College Success

Reviewed by Morgan Felkner, Adjunct Faculty, University of Saint Francis on 8/19/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is a fundamental, high-level overview of some of the most important aspects of a first-year student's academic career.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

There isn't anything too outdated or obsolete in this text - most are still applicable today regardless of technological advancements

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This textbook was picked due to its relevance and applicability.

Clarity rating: 5

Easily laid out, text is accessible, font is readable. It's easy to follow, understand, and use as a student or instructor.

Consistency rating: 5

Chapter's flow from one to the next seamlessly and seem to have good order.

Modularity rating: 2

This is more chapter by chapter assignments - it's not easily truncated since some parts are useful while others are not.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Easy flow, good placement of chapter topics

Interface rating: 5

I love the interface the most - it's easy to view and looks like a traditional textbook

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No errors that I've seen so far

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Does include a topic of cultural competence, but I wouldn't say it's mentioned throughout the book and some assumptions are made based on the reader being Caucasian.

Comments

Overall a great and accessible textbook that still gives the same look and feel as a traditional textbook. Easily imported into Canvas - they offer a shell course.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Tracy, Adjunct Professor, Klamath Community College on 11/2/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

College Success is exceptionally comprehensive, covering all areas and ideas relevant to college success. The text effectively incorporates an index and glossary, making it easy for students to locate specific topics and concepts. The book provides a thorough exploration of essential subjects related to academic achievement, personal development, and career readiness.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content in College Success is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. The information presented is reliable and supported by reputable sources, ensuring that students receive accurate guidance and advice.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content is current and relevant, striking a balance that prevents quick obsolescence. The text can be updated easily to incorporate new developments, ensuring its longevity without becoming outdated rapidly.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is written in clear, accessible language, making complex topics understandable to a wide range of readers. Jargon and technical terminology are explained adequately, providing students with the necessary context to grasp the concepts presented.

Consistency rating: 5

College Success maintains consistency in terminology and framework throughout the text. The language and concepts used are uniform, contributing to a cohesive reading experience.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is highly modular, allowing easy division into smaller reading sections. It avoids overwhelming readers with large blocks of text, enhancing readability. Its flexibility enables educators to adapt the material to various course structures without disrupting the flow of learning.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics in College Success are organized logically, with a clear and coherent structure. Concepts are introduced in a sequence that facilitates understanding, and the flow of information is smooth and intuitive.

Interface rating: 5

The book's interface is user-friendly and free of significant issues. It ensures easy navigation, and all visual elements are displayed correctly. The text's design enhances the overall reading experience without causing distractions.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

College Success is very well written, containing no grammatical errors. The language used is polished and professional, enhancing the text's readability.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text demonstrates cultural sensitivity, avoiding offensive language or examples. It incorporates inclusive examples from diverse races, ethnicities, and backgrounds, ensuring that students from various cultural contexts can relate to the content.

Comments

This book is a great tool for new students. It is easy enough to understand for all types of students, but also comprehensive enough to answer most questions. The inexpensive price makes it the ideal choice to use for students new to higher education.

Reviewed by Melissa Kelley, Assistant Professor, Western Oregon University on 8/25/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a great overview of the college experience, and it has a nice survey of many important college topics. It covers college vs. high school, college culture and expectations, financial literacy, civility and cultural competency, and other big topics.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I didn't notice any errors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I think these topics are relevant for the vast majority of US university students. I like that it is inclusive of community college and 4-year degree experiences both. One area I'd like to see updated in future editions is some discussion of learning strategies in online classes specifically, and some mention of appropriate use of AI technologies to support learning. Also, in the chapter covering safety and healthy living, a paragraph or two about disaster preparedness would be helpful for students living in earthquake and wildfire zones. Otherwise it all felt relevant and up to date.

Clarity rating: 5

I didn't notice any issues with this. Specific terminology was used but it was explained well and used in context. The "College Has Its Own Language and Customs" section was especially good.

Consistency rating: 5

I didn't notice any issues with this.

Modularity rating: 5

The book is very modular, I have used single chapter sections as readings in class before and didn't notice any confusion from students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I thought the book was well-organized.

Interface rating: 5

Overall this was good and easy to use. I liked the inclusion of the "What students say" surveys and that students can be part of the textbook's data if they decide to fill the surveys out.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn't notice any issues with this.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Overall I think the book does a nice job including images of students from diverse backgrounds. It also has a chapter devoted to diversity and cultural competency, and some specific mention of the different pathways that students with disabilities can go through to get the support they need at school, though I would like to have seen something like an example flow chart or story of a student who was able to navigate accommodations in school, since so many students feel lost about how to get help with learning disabilities. I'm giving it a 4 rather than a 5 partly for that reason, and partly because I think in a book focused on the college experience there should be more talk about college experiences for 1) nontraditional students including students returning to school after an education gap and those living at home not on campus and 2) first generation students who don't have the family history of college to rely on. Otherwise the book does a great job with cultural awareness and discussion of things like gender, diversity, equity, and privilege.

Comments

I like this book a lot and have used it in my first year seminar classes. It is a good overall introduction to college and what questions students should think about. A small nitpick I have is that more images and charts would be helpful in some of the chapters that are text heavy or have large data tables with a lot of words. I will use this book in class again!

