Modern Blueprint for College and Career Success - 2nd Edition

Reviewed by Ellie Randall, Adjunct Faculty Member, Rochester Community & Technical College on 4/16/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book covers all of the topics that our college requires for a College Success course. It also includes lots of insightful stories and additional topics that could supplement/support the required topics. The glossary is easy to navigate and is fully comprehensive.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The data in the book is up-to-date and the text doesn't include typos like I've seen in other similar textbooks online. The book doesn't assume that every student has the same perceptions of college or even that every student is going to get a college degree. The book shows a variety of perspectives and shares some thought-provoking videos accompanied by discussion questions that are very open-ended.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The information provided is relevant to students past and present. There are some data points that may become outdated that could easily updated, but most were not entirely specific (such as, "50-75 percent of students change their major") so they will likely remain true for the foreseeable future.

Clarity rating: 4

The book is very well written, but it does include a lot of advanced vocabulary that could be difficult for first-generation students, English language learners, and other students that need to develop college success strategies but are still at a beginner or intermediate level of college reading.

Consistency rating: 5

The terms used throughout the book and the style of writing was consistent even though the various chapters/units come from different sources. The organization remains consistent throughout as well.

Modularity rating: 5

This book could easily be divided into smaller portions without any need for context from previous chapters. The units can stand alone and the chapters within them could be used independently of one another for the most part.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is highly organized and makes sense. The chapters within each unit correspond with the readings. The stories (a.k.a. "Words of Wisdom") interwoven throughout were highly relevant to the subject matter and were a nice way to break up the monotony of text.

Interface rating: 4

The interface, especially the table of contents, works very well. The one thing I would change about it is to have the appendices be a drop-down menu because it is confusing when you open the Conclusions unit. The appendices appear to be part of that.

I like the ability to navigate to the next chapter on each page. The videos and other images worked well within the page. My only complaint is the narrowness of the text. It would be nice if it were wider/more spread instead of being a thin column down the page.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is free (or at least mostly free) of grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not insensitive and should be applicable to students from a variety of backgrounds. There is also a unit that addresses diversity and socialization in a culturally sensitive way.

Reviewed by Kristine Kotecki, Assistant Professor, Hawaii Community College on 12/6/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book covers an impressive range of topics relevant to college preparation and/or first-year experience courses. I currently teach a 100-level course with a “first-year experience,” which means I add in first-year content in addition to the regular course content. This textbook covers skills, such as time management, test-taking, and mental health, in addition to addressing the broader questions of purpose and life goals. That said, I wish it had included a bit more content on active reading strategies.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

As far as I can tell, it is accurate. It covers such a variety of topics (e.g. mental health, financial literacy, time management theory), however, that experts in those particular topics would be better able to evaluate the accuracy.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The videos and examples provided are current. Updates will be required (e.g., references to being in quarantine/lockdown, hyperlinks), but they can be done reasonably.

Clarity rating: 5

The prose is easy to read. It uses many simply constructed, short sentences. This makes the text inclusive to students at or below college level, although it also sacrifices some of the beauty and play in language for the sake of simplicity and clarity.

Consistency rating: 5

Mostly. The sections written by different authors do sometimes approach similar topics from different angles, but the overall framework is consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

The content is very modular. It has many small sections.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The organization does not feel perfectly logical to me, but this may be because I am seeking a text to use in a college class with a first-year experience component. Having “choosing a college” as chapter 4 surprised me, and introducing content on placement assessment in chapter 12 did so as well. Pushing the finances question to the very end of the textbook also made less sense to me than including a short overview in the opening, as much of the attrition at my institution is finance related.

Interface rating: 4

I don’t love that other readers’ highlights and comments are visible. I would rather focus on my own response to the text and be able to add my own private comments.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The grammar is fine.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The content is sensitive, although its recommended exercise in the Cultural Competency section was more directed at students in urban settings or at larger institutions. The exercise felt less relevant to the very diverse but rural setting of the institution where I teach, where finding refugee organizations or international student centers are less useful strategies for building cultural competency.

Comments

Overall, the text will offer useful content for a course I teach with a first-year experience component. I would have loved a test bank with quiz answers to encourage and reinforce student reading, as a supplement to the many writing-to-learn prompts; perhaps that could be a future OER project.

Reviewed by Jessica Morrow, Instructor, Clatsop Community College on 11/14/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Easy to read and understand for basic and advanced readers.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Error-free and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is current for today's academic landscape.

