Step by Step to College and Career Success / Edition 5

by John N. Gardner, Betsy O. Barefoot

Overview

User-friendly, class tested and authoritatively research-based, Step by Step to College and Career Success offers students proven information and straightforward strategies that they can apply toward their success. This is the briefest title in the Gardner family of books, and the authors have focused on the most crucial skills and the most important choices students make in order to succeed in college and beyond. The fifth edition covers pressing topics that affect students' lives and how they learn, with a particular focus on technology and how students can use technology to learn while avoiding its distractions and dangers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781457606342
Publisher:	Bedford/St. Martin's
Publication date:	11/26/2012
Edition description:	Fifth Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

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 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.

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