Reviewed by Sonja Gaddy, Adjunct Professor/Coordinator of Academic Support and Testing, Texas Wesleyan University on 8/23/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text provides a variety of content that benefits the student in personal growth and provides awareness of hidden skills that impact academics such as time management, mindset, metacognition, and healthy lifestyles.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Because of the comprehensive nature of the text, I can use specific chapters and sections to meet the needs of my course. I have not incurred any inaccuracies in the text, and the information is presented in an unbiased manner. It allows for all students to respond to and interpret the information from a variety of viewpoints without feeling othered.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is relevant and up-to-date. I appreciate the focus on financial literacy and a healthy lifestyle. The content is appropriate for post-COVID pandemic needs and helps students to extend their learning to other areas of their lives.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is clear and understandable for a variety of reading levels. Definitions are used with key terms to support comprehension, and questions help students to anticipate content.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent using repetitive sections such as chapter outline, introduction, questions to answer, section dividers, application activities, and analysis questions.

Modularity rating: 5

I am using individual blocks of content from selected chapters in my course. The smaller sections support the overall chapter objectives as well as provide sufficient content as a stand-alone reading assignment.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The chapters are outlined and presented in a logical and predictable order.

Interface rating: 4

There is an abundance of content. I appreciate the icons used to mark section divisions within a chapter. However, the different heading levels can be confusing or not as pronounced which can interrupt the reading flow.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I have not experienced any notable grammar issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There are a variety of ethnicities and races used in graphics and images which supports the relevancy and relatability of the content.

Comments

no

Reviewed by Amy Mays, Adjunct- Assistant Professor, Tidewater Community College on 4/24/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Baldwin’s College Success includes topics for the transition to college for both the traditional and non-traditional student. The text covers what is expected from the college student to how to be successful in navigating the numerous campus resources available for success.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate and reinforced by numerous examples. Diversity, equity, and cultural competence are relevant to the status quo.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The web version of the book is up-to-date (January 27, 2022). It was nice to see the inclusion of content regarding emotional and mental health topics.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is easy to read and presents concepts in user-friendly terms. College vernacular is broken down by what it means and why the student needs to know it.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent; beginning with a chapter outline and ending with a chapter summary.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is well organized and the topics can be easily presented at different points in the course. There are opportunities for student reflection.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is well thought out and seemed to move quite fluidly.

Interface rating: 5

My review is of the web version on Open Stax. It is easy to navigate. I appreciate the option to highlight material. There is a vast array of instructor resources including LMS course cartridges. The student resources include note taking, study tips, and time management strategies.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text did not appear to contain any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text features examples that are inclusive of a variety of diverse and relevant topics.

Reviewed by Jesus Hernandez, Adjunct Lecturer, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 12/20/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

“College Success” is an ideal text for First Year Experience courses. It covers standard topics such as learning styles, time management, goal-setting, taking notes, and taking tests. Its value-add chapters cover topics such as communication, cultural competence, and financial literacy. A major component of First Year Experience courses is to teach students about navigating college life. The text has the added benefit of functioning as a guide to understanding college culture, expectations in learning environments, and career planning.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate and supported by an array of sources. A conversation that comes up often for First Year Experience course instructors is getting students to take the course seriously. The content of this text relies on sources that have stood the test of time, as well as more recent ones, which provides some balance. It helps emphasize to students that learning-about-learning has both been around for a long time and needs to be refreshed as the college experience continues to evolve.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content of the text is up-to-date. The text is anchored by topics that are staples of First Year Experience courses—learning styles, time management, types of thinking, etc. At the same time, the text includes chapters on diversity and on various aspects of college student health and safety. Considering the general profile of a traditionally-aged college student in 2022, the content on emotional health and mental health has the potential to spark good discussion among cohorts that have destigmatized these topics and that are more readily willing to share about the health issues they are experiencing.

Clarity rating: 5

The language used in the text is user-friendly. First Year Experience course instructors teach students the importance of asking, “Do I understand what I just read? Could I explain it to someone else?” The text presents concepts in a way that makes them easy to digest. In particular, section 6.1 conveys the science of memory without getting students lost in information about the complexities of the human brain. The beginning of the text includes a primer on common college terms and expectations; it is a helpful reminder to instructors to check their assumptions about what students know about college. It is especially useful for students who are first-generation college students.

Consistency rating: 5

The text employs a structure that is easy to follow. It addresses its audience consistently throughout. All but two of the chapters include a summary. Each summary is concise and does not replace needing to read the chapter to fully understand its contents. A student would not be able to rely on the summary alone to engage in a class discussion about the chapter. A “Where do you go from here?” section is included in almost all chapters. It provides next steps for students to continue to explore the ideas covered in the chapter, which could double as extra credit opportunities.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is structured in a way that dividing the chapters across a regular term would allow for readings to still be manageable for students. Some of the topics can be assigned in an order that is different from how they are placed in the book, and it would not create issues. There are activities, surveys, and opportunities for reflection throughout the text that provide variety to the reader and help with engagement in reading. The headings make the start and end of a topic easily identifiable. The figures and tables help keep various sections of the text from being too text-heavy.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is well-organized. It is clear that the goal of the authors was to group together concepts that are complementary. For example, the topic of memory is covered first, before the text transitions into the topic of studying; then, the topic of test taking brings the chapter to a close. This positions instructors to be able to make connections between these topics more easily (e.g., how cramming does not align with how memory works). The text opens by engaging students in reflection to answer the question, “Why are you in college?” The end of the text emphasizes the importance of career planning throughout college. From a big picture lens, this is ideal because it reinforces the idea that First Year Experience courses are designed to help students in their first year, certainly, but also beyond their first year of college. The topics covered between the starting point and the ending point of the text are organized in a logical way.

