Preface Welcome to College Success Concise , an OpenStax resource. This textbook was written to increase student access to high-quality learning materials, maintaining highest standards of academic rigor at little to no cost. About OpenStax OpenStax is part of Rice University, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable corporation. Our mission is to make an amazing education accessible for all. Through our partnerships with philanthropic organizations and our alliance with other educational resource companies, we’re breaking down the most common barriers to learning. Because we believe that everyone should and can have access to knowledge. 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Visit the Instructor Resources section of your book page on OpenStax.org for more information. Art Attribution in College Success Concise In College Success Concise , most art contains attribution to its title, creator or rights holder, host platform, and license within the caption. For any art that is openly licensed, non-commercial users or organizations may reuse the art as long as they provide the same attribution to its original source. (Commercial entities should contact OpenStax to discuss reuse rights and permissions.) To maximize readability and content flow, some art does not include attribution in the text. If you reuse art from this text that does not have attribution provided, use the following attribution: Copyright Rice University, OpenStax, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Errata All OpenStax textbooks undergo a rigorous review process. However, like any professional-grade textbook, errors sometimes occur. Since our books are web based, we can make updates periodically when deemed pedagogically necessary. If you have a correction to suggest, submit it through the link on your book page on OpenStax.org. Subject matter experts review all errata suggestions. OpenStax is committed to remaining transparent about all updates, so you will also find a list of past errata changes on your book page on OpenStax.org. Format You can access this textbook for free in web view or PDF through OpenStax.org, and for a low cost in print. About College Success Concise College Success Concise is designed to meet the course needs of a variety of courses, workshops, or seminars for first-year experience or college transition students. FYE programs vary greatly according to institution, so this briefer version of the original College Success textbook has been developed to provide the most flexibility possible for course coordinators, instructors, and instructional designers. The open license and multiple formats provide many opportunities to tailor the material to meet program-specific needs. College Success and College Success Concise address the evolving challenges and opportunities of today's diverse students. The intensive development work leveraged expertise from hundreds of FYE coordinators and faculty across the country. In particular, this Concise version was crafted with the input of dozens of course coordinators and faculty who used the original text in a variety of contexts, including one-credit seminars and summer bridge programs. The topics have been carefully chosen to prioritize the most critical topics in those briefer course offerings, and the authors have organized them to create a logical and reinforcing flow. While much of the material is very similar to the original College Success book, this version was holistically edited and updated where needed. Users will see distinctive improvements and additions in certain areas, such as a new section on group work and greatly expanded coverage of stress, social media, and wellbeing. While some content was removed in creating this derivative, our open license and platform allow instructors and students to reliably utilize content from the original College Success text. As with all of our books, instructors can link to individual textbook sections or utilize the various means of customization. College Success Concise shares the vision and approach of the original textbook, and is rooted in core values of motivation, growth mindset, student support, and equity. The material highlights resources available to students as they embark on new roads of independence and responsibility. Within the chapters, students are given the opportunity to engage in self-analysis and reflection in order to understand their strengths, challenges, and aptitudes. Faculty and students will see the following consistent themes and approaches: Student engagement and self-analysis are reflected in each section through applications and activities. The diversity and intersectionality of students were considered in every example, context, and application, and the text's active surveys and detailed profiles make student voices a key element of the reading. Interconnected topics are acknowledged and built upon, demonstrating that no element of college learning and growth occurs in isolation. The result is a cumulative, more complete understanding, which better prepares students to meet the multi-dimensional challenges of higher education. Openly licensed and free in all digital formats , the text provides unparalleled flexibility in its use, customization, and accessibility for faculty and students. The book is provided at no cost in online, PDF, and other formats. It is also available in print for a very low price. Robust instructor ancillaries will support faculty and course designers with teaching notes, additional exercises, worksheet versions of the in-text activities, lecture slides, and assessment items. Features Student Profiles: The voices of real students inform every chapter. These students grapple with the same concepts, from improving study skills to embracing diversity, and through their experiences and successes we share important stories. Get Connected: Apps, websites and tech opportunities that our experts recommend to help students better face the challenges of college and life beyond the classroom. Analysis and Applications: Peppered through every chapter are opportunities for students to reflect on concepts, try out processes, and apply what they're learning. Student Surveys: Chapters begin with a survey, posing questions that will get readers engaged in considering their own level of connection and understanding of the chapter's concept, from time management to personal finance to career planning. Estimated Module Completion Time Each section of College Success Concise includes an estimate of the average time needed to read through the material and work on the activities and applications. Each student will engage the material differently, and faculty will likely prioritize or assign certain components over others. As a result, the actual time students spend will vary greatly. OpenStax will periodically update these estimates based on user feedback. Answers to Questions in the Book Answers to "Questions to Consider" questions are not provided to students due to the high variability of responses. The Instructor's Manual on the Instructor Resources page provides additional insight to assist in discussion about these questions. There is also a Test Bank of questions and answers only available to the instructor. Additional Resources Student and Instructor Resources We've compiled additional resources for both students and instructors, including Getting Started Guides, lecture slides, and a Test Bank. The most robust of these is the Instructor Resource Manual, developed by author Amy Baldwin based on extensive experience and requests from faculty reviewers and survey respondents. For each chapter, the IRM will contain: Detailed teaching suggestions Bloom's Taxonomy matrix, indicating the alignment of each chapter activity and application to the level of Bloom's it fulfills. Overarching “big picture” questions from the chapter Topical and cumulative case scenario activities, which present a realistic situation based on the concepts, and ask students to respond via writing or another method. These may be adapted and assigned by instructors. Instructor resources require a verified instructor account, which you can apply for when you log in or create your account on OpenStax.org. Instructor and student resources are typically available within a few months after the book's initial publication. Take advantage of these resources to supplement your OpenStax book. Community Hubs OpenStax partners with the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) to offer Community Hubs on OER Commons—a platform for instructors to share community-created resources that support OpenStax books, free of charge. Through our Community Hubs, instructors can upload their own materials or download resources to use in their own courses, including additional ancillaries, teaching material, multimedia, and relevant course content. We encourage instructors to join the hubs for the subjects most relevant to your teaching and research as an opportunity both to enrich your courses and to engage with other faculty. To reach the Community Hubs, visit www.oercommons.org/hubs/OpenStax. Technology Partners As allies in making high-quality learning materials accessible, our technology partners offer optional low-cost tools that are integrated with OpenStax books. To access the technology options for your text, visit your book page on OpenStax.org. About the Authors Senior Contributing Author Amy Baldwin, University of Central Arkansas Amy Baldwin has dedicated her entire career to supporting students in their successful transition to college. She wrote the first, groundbreaking student success textbook for community colleges and for first-generation students. After 18 years as an award-winning community college professor, she now serves as Director of the Department of Student Transitions at the University of Central Arkansas. This unique blend of experience provides perspective on two critical student and faculty populations, which she has brought to this book and her extensive work with Complete College America, Achieving the Dream, and the Developmental Education Initiative. Amy and her husband Kyle live in Arkansas and have two children, Emily and Will. Contributing Authors Lisa August, Canisius College James Bennett, Herzing University Larry Buland, Metropolitan Community College Jill Kaar, University of Colorado Sabrina Mathues, Brookdale Community College Susan Monroe, Northern Virginia Community College MJ O'Leary, Wellness Multiplied Ann Pearson, San Jacinto College Joshua Troesh, El Camino College Margit Misangyi Watts, University of Hawai'i at Manoa Reviewers Nagash Clarke, Washtenaw Community College Laura Crisp, Pellissippi State Community College Abbie Finnegan, Des Moines Area Community College Kim Fragopoulos, University of Massachusetts-Boston Maria Galyon, Jefferson Community & Technical College Kimberly A. Griffith, Bristol Community College Anna Howell, Portland Community College Sarah Howard, The Ohio State University Stacy L. Hurley, Baltimore County Community College Dawn Lee, Charleston Southern University Gail Malone, South Plains College Kim Martin, Chemeketa Community College Sherri Powell, Shawnee State University Bobby E. Roberts, Jr., Savannah State University Laila M. Shishineh, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Shavecca M. Snead, Albany State University Jason Smethers, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Angela C. Thering, SUNY Buffalo State Antione D. Tomlin, Anne Arundel Community College Jessica Traylor, Gordon State College Makeda K. Turner, University of Michigan Dave Urso, Blue Ridge Community College Margit Misangyi Watts, University of Hawaii at Manoa Ann Wolf, New Mexico Highlands University

