0395511372
http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Schusters-Guide-Rocks-Minerals/dp/0671244175

I would first of all recommend: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Geology-Pupils-Work-Book/dp/0050036645 or any other textbook.

Also, maybe look at some A-Level maths and physics guides online.

Asides from that, read around the subject as much as you can.

Before I took any classes on resource geology, I purchased an older book that was pretty handy here, but is far out-dated now (the PDF provided by Paaatrick_Baaaby_Boy is probably far more applicable).
For Cu porphyry systems (recommended to read up on these two papers by industry and a fellow who ran his own min-ex company) one of the go-to papers can be found here by Sinclair and another by Sillitoe can be found here.

If you can get hold of Marshak: portrait of a planet, its an excellent introduction book to geology and really easy to understand. Its a slippery slope though, once you start to understand your rocks it becomes dangerous to drive through mountains as you spend half your time spotting faults and looking at outcrops when you should be watching the road.
http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Portrait-Planet-Fourth-Edition/dp/0393935183

Using Geochemical Data: Evaluation, Presentation, Interpretation. This book is invaluable if you are working with analytical data.

Try the John McFee books:
http://www.amazon.com/Annals-Former-World-John-McPhee/dp/0374518734/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1299779185&sr=8-2

Amazon link

Practical or decorative?

Practical:

• Rite in the Rain Field Book: http://amzn.com/B0011DGJSC
  
• Estwing Rock Hammer: http://amzn.com/B0002OVCMO
  
• Geotechnical Gauge Card: http://amzn.com/B00MV103OY
  
  Decorative/Romantic:
  
  
• Amber Jewelery
  
• Trilobite or Ammonite Pendant necklaces
  
• Labradorite Shot Glasses

This got me through GCSE and A Level: Understanding Geology

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMXNEBG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

http://www.amazon.com/Map-That-Changed-World-William/dp/0061767905/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1450384856&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/A-Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X

A must have https://www.amazon.com/Manual-Mineral-Science-Cornelis-Klein/dp/0471721573

Here's 3:

"Your Inner Fish" - Neil Shubin

"Why Geology Matters" - Doug MacDougall

"A Short History of Nearly Everything" - Bill Bryson

Geology of Ore Deposits is still around! New edition though: http://www.amazon.com/Geology-Ore-Deposits-John-Guilbert/dp/1577664957/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341627306&sr=1-1&keywords=geology+of+ore+deposits

How the Earth was Made

Geologic Journey

2 minute Geology

Annals of a Former World

When Life Nearly Died

Amazon

It's the No. 540F; most places that sell Rite in the Rain have it.

https://www.amazon.com/Annals-Former-World-John-McPhee/dp/0374518734

Honestly if your not already well versed as a geologist (I’m not) you might find some sections to be a bit of a slog (I did) but my recommendation is that if you feel yourself struggling through a passage, just skip along until you find more readable prose. There’s a hell of a lot of book to get through, so even if you miss out on something the first time, you’ll still learn and enjoy a ton of it, and maybe you catch that piece you missed on a second reading a few years down the line