Interface rating: 5

The interface makes the text very easy to navigate. The search function yields results that are closely matched and relevant. There are optional surveys that are embedded within the text, and a student would not need to take a lot of extra steps to access them. The links to the surveys in the introduction to each chapter are currently intact. The estimated completion time posted at the start of each section is one of the text’s best features.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text does not contain notable grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Throughout the text, the student experiences that are highlighted represent a wide range of backgrounds. Moreover, they are presented in a way that strongly reinforces the point that each college student’s journey is different (e.g., presenting viewpoints of both traditionally-aged college students and post-traditional college students). Chapter 9 “Understanding Civility and Cultural Competence” discusses diversity. It acknowledges the fact that students arrive to college by different means. It reminds students that they will interact with individuals who do not share their own values or perspectives—during their time in college and beyond. It emphasizes that civility is paramount in these interactions. The chapter encourages students to equip themselves with knowledge that could be useful to them in diverse environments.

Comments

Highly recommend for First Year Experience courses

Reviewed by Karen Jewette, Adjunct Professor, Tidewater Community College on 12/16/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text definitely covers topics that are pertinent to new college students who are trying to adjust to college and want to know how to navigate on a college campus.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The information provided is accurate and provides data to support the information.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The topics covered in the book are relevant to the experiences of a college student and addresses current situations

Clarity rating: 5

The text is comprehendible and gives explanations for terminology that may be misunderstood

Consistency rating: 5

The text is uniform throughout in its format which provides comfort in what is expected next when reading the information,

Modularity rating: 5

The text has topics that can serve as stand-alone subjects that would be easy to designate as assignments

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Subjects in the book follow a logical and sequential order relating to the overall theme of the book.

Interface rating: 5

The book does not contain interface issues, there is ease in navigating different sections and accessing activities, links, and charts.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were viewed in the text

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The book has evidence of being diverse and inclusive in regard to race, ethnicities, and disabilities.

Comments

The activities provided are relevant and promotes higher order thinking,

Reviewed by Merissa Bunton, Language Arts and Learning Skills Lecturer, Leeward Community College on 12/6/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I liked that the book covered the "typical" how to be successful and what to expect information as well as chapters about the importance of financial literacy, healthy lifestyle, and looking beyond college to plan for future.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I didn’t see any major challenges with accuracy. I liked that all the images offered reference information and footnotes were present for other citations. I would like a comprehensive references section at the end of the book and perhaps more options in the index.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The book offers links to surveys and polls for students. Results are periodically updated allowing faculty to see in almost real time how students using this book respond.

The financial literacy section is written in a way that non-traditional students may find off-putting. Perhaps offering more examples using the situations common to older students could mitigate this.

I would recommend that when a student completes a chapter survey, they get to see how others responded in some sort of chart or graph immediately after they submit their own answers - or be offered information immediately after submitting to see cumulative results. That could make continuing to take the surveys more meaningful and / or enticing. It's fun to see how one's own ideas compare to those of others!

Clarity rating: 5

Excellent. I believe my Learning Skills (LSK 110) students could easily navigate the language used.

Consistency rating: 5

I love the consistent formatting of each chapter in this text. I notice that each chapter builds upon information from the previous chapters which could present some minor challenges if the instructor chooses to skip around, but it’s easy to find what may be needed for additional information in previous chapters.

Modularity rating: 5

The modularity of this text is part of what I like about the consistency I applauded in question 5.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

If I were to use this book I would follow each chapter, in order. I very rarely follow a textbook chapter by chapter, but I can’t think of a better way to organize the information offered. Within each chapter the organization is also great and incredibly easy to navigate.

Interface rating: 4

I didn’t have any trouble with dead links, mangled images, or warped text in either the online versions (I tried Firefox and Safari) or the downloaded PDF. I even looked at the text on my phone, in varying settings, and could easily read and navigate.

The one issue I had is that when I clicked to take chapter surveys the surveys opened in the same window and then I had to navigate back to where I wanted to be when finishing the survey.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I saw no distracting grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Chapter 9 explains cultural competence and highlights the importance of civility, avoiding microaggressions, and beauty of collaboration with people different from oneself. In future iterations of this book, it might be fun to add sections for different parts of the world. For example, in the current book I use for this class they have a version specifically for students in the Pacific Islands. Each chapter offers a cultural tie to the information presented.

Comments

This is a book full of valuable information for the traditional or returning college student!

Reviewed by Rebecca Steen, Academic Advisor II/Adjunct Faculty, Rogue Community College on 6/16/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

College Success included a lot of wonderful and relevant topics for new students entering into higher education. I think it would be very valuable to include a section that discusses transferring from a community college to a university and laying out the steps students need to take to be successful.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content was accurate, error-free and unbiased. The use of student surveys was a great tool to allow students to approach a topic regardless of their current comprehension level for the subject matter.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Each chapter was relevant to a student's success in college. I appreciated that time management was addressed, as well as understanding yourself as a learner and engaging in a healthly lifestyle.

Clarity rating: 5

Five out of five for clarity. The text reviewed common higher education phrases and terms such as 'syllabus' so that students could fully grasp and understand all the new information that was being presented. The index was a useful and thorough tool for students to refer to.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is internally consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

The text was formatted and designed with great fluidity.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Each chapter had an introduction and then was broken down into absorbable sections of course content, followed by a summary, connecting concepts, 'rethinking' and finally a probing question that tied everything together.

