Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Travel with Me.
1. GETTING ON COURSE TO YOUR SUCCESS.
College Smart-Start Guide. What to Do Before the End of Your First
Week in College. Get Familiar. Get Organized. Get Serious. Money
Matters. Managing Money: The Big Picture. Increase Money Flowing
In. Decrease Money Flowing Out. Tech Tips: MONEY. Understanding the
Culture of Higher Education. The Surface Culture of Higher
Education. One Dozen College Customs. Write a Great Life. Journal
Entry 1: Understanding the Expectations of College and University
Educators. Eight Key Expectations. A Dozen Differences Between High
School and College Culture. Journal Entry 2: Understanding
Yourself. What Does Success Mean to You? Ingredients of Success.
Assess Your Soft Skills for College Success. Forks in the Road. A
Few Words of Encouragement. Journal Entry 3: One Student�s Story
Jalayna Onaga. Soft Skills at Work.
2. ACCEPTING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Case Study in Critical Thinking the Late Paper. Adopting a Creator
Mindset. Victim and Creator Mindsets. Responsibility and Culture.
Responsibility and Choice. Journal Entry 4: One Student's Story:
Taryn Rossmiller. Mastering Creator Language. Self-Talk. The
Language of Responsibility. Journal Entry 5: One Student's Story:
Alexsandr Kanevskiy. Making Wise Decisions. The Wise Choice
Process. Journal Entry 6: One Student's Story Freddie Davila.
Personal Responsibility at Work. Tech Tips: Personal
Responsibility. Believing in Yourself Change Your Inner
Conversation. The Curse of Stinkin'' Thinkin''. Disputing
Irrational Beliefs. Stereotype Threat. Journal Entry 7: One
Student's Story Dominic Grasseth.
3. DISCOVERING SELF-MOTIVATION.
Case Study in Critical Thinking Popson''s Dilemma. Creating Inner
Motivation. A Formula for Motivation. Value of College Outcomes.
Value of College Experiences. Journal Entry 8: One Student's Story:
Chee Meng Vang. Designing a Compelling Life Plan. Roles and Goals.
How to Set a Goal. Discover Your Dreams. Your Life Plan. Journal
Entry 9: One Student's Story Brandon Beavers. Committing to Your
Goals and Dreams. Commitment Creates Method. Visualize Your Ideal
Future. How to Visualize. Journal Entry 10: One Students' Story
James Terrell. Self-Motivation at Work. Tech Tips: Self-Motivation.
Believing in Yourself Write a Personal Affirmation. Claiming Your
Desired Personal Qualities. Living Your Affirmation. Journal Entry
11: One Student's Story Tina Steen.
4. MASTERING SELF-MANAGEMENT.
Case Study in Critical Thinking The Procrastinators. Acting on
Purpose. Harness the Power of Quadrant II. What to Do in Quadrants
I and II. Journal Entry 12: One Student's Story: Jason Pozsgay.
Creating a Leak-Proof Self-Management System. Time and Culture.
Weekly Calendar. Monthly Calendar. Next Actions List. Tracking
Form. Waiting-For List. Project Folder. The Rewards of Effective
Self-Management. Journal Entry 13: One Student's Story: Allysa
LePage. Developing Self-Discipline. Staying Focused. Being
Persistent. Avoiding Procrastination. Journal Entry 14: One
Student's Story: Holt Boggs. Self-Management at Work. Tech Tips:
Self-Management. Believing in Yourself Develop Self-Confidence.
Create a Success Identity. Celebrate Your Successes and Talents.
Visualize Purposeful Actions. Journal Entry 15: One Student's
Story: Ashley Freeman.
5. EMPLOYING INTERDEPENDENCE.
Case Study in Critical Thinking Professor Rogers' Trial. Creating a
Support System. A Sign of Maturity. Seek Help from Your
Instructors. Get Help from College Resources. Create a Project
Team. Start a Study Group. The Difference between Heaven and Hell.
Journal Entry 16: One Student's Story: Mitch Mull. Strengthening
Relationships with Active Listening. How to Listen Actively. Use
Active Listening in Your College Classes. Journal Entry 17: One
Student's Story: Teroa Paselio. Respecting Cultural Differences.
Showing Respect. Journal Entry 18: Interdependence at Work. Tech
Tips: Interdependence. Believing in Yourself Be Assertive.
Leveling. Making Requests. Saying No." Journal Entry 19: One
Student's Story: Amy Acton.
6. GAINING SELF-AWARENESS.
Case Study in Critical Thinking Strange Choices. Recognizing when
You Are Off Course. The Mystery of Self-Sabotage. Unconscious
Forces. Journal Entry 20. One Student's Story: Sarah Richmond.