College Success


Introduction When you choose to go to college, you are making a key decision about your future. (Credit: Germanna CC / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0)) Ana is excited to start college a few hours from her home. Even though she knows only a few people from her high school who have enrolled, she realizes quickly that she is starting over with new friends, a new routine, and a whole new experience that is nothing like high school. During the first few weeks, she has trouble finding her classes and getting to them on time because they are across campus from each other. She feels underprepared in some of her classes. The professor speaks quickly and covers lots of information in a short amount of time. Even though she’s always done well in school, the amount of information and the speed at which it comes at her, makes her doubt herself. She also notices that she has a harder time getting to know people. Her classmates rarely chat before or after class and everyone in her residence hall is busy with activities and seem to have found friends. Ana calls home and tells her family about her feelings. While they encourage her to stick it out, they also offer to let her come back home and drop out if she needs to. Ana doesn’t want to do that because she really likes her freedom and being on her own, but she is worried that things won’t get better. What Do You Think? If you were Ana, what would you do in this situation? What would you do to meet people and make friends if you were shy when everyone else seems connected? How would you manage the feelings of being overwhelmed in classes? How do you feel about being on your own in college? Why do you feel this way? Student Survey How do you feel about your ability to meet the expectations of college? These questions will help you determine how the chapter concepts relate to you right now. As we are introduced to new concepts and practices, it can be informative to reflect on how your understanding changes over time. Take this quick survey to figure it out, ranking questions on a scale of 1—4, 1 meaning “least like me” and 4 meaning “most like me.” Don’t be concerned with the results. If your score is low, you will most likely gain even more from this book. I am fully aware of the expectations of college and how to meet them. I know why I am in college and have clear goals that I want to achieve. Most of the time, I take responsibility for my learning new and challenging concepts. I feel comfortable working with faculty, advisors, and classmates to accomplish my goals. You can also take this chapter's survey anonymously online. As students transition to college, responsibility is an inherent component of self-advocacy. As someone accepted on full funding to a 4-year university, but whose life’s circumstances disallowed attending college until years later, I used to dream of a stress-free college life. The reality is, college can be a meaningful place, but it can also be challenging and unpredictable. The key is to be your own best advocate , because no one else is obliged to advocate on your behalf. “When I began my community college studies, I knew what I wanted to do. Cybersecurity was my passion, but I had no understanding of how credits transfer over to a 4-year university. This came to haunt me later, after I navigated the complex processes of transferring between two different colleges. Not everyone involved volunteers information. It is up to you, the student, to be the squeaky wheel so you can get the grease. Visit office hours, make appointments, and schedule meetings with stakeholders so that you are not just buried under the sheaf of papers on someone’s desk.” —Mohammed Khalid , University of Maryland About This Chapter In this chapter, you will learn about what you can do to get ready for college. By the time you complete this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Recognize the purpose and value of college. Describe the transitional experience of the first year of college. Discuss how to handle college culture and expectations. List the benefits of adopting a learning mindset. Reginald Madison Reginald has, after much thought and with a high level of family support, decided to enroll in college. It has been a dream in the making, as he was unable to attend immediately after high school graduation. Instead, he worked several years in his family’s business, got married, had a son, and then decided that he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life regretting that he didn’t get a chance to follow his dreams of becoming a teacher. Because it has been almost a decade since he sat in a classroom, he is worried about how he will fit in as an adult learner returning to college. Will his classmates think he is too old? Will his professors think he is not ready for the challenges of college work? Will his family get tired of his long nights at the library and his new priorities? There is so much Reginald is unsure of, yet he knows it’s a step in the right direction. It has been only three months since Madison graduated from high school. She graduated in the top 10 percent of her class, and she earned college credit while in high school. She feels academically prepared, and she has a good sense of what degree she wants to earn. Since Madison was 5 years old, she’s wanted to be an engineer because she loved building things in the backyard with her father’s tools. He always encouraged her to follow her dreams, and her whole family has been supportive of her hobbies and interests. However, Madison is concerned that her choice of major will keep her from dance, creative writing, and other passions. Furthermore, Madison is heading to a distant college with no other people she knows. Will she be able to find new friends quickly? Will her engineering classes crush her or motivate her to complete college? Will she be able to explore other interests? Madison has a lot on her mind, but she aims to face these challenges head-on. While Reginald and Madison have had different experiences before and certainly have different motivations for enrolling in college, they have quite a bit in common. They are both committed to this new chapter in their lives, and they are both connected to their families in ways that can influence their commitment to this pursuit. What they don’t know just yet—because they haven’t started their classes—is that they will have even more in common as they move through each term, focus on a major, and plan for life after graduation. And they have a lot in common with you as well because you are in a similar position—starting the next chapter of the rest of your life. In this chapter, you will first learn more about identifying the reason you are in college. This is an important first step because knowing your why will keep you motivated. Next, the chapter will cover the transitions that you may experience as a new college student. Then, the chapter will focus on how you can acclimate to the culture and meet the expectations—all of which will make the transition to a full-fledged college student easier. Adopting a learning mindset is covered next and will provide you with research-based information that can help you develop the beliefs and habits that will result in success. Finally, the chapter will provide you with strategies for overcoming the challenges that you may face by providing information about how to find and access resources.

