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Table of Contents

Preface                                                                                            

01 Taking the First Step                                                               

Thriving in College and Life
    The Value of College
    Opportunities in College
    Making the Most of the College Success Course and This Textbook
    The Choices You Will Make
Exploring Purpose and Setting Goals         
    Considering Purpose 
    Getting Started with Goal Setting      
         Follow the SMART Goal-Setting Guidelines             
Connecting with Others      
     Students                    
     Online Learners    
     Instructors                 
    Administrators, Advisers, and Other Staff Members 
    TECH TIP: Send Professional E-mails
Chapter Review     
 
02 Cultivating Motivation, Resilience, and Emotional Intelligence 
Motivation, Attitude, and Mindset              
    Motivation    
    Attitude         
    Mindset         
    Succeeding in an Online Class: It Takes Motivation!        
Resilience     
Understanding Emotional Intelligence                    
    Perceiving and Managing Emotions              
    The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Everyday Life           
    Improving Emotional Intelligence     
    Identifying Your EI Skills and Competencies           
    EI = College and Career Success  
    TECH TIP: Monitor Your Online Image                   
Chapter Review       
       
03 Managing Your Time                                                                 
Time: Your Most Valuable Resource                     
    Setting Goals             
    Prioritizing                
    Finding Balance        
    Time in College and in Career       
    R-E-S-P-E-C-T     
Managing Your Energy      
Time-Management Pitfalls  
    Procrastination          
    Being Spread Too Thin         
    Distractions               
    Motivation Problems 
    Ask Yourself the Tough Questions
Get Smart about Organizing Your Days, Weeks, Tasks, and More
    Using a Daily or Weekly Planner      
    Scheduling Your Time Week by Week                     
    At the Top of My To-Do List Is “Make a To-Do List”!    
    Thinking about Your Class Schedule  
Maximizing Study and Review Time          
TECH TIP: Use Digital Tools to Control Your Time  
Chapter Review  
                                                                                                           
04 Learning and Thinking in College                                            
How People Learn   
    Get Ready for Learning         
    Personalize Your Learning: The VARK and Other Tools       
    Use VARK Results for Success         
Adapt to Different Learning Environments 
    Become a Multimodal Learner          
    Think about Your Thinking: Metacognition  
    Learn to Collaborate              
    Learning with a Learning Disability
Develop Strong Thinking Skills       
    College-Level Thinking        Is Critical Thinking   
    Challenge Assumptions and Beliefs           
    Ask Questions            
    Consider Multiple Points of View, and Draw Conclusions   
    Develop an Argument 
    Examine Evidence    
    Recognize and Avoid Faulty Reasoning       
Apply Your Thinking Skills   
    Collaborate               
    Be Creative              
    Learn to Problem-Solve                 
    Bloom’s Taxonomy and Your First Year of College        
TECH TIP: What Is Real and What Is Fake?   
Chapter Review  
 
05 Getting the Most Out of Class                                                
Prepare for Class    
         Why Be an Engaged Learner?      
Pay Attention! Listening, Participating, and Taking Notes 
    Listening Critically    
    Becoming an Active Class Participant         
    Taking Notes  
    Engage in Online Learning 
    Take Effective Notes 
    Cornell Format 
    Outline Format    
    Paragraph Format      
    List Format   
    Taking Notes in Class     
    Make Adjustments for Different Classes      
    Use Specific Strategies for Note Taking in Quantitative Courses      
    TECH TIP: Use Technology to Power Your Note Taking                  
Keep It Fresh by Reviewing Your Notes    
    Compare Notes                     
    Class Notes and Homework  
Chapter Review     
 
06 Reading to Learn                                                          
Four-Step Plan for Active Reading 
   Step 1: Previewing 
   Use Visual Tools        
   Step 2: Reading and Marking      
   Step 3: Reading with Concentration        
   Reading Online
   Step 4: Reviewing                       
Improving Your Reading    
    Developing Your Vocabulary 
    What to Do When You Fall Behind in Your Reading 
Different Courses, Different Kinds of Textbooks   
    Reading Math Textbooks      
    Reading Science Textbooks  
    Reading Social Science and Humanities Textbooks  
    The Value of Primary Source Material     
    If English Is Not Your First Language 
    TECH TIP: Use E-books                   
Chapter Review       
 
07 Taking Exams and Tests                                                              
Preparing for Tests  
    Work with Instructors, Peers, and Tutors    
    Prepare Properly for Math and Science Exams       
    Prepare Physically and Emotionally  
    Use the Cloud     
Studying to Make It Stick  
    Help Your Memory Help You         
    Use Review Sheets, Mind Maps, and Flash Cards              
    Create Summaries    
    Taking Tests and Exams   
    Be Ready for Every Kind of Pitch  
    You Bombed a Test—Now What?        
    TECH TIP: Ace Your Online Tests  
Academic Honesty and Misconduct
    Cheating       
    Plagiarism     
    Consequences of Cheating and Plagiarism  
    Reducing the Likelihood of Academic Dishonesty  
Chapter Review     
 