Interface rating: 5

Text is free of significant interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Chapter 9. Understanding Civility and Cultural Competence. I was very excited to see this chapter was built into the curriculum as understanding identity, diversity, and inclusivity is an integral part of higher education.

Comments

Loved, loved, loved the chapter on financial literacy. This should be a required 'workshop' for all new college students.

Reviewed by S. Beth Thompson, Adjunct Instructor, College of Nursing and Health Professions, University of Southern Indiana on 6/9/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The index was very detailed and clear with links back to the pages. (I read the online book.)

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Although I chose this book to read to learn more myself, the content appears to be accurate based on current trends. The student example stories show a wide variety of life situations and student struggles as we know, not all college students move directly from high school to college.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I found the book to be relevant and up-to-date reflecting current societal trends and typical student concerns. References are made to current social media sites which can be updated easily with the newest trends.

Clarity rating: 5

This is a book of information full of new words referring to higher education jargon. Terminology was clear to me because I work in higher education, so I was pleased to see that a definition for terminology was included with each usage. Most, if not all, chapters included self-reflection with pertinent examples given and instructions for how individuals could apply the concept.

Consistency rating: 5

Figures, charts, student stories, next steps, activities, and get connected resource links headings were a part of every chapter making reading the book comfortable.

Modularity rating: 5

The twelve chapters of the book are all important for the beginning college student. However, for a course that is shorter than a full term, some chapters could be omitted or combined. Omitting or reorganizing could be easily accomplished with this material.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Topics are presented in a logical manner by including the more practical topics first which would help the students to hit the ground running at the beginning of a term. I appreciated the inclusion of Bloom's Taxonomy and education milestones in the early chapters.

Interface rating: 5

The book displayed extremely well online. Charts and graphs were clear and not "too busy".

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

None noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The written content is inclusive.

Comments

Reading the book affirmed learning concepts needed for college success. Every chapter included nuggets of information that could be readily used by students as well as by faculty who are guiding the students through this transition. I enjoyed reading this book and learning new ways to be a better instructor.
May I suggest the inclusion of the eight dimensions of wellness in the chapter on Engaging in a Healthy Lifestyle? In addition, a continued emphasis on mental health is needed to reflect current campus student needs.

Reviewed by Lisa Merritt, Adjunct Instructor, Human Development & Communication, Central Oregon Community College on 3/8/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

4

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate and culturally relevant.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Like most textbooks today, the material is written in "chunks" with clear headings. Given its digital format, edits can be made easily especially in those areas that seem to change quickly, like personal health issues and using technology to communicate. Other content areas likely won't change as quickly.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is logically written and easy to read and follow. High Education jargon is well explained often in charts to make the material stand out and to improve accessibility. I appreciate that the book is not at all pretentious nor does it "dumb" down the important content.

Consistency rating: 5

The text has a very consistent and visually pleasing framework. Each chapter begins with a chapter outline and then an "Introduction" in the form of a short student survey to help engage them right away with the content.

Modularity rating: 5

This book, in all its formats, does an excellent job of chunking the information into smaller sections. The use of headings, charts, activities, surveys and other visuals make the material appealing and easy to navigate. Again, it's consistent whether you view the book online or through your LMS.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics build from the opening chapter of “Exploring College” to closing with “Planning Your Future.” While the chapters do seem to follow a logical order, one can easily discuss the chapters in an alternative format to best suit one’s teaching style, term length and student needs.

Interface rating: 5

No problems noted. In fact, I really appreciate the LMS integration options (in my case, Canvas) allowing students the option to click on individual units within the assigned learning modules. It feels intuitive and is visually pleasing manner.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

None noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Chapter 9: Understanding Civility and Cultural Competence does a nice job of introducing relevant concepts and current issues (such as Gender Pronoun Examples, Table 9.1) in this complex topic area. It's also appreciated that the book seems relatable to non-traditional and adult learners making it an appealing text for a wide population.

Comments

Amy Baldwin, the author, together with OpenStax have given very useful and interactive webinars about the College Success text and ancillary materials. My colleagues and I found this to be very helpful as we could directly ask the author questions and recommendations to fit our unique demographic. Amy is very generous with her materials and ideas. Having direct access to the author is very comforting, useful and appreciated.

Reviewed by Susan Cramp, Adjunct Faculty, Eastern New Mexico University on 2/8/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The textbook includes all areas for student success: goal setting, time management, learning styles, notetaking, health, financial literacy, and many more topics.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content of the chapters is accurate and includes the common examples of strategies instructors of student success courses are familiar with based on educational research.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content of the text is up-to-date and includes examples of inclusivity relating to diversity. This is one of the first student success books I have seen that provides information regarding gender identification. The book allows for updates to be implemented at very little disruption to the content.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook is clear and easy to understand and there is a natural flow between content.

Consistency rating: 4

The textbook provides reliable and appropriate word and topics. The outline of the chapters is consistent and follows similar structure chapter to chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

The text book is broken into manageable parts and includes headings, subheadings. The graphics and pictures do not distract from the content.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of the textbook is good, but I think most people who teach a student success course might teach the content in a different order. The content is clear and logical.

Interface rating: 5

I did not think there was any interface issues with the text. The images were clear, easy to navigate and did not distract from reading.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical issues were found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I found the chapter about cultural awareness and inclusivity were clear and not offensive. The content in the chapter was informative and up-to-date, for example the content about gender pronouns that some instructors and students might not fully understand.