Clarity rating: 5

Accessible and provides context for any technical terminology used.

Consistency rating: 5

Internally consistent

Modularity rating: 5

Easily and readily divisible into small reading sections.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Logical and clear

Interface rating: 5

Free of distortion and navigation problems

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Did not come across grammatical errors

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Culturally sensitive and inclusive

Comments

Information is relevant to high school students and beyond. This book brings clarity to confusing topics and terms and answers questions the students don't know to ask. The book offers amazing questions for students to think about as well as insightful tips for managing school/life load. This will be a fabulous addition to our transition program. This book will be a staple for future students we assist in going back to school.

Reviewed by Page Fetter, Assistant Director for University Studies and Scholarship Support (FYE Instructor), Virginia Tech on 12/30/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This text highlights various areas of the college experience from choosing an education path to utilizing resources. There is a variety of topics covered throughout, with many different contributors and perspectives. This text does well at providing an array of broad content, but is not in-depth for all areas and covers more introductory information for incoming students.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This text offered many perspectives from contributors and linked other perspectives through videos and various content. These different perspectives provided accessible discussion for various students.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Text has been consistently updated, and covers topics that are of discussion for many college students. Since the content is broad, relevance towards specific institution and resources should be considered in conjunction with text to relate content to student's institution this text is being used at.

Clarity rating: 5

This text is broken down into different units, and each chapter is clear on what topics will be covered. Language and text is accessible, and provides various videos and additional resources throughout.

Consistency rating: 5

This text does well at brining in various contributors and perspectives while maintaining a consistent approach and mission to the text.

Modularity rating: 5

This text is broken into various units and chapters, which makes it very approachable and possible to break content into sections of the course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of the units and chapters makes for clear understanding of topics discussed.

Interface rating: 5

Text integrates activities, videos, and additional external resources well without being of distraction to the text provided.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors noticed.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Text highlights importance of intercultural competency and discusses various student and professional perspectives throughout the text.

Comments

I read this text in search of resources and text options for a First-Year Experience course. Overall, this text does well at highlighting broad content through many topics of benefit to prospective or incoming students. I appreciated the addition of reflection questions and activities to complete with students in conjunction with text. Additional content could be provided by those utilizing this text to relate the discussion to resources and opportunities at the institution being taught at.

Reviewed by Jeff Boehl, College Skills Instructor, Aiken Technical College on 5/12/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

It's thorough yet simplified for use with underprepared college students. It is easy to navigate and works exceptionally well to supplemental the various aspects of my course.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The only error I ever encountered in the e-text was a YouTube video link that was no longer valid. Thankfully, an update with the corrected link was posted within a few days after I saw this error. It's an unbiased textbook that stays out of the irrelevant commentary that plagues similar textbooks.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

This book is relevant, but I wish there would be an update dealing with online learning strategies since so many students are learning online.

Clarity rating: 5

This is the perfect textbook for all beginning college students as remedial and advance learners alike can find good tips and information to ensure their success in a college environment.

Consistency rating: 5

Terminology and information is very consistent throughout the textbook.

Modularity rating: 5

This is not a "wordy" book that spends multiple paragraphs to make a simple point. I am able to link chapters and other materials to fit my weekly lessons.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Unit 2 is a little wonky as study skills seem to fit better between note taking and test taking.

Interface rating: 5

Very easy to navigate. Multiple students have commented to me about the ease of navigation throughout the ebook.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Have not seen any grammatical issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book is very inclusive.

Comments

I would highly recommend this textbook!

Reviewed by Crystal Edwards, Student Success Coach, Aiken Technical College on 5/10/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Include topics on communication, healthy financial choices, and overall student success.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate and free from biased influences.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is culturally relatable and can be updated easily.

Clarity rating: 5

Text is brought-forth with clarity.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent in the terminology and framework.

Modularity rating: 5

I like that the book can be divided into small modules.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Topics flow very well and maintain interest and clarity.

Interface rating: 5

Navigation through text is easy and free from error.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Text is culturally relevant.

Comments

Easy to read and relevant to College Skills course.

Reviewed by Katherine Kysar, Adjunct Faculty, University of Alaska Anchorage on 1/5/21, updated 1/10/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

It covers every topic needed for my Preparing for College & Student Success Course. The added plus of embedded videos within the chapters adds interest and promotes student engagement.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found it to be extremely accurate, which is especially apparent in the Finances and Resources Unit where different types of loans are described in great detail.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

It lacked some relevance as far as not adequately addressing online learning, which became the norm in 2020.

