Connections Essentials

Study strategies proven to bring on success in college, career, and life as Connections Essentials teaches you academic and life skills to stimulate your achievement as an active and collaborative learner.

Paul A. Gore
Paul’s efforts to promote college and career readiness, high school and college student persistence, and academic success are informed by more than twenty years of research, program development, implementation, evaluation, consulting, and teaching. Paul currently serves as the dean of the College of Professional Sciences at Xavier University in Ohio. Paul earned his Ph.D. in counseling psychology, with an emphasis in student career development, academic success, and transition, from Loyola University–Chicago. He has held academic and administrative responsibilities at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, ACT, Inc., and the University of Utah.

Paul’s work focuses on noncognitive and motivational determinants of academic and career success. In particular, he is interested in how secondary and postsecondary institutions use data describing the noncognitive strengths and weaknesses of their students to promote student success and retention. He regularly consults with secondary and postsecondary institutions in the United States and abroad on developing and evaluating student academic and career success programs.

Paul has authored more than fifty peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He is the past chair of the Society for Vocational Psychology and served as an advisory board member and journal editor for the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and was the recipient of a 2013–2014 American Council on Education Emerging Leadership fellowship.

Wade Leuwerke
Wade is an associate professor of counseling at Drake University. He earned his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale. Wade has authored over fifty journal articles and book chapters, as well as national and international conference presentations. One of his areas of research is the assessment and development of student and employee noncognitive skills. He cocreated the Student Strengths Inventory, a measure of noncognitive skills used with secondary and postsecondary students to identify students’ skills and drive interventions for students at risk of academic failure or dropout. Wade also studies the factors that predict college retention, the impact of computer-assisted career guidance systems on academic planning and career exploration behaviors, and the role of technology in career development processes.

Wade has experience examining school counselors’ roles and working with professional school counselors to positively impact students’ academic development, career and college exploration, and acquisition of personal and social skills that will prepare them for college and life beyond. He has worked with dozens of secondary and postsecondary institutions on a range of factors related to student success and persistence, including evaluation of institutional practices, use of data to drive student interventions, creation of individualized student success plans, training, strategic planning, resource allocation, and collaboration to promote student success. He has also worked as a research project manager focusing on academic and career development research for Kuder, Inc.; ACT, Inc.; Career Cruising; and intoCareers. Wade provides executive and career coaching for corporations and the federal government.

A.J. Metz
A.J. is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah and serves as director of the master’s program in school counseling. She earned a M.Ed. in rehabilitation counseling in 1997 and a Ph.D. in urban education (with a specialization in counseling psychology) in 2005 from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Her research examining factors related to academic success and career development in underrepresented and underserved student populations has led to numerous journal articles, book chapters, conference presentations, workshops, grant proposals, and faculty in-service training sessions.

A.J. has extensive teaching, counseling, consulting, and career advising experience in high schools, community colleges, and four-year public and private institutions of higher education. Her passion for teaching motivates her to experiment with innovative teaching methods and develop new and engaging activities and instructional materials. In 2015 she received the University of Utah’s Early Career Teaching Award, and in 2017 she received the College of Education Teaching Award. She is the past president of the Utah Psychological Association and serves on multiple state-level task forces and advisory councils promoting school counseling, college access, and career readiness.

1: Building a Foundation for Success 
Why Go to College?
      Education: Good for Society, Good for You
      What It Means to Be in College 
Learn about Yourself 
      Discover Your Values 
      Follow Your Interests 
       Embrace Your Strengths — and Learn from Your Weaknesses 
       Getting to Know You: ACES and Other Tools [[pop out article]]
      Student Voices of Experience: Finding Your Purpose 
Feel the Power of Positive Psychology
      Build Self-Efficacy 
      Be Resilient 
      Keep Hope Alive 
      Take Personal Responsibility for Your Success 
      Recruit Help  [[pop out article]]
College Success Leads to Career Success 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