College Success


Why College? Estimated completion time: 22 minutes. Questions to Consider: Why are you in college? What are the rewards and value of a college degree? This chapter started with the profiles of two students, Reginald and Madison, but now we turn to who you are and why you are going to college. Starting this chapter with you , the student, seems to make perfect sense. Like Reginald and Madison, you are probably full of emotions as you begin a journey toward a degree and the fulfillment of a dream. Are you excited about meeting new people and finally getting to take classes that interest you? Are you nervous about how you are going to handle your courses and all the other activities that come along with being a college student? Are you thrilled to be making important decisions about your future? Are you worried about making the right choice when deciding on a major or a career? All these thoughts, even if contradictory at times, are normal. And you may be experiencing several of them at the same time. Decision-making about college and our future can be challenging, but with self-analysis and support, you can feel more confident and make the best choices. (Credit: SJU Undergraduate Admissions / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0)) Why Are You in College? We know that college is not mandatory—like kindergarten through 12th grade is—and it is not free. You are making a choice to commit several years of hard work to earn a degree or credential. In some cases, you may have had to work really hard to get to this point by getting good grades and test scores in high school and earning money to pay for tuition and fees and other expenses. Now you have more at stake and a clearer path to achieving your goals, but you still need to be able to answer the question. To help answer this question, consider the following questioning technique called “The Five Whys” that was originally created by Sakichi Toyoda, a Japanese inventor, whose strategy was used by the Toyota Motor Company to find the underlying cause of a problem. While your decision to go to college is not a problem, the exercise is helpful to uncover your underlying purpose for enrolling in college. The process starts with a “Why” question that you want to know the answer to. Then, the next four “Why” questions use a portion of the previous answer to help you dig further into the answer to the original question. Here is an example of “The Five Whys,” with the first question as “Why are you in college?” The answers and their connection to the next “Why” questions have been underlined so you can see how the process works. While the example is one from a student who knows what she wants to major in, this process does not require that you have a specific degree or career in mind. In fact, if you are undecided, then you can explore the “why” of your indecision. For example, you may consider the following “Why” questions: Is it because you have lots of choices, or is it because you are not sure what you really want out of college? The Five Whys in Action Why are you in college? I am in college to earn a degree in speech pathology . Why do you want to earn a degree in speech pathology ? I want to be able to help people who have trouble speaking . Why do you want to help people who have trouble speaking ? I believe that people who have trouble speaking deserve a life they want . Why do you feel it is important that people who have trouble speaking deserve a life they want ? I feel they often have needs that are overlooked and do not get treated equally . Why do you want to use your voice to help these people live a life they deserve ? I feel it is my purpose to help others achieve their full potential despite having physical challenges. Do you see how this student went beyond a standard answer about the degree that she wants to earn to connect her degree to an overall purpose that she has to help others in a specific way? Had she not been instructed to delve a little deeper with each answer, it is likely that she would not have so quickly articulated that deeper purpose. And that understanding of “why” you are in college—beyond the degree you want or the job you envision after graduation—is key to staying motivated through what will most likely be some challenging times. How else does knowing your “why,” or your deeper reason for being in college, help you? According to Angela Duckworth (2016), a researcher on grit— what it takes for us to dig in deep when faced with adversity and continue to work toward our goal—knowing your purpose can be the booster to grit that can help you succeed. Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power and Passion of Perseverance. NY: Simon & Schuster. Other research has found that people who have a strong sense of purpose are less likely to experience stress and anxiety (Burrow, 2013) Burrow, A.L. & Hill, P.L. (2013). Derailed by diversity? Purpose buffers the relationship between ethnic composition on trains and passenger negative mood. Personality and Psychology Bulletin , 39 (12), 1610-1619. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167213499377. and more likely to be satisfied in their jobs (Weir, 2013). Weir, K. (2013). More than job satisfaction: Psychologists are discovering what makes work meaningful--and how to create value in any job. American Psychological Association , 44 (11), 39. Therefore, being able to answer the question “Why are you in college?” not only satisfies the person asking, but it also has direct benefits to your overall well-being. But don’t worry if you don’t know your purpose, or why, for being in college just yet. You can use your time taking classes and developing relationships to figure it out. Try “The Five Whys” yourself in the table below to help you get a better sense of your purpose and to give you a worthy answer for anyone who asks you “Why are you in college?” The Five Whys: Your Turn Why are you in college? I am in college to . . . Why do you . . . I . . . Why do you . . . I . . . Why do you . . . I . . . Why do you . . . I . . . What Are the Rewards and Value of a College Degree? Once you have explored your “why” for enrolling in college, it may be worth reviewing what we know about the value of a college degree. There is no doubt you know people who have succeeded in a career without going to college. Famous examples of college dropouts include Bill Gates (the cofounder and CEO of Microsoft) and Ellen DeGeneres (comedian, actor, and television producer, among her many other roles). These are two well-known, smart, talented people who have had tremendous success on a global scale. They are also not the typical profile of a student who doesn’t finish a degree. For many students, especially those who are first-generation college students, a college degree helps them follow a career pathway and create a life that would not have been possible without the credential. Even in this time of rapid change in all kinds of fields, including technology and education, a college degree is still worth it for many people. Consider the following chart that shows an average of lifetime earnings per level of education. As you can see, the more education you receive, the greater the increase in your average lifetime earnings. Even though a degree costs a considerable amount of money on the front end, if you think about it as an investment in your future, you can see that college graduates receive a substantial return on their investment. To put it into more concrete terms, let’s say you spend $100,000 for a four-year degree ( Don’t faint! That is the average sticker cost of a four-year degree at a public university if you include tuition, fees, room, and board ). The return on investment (ROI) over a lifetime, according to the information in the figure below, is 1,500%! You don’t have to be a financial wizard to recognize that a 1,500% return is fantastic. Every education level brings with it potential for greater lifetime earnings and employment opportunities. These are simply averages and may not apply to all career types and individuals. For clarity, the “professional degree,” attaining the highest earnings, refers to degrees such as those given to doctors or lawyers, and the doctoral degree refers to a Ph.D. (Credit: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey)) Making more money over time is not the only benefit you can earn from completing a college degree. College graduates are also more likely to experience the following: Greater job satisfaction. That’s right! College graduates are more likely to get a job that they like or to find that their job is more enjoyable than not. Better job stability. Employees with college degrees are more likely to find and keep a job, which is comforting news in times of economic uncertainty. Improved health and wellness. College graduates are less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Better outcomes for the next generation. One of the best benefits of a college degree is that it can have positive influences for the graduate’s immediate family and the next generations. One last thing: There is some debate as to whether a college degree is needed to land a job, and there are certainly jobs that you can get without a college degree. However, there are many reasons that a college degree can give you an edge in the job market. Here are just a few reasons that graduating with a degree is still valuable: More and more entry-level jobs will require a college degree. According to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, in 2020, 35% of jobs will require a college degree. Carnevale, A.P., Smith, N., & Strohl, J. (2013). Recover: Job growth and education requirements through 2020. Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. Retrieved from https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/recovery-job-growth-and-education- requirements-through-2020/. A credential from a college or university still provides assurance that a student has mastered the material. Would you trust a doctor who never went to medical school to do open-heart surgery on a close relative? No, we didn’t think so. College provides an opportunity to develop much-needed soft skills. The National Association of Colleges and Employers has identified eight career-readiness competencies that college students should develop: critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, career management, and global/intercultural fluency. National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2019). Career readiness defined. Retrieved from https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/. There are few occasions that will provide you the opportunity to develop all these skills in a low-stakes environment (i.e., without the fear of being fired!). You will learn all of this and more in your classes. Seems like a great opportunity, doesn’t it? If you find yourself asking the question “What does this course have to do with my major?” or “Why do I have to take that ?” challenge yourself to learn more about the course and look for connections between the content and your larger educational, career, and life goals. In what ways will earning a college degree be valuable to you now and in the future? Be sure to describe the financial, career, and personal benefits to earning a college degree.

College Success


The First Year of College Will Be an Experience Estimated completion time: 14 minutes. Questions to Consider: How will you adjust to college? What are the common college experiences you will have? Adjustments to College Are Inevitable College not only will expand your mind, but it may also make you a little uncomfortable, challenge your identity, and at times, make you doubt your abilities. It is hard to truly learn anything without getting messy. This is what education does: it transforms us. For that to happen, however, means that we will need to be open to the transformation and allow the changes to occur. Flexibility , transition , and change are all words that describe what you will experience. Laurie Hazard and Stephanie Carter (2018) Hazard, L., & Carter, S. (2018). A framework for helping families understand the college transition. E-Source for College Transitions , 16(1), 13-15. use the word adjustment . Hazard and Carter (2018) believe there are six adjustment areas that first-year college students experience: academic, cultural, emotional, financial, intellectual, and social. Of course, you won’t go through these adjustments all at once or even in just the first year. Some will take time, while others may not even feel like much of a transition. Let’s look at them in brief as a way of preparing for the road ahead: Academic adjustment . No surprises here. You will most likely—depending on your own academic background—be faced with the increased demands of learning in college. This could mean that you need to spend more time learning to learn and using those strategies to master the material. Cultural adjustment. You also will most likely experience a cultural adjustment just by being in college because most campuses have their own language ( syllabus , registrar , and office hours , for example) and customs. You may also experience a cultural adjustment because of the diversity that you will encounter. Most likely, the people on your college campus will be different than the people at your high school—or at your workplace. Emotional adjustment. Remember the range of emotions presented at the beginning of the chapter? Those will likely be present in some form throughout your first weeks in college and at stressful times during the semester. Knowing that you may have good days and bad—and that you can bounce back from the more stressful days—will help you find healthy ways of adjusting emotionally. Financial adjustment . Most students understand the investment they are making in their future by going to college. Even if you have all your expenses covered, there is still an adjustment to a new way of thinking about what college costs and how to pay for it. You may find that you think twice about spending money on entertainment or that you have improved your skills in finding discounted textbooks. Intellectual adjustment . Experiencing an intellectual “a-ha!” moment is one of the most rewarding parts of college, right up there with moving across the graduation stage with a degree in hand. Prepare to be surprised when you stumble across a fascinating subject or find that a class discussion changes your life. At the very least, through your academic work, you will learn to think differently about the world around you and your place in it. Social adjustment . A new place often equals new people. But in college, those new relationships can have even more meaning. Getting to know professors not only can help you learn more in your classes, but it can also help you figure out what career pathway you want to take and how to get desired internships and jobs. Learning to reduce conflicts during group work or when living with others helps build essential workplace and life skills. provides a succinct definition for each of the areas as well as examples of how you can demonstrate that you have adjusted. Think about what you have done so far to navigate these transitions in addition to other things you can do to make your college experience a successful one. What Is It? Students exhibit it when they: Academic Take an active role in learning. Attain college-level learning strategies. Are open to feedback and change. Make adjustments to learning strategies as needed. Cultural Accepts and welcome differences in others. Recognize their own cultural identity. Seek opportunities to explore other cultures. Emotional Readily handle the stressors of college life. Develop emotional coping strategies. Seek support from campus resources. Financial Manage money independently. Recognize the costs of college. Explore job and aid opportunities. Intellectual Engage in intellectual discussions. Are open to new ideas, subject areas, and career choices. Integrate new ideas into belief systems. Social Join a club or organization. From supportive, healthy relationships. Understand the impact of peer pressure. Manage conflict in relationships. Six Areas of Adjustment for First-Year College Students. (Credit: Based on work by Laurie Hazard, Ed.D., and Stephanie Carter, M.A.) “Experiencing an intellectual ‘a-ha!’ moment is one of the most rewarding parts of college, right up there with moving across the graduation stage with a degree in hand.” Which of the six areas of adjustment do you think will be the least challenging for you, and which do you think will be most challenging? What can you do now to prepare for the more challenging transitions?