08 Developing Information Literacy and Communication Skills 
Information Literacy         
    Learning to Be Information Literate 
    Research: Information Literacy in Action
    Choosing, Narrowing, and Researching a Topic     
Using the Library   
    Library Resources    
Evaluating Sources   
     Relevance     
     Authority     
     Bias              
     Using Your Research in Writing and Presentations       
     TECH TIP: Conduct Effective Searches      
The Writing and Speaking Process 
     Steps to Good Writing         
     Knowing Your Audience    
     Time and the Writing Process         
     Citing Your Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism        
    Speaking Effectively 
Communicating with Others in a Digital Age      
Chapter Review     
 
09 Considering Majors and Careers                      
Careers and the New Economy      
    Characteristics of Today’s Economy 
    Building a Professional Mindset for Life after College      
Working with an Academic Adviser 
    Prepare for Your First Meeting with Your Academic Adviser       
    Know the Right Questions to Ask  
    Learn How to Select Your Classes  
    Explore Course Options, and Pay Attention to Your Grades            
    Deal with a Mismatch          
    Find and Use Campus Resources 
Getting to Know Yourself   
    Clarify Your Personal and Workplace Values         
    Understand Your Skills, Aptitudes, Personality, and Interests       
    Job Candidate Skills and Qualities Ranked as Very Important by Employers   
    Using the Holland Model    
Gaining Professional Experience    
    Internships and Other Professional Work Experiences       
    Part-Time Work in College  
    TECH TIP: Network Online  
Marketing Yourself, and Putting It All Together  
     Branding You, Inc.              
     Building a Résumé               
     Writing a Cover Letter         
     Creating an Online Portfolio      
Chapter Review     
 
10 Connecting with Others in a Diverse World                             
Personal Relationships                    
    Roommates  
    Romantic Relationships       
    Breakups      
    Relationship No-Nos 
Family Connections 
    Marriage and Parenting during College       
    Relationship with Parents    
Thriving in Diverse Environments  
    Other Differences You Will Encounter in College  
    Stereotyping and Microaggressions 
    Creating a Welcoming Environment on Your Campus       
    Sexual Harassment: A New Spotlight on an Old Problem         
    TECH TIP: Look beyond the Filter 
Connecting through Involvement   
    Connecting by Working       
    Connecting through Community Service    
    Connecting through Online Communities   
    Seek Diversity in the Workplace and in Life      
Chapter Review     
 
11 Managing Money           
Living on a Budget  
    Creating a Budget    
    Cutting Costs 
    Benefits of Being a Good Money Manager       
    TECH TIP: Manage Your Personal Budget  
Understanding Financial Aid
    Types of Aid  
    Navigating and Qualifying for Financial Aid          
    How to Keep Your Funding  
    Steps to Qualify for Financial Aid         
Achieving a Balance between Working and Borrowing
    Advantages and Disadvantages of Working 
    Student Loans
    Plan for the Future          
Managing Credit Wisely     
    Understanding Credit
    Debit Cards  
     Frequently Asked Questions about Credit Cards and Identity Theft
Chapter Review     
 
12 Staying Healthy                                                                              
Understanding Wellness      
    Managing Stress to Maintain Wellness        
    Take Control  
    The Importance of Good Nutrition 
    Risky Eating Habits        
    Exercising to Maintain Wellness      
    TECH TIP: Use Technology to Stay Fit      
    Getting Enough Sleep to Maintain Wellness           
    Spirituality   
    Emotional Health     
 
Maintaining Sexual Health  
    Communicating about Safe Sex      
    Avoiding Sexually Transmitted Infections  
    Using Birth Control 
    Protecting Yourself and Others against Sexual Assault and Violence
Alcohol and Other Substances                       
    The Use and Abuse of Alcohol       
    Tobacco and Marijuana   
Chapter Review     
 
Using the ACES Progress Report                                                              
Index  

Authors

John N. Gardner

John N. Gardner brings unparalleled experience to students as an author. The recipient of his institution's highest award for teaching excellence, John has over forty years of experience directing and teaching in the most widely emulated first-year seminar in the country, the University 101 course at the University of South Carolina (USC), Columbia. John is universally recognized as one of the country's leading educators for his role in initiating and orchestrating an international reform movement to improve the beginning college experience, a concept he coined as "the first-year experience." He is the founding executive director of the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at USC, as well as the Policy Center on the First Year of College and the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education (www.jngi.org), both based in Brevard, N.C.

Betsy O. Barefoot

Betsy O. Barefoot is a writer, researcher, and teacher whose special area of scholarship is the first-year seminar. During her tenure at USC from 1988 to 1999, she served as co-director for research and publications at the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. She also taught University 101 and graduate courses on the first-year experience and the principles of college teaching. She conducts first-year seminar faculty training workshops around the world and is frequently called on to evaluate first-year seminar outcomes. Betsy is co-director and senior scholar in the Policy Center on the First Year of College and Vice President of the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education both in Brevard, N.C. In her Policy Center role she led a major national research project to identify institutions of excellence in the first college year. She currently works with both two- and four-year campuses in evaluating all components of the first year.

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