Your College Experience Strategies for Success

Written by the leading authorities on the first-year seminar and grounded in research, Your College Experience by John Gardner and Betsy Barefoot offers today’s diverse students the practical help they need to make the transition to college and get the most out of their time there.

While maintaining its hallmark theme of goal setting, the new edition provides practical strategies across all topics of the book to help students be successful from the start. The book features a fresh new design and a strong new emphasis on the ten research-based High Impact Practices suggested by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Chapters on Emotional Intelligence, Thinking, and Wellness have all been thoroughly updated with tools and strategies students use on campus right now and the book features a fresh, new design.

A full package of instructional support materials—including an Instructor’s Annotated Edition, Instructor’s Manual, PowerPoint slides, videos, and a Test Bank—provides new and experienced instructors all the tools they will need to engage students in this course and increase student retention.  

Part I Foundations

1. Why Go to College?

2. Time Management

3. Emotional Intelligence

4. How You Learn

Part II Preparing to Study

5. Thinking in College

6. Reading to Learn

7. Getting the Most Out of Class

8. Studying

9. Test-taking

10. Information Literacy and Communication

Part III Preparing for Life

11. Relationships

12. Diversity

13. Wellness

14. Money

Part IV Next Steps

15. Majors and Careers