College Success


College Culture and Expectations Estimated completion time: 32 minutes. Questions to Consider: What language and customs do you need to know to succeed in college? What is the hidden curriculum? What is your responsibility for learning in college? What resources will you use to meet these expectations? What are the common challenges in the first year? College Has Its Own Language and Customs Going to college—even if you are not far from home—is a cultural experience. It comes with its own language and customs, some of which can be confusing or confounding at first. Just like traveling to a foreign country, it is best if you prepare by learning what words mean and what you are expected to say and do in certain situations. Let’s first start with the language you may encounter. In most cases, there will be words that you have heard before, but they may have different meanings in a college setting. Take, for instance, “office hours.” If you are not in college, you would think that it means the hours of a day that an office is open. If it is your dentist’s office, it may mean Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In college, “office hours” can refer to the specific hours a professor is in her office to meet with students, and those hours may be only a few each day: for example, Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. “Syllabus” is another word that you may not have encountered, but it is one you will soon know very well. A syllabus is often called the “contract of the course” because it contains information about what to expect—from the professor and the student. It is meant to be a roadmap for succeeding in the class. Understanding that office hours are for you to ask your professor questions and the syllabus is the guide for what you will be doing in the class can make a big difference in your transition to college. The table on Common College Terms , below, has a brief list of other words that you will want to know when you hear them on campus (see ). Common College Terms, What They Mean, and Why You Need to Know Term What It Means Why You Need to Know Attendance policy A policy that describes the attendance and absence expectations for a class Professors will have different attendance expectations. Read your syllabus to determine which ones penalize you if you miss too many classes. Final exam A comprehensive assessment that is given at the end of a term If your class has a final exam, you will want to prepare for it well in advance by reading assigned material, taking good notes, reviewing previous tests and assignments, and studying. Learning The process of acquiring knowledge In college, most learning happens outside the classroom. Your professor will only cover the main ideas or the most challenging material in class. The rest of the learning will happen on your own. Office hours Specific hours the professor is in the office to meet with students Visiting your professor during office hours is a good way to get questions answered and to build rapport. Plagiarism Using someone’s words, images, or ideas as your own, without proper attribution Plagiarism carries much more serious consequences in college, so it is best to speak to your professor about how to avoid it and review your student handbook’s policy. Study The process of using learning strategies to understand and recall information Studying in college may look different than studying in high school in that it may take more effort and more time to learn more complex material. Syllabus The contract of a course that provides information about course expectations and policies The syllabus will provide valuable information that your professor will assume you have read and understood. Refer to it first when you have a question about the course. The language that colleges and universities use can feel familiar but mean something different, as you learned in the section above, and it can also seem alien, especially when institutions use acronyms or abbreviations for buildings, offices, and locations on campus. Terms such as “quad” or “union” can denote a location or space for students. Then there may be terms such as “TLC” (The Learning Center, in this example) that designate a specific building or office. Describe a few of the new terms you have encountered so far and what they mean. If you are not sure, ask your professor or a fellow student to define it for you. In addition to its own language, higher education has its own way of doing things. For example, you may be familiar with what a high school teacher does, but do you know what a professor does? It certainly seems like they fulfill a very similar role as teachers in high school, but in college, professors’ roles are often much more diverse. In addition to teaching, they may also conduct research, mentor graduate students, write and review research articles, serve on and lead campus committees, serve in regional and national organizations in their disciplines, apply for and administer grants, advise students in their major, and serve as sponsors for student organizations. You can be assured that their days are far from routine. See the table below for just a few differences between high school teachers and college professors. Differences Between High School and College Faculty High School Faculty College Faculty Often have degrees or certifications in teaching in addition to degrees in subject matter Most likely have not even taken a course in teaching as part of their graduate program Responsibilities include maximizing student learning and progress in a wide array of areas Responsibilities include providing students with content and an assessment of their mastery of the content Are available before or after school or during class if a student has a question Are available during office hours or by appointment if a student needs additional instruction or advice Communicate regularly and welcome questions from parents and families about a student’s progress Cannot communicate with parents and families of students without permission because of the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) The relationships you build with your professors will be some of the most important ones you create during your college career. You will rely on them to help you find internships, write letters of recommendation, nominate you for honors or awards, and serve as references for jobs. You can develop those relationships by participating in class, visiting during office hours, asking for assistance with coursework, requesting recommendations for courses and majors, and getting to know the professor’s own academic interests. One way to think about the change in how your professors will relate to you is to think about the nature of relationships you have had growing up. In You and Your Relationships Before College you will see a representation of what your relationships probably looked like. Your family may have been the greatest influencer on you and your development. “The relationships you build with your professors will be some of the most important ones during your college career.” You and Your Relationships Before College In college, your networks are going to expand in ways that will help you develop other aspects of yourself. As described above, the relationships you will have with your professors will be some of the most important. But they won’t be the only relationships you will be cultivating while in college. Consider , You and Your Relationships During College, and think about how you will go about expanding your network while you are completing your degree. You and Your Relationships During College Your relationships with authority figures, family, and friends may change while you are in college, and at the very least, your relationships will expand to peer networks—not friends, but near-age peers or situational peers (e.g., a first-year college student who is going back to school after being out for 20 years)—and to faculty and staff who may work alongside you, mentor you, or supervise your studies. These relationships are important because they will allow you to expand your network, especially as it relates to your career. As stated earlier, developing relationships with faculty can provide you with more than just the benefits of a mentor. Faculty often review applications for on-campus jobs or university scholarships and awards; they also have connections with graduate programs, companies, and organizations. They may recommend you to colleagues or former classmates for internships and even jobs. Other differences between high school and college are included in , Differences between High School and College. Because it is not an exhaustive list of the differences, be mindful of other differences you may notice. Also, if your most recent experience has been the world of work or the military, you may find that there are more noticeable differences between those experiences and college. Differences Between High School and College High School College Why You Need to Know the Difference Grades Grades are made up of frequent tests and homework, and you may be able to bring up a low initial grade by completing smaller assignments and bonuses. Grades are often made up of fewer assignments, and initial low grades may keep you from earning high course grades at the end of the semester. You will need to be prepared to earn high grades on all assignments because you may not have the opportunity to make up for lost ground. Learning Learning is often done in class with the teacher guiding the process, offering multiple ways to learn material and frequent quizzes to ensure that learning is occurring. Learning happens mostly outside of class and on your own. Faculty are responsible for assigning material and covering the most essential ideas; you are responsible for tracking and monitoring your learning progress. You will need to practice effective learning strategies on your own to ensure that you are mastering material at the appropriate pace. Getting Help Your teachers, parents, and a counselor are responsible for identifying your need for help and for creating a plan for you to get help with coursework if you need it. Extra assistance is usually reserved for students who have an official diagnosis or need. You will most likely need help