Identifying Your Scripts. Anatomy of a Script. How We Wrote Our
Scripts. Self-Defeating Habit Patterns. Journal Entry 21. One
Student's Story: James Floriolli. Rewriting Your Outdated Scripts.
The Impact of Outdated Beliefs. Doing the Rewrite. Journal Entry
22. One Student's Story: Annette Valle. Self-Awareness AT WORK.
Tech Tips: SELF-AWARENESS. Believing in Yourself Write Your Own
Rules. Three Success Rules. Changing Your Habits. Journal Entry 23.
One Student's Story Brandee Huigens.
7. ADOPTING LIFELONG LEARNING.
Case Study in Critical Thinking A Fish Story. Developing a Learning
Orientation to Life. Growth Mindsets and Fixed Mindsets. How to
Develop a Growth Mindset. Journal Entry 24. One Student's Story:
Jessie Maggard. Discovering Your Preferred Ways of Learning.
Self-Assessment: How I Prefer to Learn. Journal Entry 25. One
Student's Story: Melissa Thompson. Employing Critical Thinking.
Constructing Logical Arguments. Asking Probing Questions. Applying
Critical Thinking. Journal Entry 26. Lifelong Learning at Work.
Tech Tips: Lifelong Learning. Believing in Yourself Develop
Self-Respect. Live with Integrity (i.e., No Cheating or
Plagiarizing). Keep Commitments. Journal Entry 27.
8 DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
Case Study in Critical Thinking After Math. Understanding Emotional
Intelligence. Four Components of Emotional Intelligence. Knowing
Your Own Emotions. Journal Entry 28: One Student's Story: Lindsey
Beck. Reducing Stress. What Is Stress? What Happens when Stress
Persists? Unhealthy Stress Reduction. Healthy Stress Reduction.
Choose Your Attitude. Journal Entry 29: One Student's Story: Jaime
Sanmiguel. Increasing Happiness. Limits on Happiness. Savoring
Pleasures. Gratitude. Engagement. Contribution. Strawberry Moments.
Journal Entry 30: Emotional Intelligence at Work. Tech Tips:
Emotional Awareness. Believing in Yourself Develop Self-Acceptance.
Self-Esteem and Core Beliefs. Know and Accept Yourself. Journal
Entry 31: One Student's Story Wynda Allison Paulette.
9. STAYING ON COURSE TO YOUR SUCCESS.
Planning Your Next Steps. Assess Your Soft Skills -- Again. Journal
Entry 32: One Student's Story Stephan J. Montgomery.
Conversation with the Author.
Bibliography.
Index."
Skip Downing is an international consultant in the field of faculty development and student success strategies. Dr. Downing has earned degrees from Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Santa Monica, and Carnegie Mellon University. He holds advanced degrees in English and counseling psychology. He was professor of English at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) for 32 years. In addition to his role as an academic instructor, Dr. Downing created and coordinated BCCC's Student Success and Learning Community Programs. These programs teach students how to apply proven success strategies to achieve their full potential in college and in life. The College Success Program resulted in a significant increase in both student academic success and retention. Dr. Downing has made numerous presentations at national conferences and conducted faculty development workshops at many two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and the Virgin Islands. Dr. Downing's teaching, writing, and consulting are all guided by his belief that the greatest mission of any educational institution is to empower its students to live rich, fulfilling lives. Since 1996, he has facilitated the On Course Workshops, intensive four-day retreats for college educators focusing on proven strategies for helping students become active, responsible partners in their education and achieve greater success in college and in life. Dr. Brennan has a PhD in Comparative Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley, an EdD in Educational Leadership and Change (Fielding Graduate University), an MA in English (UC Berkeley) and an MS in Cognitive Psychology (USM). In the last two decades, he has focused his research on higher education leadership, best practices in non-cognitive learner competencies and the intersection between race, culture, equity, and access to education. Dr. Brennan is a faculty member (and former chair) of the English Department at Mission College in Santa Clara, California. He designed and coordinated an On Course Program at Mission College that significantly improved the retention and academic success rate of students in developmental English, Mathematics, Reading, and ESL. He was voted Faculty of the Year at Mission College in 1999-2000 and was awarded a NISOD Teaching Excellence Award. In April, 2005, he was awarded the Stanback-Stroud Diversity award from the California State Academic Senate, and in 2008 was awarded the California State Hayward Award for Excellence in Education. Since 2006, he has served as Chair of the On Course National Conference and is currently Editor of the On Course student success newsletter which has nearly 200,000 subscribers worldwide. He has facilitated workshops on improving student learning for over 6,000 faculty from colleges and universities across North America. Dr. Brennan�s teaching, writing, and consulting are guided by his belief that all students deserve an opportunity to find their passion for lifelong learning, and accomplish their academic, career, and life goals.
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