Reviewed by Matt Thomas, Adjunct Faculty, Kirkwood Community College on 12/30/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

OpenStax's College Success bills itself as "a comprehensive and contemporary resource that serves First Year Experience, Student Success, and College Transition courses." Indeed, with chapters on college culture, learning, time management, academic planning, reading and note-taking, studying and test taking, thinking, communication, diversity, money, health, and career planning, I would say it qualifies as comprehensive, as these are all topics one might reasonably expect an Intro to College-type class to cover. It also includes three appendices and an index, but the index, as other reviewers have noted, is brief. There are some nice bonuses though, including resources for both teachers (an instructor's manual, PowerPoint slides, a test bank, etc.) and students available to download from OpenStax. Anyone who adopts the text should definitely take a look at the ancillary materials.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate. Resources are linked to. Sources are footnoted. If the text has a glaring bias, it's toward college — i.e., it takes a pro-college position. That's probably to be expected with a text like this — and indeed, aren't all textbooks partial to their subjects? — but when you teach an Intro to College-type class, questions like "Is college right for me?" do come up and the book seems to assume that the default answer to that is "Yes," one just has to figure out why exactly for themselves. Sometimes, however, the answer may be "Maybe not."

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

College Success was first published on March 27, 2020. The web version, as of this review, was last updated on July 26, 2021. Given these dates it's no surprise the book feels up to date. If I had a criticism here, it's that the college experience the book presupposes feels like a pre-pandemic one. But COVID-19 altered the college experience, in some ways maybe permanently. Accordingly, it would be nice, I think, to see a book like this address topics such as online vs. in-person instruction in future permutations. That said, the topics it covers and the advice it offers are of lasting significance.

Clarity rating: 5

Text is readable without feeling overly simplified. Key terms, for instance, are defined. However, some chapters (e.g., the chapters on thinking and communication) feel denser than others.

Consistency rating: 5

Chapters are structured similarly and, to quote the book's own description, "[e]ngagement, self-analysis, personal responsibility, and student support are reflected throughout the material."

Modularity rating: 5

The text is modular. With the web version, for instance, one is able to easily navigate to an individual chapter (all of which are "stand-alone"), or to a specific section within a chapter. Within these sections are different headings, as well as images, tables, figures, shaded boxes, and so on, all of which serve to break things up into remixable chunks. Instructors could thus tell students something like, "Check out the 'Get Connected' box in section 2.4 of Chapter 2."

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Does the order in which the topics are presented make sense? Yes. Could one imagine them being presented in a different order? Also yes. For example, the time management chapter comes before the chapter on reading and note-taking. But one might want to assign the latter chapter first. The good news is it's easy to do this. See my point about modularity above.

Interface rating: 5

The web version of the text on the OpenStax website — which is what I'm specifically reviewing here — is easily navigable. Text, images, tables, figures, shaded boxes, etc. appear in my web browser without issue. There's an option to create a free OpenStax account and make highlights and notes.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

None that I could find. If one were to find an error, though, OpenStax notes that "since our books are web-based, we can make updates periodically" and invites readers to submit suggested corrections.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text makes use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. This is something the publisher, OpenStax, takes seriously. According to their June 2020 Diversity and Representation Development Guidelines document, "OpenStax undertakes substantial efforts to properly represent genders, gender identities, races, cultures, geographies, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations, socio-economic status, and diverse viewpoints in our books." In addition to an entire chapter on diversity and "how it plays a role in personal, civic, academic, and professional aspects of our lives," diversity is woven into the text itself, and in a casual, self-evident way, too. Here's one example: section 9.2 contains a discussion of gender pronouns. Then, in the introduction section of the next chapter on financial literacy, the reader is presented with a story about a student who goes by "they" pronouns. The book doesn't make a big deal of this however. Its examples just are.

Reviewed by Jeronell Bradley, Col 103 faculty, Florence-Darlington Technical College on 12/6/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Indexing could be more detailed.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Specific information for student success is very accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

After a semester of using the textbook students found the information very relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

Easy to read.

Consistency rating: 5

The message for student success was consistent throughout each chapter. The author(s) were very clear with the message.

Modularity rating: 4

Faculty were able to use chapter information for on time instruction rather than the given arrangement of the chapters.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

We did not use the chapters in the arrangement given as there were specific assignments targeted to given times in the semester that did not match the chapter arrangments.

Interface rating: 4

The only navigation problem found by faculty was the matching of page numbers of the paper copy with the PDF/Word versions.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

There were a few typos.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Found the title to be culturally significant.

Reviewed by Brenda Williams, Part-time Faculty, Lane Community College on 6/11/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book has all the necessary components for college freshmen.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

It is accurate

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

It is relevant but could be updated a bit about learning and self-care in a pandemic.

Clarity rating: 5

It is well written.

Consistency rating: 5

It has consistent terminology.

Modularity rating: 3

The headers were well designed but the font is small. Some chapters have several bullets which is easier to read while other chapters were a lot of text. I felt it could use more pictures and color.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I liked the flow of this book.

Interface rating: 4

I had no problem navigating the book.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No errors

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

It is inclusive.

