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    Read more about Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom

    Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom

    (18 reviews)

    Thomas C. Priester, SUNY Genesee Community College, Batavia

    Copyright Year:

    ISBN 13: 9781942341109

    Publisher: Open SUNY

    Language: English

    Formats Available

    Conditions of Use

    Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
    CC BY-NC-SA

    Reviews

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    Reviewed by Carissa Johnson, Adjunct faculty, First Year Experience, Anoka-Ramsey Community College on 6/23/22

    This book covers multiple areas of student success, all told through the personal stories of former students. The division of the book into three sections helps to organize the content in a way that takes the reader through the multiple phases of... read more

    Reviewed by M. Barrey, Faculty, Rogue Community College on 8/13/20

    The text provides an effective index which is easy to navigate and is a good supplemental material to a more traditional text with concepts and theories. read more

    Reviewed by Aly Badran, PhD Candidate, Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder on 6/11/20

    The text is a good resource for academic success in general, not just for first year college students, some topics could also be applicable to returning graduate students. The text does cover diverse areas but it is difficult to address all... read more

    Reviewed by Lianna McGowan, Professor, Valencia College on 6/8/20

    The text addresses some of the major topics in student success curriculums, including time management, goal setting and co-curricular engagement. However, each is a personal essay from one student's perspective. The conversational, personal and... read more

    Reviewed by Denise Cady Arbeau, Professor, North Shore Community College on 6/2/20

    Through the use of personal essays, this text addresses all the major themes of a First Year Experience course, including time management, career planning, identity as a 'college student', and studying and listening skills. read more

    Reviewed by Jane Murphy, Adjunct Professor, Middlesex Community College on 5/27/20

    The book covers many aspects of college life and challenges. However, I would say rather than covering all areas of college life it facilitates the reader in finding more areas to explore on their own. read more

    Reviewed by Joel Hanlon, Director New Student and Family Programs , Radford University on 1/28/20

    Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom is a great resource not only for students but also for anyone who is working with first-year students. Making the transition to college is different for each student this helps put many relevant... read more

    Reviewed by Nancy Everson, Senior Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Academic Enrichment Programs, College of William & Mary on 4/26/19

    The text explores many topics first-year students would encounter. The use of narration by students and administrators, some many years removed from the college student experience, provides a diverse range of voices. Topics are not connected to... read more

    Reviewed by Phillip Olt, Assistant Professor of Higher Education Student Affairs, Fort Hays State University on 10/29/18

    At times, this read more like a series of motivational speeches rather than practical insights to being successful. Certainly that positive thinking is important; however, there are many factors that significantly affect a students’ academic... read more

    Reviewed by Lesley Dorhout, Instructor/Educational Advisor College Success Program, University Of Cincinnati Clermont College on 3/27/18

    The text highlights various first-year student issues through narration. WIthin each personal story is an opportunity for students to engage with topics that often interfere with success. While the text covers the major struggles of college... read more

    Reviewed by Kay Walsh, Adjunct Faculty, James Madison University on 6/20/17

    In this text, personal narratives spark awareness of key issues important to entering college students. It is both a starting point and challenge to critical thinking. To ask if this text is comprehensive is like to ask how many rain drops are in... read more

    Reviewed by Marva Solomon, Counselor/Instructor, Lane Community College Eugene, Oregon on 4/11/17

    These personal stories provided a unique style of introducing all college students to the value of utilizing college resources, networking and sorting out career goals. read more

    Reviewed by Julia Capewell, Director of the Learning Center,PhD. , Virginia Wesleyan College on 2/15/17

    Book of essays revealing different attitudes of attending college. Although this text is not traditional for an Academic Success class, there lies its power. Instructors of basic skills classes everywhere know how to teach study skills, but often... read more

    Reviewed by Colice Sanders, Adjunct Instructor and Advising Specialist, University of Northern Iowa on 2/15/17

    Each essay offers a wealth of important information and a breadth of commonly reviewed key areas pertaining to first-year student experiences. The essay format provides a personal approach to discussing the common obstacles and challenges for... read more

    Reviewed by Lori Kogan, Associate Professor, Colorado State University on 1/7/16

    The text is a carefully selected collection of personal narratives related to the college experience. The book offers such a variety of stories by authors of various backgrounds and experiences that it is likely that nearly all students will be... read more

