"Concise and to-the-point, this is the ideal companion text for busy first-year college students guiding them to develop the skills and tools which will enable them to flourish. It equips the reader with crucial information about how the college system works: from credit hours to course scheduling through to understanding how to work effectively with professors. It covers the key academic skills students need to master - from critical thinking and time management through to research and preparing for exams. It also helps students to prioritise self-care and personal development"-- Provided by publisher.
Compact and to-the-point, this book is an easy-to-use guide to everything first-year students really need to know about how college works and how to be successful.
What exactly is a credit hour? What's an elective course and why should you care? What's the secret to studying for tests?
Compact and to-the-point, this is an easy-to-use guide to everything first-year students really need to know about how college works. The first part of the book helps to demystify the academic system. Easy to read bite-sized chapters cover topics such as understanding the college course structure, adding and dropping courses, understanding grading systems, pre-registration and scheduling, and attending class. Part 2 introduces the knowledge and tools students need to succeed at college, including time management, critical thinking, test-taking skills, and writing papers. The final part of the book gives guidance on taking care of your physical and mental health, and looks at goals and career planning. It also features a dedicated chapter which is geared to the needs of commuter students.
Each chapter features opportunities for the reader to pause and reflect on how the content applies to their own situation and experience. Chapters end with a list of questions which encourage students to consolidate their learning and identify the relevant policies and supports at their own institution.
Arvustused
Start College Strong is a valuable resource for college students, especially first-generation students, to help them navigate the complex system. This book is information-packed yet offers a space for students to reflect on how the information affects them. It is highly recommended for a first-year experience program! * Micky Lee, Associate Dean of Core Experience, Suffolk University, US * Start College Strong offers the incoming student a holistic reference book for the college experience. By including information on the sometimes "hidden" curriculum including things like understanding the college classroom, college organizational structures and job titles, advising norms as well as academic supports and strategies, Michael Keaton has created a valuable guidebook for every college student. First-generation students and families will find this particularly helpful, but with the changing landscape of higher education, anyone will find something beneficial in this book as they transition to college and face challenges in their first years. As a Director of First-Year Experience, I think this book does a great job of alleviating a lot of the ambiguity that happens in the lead-up and first couple of years of college. * Sue Peterson, First-Year Experience Director, California State University Chico, US *
Muu info
Compact and to-the-point, this book is an easy-to-use guide to everything first-year students really need to know about how college works and how to be successful.
Introduction
PART 1 - THE SYSTEM
1. Credit Hours and Course Labels
2. Understanding the College Course Structure
3. Dual Enrollment, AP and Transfer Credit, and Prerequisites
4. Advising, Pre-registration, and Scheduling
5. Adding and Dropping Courses, Withdrawals, and Incompletes
6. College Textbooks
7. Financial Aid
8. Learning Management Systems and the Catalog
9. How to Read a Syllabus
10. Attending Class
11. Grading Systems, GPA, and Academic Standing
12. Job Titles, Organizational Structures, and the Names of Offices
13. Professors and Degrees
14. Communicating with Professors
PART 2 THE ACADEMICS
15. Managing your Time
16. Critical Thinking
17. Study Skills
18. Test-Taking Skills
19. Research
20. Academic Writing
21. Presentations
22. Online Courses
PART 3 and YOU
23. Your Physical Health
24. Your Mental Health
25. Goals and Career Planning
26. Commuter Life
27. Skills for Adults
28. A Few More Tips
Conclusion
Index
Michael P. Keaton is Professor of History at Southern Wesleyan University. He has taught students for over 20 years.
