Study Skills, College Success, Freshman Orientation. This student success book is designed for use in 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities in a freshman orientation or study skills program. Time management, study methods, reading skills, and research skills are covered through a variety of hands-on activities, collaborative exercises, engaging text, readings, photos, and visual aids. Study skills are discussed in the context of critical thinking and diversity throughout the book. Students learn skills to help them master the content in their college courses, as well as develop life-long learning skills to emerge from college with a broadened awareness of the world around them.

Table of Contents:
To the Instructor. To the Student. 1. Getting Started. In-Class Introductory Exercise: Succeeding in College. Getting Started. Exercise 1: Equip Yourself. Set Goals. Your Personal Mission Statement. Why College? Exercise 2: Your Reasons for Attending College. Exercise 3: Why College? Your Rankings. Getting in Touch Through Freewriting. Write Your Personal Mission Statement. Setting Goals. Goal Worksheet. Journal Activity: Goals and Choices. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 2. Managing Your Time. In-Class Introductory Exercise: Manage Your Time. Two Styles of Time Management. Determine Your Priorities: A $25,000 Idea. How to Manage Your Time. Set Priorities and Make Choices. Collaborative Activity: Set Your Priorities. Write a Time Plan. Roles and Priorities Worksheet. One-Minute Checklist. Make a Term Plan. The Benefits of Self Management. Timesaving Habits. Reading Thoughtfully from ``Habit: Its Importance for Psychology'' by William James. Does Clutter Slow You Down? Persistence Pays Off. Procrastination. Getting in Touch Through Freewriting. Collaborative Activity: Overcoming Do-Nothingism. Resolving Time Conflicts. Exercise 4: Plan Your Activities. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 3. Getting The Most Out of Class. In-Class Introductory Exercise: Your Classroom Experiences. Getting The Most Out of Class. Twenty Reasons to Attend Class. Collaborative Activity: Your Reasons for Attending Class. Individual Learning Preferences. Getting in Touch Through Freewriting. Get Involved in Class. Exercise 1: Your Benefits from Attending Class. Use Critical Thinking to Rethink Assumptions About Learning. Collaborative Activity: Breaking Free of Negative Assumptions About Learning. Develop Interpersonal Skills. Journal Activity: Practice Speaker Roles. A Powerful Speaker Creates Himself. Reading Thoughtfully from ``Who I Am, and What I Think'' and Sixteen Self Sketches by George Bernard Shaw. Deal with Diversity. Collaborative Activity: Think About Diversity. Collaborative Activity: Attitudes About Diversity. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. If You Feel Different. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. Listening Skills. Exercise 2: Hear New Ideas. The Thinker. Notetaking. Exercise 3: Your Notetaking Experiences. Keep Up with Assignments. Escapes and Excuses. Exercise 4: Overcome Escapes and Excuses. One-Minute Checklist. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 4. Managing Stress. In-Class Introductory Activity: What are Your Stress Factors? Stress: Causes And Effects. Exercise 1: Your Stress Management Strategies. Are You Afraid of Failure? Journal Activity: Meeting Your Challenges. Collaborative Activity: Sharing Your Successes. Learn from Painful Feelings. Reading Thoughtfully from ``Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts'' by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. Take Charge Of Your Feelings. Three Magic Words: ``Make a Plan''. Leaving ``The Comfort Zone''. Thirteen Problem-Solving Tips from ``The Art of Clear Thinking'' by Rudolf Flesch. Reducing Stress in Relationships. Collaborative Activity: Reflective Listening. Exercise 2: Write ``I'' Messages. Solving College Problems Through Critical Thinking. Collaborative Activity: Solve Learning Problems. Are You Asking the Right Questions? Exercise 3: Ask the Right Questions. Just Say No. Exercise 4: When Can You Say No? Who's In Control? Exercise 5: Who's In Control Here? One-Minute Checklist. Exercise 6: Stress Reduction Strategies. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 5. Active Learning. In-Class Introductory Exercise: Facts Versus General Laws. Rote Memorizing versus Active Learning. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. The Reading and Writing Connection. Ten Reasons for Keeping a Learning Log. Learning Log Activity. More Writing Strategies for Better Learning. Are You a Genius? Reading Thoughtfully from ``The World Grows Round My Door'' (1947) by David Fairchild. The Principles of Active Learning. Exercise 1: Learning Activities. The Power of Concentration. A Skater Learns to Concentrate. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. A, B and C Concentration Time. Journal Activity: Identify Your ``A'' Time. What are the Best Places for Study? Exercise 2: Select Memory Strategies. Improve Your Memory with Flash Cards. Flash Cards Activity. Exercise 3: Practice Active Learning. Combat Day-to-day Forgetfulness. One-Minute Self Check. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 6. Taking Tests. In-Class Introductory Activity: How Do You Prepare for Tests? Have a Positive Attitude Towards Tests. ``A'' is for Attitude. She Didn't Give Up. Reading Thoughtfully from ``One of New Orleans' Finest'' by Michael Ryan. Set Realistic Academic Goals. Two Famous Failures. How to Prepare for Tests. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. What's the Worst that Could Happen? Planning for Success on Tests. Journal Activity: Carry Out Your Study Plan. How to Talk to Yourself About a Test. Exercise 1: Practice Positive Self Talk. One-Minute Checklist. How to Take Tests. How to Relax. Raising Test Scores Through Critical Thinking. Taking Standardized Tests. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 7. Active Reading. In-Class Introductory Exercise: Why Do You Read? The Importance of Reading. An Actor Becomes an Active Reader. Reading Thoughtfully from This Life by Sidney Poitier. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. Steps to Better Reading. SQ3R: Study, Question, Read, Recite, Review. Exercise 1: Try the SQ3R Process. Exercise 2: Get More from Your Reading. Reading as a Lifelong Project. What About Speed? Exercise 3: Examine Your Reading. Reading Critically. Exercise 4: Evaluate a Reading. Reading Thoughtfully from ``Notes on Nursing'' by Florence Nightingale. Collaborative Activity: Consider Reading Experiences. Journal Activity: Practice Critical Reading. Reading With a Critical Eye. ``The Psychology of Right Livelihood'' from ``Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow'' by Marsha Sinetar, Ph.D. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 8. Critical Thinking. In-Class Introductory Activity: Think About Thinking. The Importance of Critical Thinking. Lateral and Vertical Thinking. Exercise 1: Lateral Versus Vertical Thinking. The Importance of Assumptions. Mistaken Assumptions in History. Exercise 2: Evaluate Your Assumptions. Broaden Your Thinking Through New Experiences. Collaborative Activity: Look for New Experiences. Seven Common Thinking Errors. Recognize Thinking Errors. Exercise 3: Look for Thinking Errors. Thinking Errors. Thinking About Motorcycles. Reading Thoughtfully from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. Apply Critical Thinking to Human Diversity. Diversity Activity: Think About the People You Know. An Inexpensive Thinking Tool: Your Pencil. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. Exercise 4: Use Your Pencil. Journal Activity: Draw and Write. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 9. Success with Language. In-class Introductory Activity: Language Skills for Your Career. The Importance of Language Skills. Creating A Public Self. Reading Thoughtfully from ``Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood'' by Richard Rodriguez. Developing Your ``Public Language''. Exercise 1: Look for ``Public Language''. Journal Activity: Listen for Public and Private Language. Exploding the Myths About Language. Exercise 2: Write About Language Myths. Tips for Success in Writing Courses How to Improve Your Vocabulary. Introducing the Writing Process. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. When English is a Second Language. The Importance of Public Speaking. Collaborative Activity: Prepare a Group Speech. Using Critical Thinking in Writing Assignments. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 10. Studying Science. In-Class Introductory Activity: Science in Your Life. Why Study Science? Exercise 1: Science and Citizenship. How to Study Science. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. Science Study Self-Check. Me—A Scientist? Journal Activity: Practice Science Activities. Creative Thinking in Science. The Human Factor in Science. Collaborative Activity: Brainstorm the Human Factor in Science. Science and Citizenship. Reading Thoughtfully from ``Public Attitudes Toward Science'' in Black Holes and Baby Universes by Stephen Hawking. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 11. Studying Mathematics. In-Class Introductory Activity: Think About Math. Why Study Math? Collaborative Activity: Math in Your Career. Exercise 1: Math in Your Everyday Life. Mathematics Solves a Mystery. Reading Thoughtfully from ``The Musgrave Ritual'' by Arthur Conan Doyle. Collaborative Activity: Write a Mathematical Mystery. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. How to Study Math. Overcoming Math Anxiety. Journal Activity: Keep a Math Learning Log. Imagine-Estimate-Evaluate. Collaborative Activity: Invent and Solve Word Problems. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress. 12. Introduction to Research. In-class Introductory Exercise: Think About Research. Get Acquainted with Research. Getting in Touch through Freewriting. The ``How-To's'' of Research. Five Steps for Effective Research. Exercise 1: Get to Know the Library. Persuasive or Informative. Exercise 2: Think About Thesis Statements. Critical Reading and Research. Evaluating Your Sources. Journal Activity: Practice Research Skills. A Researcher at Work. Reading Thoughtfully from ``King of Ragtime'' by Edward A. Berlin. Challenging Your Thinking. Collaborative Activity: Learning About Evidence. Using What You Have Learned. Evaluating Your Progress