Reviewed by Christina Rosi, Adjunct Professor, Mount Wachusett Community College on 6/10/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

College Success (Baldwin 2020) is truly a comprehensive textbook for incoming first year students who are making the transition to college. It takes the traditional themes of college success and FYE/FYS texts and makes them relevant to the issues of our times, including many hands-on and practical activities for student engagement and self-reflection for every chapter. The book is accessible to students of all backgrounds and experiences in their first year of college, and gives many examples of students' personal stories, real-life scenarios and visual illustrations. The authors were very comprehensive in their units on diversity, emotional intelligence, understanding civility, and themes related to cultural competence throughout the textbook.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book is up to date with recent sources cited and relevant charts and graphs. Themes of diversity, equity, and cultural competence are relevant to current events and issues of our times. I would say that the authors could update sections such as health and self-care in relation to the current public health crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

As mentioned above, the authors have made the essential FYR/FYS college success topics relevant. There are many hands-on activities and exercises for students to help them understand the material/concepts, and put them into practice.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is very well-written and well-organized.

Consistency rating: 5

The format for every chapter is very consistent, well-organized. I especially liked the sections called: Activity, Analysis Question, Rethinking, and Where do you go from here.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter is a self-sufficient and independent module that could easily be used in any order that the instructor chooses. Each sub-unit could definitely be used in an order chosen by the instructor.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

As commented previously, the text is very well-organized, presented in a very clear format.

Interface rating: 5

There are many interesting and relevant images, graphs, and charts throughout the book that are well-documented, explained, and with relevant sources cited.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The book is accessible to students of all backgrounds and experiences in their first year of college, and gives many examples of students' personal stories, real-life scenarios and visual illustrations. The authors were very comprehensive in their unit on diversity, understanding civility, and cultural competence. They include thoughtful material on implicit bias, identity and diversity, and changing demographics in the United States, They also look for a way forward with themes of digital civility, rules for fair debate and civility, and critical thinking: opinion vs. factual arguments. These themes of cultural diversity are present throughout the textbook.

Comments

I will definitely use material from this textbook in the fall for my First Year Seminar.
I would suggest a glossary of definition of terms and concepts to help students who are developmental learners and/or ELL, English language learners.

Reviewed by Jordan Lewton, Online Counselor, Leeward Community College on 4/29/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text covers the key areas and ideas related to college success appropriately. There are multiple ways to access the text, each provides effective ways to navigate the content.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text provides accurate, error-free, and unbiased content.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is refreshingly relevant and up-to-date. The tech tools, even, established to the point where those may not even need to be changed or removed. It's apparent this was taken under consideration when developing this text.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in a very straightforward way. The tone is almost conversational and feels very student-friendly. The case studies and scenarios throughout the text along with easy-to-understand graphics and tables support the content in a very effective way, ensuring that even the more theory-based, jargon, and technical areas are relatable and support the student's understanding of the concepts.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Some OER resources seem to try to do too much, including every concept ever discussed on any given topic. This text, however, effectively ties together the content in a very consistent way.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is super easy to digest because it's very well-organized with section headers, images, and a table of contents throughout.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is very well-organized with section headers. The content flows together seamlessly. When the text is viewed on the web, navigation arrows are present at the bottom.

Interface rating: 5

No interface issues encountered.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical issues encountered.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Case studies and scenarios throughout the text provide a variety of different student perspectives that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Reviewed by Paul Dexter, Director of Academic Retention Initiatives, University of Southern Maine on 3/30/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

A text on how to be successful in college could be inclusive to the point of being overwhelming, particularly for a student making the transition into the early college years. The authors identified the most salient, action-oriented components of a solid foundation for college and beyond. Chapters offered clear definitions of cultural vernacular (i.e. syllabus, office hours), and a map for navigating available resources at virtually any institution of higher education. Broad concepts were titrated into clear, understandable formats, such as the chapter 1 table outlining “Six Areas of Adjustment for First-Year College Students” followed by the chart on useful “Help-Seeking Behaviors”. Each topic was addressed thoroughly, yet not in a manner that was too complex or esoteric for the reader.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The authors successfully wrote an evidence-based text with a neutral yet conversational tone. Particular attention seemed to be paid to the evolving research on how learning works, and opened up the possibilities for the readers instead of being prescriptive. Examples of this included how a light was shone on “not constraining learning activities based on a predetermined model” such as learning styles and MBTI preferences, while not dismissing the value of the learner understanding and applying these frameworks intentionally and contextually.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The authors seemed to plan ahead for keeping the content up-to-date. One example is reserving most of the text’s links to articles, TedTalks, and other recent sources to the “Where do you go from here” section at the end of each chapter, making these easier to edit, adapt, or update as new examples become available.

Clarity rating: 5

The authors seemed to have kept accessible language in the forefront of their writing process, avoiding jargon and defining any terms that could have assumed prior knowledge of concepts and vernacular, yet not in a way that may be experienced as condescending by the reader.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is structured in a way to offer consistency for the reader. Each chapter includes an Introduction, the content in sub-chapters, the Summary, a Career Connection component, a “Rethinking” section to revisit the questions for considerations posed in the Introduction, and a “Where do you go from here” offering resources and further action steps. Within each chapter is a story-based student profile complemented with aggregated student responses regarding experiences associated with the chapter’s main concepts or foci.

Modularity rating: 5

The text can be read in its entirety, or just as effectively assigned piecemeal without diminishing the value and impact of the content.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text moved seamlessly from broader concepts and reflections early on to more strategy-based offerings as the reader progressed through the chapters. There did not seem to be any outlier or out-of-place topics. With the consistency of the sections within each chapter, the reading experience quickly becomes familiar and comfortable.