to complete all your courses successfully even if you did not need extra help in high school. You will be responsible for identifying that you need it, accessing the resources, and using them. Because the responsibility is on you, not parents or teachers, to get the help you need, you will want to be aware of when you may be struggling to learn material. You then will need to know where the support can be accessed on campus or where you can access support online. Tests and Exams Tests cover small amounts of material and study days or study guides are common to help you focus on what you need to study. If you pay attention in class, you should be able to answer all the questions. Tests are fewer and cover more material than in high school. If you read all the assigned material, take good notes in class, and spend time practicing effective study techniques, you should be able to answer all the questions. This change in how much material and the depth of which you need to know the material is a shock for some students. This may mean you need to change your strategies dramatically to get the same results. Some of What You Will Learn Is “Hidden” Many of the college expectations that have been outlined so far may not be considered common knowledge, which is one reason that so many colleges and universities have classes that help students learn what they need to know to succeed. The term hidden curriculum , which was coined by sociologists, P.P. Bilbao, P. I. Lucido, T. C. Iringan and R. B. Javier. (2008). Curriculum Development . describes unspoken, unwritten, or unacknowledged (hence, hidden ) rules that students are expected to follow that can affect their learning. Situation: According to your syllabus, your history professor is lecturing on the chapter that covers the stock market crash of 1929 on Tuesday of next week. Sounds pretty straightforward. Your professor lectures on a topic and you will be there to hear it. However, there are some unwritten rules, or hidden curriculum , that are not likely to be communicated. Can you guess what they may be? What is an unwritten rule about what you should be doing before attending class? What is an unwritten rule about what you should be doing in class? What is an unwritten rule about what you should be doing after class? What is an unwritten rule if you are not able to attend that class? Some of your answers could have included the following: Before class: Review your course syllabus or planner to determine what is being covered, read the assigned chapter, take notes, record any questions you have about the reading During class: Focus your attention on the lecture, discussion, or activity and put away any distractions, take detailed notes, ask critical thinking or clarifying questions, avoid distractions, bring your book and your reading notes After class: Review what you learned in that class and connect it to other class lectures or discussions, organize your notes in relation to your other notes, start the studying process by testing yourself on the material, make an appointment with your professor if you are not clear on a concept Absent: Avoid asking your professor “Did I miss anything important?”, communicate with the professor, get notes from a classmate, make sure you did not miss anything important in your notes The expectations before, during, and after class, as well as what you should do if you miss class, are often unspoken because many professors assume you already know and do these things or because they feel you should figure them out on your own. Nonetheless, some students struggle at first because they don’t know about these habits, behaviors, and strategies. But once they learn them, they are able to meet them with ease. Working Within the Hidden Curriculum The first step in dealing with the hidden curriculum is to recognize it and understand how it can influence your learning. After any specific situation has been identified, the next step is to figure out how to work around the circumstances to either take advantage of any benefits or to remove any roadblocks. Let’s review some other ways that you may encounter the hidden curriculum. Prevailing Opinions . Simply put, you are going to encounter instructors and learning activities that you sometimes agree with and sometimes do not. The key is to learn from them regardless. In either case, take ownership of your learning and even make an effort to learn about other perspectives, even if it is only for your own education on the matter. There is no better time to expose yourself to other opinions and philosophies than in college. In fact, many would say that this is a significant part of the college experience. With the right mindset, it is easy to view everything as a learning opportunity. Classroom Circumstances. These kinds of circumstances often require a more structured approach to turn the situation to your advantage, but they also usually have the most obvious solutions. In a large class, you might find yourself limited in the ability to participate in classroom discussions because of so many other students. The way around that would be to speak to several classmates and create your own discussion group. You could set up a time to meet, or you could take a different route by using technology such as an online discussion board, a Zoom session, or even a group text. Several of the technologically-based solutions might even be better than an in-class discussion since you do not all have to be present at the same time. The discussion can be something that occurs all week long, giving everyone the time to think through their ideas and responses. Again, the main point is to first spot those things in the hidden curriculum that might put your learning at a disadvantage and devise a solution that either reduces the negative impact or even becomes a learning advantage. Learning Is Your Responsibility As you may now realize by reviewing the differences between high school and college, learning in college will be your responsibility. Before you read about the how and why of being responsible for your own learning, complete the Activity below. For each statement, circle the number that best represents you, with 1 indicating that the statement is least like you, and 5 indicating that the statement is most like you. Most of the time, I can motivate myself to complete tasks even if they are boring or challenging. 1 2 3 4 5 I regularly work hard when I need to complete a task no matter how small or big the task may be. 1 2 3 4 5 I use different strategies to manage my time effectively and minimize procrastination to complete tasks. 1 2 3 4 5 I regularly track my progress completing work and the quality of work I do produce. 1 2 3 4 5 I believe how much I learn and how well I learn is my responsibility. 1 2 3 4 5 Were you able to mark mostly 4s and 5s? If you were even able to mark at least one 4 or 5, then you are well on your way to taking responsibility for your own learning. Let’s break down each statement in the components of the ownership of learning: Motivation. Being able to stay motivated while studying and balancing all you have to do in your classes will be important for meeting the rest of the components. Deliberate, focused effort. Taking ownership of learning will hinge on the effort that you put into the work. Because most learning in college will take place outside of the classroom, you will need determination to get the work done. And there will be times that the work will be challenging and maybe even boring, but finding a way to get through it when it is not exciting will pay in the long run. Time and task management. You will learn more about strategies for managing your time and the tasks of college in a later chapter, but without the ability to control your calendar, it will be difficult to block out the time to study. Progress tracking. A commitment to learning must include monitoring your learning, knowing not only what you have completed ( this is where a good time management strategy can help you track your tasks ), but also the quality of the work you have done. Taking responsibility for your learning will take some time if you are not used to being in the driver’s seat. However, if you have any difficulty making this adjustment, you can and should reach out for help along the way. What to Expect During the First Year While you may not experience every transition within your first year, there are rhythms to each semester of the first year and each year you are in college. Knowing what to expect each month or week can better prepare you to take advantage of the times that you have more confidence and weather through the times that seem challenging. Review the table on First-Year College Student Milestones. There will be milestones each semester you are in college, but these will serve as an introduction to what you should expect in terms of the rhythms of the semester. First-Year College Student Milestones for the First Semester August September October November December Expanding social circles Completing first test and projects Feeling more confident about abilities Balancing college with other obligations Focusing on finishing strong Experiencing homesickness or imposter syndrome Earning “lower-than-usual” grades or not meeting personal expectations Dealing with relationship issues Staying healthy and reducing stress Handling additional stress of the end of the semester Adjusting to the pace of college Learning to access resources for support Planning for next semester and beyond Thinking about majors and degrees Thinking about the break and how to manage changes While each student’s first semester will differ, you will likely experience some of the following typical college milestones. The first few weeks will be pretty exhilarating. You will meet new people, including classmates, college staff, and professors. You may also be living in a different environment, which may mean that a roommate is another new person to get to know. Overall, you will most likely feel both excited and nervous. You can be assured that even if the beginning of the semester goes smoothly, your classes will get more challenging each week. You will be making friends, learning who in your classes seem to know what is going on, and figuring your way around campus. You may even walk