2: Thinking Critically and Setting Goals 
Build Your Critical Thinking Skills 
      The Higher-Level Thinking Skills behind Critical Thinking 
      How to Use Your Higher-Level Thinking Skills 
      Compare and Contrast: Critical vs. Creative Thinking [[pop out article]]
Use Bloom’s Taxonomy 
      Those Blooming Test Questions! [[pop out article]]
Think Critically to Set Goals 
      Step 1: Gather Information (about You) 
      Step 2: Set a SMART Goal 
      Step 3: Make an Action Plan 
      Got Goals?  They're Your Path to Academic Success [[pop out article]]
      Step 4: List Barriers and Solutions 
      Student Voices of Experience: Focusing on Solutions 
      Step 5: Act and Evaluate Outcomes 
Create Your Personal Success Plan 
      The PSP in Action 
      Create Your First Personal Success Plan 
      Employers Value Goal Setting [[pop out article]]
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

3: Motivation, Decision Making, and Personal Responsibility 
What Keeps You Motivated? 
      Self-Efficacy 
      Relevance 
      Attitude 
      You're Good Enough and You're Smart Enough [[pop out article]]
      Tap into Your Internal Motivation 
      Student Voices of Experience: Staying Motivated in College 
Make Good Decisions
Take Personal Responsibility for Your Education 
      Develop a Growth Mindset 
      Take an Active Approach to Your Learning 
      Navigate the Transition to College Life 
      Think about Thinking and Learning 
      Active Learning, Personal Responsibility, and Belief Lead to Success! [[pop out article]]
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

4: Understanding Learning
Learning That Works: What the Research Tells Us 
      Test Yourself
      Space Out Your Studying
      Change Up Your Material 
      Make Connections So Learning Lasts
      Use Verbal and Visual Information
      Your Brain Is Required for Learning! [[pop out article]]
Make Learning Personal 
      Use the Myers-Briggs Model 
      Use the VARK Model 
      Student Voices of Experience: Using Learning Strategies in College
Succeed in Different Learning Environments 
      Work in a Group
      Make Sure You're Multimodal  
      Seek Help for Learning Challenges [[pop out article]]
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

5: Organization and Time Management 
Get Organized 
      Create a Clean Study Space 
      Organize Your Documents
      What’s in a Name? How to Label Your Files and Folders [[pop out article]]
Take Control of Your Time 
      Step 1: Track Your Time 
      Step 2: Identify Your Priorities 
      Step 3: Build Your Schedule 
      Step 4: Use Tools to Track Progress on Your Projects 
      Student Voices of Experience Tools for Time Management 
      Manage Time When You Learn Online [[pop out article]] 
Overcome Procrastination and Minimize Distractions 
      Beat Procrastination 
      Minimize Distractions
      Find Your Flow [[pop out article]] 
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

6: Reading for College Success
Embrace Reading! 
Prepare to Read 
      Preview the Material 
      Make a Plan for Your Reading [[pop out article]] 
      Identify Purposeful Reading Questions  
Read with Focus 
      Mark Up Your Reading Material 
      Think Critically about What You Read 
      Student Voices of Experience: Gaining Confidence in Reading 
      Clarify Confusing Material
      Reading: It’s Good for You! [[pop out article]]  
      Boost Your Reading Efficiency
Review What You’ve Read 
      Recite 
      Summarize 
      Review and Study 
Read Different Types of Materials 
      Read for Math and Science Classes 
      Read Journal Articles 
      Ask for Help with Reading Challenges [[pop out article]]  
      Read Online Course Materials 
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

7: Taking Effective Notes
Supercharge Your Note Taking with a Four-Step Strategy 
      Step 1: Prepare to Take Notes 
      Step 2: Actively Listen, Watch, Read, and Participate 
      Step 3: Record Information 
      Taking Notes? Grab a Pen and Paper [[pop out article]]  
      Step 4: Review Your Notes 
Experiment with Note-Taking Methods 
      Outlining 
      Student Voices of Experience Outlining and Other Note-Taking Strategies
      Charting 
      Cornell System 
      Mapping  
Note-Taking Tips for Math, Science, and Online Classes 
      Taking Notes in Math and Science Classes 
      Taking Notes in Online Classes
      Take Notes Like a Professional [[pop out article]]   
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