Clarity rating: 5

The glossary is helpful with academic terminology which may be unfamiliar to students. For the most part, it is written in conversational English and the charts and graphs help explain the more technical aspects.

Consistency rating: 3

Some Units are given more attention than others. I would like to have seen more wordspace given to Unit 5: Memory Principles & Techniques and Unit 6: Test Taking Strategies.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is divided into 10 Units containing a total of 61 Chapters. Organization to the nth degree helps both the instructor and the student find exactly the information that is needed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is divided into 10 Units containing a total of 61 Chapters. Organization to the nth degree helps both the instructor and the student find exactly the information that is needed.

Interface rating: 5

Easy to navigate with a detailed Contents link bar on the left side of every page.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found it free of any errors that slowed my understanding of the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Other than the one chapter on Diversity and Accessibility, this text is lacking the inclusion of references to different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Reviewed by Marva Solomon, Instructor, Lane Community College on 7/23/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book is a great tool for all first year students. This book is comprehensive. High school students and college students should have no problems comprehending the content of this book. The easy to read chapters are many,(62 in total.) Each chapter covers important topics that college students need in their academic life and their career exploration in order to be successful in college

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This book is accurate . I found no discrepancies in this book.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book is relevant to today's college students experience. All TED talk videos and exercises are up to date. Information on career exploration, career development are all relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

The focus of each chapter is clear and concise. Each topic is well developed in each chapter.

Consistency rating: 5

This book shows consistency in every chapter. The chapters flow well into each other. I especially liked Chapter 14,15 and 16 that spoke to time management and the reality of time management.

Modularity rating: 5

The text indeed can be easily divided into smaller reading sections. With the plethora of topics one can easily group and rearrange topics while still focusing on both academic success and career exploration strategies.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Indeed this text is organized in a logical fashion. For example Unit 4 on Listening and Note-Taking, flows well into each other. Student should experience no confusion when reading the chapters in the order in which they have been laid out.

Interface rating: 5

This text was easy to navigate there were no significant interface issues. the TED talk videos worked, all images were clear and easy to see and read. Navigating each chapter was easy and not cumbersome process.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not notice any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I did not find this text to be culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. If anything, Chapter 46 provides a wealth of information on cultural diversity and encourages the reader to take a look within to understand what diversity means. The TED talk videos embedded in this chapter is a great eye opener for the reader who is wants to understand cultural competence and diversity.

Comments

Overall this is an excellent text for college students particularly incoming freshmen. Even students in their second and third year of college can find this text beneficial to their academic growth and development. All sixty chapters offer relevant material for today's college students.I believe that it is material that is worth reading more than once in order to fully appreciate the valuable content that the author has offered here. I highly recommend this text.

Reviewed by Annette d'Autremont, College Success and Career Guidance Part-Time Faculty, Portland Community College on 6/22/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text covers all of the topics I have in my Study Skills course. The text also is very much the equivalent to the textbook I used for my class, in terms of concepts and ideas! It is great that there is an open resource for students to use, as I had not seen one before pertaining to college study skills.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I did not come across any errors in the writing or in concepts. The only remark I have is that the author had a very loud voice in most of the chapters. At times, their personal opinion on how to use these skills should be used did not leave much room for student interpretation. For example, when the author talks about "highlighting," they more or less say that it is not a strategy that works and that is the end of the discussion of highlighting as a note-taking strategy. At the end of the day, study skills are a suggestion for students, we cannot expect them to find all of them useful. We need to let students choose which ones work best for them. This text does not always allow students that freedom.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The text covers topics that are relevant and that will not change anytime soon. I think the book could be easily updated to include new technological examples. Some of the quotes that started each section were a bit outdated and I do not think the youngest generation of students would be able to find a connection.
This text is also good for students who are attending either a 2 or 4-year college. Examples provided are pretty broad and do not make references that a student at the other type of school would not relate to.

Clarity rating: 3

Although I believe the text flows well and is easy to read, I do not think students who are working on their reading and writing skills would find this entire text accessible. There were too many references to PhD scholars and their works. In addition, there was some educational jargon used that someone without a graduate degree would not be familiar with, let alone a first year college student. Teaching at a community college, I would be worried sections of this text would be glossed over by students, as so many sections contain words and phrases beyond what is expected by a student in a college success course.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent within itself- it follows a nice pattern in how it is organized. It also stays consistent with how it is written. Again, I just worry that most sections of this text are not accessible to a community college student due to the language.