into the wrong building, go to the wrong class, or have trouble finding what you need during this time. But those first-week jitters will end soon. Students who are living away from home for the first time can feel homesick in the first few weeks, and others can feel what is called “imposter syndrome,” which is a fear some students have that they don’t belong in college because they don’t have the necessary skills for success. Those first few weeks sound pretty stressful, but the stress is temporary. After the newness of college wears off, reality will set in. You may find that the courses and assignments do not seem much different than they did in high school (more on that later), but you may be in for a shock when you get your graded tests and papers. Many new college students find that their first grades are lower than they expected. For some students, this may mean they have earned a B when they are used to earning As, but for many students, it means they may experience their first failing or almost-failing grades in college because they have not used active, effective study strategies; instead, they studied how they did in high school, which is often insufficient. This can be a shock if you are not prepared, but it doesn’t have to devastate you if you are willing to use it as a wake-up call to do something different. By the middle of the semester, you’ll likely feel much more confident and a little more relaxed. Your grades are improving because you started tutoring and using better study strategies. You are looking ahead, even beyond the first semester, to start planning your courses for the next term. If you are working while in college, you may also find that you have a rhythm down for balancing it all; additionally, your time management skills have likely improved. By the last few weeks of the semester, you will be focused on the increasing importance of your assignments and upcoming finals and trying to figure out how to juggle that with the family obligations of the impending holidays. You may feel a little more pressure to prepare for finals, as this time is often viewed as the most stressful period of the semester. All of this additional workload and need to plan for the next semester can seem overwhelming, but if you plan ahead and use what you learn from this chapter and the rest of the course, you will be able to get through it more easily. "Advice that I wished I had known prior to starting college: Do not be afraid of being open to new experiences and opportunities. Your time in college is meant for exploration. Being open to things like meeting new people, having new ideas, and seeking new activities helps make the transition into college a little easier. Do not be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone and just embrace the opportunities that come your way. If you are struggling with transitioning to college, do not hesitate to reach out for help. Most colleges have resources, such as counseling services, that can help you with your needs. Everyone experiences the transition to college differently, and it is okay to take a longer time than others to adjust to the new lifestyle. If you put in effort towards having a good transition to college by doing things like getting involved in campus organizations, finding friends, and asking for help when needed, then your time at college will be a more eventful and memorable experience." —William Kyle , junior Don’t Do It Alone Think about our earlier descriptions of two students, Reginald and Madison. What if they found that the first few weeks were a little harder than they had anticipated? Should they have given up and dropped out? Or should they have talked to someone about their struggles? Here is a secret about college success that not many people know: successful students seek help. They use resources. And they do that as often as necessary to get what they need. Your professors and advisors will expect the same from you, and your college will have all kinds of offices, staff, and programs that are designed to help. This bears calling out again: you need to use those resources . These are called “help-seeking behaviors,” and along with self-advocacy, which is speaking up for your needs, they are essential to your success. As you get more comfortable adjusting to life in college, you will find that asking for help is easier. In fact, you may become really good at it by the time you graduate, just in time for you to ask for help finding a job! Review the table on Issues, Campus Resources, and Potential Outcomes for a few examples of times you may need to ask for help. See if you can identify where on campus you can find the same or a similar resource. Issues, Campus Resources, and Potential Outcomes Type Issue Campus Resource Potential Outcome Academic You are struggling to master the homework in your math class. The campus tutoring center A peer or professional tutor can walk you through the steps until you can do them on your own. Health You have felt extremely tired over the past two days and now you have a cough. The campus health center A licensed professional can examine you and provide care. Social You haven’t found a group to belong to. Your classmates seem to be going in different directions and your roommate has different interests. Student organizations and interest groups Becoming a member of a group on campus can help you make new friends. Financial Your scholarship and student loan no longer cover your college expenses. You are not sure how to afford next semester. Financial aid office A financial aid counselor can provide you with information about your options for meeting your college expenses. Using a blank sheet of paper, write your name in the center of the page and circle it. Then, draw six lines from the center (see example in the figure below) and label each for the six areas of adjustment that were discussed earlier. Identify a campus resource or strategy for making a smooth adjustment for each area. For each of the six adjustment areas mentioned above—Academic, Cultural, Emotional, Financial, Intellectual, and Social—identify a campus resource or strategy that will aid you in making a smooth adjustment. Common Challenges in the First Year It seems fitting to follow up the expectations for the first year with a list of common challenges that college students encounter along the way to a degree. If you experience any—or even all—of these, the important point here is that you are not alone and that you can overcome them by using your resources. Many college students have felt like this before, and they have survived—even thrived—despite them because they were able to identify a strategy or resource that they could use to help themselves. At some point in your academic career, you may do one or more of the following: Feel like an imposter. There is actually a name for this condition: imposter syndrome . Students who feel like an imposter are worried that they don’t belong, that someone will “expose them for being a fake.” This feeling is pretty common for anyone who finds themselves in a new environment and is not sure if they have what it takes to succeed. Trust the professionals who work with first-year college students: you do have what it takes, and you will succeed. Just give yourself time to get adjusted to everything. Worry about making a mistake. This concern often goes with imposter syndrome. Students who worry about making a mistake don’t like to answer questions in class, volunteer for a challenging assignment, and even ask for help from others. Instead of avoiding situations where you may fail, embrace the process of learning, which includes—is even dependent on—making mistakes. The more you practice courage in these situations and focus on what you are going to learn from failing, the more confident you become about your abilities. Try to manage everything yourself. Even superheroes need help from sidekicks and mere mortals. Trying to handle everything on your own every time an issue arises is a recipe for getting stressed out. There will be times when you are overwhelmed by all you have to do. This is when you will need to ask for and allow others to help you. Ignore your mental and physical health needs. If you feel you are on an emotional rollercoaster and you cannot find time to take care of yourself, then you have most likely ignored some part of your mental and physical well-being. What you need to do to stay healthy should be non-negotiable. In other words, your sleep, eating habits, exercise, and stress-reducing activities should be your highest priorities. Forget to enjoy the experience. Whether you are 18 years old and living on campus or 48 years old starting back to college after taking a break to work and raise a family, be sure to take the time to remind yourself of the joy that learning can bring. Which apps help you meet the expectations of college? Will you be able to meet the expectations of being responsible for your schedule and assignments? My Study Life understands how college works and provides you with a calendar, to-do list, and reminders that will help you keep track of the work you have to do. How can you set goals and work toward them while in college? The Strides app provides you with the opportunity to create SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound) goals and track daily habits. These daily habits will add up over time toward your goals. What can you do to develop your learning skills? Lumosity is a brain-training app that can help you build the thinking and learning skills you will need to meet learning challenges in college. If you want to test your memory and attention—and build your skills—take the fit test and then play different games to improve your fitness. How can you develop networks with people in college? LinkedIn is a professional networking app that allows you to create a profile and network with others. Creating a LinkedIn account as a first-year college student will help you create a professional profile that you can use to find others with similar interests. Internships.com provides information, connections, and support to help your career planning and activities. Even if you are not planning an internship right away, you may find some useful and surprising ideas and strategies to motivate your approach.