8: Memory, Studying, and Test Taking 
Learn How Your Memory Works 
      Sensory Memory
      Short-Term/Working Memory
      Long-Term Memory
      Putting It All Together
      Why You Forget [[pop out article]] 
Study Basics: Set Yourself Up for Success 
      Manage Your Time Wisely 
      Join a Study Group 
      Make Connections 
      Create Your Own Study Tools
      Remember Material with Mnemonics [[pop out article]]
      Study for Math and Science Classes
      Study for Online Classes 
Prepare for Tests  
      Know the Exam Format 
      Review Previous Exams 
      Stay Healthy 
      Talk with Your Instructor 
      Manage Test Anxiety 
      Think Good Thoughts [[pop out article]]
      Student Voices of Experience Preparing for Tests 
Learn Test-Taking Strategies 
      Start Smart 
      Answer Common Question Types  
      Take Math and Science Tests 
      Take Tests Online 
      You've Got Integrity [[pop out article]] 
Follow Up after Tests 
      Evaluate Your Approach: Did Your Prep Work Pay Off? 
      Get Hard Evidence 
      Learn from Your Mistakes  
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

9: Information Literacy and Communication 
Develop Information Literacy 
      Find the Information You Need 
      Evaluate the Information You've Found
      Wikipedia: Friend or Foe? [[pop out article]] 
Communicate Information through Writing 
      Prepare to Write 
      Write Your First Draft 
      Revise and Polish Your Paper 
      Student Voices of Experience Getting Feedback on Your Writing 
      Avoid Plaigiarism [[pop out article]]
      Write in Online Classes  
Present in Class with Confidence 
      Know Your Purpose—and Your Audience 
      Craft Your Presentation
      Practice Your Presentation [[pop out article]] 
      Present Like a Pro
      Harness the Power of Technology: Present Online
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

10: Connecting with Others
Enhance Your Communication Skills 
      Become a Better Listener 
      Become a Better Speaker 
Build Emotional Intelligence 
      Recognize Emotions 
      Understand Emotions 
      Manage Emotions 
      The Dangers of Suppressing Your Emotions [[pop out article]] 
Resolve Conflict 
      Be Assertive 
      Don't Be a Doormat [[pop out article]] 
      Use “I” Statements 
      Use All Your Skills to Resolve Conflicts 
Grow and Sustain Healthy Relationships 
      Connect with Classmates 
      Connect with Instructors 
      Connect with Your Campus Community 
      There's More to College than the Classroom [[pop out article]]
      Connect with Others Online 
      Stay Connected with Friends and Family 
      Student Voices of Experience: Maintaining Relationships 
Embrace Diversity 
      Recognize Differences 
      Respect Differences 
      Think Critically about Differences 
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

11: Personal and Financial Health
Stress Less, Feel Better 
Physical and Mental Health 
      Eat Right 
      Stay Active 
      Don’t Skimp on the Z’s 
      Healthy Behavior Is Good for Your Grades [[pop out article]]
      Student Voices of Experience: Staying Healthy and Coping with Stress
      Take Care of Your Mental Health 
      Don’t Abuse Alcohol and Drugs 
Sexual Health 
      Avoid Sexually Transmitted Infections 
      Practice Birth Control 
Financial Health 
      Create a Budget 
      Reduce Your Spending 
      Get a Job to Boost Your Income 
      Navigate Financial Aid 
      I've Got Financial Aid—Now How Do I Keep It? [[pop out article]]
      Control Your Credit Cards — So They Don’t Control You 
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES 

12: Academic and Career Planning 
Know Yourself 
      Explore Your Interests 
      Explore Your Values 
      Explore Your Skills 
      Understand Yourself through Campus Engagement [[pop out article]]
Develop an Academic Plan 
      Choose a Degree or Certificate 
      Choose a College Major 
      Choose Your Courses 
      Get Help from an Academic Adviser or a Counselor
      Student Voices of Experience: Selecting a Major and Choosing Classes
      Know Your Milestones [[pop out article]] 
Investigate Career Options 
      Get to Know the O*NET 
      Talk with Experts 
      Get Experience 
LaunchYour Job Search
      Write a Résumé 
      Find Job Opportunities 
      Write a Cover Letter 
      Interview Effectively
      Be Ready for Behavioral Interview Questions [[pop out article]] 
      End-of-Term Reflection: Assess Your ACES Progress 
      My Personal Success Plan 
CHAPTER SUMMARY 
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

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