    Reviewed by Kathy Harowski, Community faculty, advisor, Metropolitan State University on 1/7/16

    Foundations of academic success: Words of wisdom( FAS:WoW ) provided a range of practical and relevant snapshots and glimpses of student success from a range of expert point(s) of view( current students, alumni, faculty and advistors). From the... read more

    Reviewed by Jennifer Reinke, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin - Stout on 1/7/16

    This collection of essays offer a variety of perspectives of a variety of topics related to college life. Some ideas, like getting involved on campus, are covered in a cursory manner, though offer enough information to spark good discussion among... read more

    Reviewed by Patrick Mahoney, Lecturer, Colorado State University on 1/7/16

    Upon picking up Thomas Priester’s Foundations of Academic Success one realizes this isn’t just another college survival guide, rather Priester’s text is a template for thriving while at attending university. Using the voice of individuals having... read more

    Table of Contents

    • The Student Experience by Kristen Mruk
    • Practice, Practice, Practice by Dr. Kristine Duffy
    • Why So Many Questions? by Fatima Rodriguez Johnson
    • These Are the Best Years of Your Life by Sara Vacin
    • With a Little Help from My Friends by Paulo Fernandes
    • Can You Listen to Yourself? by Yuki Sasao
    • Failure Is Not an Option by Nathan Wallace
    • Thinking Critically and Creatively by Dr. Andrew Robert Baker
    • Time Is on Your Side by Christopher L. Hockey
    • What Do You Enjoy Studying? by Dr. Patricia Munsch
    • Fighting for My Future Now by Amie Bernstein
    • Something Was Different by Jacqueline Tiermini
    • Transferrable by Vicki L. Brown
    • It's Like Online Dating by Jackie Vetrano
    • Learn What You Don't Want by Jamie Edwards
    • Conclusion

    Ancillary Material

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    About the Book

    Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom (FAS: WoW) introduces you to the various aspects of student and academic life on campus and prepares you to thrive as a successful college student (since there is a difference between a college student and a successful college student). Each section of FAS: WoW is framed by self-authored, true-to-life short stories from actual State University of New York (SUNY) students, employees, and alumni. The advice they share includes a variety of techniques to help you cope with the demands of college. The lessons learned are meant to enlarge your awareness of self with respect to your academic and personal goals and assist you to gain the necessary skills to succeed in college.

    Foundations of Academic Success is an engaging, informational, and succinct read that connects the reader to personal essays about succeeding in college. The text allows the reader to see different perspectives of the shared experience of navigating higher education. As an adjunct lecturer teaching a course entitled “Learning to Learn,” I see the advice and life lessons discussed as both helpful and informative to many types of students. I believe that this book has a universal appeal for any classroom that is discussing the college life cycle, and would advocate using this text with students who seek out campus services, such as Career Services, Study Abroad, and Academic Advising. I also see this text applicable in the education of student leaders, peer mentors, and peer advocates at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This text goes beyond traditional Student Affairs and Student Development theories to connect the reader with real, honest, and understandable life lessons.

    About the Contributors

    Author

    Thomas C. Priester holds a Doctor of Education degree in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College, a Master of Science degree in Student Personnel Administration from SUNY Buffalo State, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary English Education from Fredonia (where he is also a member of the Alumni Board of Directors). Having worked previously in the areas of academic success, student life, student leadership development, orientation, academic advising, and residence life, Dr. Priester currently serves as the Director of Transitional Studies/Assistant Professor at SUNY Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY where he is also an advisor to the campus chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the chairperson of both the Academic Assessment and the Transitional Studies Committees, and a member of both the Institutional Effectiveness and the Academic Senate Curriculum Committees. Additionally, Dr. Priester is a faculty member in the Higher Education Student Affairs Administration graduate program at SUNY Buffalo State in Buffalo, NY, has taught conversational English at Fatec Americana in Americana, São Paulo, Brazil, and has also taught Academic Success at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, NY. Dr. Priester has served as a contributing chapter author for the books: Assessing Student Learning in the Community and Two-Year College (Stylus, 2013) and Examining the Impact of Community Colleges on the Global Workforce (IGI Global, 2015) and has most recently published the open access textbook: Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom (Open SUNY Textbooks, 2015).

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