Interface rating: 5

The text was intuitive to navigate, and all of the content was clean and clear.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There did not appear to be any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

As an administrator and course instructor at a comprehensive public institution, I am always mindful of the attention to diversity and inclusion. I believe the authors did an excellent job in this arena. While the text does not seem to be targeting a solely traditional-age student population, I think a potential enhancement would be to intentionally refer to the adult learner segment of undergraduate students.

Comments

The authors clearly had a broad audience in mind, including students, faculty, and staff. I appreciated the use of voice that resonated with all of these audiences. I also found the appendices to be quite helpful, offering a section with Recommended Readings and a section on “Activities and Artifacts from the Book”, curating the more experiential components of the text in one place for ease of reference.

Reviewed by Eva Akiyama, Counseling Faculty, Rogue Community College on 1/8/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text is a thoughtfully-designed, solid introduction to topics that would be most relevant to a new college student. The 12 chapters cover appropriate topics of consideration - things like learning styles, time management, study skills, and financial literacy. It provides interesting student profiles and student surveys in each section, and analysis questions designed to help a student "dig deeper". There is an overall focus on the application of skills that would help any student work toward academic and personal success. The Index at the end seems comprehensive and helpful for navigating.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found no errors in accuracy, either in theory, data, or possible bias. All information provided seemed objective and accurate. The data provided is consistent with what I know in areas such as learning styles, memory function, and cultural competency.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The main topics for each chapter are relevant and seem timeless. I did find that the information in each subcategory is more theoretical than practical, on the whole. A more abstract, theoretical approach can be useful in terms of not needing as many updates over time, but it creates a textbook that lacks a lot of practical tools that might need to be updated as more research becomes available. I would have liked to see more practical career information, for example. There is a 'Career Connection' subcategory at the end of each section, but it is often a thinking prompt instead of a concrete tool that might help a student become more major secure. However, the text also features concepts such as using personal values to help set goals are helpful and do not require updating.

Clarity rating: 4

The text was refreshingly clear of excessive jargon or technical terminology. It seemed well-suited to the reading level of a college student without dumbing down any information. The student profiles provided were relatable. The prose did tend to be more theoretical than practical, on the whole, so perhaps more suited to some students than others. For example, the tone and writing style would probably appeal more to a psychology major than a student pursing a career/technical program.

Consistency rating: 5

The information and flow of the text was consistent in it's style and set up from top to bottom. Each section followed the same layout and was easy to navigate. There was an introduction, a good number of sections (12), a summary, a career connection, and a "where to go from here" at the end. It followed the same level of flow throughout. There were a good amount of clear, relevant visual additions throughout, from pictures to charts. it also provided the activities all together at the end of the text for ease, and a comprehensive index.

Modularity rating: 5

Unlike some OERs that seem to have endless sections and subcategories, this one has 12 sections with a handful of subcategories for each. The sections seem relatively equal in length and content, which is nice for assigning reading in chunks. Each section is interspersed with boxes for activities or profiles, easily signaling the reader of what is expected. I read through the text from top to bottom and could imagine a student navigating through the sections with ease.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

There isn't a necessary order for these kind of topics, but I found the progression to be a little clunky. I believe it might work better to alternate between soft skill sections (like thinking or communication) with more hard skill sections (like study skills or financial literacy). I would also have liked to see the text wrapping up altogether on something motivating and personal instead of ending on Safety and then Planning. But that is a personal preference.

Interface rating: 5

The text was easy to read and appeared logically and linearly on my screen. Charts provided were easy to understand and appeared as a whole, not broken or confusing. Headings were well marked, and there was a 'Previous' and 'Next' button at the bottom of every section for easy navigation. This OER seemed particularly well-designed in terms of interface. I enjoyed the simplicity of it.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were no grammatical errors that I noticed, nor any noticeable issues with word choice or sentence structure.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I thought that the section on Diversity, Civility, and Cultural Competence to be quite well-designed in this OER. It was modern, up-to-date, and objective, while still outlining sensitive issues relevant to higher education. The subsection on micro-aggressions was well-written and student-centered. The information in the Safety section was a bit like what you'd hear in middle school health class (about drugs and sex and not walking alone late at night), but not incorrect or irrelevant. The photos and graphics in the text also did a pretty good job at featuring some people of different races/backgrounds.

Comments

I have used OnCourse in previous College Success classes, which I loved, and also the OER Blueprint For Success in a quest for more affordable options. I like this OER in some ways better than Blueprint - it is more concise, simpler, and more straightforward. But it is also missing things that Blueprint has, like embedded video links and deeper student snapshots that help students relate or see themselves. I don't know that I would switch to this instead. I can see using parts of it.

Reviewed by Marva Solomon, Instructor, Lane Community College on 12/29/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book is very comprehensive, it covers all relevant topics that a first year college student should read and integrate in their college lives. Important information on adjusting to college life to information about choosing a career path is covered. In addition information on making Academic adjustment, Cultural adjustment, intellectual adjustment and social adjustment all of which are important for achieving success in college.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

There is high accuracy and impartiality in this book, no errors were detected.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book is completely relevant for college students today. However, in order for this book to stay current the various websites given as supplemental reading along with the various assessments tests, such Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Clifton Strengths, Strong Interest Inventory, Keirsey Temperament Sorter, etc will have to be updated on a regular basis.

Clarity rating: 5

This book is very transparent. Each chart, graph, and the suggested activities at end of each chapter are easy to comprehend and easy to read.

