Thriving in College and Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development Book

Elevate personal performance and promote academic excellence for ALL first-year students! The strategies in Thriving in College and Beyond are based on solid research, and proven effectiveness in transitioning students through college and into post-college life. The content is well balanced between learning, life-management skills and career planning. This text is organized around powerful principles of human learning and development. Information is presented in a variety of formats, which increases the number of ways this information is stored in the brain - lending to better retention. By learning these principles and how they are applied, students are then able to develop their own strategies for helping them succeed in the classroom and out. FEATURES WITH A PURPOSE Case Studies encourage students to think about situations that do not have a definite answer or easy solution. This enables students to take their knowledge from the chapter and apply it to a real-life experience. Students stay mentally active for the chapter information through the use of questions and exercises. Activate Your Thinking at the beginning of the chapter prepares the student by having them personalize the information to come. Pause for Reflections throughout the chapter make the student stop and apply the material to their life. The exercises at the end of the chapter reinforce the learning that took place in the chapter. Take Action Now boxes contain lists of high-priority tips for college students and are introduced at times when students most need them. Snapshot Summaries pull together ideas related to similar concepts. By pulling the ideas together in the same physical place, students are more likely to connect them conceptually. Classic Quotes give students a first-hand experience from a variety of people to reinforce key ideas Personal Stories are drawn from the authors' experiences of working with students, teachers and advisors, bringing a personalized approach to the text. Student Perspectives give students the opportunity to learn from other students' success and stumbling blocks at various stages of their college careers Concept Maps take the abstract ideas (verbal) and turn them into concrete (visual) form. This helps to improve memory by putting the information in two different areas of the students' brains. Cartoons add humor to create laughter, which releases adrenalin and improves memory storage. The humor also stimulates the brain to release endorphins that reduce stress and improve mood. Independent Research prepares students to be independent and self-directed learners. Web-based resources provide further information relating to the chapter topic.