Step by Step to College and Career Success

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, both based in Brevard, N.C. 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.

Preface.-  01 Taking the First Step.- Thriving in College and Life.- Exploring Purpose and Setting Goals.- Connecting with Others.- Chapter Review.- 02 Cultivating Motivation, Resilience, and Emotional Intelligence.- Resilience.- Understanding Emotional Intelligence.- Chapter Review.- 03 Managing Your Time.- Time: Your Most Valuable Resource.- Managing Your Energy.- Time-Management Pitfalls.- Get Smart about Organizing Your Days, Weeks, Tasks, and More.- Maximizing Study and Review Time.- Chapter Review.- 04 Learning and Thinking in College.- How People Learn.- Adapt to Different Learning Environments.- Develop Strong Thinking Skills.- Apply Your Thinking Skills.- Chapter Review.- 05 Getting the Most Out of Class.- Prepare for Class.- Pay Attention! Listening, Participating, and Taking Notes.- Keep It Fresh by Reviewing Your Notes.- Chapter Review.- 06 Reading to Learn.- Four-Step Plan for Active Reading.- Improving Your Reading.- Different Courses, Different Kinds of Textbooks.- Chapter Review.- 07 Taking Exams and Tests.- Preparing for Tests.- Studying to Make It Stick.- Academic Honesty and Misconduct.- Chapter Review.- 08 Developing Information Literacy and Communication Skills.- Information Literacy.- Using the Library.- Evaluating Sources.- The Writing and Speaking Process.- Communicating with Others in a Digital Age.- Chapter Review.- 09 Considering Majors and Careers.- Careers and the New Economy.- Working with an Academic Adviser .- Getting to Know Yourself.- Gaining Professional Experience.- Marketing Yourself, and Putting It All Together.- Chapter Review.- 10 Connecting with Others in a Diverse World.- Personal Relationships.- Family Connections.- Thriving in Diverse Environments.- Connecting through Involvement.- Chapter Review.- 11 Managing Money.- Living on a Budget.- Understanding Financial Aid.- Achieving a Balance between Working and Borrowing.- Managing Credit Wisely.- Chapter Review.- 12 Staying Healthy.- Understanding Wellness.- Maintaining Sexual Health.- Alcohol and Other Substances.- Chapter Review.- Using the ACES Progress Report.- Index.