Consistency rating: 5

The organization of each chapter is relatively good. It would have been good for the career assessments covered in Chapter 3 and chapter 12.3 to be merged together. All other chapters are consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

This book is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. chapter 11.2 that focuses on Stress Management and Chapter 9.1 on Equity and Inclusion are good examples of chapters that can be easily divided into smaller sections.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This book flows very well. For example Chapter 1 provides a charts that outlines an average of lifetime earnings based on level of education. chapter 1 also gives information in a very organized fashion on college terms such as attendance policy, final exams, learning, office hours, plagiarism, study, syllabus and other relevant terminology that college students need to know. This information flows well in this chapters well as in other chapters of this book.

Interface rating: 5

There were no interface issues in this book.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors was found in this book.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book has a great section in Chapter 9.1 to 9.4 on Understanding Civility and Cultural competence. None of which is culturally insensitive or offensive. The information in this book on Equity and Inclusion is demonstrates makes use of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I plan to use this book in my college Success course as it is very comprehensive and it offers a variety of success strategies that can be valuable to college students.

Comments

Overall this book is a very good tool for first year students and can include sophomores students as well. For example Chapter 4 gives good information on timeline for earning a college degree. Also a plethora of time management is offered in this book in addition Setting long term and short term goals, having a good note taking system and good study habits. I highly recommend this text book as a main textbook that can be used in a College Success and First Year Experience college course.

Reviewed by Brenda McDonald, Instructor, Central Oregon Community College on 12/27/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book is quite comprehensive and covers most every topic that I enjoy in teaching this class – including the cultural shift from high school, financial literacy, academic/career planning, time management, etc. The only topic that I thought could have been covered in more detail is around self awareness and the creation of positive self talk.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The overall content in this book appears to be accurate and unbiased with appropriate citations throughout.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

There are references that will need updating, such as social media platforms, starting salaries, and costs of college. However, they were written in such a way that I feel updates can easily be made as the text progresses. The inclusion of pertinent references to platforms such as Instagram, as well as links to numerous websites, is much appreciated to better connect to today’s college student.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written clearly. Examples are given throughout the text for further information, along with graphs, photos, and numerous activities that link textbook content into a real world situation.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is highly consistent throughout. The chapters build upon the essential framework in a logical sequence, taking the student from the basics of cultural shifts from high school into a plan for beyond the college years. Within the chapters themselves, they begin and end with a survey in which the reader is allowed to consider their own understanding of the content on each side of the reading.

Modularity rating: 5

The text does an amazing job in this respect. Each chapter is divided up into smaller chunks of information with an estimated completion time. For students learning to navigate time management in college, this is a wonderful addition. The overall flow of each chapter is also presented in a way that is consistent.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The topics are presented logically, starting with self-awareness and self-management and then gradually flowing into learning, memory, and thinking and ending on notes that lead the student forward into college and beyond. As I noted above, I would have liked a more robust section on self-talk possibly included in that early course information.

Interface rating: 5

No interface issues were noted.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical issues were noted.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

One of the highlights of this text for me was the Chapter titled "Understanding Civility and Cultural Competence” which is often missed in other books. The topic includes why this is such an important topic in today’s world, along with fundamental information on civility, making assumptions, implicit bias, as well as on equity and how it differs from equality. The information given is a wonderful starting point for class discussions.

Reviewed by Sofia Montero, Lecturer III, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 11/20/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The listed topics are comprehensive in scope and contain all of the necessary topics relevant to student success. Including a chapter on financial literacy and healthy lifestyle was a refreshing addition to a book aimed at supporting student's transition to college.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The theories, ideas, and concepts contained within this book appear to be accurate and descriptive.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Although the text does an outstanding job of including websites, apps, and other helpful resources, the issue with tech is that it is constantly changing. The book in itself is completely relevant, but will need to be updated within a couple of years in order to ensure all of the referenced tech resources are still valid.

Clarity rating: 5

All terminology and prose are helpful in clearly communicating with an entering student. The provided examples and case studies are also very helpful in linking textbook content with real-world scenarios.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent and well organized. The framework builds upon the previous chapters and at times, emphasizes certain concepts that were previously discussed.

Modularity rating: 5

An impressive feature of this book is how it is organized into smaller sections complete with an estimated reading time. This could be highlighted by the instructor to model planning and use of time. Many first year college students struggle with procrastination, time management, and completing reading assignments prior to attending class. By providing an estimated amount of time that a reading should take, the author allows the student the opportunity to break up a chapter reading into several shorter reading sessions and/or the instructor to assign particular sections.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The flow was very good for this book with the first six chapters being the most important in building self-regulation. I would have liked to have seen the chapter on memory (chapter six) expanded to discuss the process of learning and how memory works in more detail. To that end, the discussion of memory and learning is an excellent segue to discussing the importance of reading and writing notes before attending class which is in chapter five. Also, I would move chapter four right before chapter seven.

Interface rating: 5

The text had no interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were no visible grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Although the book did an excellent job at including a variety of Caucasian and African-American student faces and names in examples, case studies, PowerPoints and test bank, I did not find many Latinx references. I teach at an HSI and could not find many culturally relevant material in this book. Most of my students live at home and commute to school and/or work part-time. Most of the examples in the book were geared for the traditional student that does not live at home and/or work.

Comments

After teaching a learning framework course for fifteen years, I have finally found a book that is comprehensive in scope, well organized, and comes with sufficient theoretical content so that I do not need to supplement much information. This OER book is such a welcome addition and I congratulate the author, Dr. Baldwin, on a job very well done.