Cover: Understanding Your College Experience, 4th Edition by John N. Gardner; Betsy O. Barefoot; Kimberly A. Koledoye

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COMING SOON 01-September-2026

Understanding Your College Experience

Fourth Edition

Publication Date: September 01, 2026

Paperback ISBN: 9781319339739

Because every student counts

Understanding Your College Experience, Fourth Edition equips students with practical tools and research-backed strategies to thrive in college and beyond. With its clear, student-centered approach, the text supports academic, personal, and professional growth.

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Part One: Welcome to Your College Experience

Chapter 1: The Essentials for College Success

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Exploring Purpose and Setting Goals

Self Exploration and Career Planning

Academic Planning

Making the Transition by Connecting with Others

Chapter 2: Cultivating Motivation, Resilience, and Emotional Intelligence

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The Importance of Motivation, Attitude, and Mindset

Resilience and Grit

Understanding Emotional Intelligence

Chapter 3: Managing Time, Energy, and Money

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Managing Your Time

Managing Your Energy

Managing Your Money

Chapter 4: Discovering How You Learn

Profile

How People Learn

The VARK Inventory

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Multiple Intelligences

When Learning Preferences and Teaching Methods Conflict

Understanding and Improving Your Learning

Learning with a Learning Disability or Challenge

Part Two: Succeeding in College

Chapter 5. Getting the Most Out of Class

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Become Engaged in Learning

Prepare for Class

Participate in Class

Take Effective Notes

Chapter 6: Reading to Learn from College Textbooks

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A Plan for Active Reading

Strategies for Reading Different Kinds of Textbooks

Improving Your Reading

Midterm Check In

Introduction

My Midterm Check-In Audit

Chapter 7: Studying, Understanding, and Remembering

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Studying in College: Making Choices and Concentrating

Improving Your Memory

Study Strategies and Tools for Success

Studying to Understand and Remember

Chapter 8: Taking Tests Successfully

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Getting Ready…

Taking the Test

Types of Questions

Test Anxiety

Academic Honesty, Misconduct, and Artificial Intelligence

Chapter 9: Developing Information Literacy and Communication Skills

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Information LIteracy

Choosing, Narrowing, and Researching a Topic

Using a Campus Library

Evaluating Sources

Using Your Research in Writing

The Writing Process

Part Three: Your Path to Success in College and Beyond

Chapter 10: Thinking in College

Profile

College-Level Thinking

Developing Strong Thinking Skills

Applying Your Critical-Thinking Skills

Bloom’s Taxonomy and the First Year of College

Chapter 11: Maintaining Wellness and Relationships in Today’s World

Profile

Understanding Wellness

College and Mental Health

Managing Your Relationships

Thriving in Varied Environments

Chapter 12: Making the Right Career Choice

Profile

Careers and the New Economy

Planning for Your Career

Getting Experience

Job Search Strategies

Skills Employers Seek

Staying on the Path to Success

Fourth Edition Updates (2026):

New co-author: Kimberly A. Koledoye (Houston City College) joins John N. Gardner and Betsy O. Barefoot.
New chapter content:

Chapter 4: New research on learning science to improve academic performance
Chapter 7: Expanded study strategies for real-world student success
Chapter 9: New attention to AI Literacy to support student understanding and ethical use
Chapter 11: Greater emphasis on mental health and wellness

New AI Literacy and Ethics module in Achieve.
Expanded LearningCurve adaptive quizzing topics: test-taking, mental health, and learning science are now fully integrated.
All video activities in Achieve now include autoscored multiple-choice assessments.
Updated PowerPoint Lecture Slides for instructors reflect new content throughout.

John N. Gardner

John N. Gardner brings unparalleled experience to students as an author. The recipient of his institutions 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 countrys 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.

Kimberly A. Koledoye

Kimberly A. Koledoye is a professor of academic student success and serves as the academic student success program coordinator for the Houston Community College system. Additionally, she teaches developmental and credit-level English. Her work has made a tremendous impact not only on the institution but also statewide, as a leader of development teams for first-year-experience courses and developmental English redesigns. She holds a bachelor of arts in English, a master’s degree in education administration, a graduate certificate in rhetoric and composition, and a doctorate in higher education leadership.

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