Dear Student,

More than ever before, a college education is an essential step in preparing you for almost any career. A few years ago, many well-paying jobs required only a high school diploma, but most employers today require that job applicants have a college degree.

Higher education is becoming more expensive, and some people are questioning whether a college degree is worth the cost. Yes, college is expensive, but the benefits of a college education are well worth the price tag. According to current statistics, a college-educated person receives a better salary and enjoys a healthier life, more confidence, and a more promising future for his or her children than a person who does not attend college. Of course we can all name a few exceptions: Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Bill Gates of Microsoft were college dropouts who still managed to be highly successful. Such success stories are very rare, however.

While you might have many reasons for being in college, we hope your primary goal is graduation, and you will be more likely to graduate if you have a successful first year. When we were in our first year of college, college success courses, with few exceptions, did not exist, and there was no “textbook” like Your College Experience that provided strategies for making the most of college. Most colleges and universities allowed new students to sink or swim. As a result, some students did well, some hardly survived, and some dropped out or flunked out.

Beyond graduation, some of you will want to continue your education in professional or graduate school, but others will want to begin a career. While it may be tough to land your ideal job immediately, your college education is an investment that will make you competitive in the marketplace.

You are likely reading Your College Experience because you are enrolled in a college success course—a special course designed to help you be successful. Although this book might seem different from your other textbooks, we believe that it could be the most important book you read this term because it’s all about improving your chances for success in college and in your career. This book will help you identify your own strengths, as well as areas where you need to improve. We know that if you apply the ideas in this book to your everyday life, you are more likely to enjoy your time in college, graduate, and achieve your life goals.

As college professors, researchers, and administrators with many years of experience working with first-year students, we know that starting college can be challenging. But through your college success course, the faculty, staff, and academic resources on your campus will help you meet that challenge. Welcome to college!

John N. Gardner

Betsy O. Barefoot