xvi
Powerful LaunchPad course space now available. When it comes to retaining new information, research shows that self-testing with small, bite-sized chunks of information works best. LearningCurve for College Success, a new adaptive online quizzing program, helps students focus on the material they need the most help with. With LearningCurve, students receive as much practice as they need to master a given concept and are provided with immediate feedback and links back to online instruction. A personalized study plan with suggestions for further practice gives your students what they need to thrive in the college success course, in their college, career, and beyond!
An increased focus on technology and learning. Tech Tips in every chapter ask students to apply many of the technology skills they likely already have and use in their personal lives in an academic setting. For some readers, the Tech Tips teach new skills. This application-based feature appears at the end of the chapter so as not to disturb the flow of the main narrative.
A carefully executed design and art program keep students focused on the content while keeping them engaged by including images that reflect the reality of the broad range of students in the course to help make them feel comfortable and connected. Captions invite students to think critically.
Models (including digital models) let students see principles in action. Because many students learn best by examples, full-size models—more than in any competing book—show realistic examples of annotating a textbook, creating a mind map, multiple styles of note taking, managing time, and other strategies for academic success. In most cases, digital models are included to reflect the tools students will be using in their everyday lives. For example, digital sample calendar templates reflect the schedules of students balancing multiple priorities—work, family, and college.
xvii
Features and pedagogy built to help students engage in the material.
A pre-reading activity kicks off each chapter to get students thinking about and looking at the content that is to come.
Chapter-opening profiles help students see themselves in the text. Each chapter of the text opens with a story of a first-year student who has used the strategies in the chapter to succeed. The profiled students come from diverse backgrounds and attend all kinds of colleges around the country.
Your Turn activities in each chapter encourage students to build communication, collaboration, critical thinking, organization, and self-assessment skills by asking them to reflect on or apply content introduced in the chapter. Your Turn activities are broken into four types: Try It, Discuss It, Work Together, and Stay Motivated.
Key terms are boldfaced and defined within the narrative so as not to disturb the flow of reading.
Chapter-ending activities encourage reflection, communication, critical thinking, organization, application, and self-assessment skills by asking students to THINK, WRITE, and APPLY concepts introduced in the chapter.
Use Your Resources sections at the end of each chapter connect the text to student experiences at their specific institutions. To help students take more control of their own success, every chapter includes a quick overview of college and online resources for support, including learning centers, library, websites, professional staff, and fellow students. The box ends with a prompt for students to write in their own ideas and resources at their colleges.