College Success


It’s All in the Mindset Estimated completion time: 14 minutes. Questions to Consider: What is a growth mindset, and how does it affect my learning? What are performance goals versus learning goals? In the previous sections in this chapter, you learned about the differences between high school and college and what to expect from your course work, professors, and classmates. There is one more element of the experience that will improve your ability to meet the expectations and new challenges: Your belief in your abilities to learn, grow, and change. No doubt that you have enrolled in college because you want to do those very things, but it is easy to get discouraged and revert to old ways of thinking about your abilities if you are not mindful of what kinds of thoughts you have about yourself. This section covers the concept of a fixed mindset, or the belief that you are born with certain unchangeable talents, and growth mindset, or the belief that with effort you can improve in any area. Understanding the role that your beliefs play in the eventual outcomes of your learning can help you get through those challenges that you may encounter. Many fields of study and work create intersections of growth and fixed mindset. People may feel great ability to grow and learn in some areas, like art and communication, but feel more limited in others, such as planning and financials. Recognizing these intersections will help you approach new topics and tasks, such as working with new classmates on projects in your chosen field.. (Credit: Lynccoff Games / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0)) Performance vs. Learning Goals Much of our ability to learn is governed by our motivations and goals. Sometimes hidden goals or mindsets can impact the learning process. In truth, we all have goals that we might not be fully aware of, or if we are aware of them, we might not understand how they help or restrict our ability to learn. An illustration of this can be seen in a comparison of a student that has performance -based goals with a student that has learning -based goals. If you are a student with strict performance goals, your primary psychological concern might be to appear intelligent to others. At first, this might not seem to be a bad thing for college, but it can truly limit your ability to move forward in your own learning. Instead, you would tend to play it safe without even realizing it. For example, a student who is strictly performance-goal-oriented will often only say things in a classroom discussion when they think it will make them look knowledgeable to the instructor or their classmates. Likewise, a performance-oriented student might ask a question that they know is beyond the topic being covered (e.g., asking about the economics of Japanese whaling while discussing the book Moby Dick in an American literature course). Rarely will they ask a question in class because they actually do not understand a concept. Instead they will ask questions that make them look intelligent to others or in an effort to “stump the teacher.” When they do finally ask an honest question, it may be because they are more afraid that their lack of understanding will result in a poor performance on an exam rather than simply wanting to learn. If you are a student who is driven by learning goals, your interactions in classroom discussions are usually quite different. You see the opportunity to share ideas and ask questions as a way to gain knowledge quickly. In a classroom discussion you can ask for clarification immediately if you don’t quite understand what is being discussed. If you are a person guided by learning goals, you are less worried about what others think since you are there to learn and you see that as the most important goal. Another example where the difference between the two mindsets is clear can be found in assignments and other coursework. If you are a student who is more concerned about performance, you may avoid work that is challenging. You will take the “easy A” route by relying on what you already know. You will not step out of your comfort zone because your psychological goals are based on approval of your performance instead of being motivated by learning. This is very different from a student with a learning-based psychology. If you are a student who is motivated by learning goals, you may actively seek challenging assignments, and you will put a great deal of effort into using the assignment to expand on what you already know. While getting a good grade is important to you, what is even more important is the learning itself. If you find that you sometimes lean toward performance-based goals, do not feel discouraged. Many of the best students tend to initially focus on performance until they begin to see the ways it can restrict their learning. The key to switching to learning-based goals is often simply a matter of first recognizing the difference and seeing how making a change can positively impact your own learning. What follows in this section is a more in-depth look at the difference between performance- and learning- based goals. This is followed by an exercise that will give you the opportunity to identify, analyze, and determine a positive course of action in a situation where you believe you could improve in this area. Fixed vs. Growth Mindset The research-based model of these two mindsets and their influence on learning was presented in 1988 by Carol Dweck. In Dweck’s work, she determined that a student’s perception about their own learning accompanied by a broader goal of learning had a significant influence on their ability to overcome challenges and grow in knowledge and ability. This has become known as the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset model. In this model, the performance -goal-oriented student is represented by the fixed mindset, while the learning -goal- oriented student is represented by the growth mindset. In the following graphic, based on Dr. Dweck’s research, you can see how many of the components associated with learning are impacted by these two mindsets. The differences between fixed and growth mindset are clear when aligned to key elements of learning and personality. (Credit: Based on work by Dr. Carol Dweck) The Growth Mindset and Lessons About Failing Something you may have noticed is that a growth mindset would tend to give a learner grit and persistence. If you had learning as your major goal, you would normally keep trying to attain that goal even if it took you multiple attempts. Not only that, but if you learned a little bit more with each try you would see each attempt as a success, even if you had not achieved complete mastery of whatever it was you were working to learn. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Dweck found that those people who believed their abilities could change through learning (growth vs. a fixed mindset) readily accepted learning challenges and persisted despite early failures. Improving Your Ability to Learn As strange as it may seem, research into fixed vs. growth mindset has shown that if you believe you can learn something new, you greatly improve your ability to learn. At first, this may seem like the sort of feel-good advice we often encounter in social media posts or quotes that are intended to inspire or motivate us (e.g., believe in yourself! ), but in looking at the differences outlined between a fixed and a growth mindset, you can see how each part of the growth mindset path can increase your probability of success when it comes to learning. Very few people have a strict fixed or growth mindset all of the time. Often we tend to lean one way or another in certain situations. For example, a person trying to improve their ability in a sport they enjoy may exhibit all of the growth mindset traits and characteristics, but they find themselves blocked in a fixed mindset when they try to learn something in another area like computer programming or arithmetic. In this exercise, do a little self-analysis and think of some areas where you may find yourself hindered by a fixed mindset. Using the outline presented below, in the far right column, write down how you can change your own behavior for each of the parts of the learning process. What will you do to move from a fixed to a growth mindset? For example, say you were trying to learn to play a musical instrument. In the Challenges row, you might pursue a growth path by trying to play increasingly more difficult songs rather than sticking to the easy ones you have already mastered. In the Criticism row, you might take someone’s comment about a weakness in timing as a motivation for you to practice with a metronome. For Success of Others you could take inspiration from a famous musician that is considered a master and study their techniques. Whatever it is that you decide you want to use for your analysis, apply each of the Growth characteristics to determine a course of action to improve. Parts of the learning process Growth characteristic What will you do to adopt a growth mindset? Challenges Embraces challenges Obstacles Persists despite setbacks Effort Sees effort as a path to success Criticism Learns from criticism Success of Others Finds learning and inspiration in the success of others Friends & Family Matter Ana is the first in her family to go to college and they have been mostly supportive of her decision to go to college. She enjoys texting and calling them almost every day, and they like hearing what she is doing. She especially likes video-chatting with her younger brother. He had a hard time when she left, because he relied on her to help him with his homework. Because she is having a hard time during the first few weeks of class, she has shared with her parents that she doesn’t feel like she fits in and feels like she has made a bad decision. At first her parents encouraged her to stay and join an organization to meet other people. “It will take some time to get used to being away, but it will get better,” they assured her. After some time, Ana began to feel better about being away and started making friends in her classes. When Ana calls to check on her brother at mid-term, her parents tell her that her father has been very sick, and has had to take time off work. Her mother has not been able to care for him and her little brother at the same time as her father needs daily treatments and weekly doctor’s appointments. Between his being off work and the mounting costs of his treatment, the family is concerned about being able to pay for Ana’s college expenses. They ask Ana if she can come home for a few weeks to take her brother to school and help around the house, and want to talk to her about what to do next semester. Let’s Think About It Ana has several options. Think through the consequences of each one, and choose the best option or create your own option. Ana goes home immediately and stays with her family until they no longer need her, even if that means she misses her classes and does not complete any work. Ana meets with her professors and asks if she can stay on top of her work until she gets back, and then she heads home with her books and laptop. Ana explains to her parents that if she leaves during the middle of the semester, she may jeopardize her progress so far, earn bad grades, and lose her scholarship, so she tells them she cannot do that. Let’s Talk About It Ana’s situation—having to make a choice about whether to continue her studies or focus on a personal matter—is not unusual. You may also experience tension pulling you in different directions. Here are some strategies for communicating what you need to make the best choice based on Ana's dilemma: “I know that this is important to our family, and I want to be there to help, but I need to check with my professors about what they will allow me to do. The work I have done so far may be wasted if I just leave without sharing my plans and figuring out a way to stay on top of my work.” “I am worried about dad’s health, and I would like to come home over the weekend to check in with everyone and see what I can do to help find additional support when I have to go back to school.” “What kind of compromise can we make so that you get the support you need and I can stay focused on the work I have to do before the end of the semester?” Whatever choice you would make in this situation, it is always best to communicate clearly your needs, your concerns, and even your uncertainties. Summary and Next Steps to College Success This chapter provides an introduction to the transition to college by first asking “Why are you in college?” Understanding your “why” and what a college degree can do for you is the foundation of making a smooth transition. These experiences are part of being in college, and this chapter provides you with information about what to expect and how to handle the changes you will go through. Now that you have read and reflected on the main ideas of the chapter, consider developing a plan to help you achieve college success by considering what you want to know more about that could help you? Review the list below and commit to working on one or more of the concepts this term and beyond. Research the long-term value of your college major or degree. Look at potential careers associated with your major and reflect on what you will learn during college that will help you with your career. Identify the hidden curriculum or unwritten rules at your institution. What do your professors expect but don’t explicitly state? What are your strategies for uncovering the hidden curriculum during your college experience? Create a list of resources to help you in college. Choose one or more to use this term to engage and determine how well the resource helped you with a challenge. Reflect on the occasions in which you have exhibited a fixed mindset. What will you commit to doing that would help you exhibit a growth mindset? Checking In: Your College Readiness Checklist Fall 9 th Grade Consider signing up for the PSAT 8/9 in the fall. While taking the PSAT 8/9 isn’t necessary, it gives you experience with standardized testing and an official score report that can guide your future studying. Create a college-friendly email address. Create a new email account using your first and last name and graduation date (e.g., JaneSmith2024@email.com). Then use it exclusively for college-related communications, like test scores, scholarships, and marketing materials from colleges. Create a college binder. Start saving and documenting things that will be useful for college and scholarship applications, like transcripts, community service hours (including dates and contact information), letters of recommendation, and usernames and passwords. Introduce yourself to your school counselor and your college and career center counselor. You’ll need their help often over the next few years. Check in with them regularly to ensure you’re making college-ready decisions. 10 th Grade Apply for scholarships. Plenty of scholarships are available for high school students of any grade level. Talk to your guidance counselor for suggestions. Start applying to some now! Create a MyACT Profile and a College Board (SAT) account. Even if you’re not ready to take the ACT or SAT yet, creating these accounts will ensure you get reminders about upcoming tests and useful college and career planning strategies. Take a personality assessment. Learn more about your strengths, opportunities for improvement, preferred learning styles, and strategies for approaching challenges. See if your school offers assessments like the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) or YouScience, or find a free one online. Get involved in your school and community. Try something new and join some clubs or sports. You never know where you might find a new passion or hobby — or even a lead on a potential major or career. 11 th Grade Add ACT and SAT dates (and registration deadlines) to your calendar. Think about which ones you’ll want to take. Consider opting out of sending your scores to specific colleges when you register; instead, you may want to see your scores before you decide to send them. Set your priorities. Junior year is busy, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you’re feeling stressed, sit down with someone and walk through your obligations, set priorities, and make a plan for getting things done. This is a skill you’ll rely on in college, so practice it now! Sign up to take the PSAT/NSMQT in October. This test qualifies juniors for the National Merit Scholarship. If you’re aiming for a high score and potential scholarship opportunities, start (or keep) prepping. Attend college visits on your high school campus. Meet college reps when they visit your high school and talk with them about what they’re looking for in a student and what they can offer you. 12 th Grade Check your applicant portals regularly. Most colleges will ask for missing items (e.g., test scores, recommendations, transcripts), provide updates on your decision status, and deliver other important updates via their applicant portals. Complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile , if applicable. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) lets you apply for federal student aid, including federal grants, work-study funds, and loans. Some schools also use the CSS Profile to award nonfederal institutional aid. Both applications open Oct. 1. Keep prepping for (and taking) the ACT or SAT. Improving your score could make you eligible for increased merit scholarships and could boost your chances of acceptance. Ask for feedback on your applications before you submit them. Ask a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend to review your applications, essays, and resume. They may see things you’ve missed or mistakes to be corrected.

College Success


Introduction Our devices can be helpful tools for managing time, but they can also lead to distraction. (Credit: Nenad Stojkovic / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0)) JT decides to pick up an extra shift at work to help pay for his books and put a little more spending money in his pocket. His classes have started off well, but he notices that the expectations have increased and he is having trouble keeping up with school work and job. After one late shift, JT drives home to complete assignments that are due by midnight. When he sits down at the computer and books, he looks over the work and realizes that he doesn't have time to read the chapter and come up with answers to questions about the reading. Instead, he skims the work and writes a few short answers, so he can submit it on time. The next day after class, the professor stops him before he leaves. She says she has noticed that JT has not done well on the last few assignments and asks if he needs some help. JT shares that he has picked up an extra shift and sometimes works late, which makes him too tired to complete work some evenings. He promises to use his time more wisely—or stay up later to complete all the work—and let his professor know if he runs into trouble. Even though JT assures the professor he can handle it, he worries that the semester will only get harder and that he won’t be able to turn down shifts when he really needs the money to pay for all the expenses of college. What Do You Think? If you were JT, what would you do in this situation? What would you do if you needed to work more hours to help pay for course resources? How would you handle managing your time and your assignments? How do you feel about balancing college classes with other obligations or interests? Why do you feel this way? Student Survey How do you feel about your time management abilities? Take this quick survey to figure it out, ranking questions on a scale of 1—4, 1 meaning “least like me” and 4 meaning “most like me.” These questions will help you determine how the chapter concepts relate to you right now. As you are introduced to new concepts and practices, it can be informative to reflect on how your understanding changes over time. I regularly procrastinate completing tasks that don't interest me or seem challenging. I use specific time management strategies to complete tasks. I find it difficult to prioritize tasks because I am not sure what is really important. I am pleased with my ability to manage my time. You can also take this chapter's survey anonymously online. “Before I started college, I had heard that the amount of work would be overwhelming, and that it would be much harder than high school. That was true, but after being in college for a couple of weeks, I felt that people made it seem scarier than it actually was. I had some homework assignments here, some essays, some hard classes, but it wasn't that bad...until midterms and finals came knocking. I had so much to study and so little time. The pressure was unimaginable. And since there was so much material to learn, I kept procrastinating. The nights before the exams were a disaster. After the semester, I realized that I needed to do something differently. Instead of crashing before midterms and finals, I would study throughout the semester. I would review notes after class, do a few practice problems in the book even if homework wasn't assigned, and try to ask professors questions during their office hours if I was confused. This continual effort helped me do better on exams because I built up my understanding and was able to get a good night’s sleep before the big test. I still studied hard, but the material was in reach and understanding it became a reasonable goal, not an impossibility. I also felt more confident going into the exams, because I knew that I had a deeper knowledge — I could recall things more easily. Most importantly, I now had peace of mind throughout the day and during the tests themselves, since I knew that I was better prepared.” —Nachum Sash , Actuarial Science Major, City University of New York About This Chapter In this chapter you will learn about two of the most valuable tools used for academic success: prioritizing and time management. By the time you complete this chapter, you should be able to do the following: Outline the reasons and effects of procrastination and provide strategies to overcome it. Describe ways to evaluate your own time management skills. Discuss the importance and the process of prioritization. Detail strategies and specific tactics for managing your time.

College Success


Time Management in College Estimated completion time: 11 minutes. Questions to Consider: Is time management different in college from what I am used to? How different is college schoolwork from high school or on-the-job work? You may find that time management in college is very different from anything you have experienced previously. For high school students, almost all school time is managed by educators and parents. In many cases, even after-school time may be set by scheduled activities (such as athletics) and by nightly homework that is due the next day. In the workplace, the situation is not very different, with activities and time on task being monitored by the company and its management. An employee may also not have much say in what needs to be done and when. This is so much a part of the working environment that many companies research how much time each task should take, and they hold employees accountable for the time spent on these job functions. In fact, having good time and task management skills will help you stand out on the job and in job interviews. See the table below for a comparison of high school students and college students with regard to time and task management. Time and Task Management in K-12 and College K-12 College Many class activities are planned to facilitate, reinforce, and assess learning. Class time is given to receiving information for the purpose of learning. Homework is often similar for each student and assigned with the express purpose of reinforcing key concepts. Out-of-class tasks such as reading and reviewing notes are often at the discretion of the student. Time and tasks are managed by others more often. Time is managed by the student. In college, there is a significant difference because a great deal of time management is left up to you. While it is true that there are assignment due dates and organized classroom activities, learning at the college level requires more than just the simple completion of work. It involves decision-making and the ability to evaluate information. This is best accomplished when you are an active partner in your own learning activities. Students may set aside specific times and specific places to study and do homework. (Credit: ThouroughlyReviewed / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0)) As an example of how this works, think about an assignment that involves giving a classroom presentation. To complete the assignment, you are given time to research and reflect on the information found. As a part of the assignment, you must reach your own conclusions and determine which information that you have found is best suited for the presentation. While the date of the actual presentation and how long it will last are usually determined by the instructor, how much time you spend gathering information, the sources you use, and how you use them are left to you. You Have Lots of Time to Manage For college-level learning, this approach is important enough that you can expect to spend much more time on learning activities outside the classroom than you will in the classroom. In fact, the estimated time you should spend will be at least two hours of outside learning for every one hour of lecture. Some weeks may be more intense, depending on the time of the semester and the courses you are taking. If those hours are multiplied over several courses in a given session, you can see how there is a significant amount of time to manage. Unfortunately, many students do not always take this into consideration, and they spend far less time than is needed to be successful. The results of poor time management are often a shock to them. “In college, as an active participant in your own education, what you do and when you do it is largely determined by you.” The Nature of What You Have to Do Has Changed Returning to our example of the classroom-presentation assignment, you can see that the types of learning activities in college can be very different from what you have experienced previously. While there may have been similar assignments in high school, such as presentations or written papers, the level of expectation with length and depth is significantly different in college. This point is made very clear when comparing facts about the requirements of high school work to the type of work students produce in college. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center, found that 82 percent of teens report that their typical high school writing assignments were only a single paragraph to one page in length. Pew Research Center. (2008).“Writing, Technology, and Teens. https://www.pewinternet.org/2008/04/24/writing-technology-and-teens/ This is in stark contrast to a number of sources that say that writing assignments in lower-level college courses are usually 5–7 pages in length, while writing assignments in upper-level courses increase to 15–20 pages. It is also interesting to note that the amount of writing done by a college student can differ depending on their program of study. The table below indicates the estimated average amount of writing assigned in several disciplines. To estimate the number of pages of assigned writing, the average number of writing assignments of a given page length was multiplied by an approximate number of pages for the assignment type (see for time on task estimates.) Writing Assignments Vary in Length Discipline Number of Pages Assigned in Introductory Course Arts & Humanities 49 Biological Sciences, Agriculture, & Natural Resources 47 Physical Sciences, Mathematics, & Computer Science 44 Social Sciences 52 Business 48 Communications, Media, & Public Relations 50 Education 46 Engineering 46 Health Professions 43 Social Service Professions 47 (Credit: Updated NSSE (Since 2013)) https://nsse.indiana.edu/html/sample_analyses/amount_of_writing.cfm High school homework often consists of worksheets or tasks based on reading or classroom activities. In other words, all the students are doing the same tasks, at relatively the same time, as directed by their teachers. Using the earlier example of the presentation assignment, not only will what you do be larger in scale, but the depth of understanding and knowledge you will put into it will be significantly more than you may have encountered in previous assignments. This is because there are greater expectations required of college graduates in the workplace. Nearly any profession that requires a college degree has with it a level of responsibility that demands higher-level thinking and therefore higher learning. An often-cited example of this is the healthcare professional. The learning requirements for that profession are strict because we depend on those graduates for our health and, in some cases, our lives. While not every profession may require the same level of study needed for healthcare, most do require that colleges maintain a certain level of academic rigor to produce graduates who are competent in their fields. Can you identify any areas in your life that might be a potential problem if there were a temporary setback (e.g., temporary loss of transportation, temporary loss of housing, an illness that lasted more than a week, etc.)? What could you do for a backup plan if something did happen?

College Success