Modularity rating: 4

The text was divided into logical sections with separate units dividing different main topics. I very much like how the text was organized! However, I would say there were too many "author's stories" within the sections. It seemed like every other chapter, the author had inserted a personal story that frankly, I do not think many students at a community college would be able to connect with or would care to hear about. There was too much self-reference.
I also wished that there was an easier way to move through the modules. Instead of there being a "next arrow," to move on to the next chapter, you had to go back to the drop down menu and find the next chapter or section.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Overall, the organization was really great. The topics were logically organized within units. There were also learning outcomes at the beginning of every unit, which was a great way to preface what was to be learned in that unit. Normally each chapter ended with some sort of tangible skill or strategy that could be used by the student to master that topic. That was a good way to end each chapter. There could have been more self-assessment activities to wrap up each unit though. I think that would help solidify the main points of each chapter.

Interface rating: 4

As I mentioned, navigation from one chapter to the next could have been smoother. All the images displayed were clear and placed logically within the text. However, more images were needed! The text was very wordy and could have been improved by more visuals.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not come across any grammatical issues. I just believe many of the words used were "too big" for community college students.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Although there were stories from students within the text that did share different student experiences, I do not believe a wide enough population was represented. Although several cultural backgrounds were represented, there was not enough diversity in other demographics. I did not see many examples of first generation college students, or students who struggle with a disability, or that work full time and go to school. This text could have benefited from a wider representation of student experiences, especially for those attending a community college.

Comments

Overall, I really like the content and organization of this text! I definitely think I will use it instead of the $120 textbook I used last year when I taught study skills. It covers all the same topics and does so in a logical way!

I wish this text had more activities or check-in quizzes/assessments for students. It could also use MORE visuals. Students need visuals to stay focused. Although the chapters are short, if 3 chapters were assigned at once, I know students would struggle to absorb the information without more visual examples.

I also wish more references were made to community college students. It is such a broad text that not every student will be able to connect with it. However, that is my role as an instructor to build upon the basic content in the text. I would certainly suggest this text to other instructors and do plan to use it next year!

Reviewed by Sheriann Stanton, Adjunct Faculty, Berkshire Community College on 6/19/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This Open Education Resource touches on several topics in higher education accurately. It is well thought out and has a comprehensive glossary that lasts for twenty five pages. It appears that the authors put a lot of effort into this publication. There is a lot of useful information included.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content appears to be accurate, however, much of the information is over ten years old, but for a free resource, it is acceptable.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Content seems to be basically relevant. The text may not be written in a way that updates would be easy because much of the text is about personal stories that may not be as helpful for today’s young adults to fully relate to on a meaningful level even though it’s highly entertaining to read. I appreciate the time that the authors took in putting this book together, however I find that for the purposes of my Student Success course, the content although useful in some ways, does not read as a college-level textbook and there are a lot of personal stories and things that I think are fun to read but not necessarily something that I would assign my students to read at this time in such a large quantity.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook is very clearly written; it flows well for the reader.

Consistency rating: 5

This OER is consistent in the way in which glossary terms are used throughout the text. The textbook has a strong structure and it lends itself well to future additions of content.

Modularity rating: 5

The text could be separated into smaller parts that could be assigned as necessary.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The chapters in the text are well laid out. The authors choose a different order than I generally use for my course, but that is not an issue because chapters can be assigned in any order from the text. It is organized nicely with references listed.

Interface rating: 4

One significant issue I found with the text concerns the read aloud command; the auditory reader has a difficult time reading the text because of the way it is formatted. A certain times, the reader reads each word on the page for a while, and other times, on the same page, the reader tries to read a huge phrase in one segment making it impossible to understand. Sometimes it tries to read a whole sentence as one word, again making it unintelligible. If a student needs this text to be read to them, it does not seem possible to do so successfully, as is.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I did not find any blatant grammar errors. I found a couple of instances of sentences ending with a preposition; which is not exactly terrible, but I would not want my students to end their sentences this way. There were some awkwardly worded sentences in some of the personal stories, but overall it is a grammatically correct book.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The textbook seems to be basically culturally relevant. I think this book could be really useful for a high-school student to read because they could be exploring if they want to go to college, where to attend, and if they are ready. When students come into my Student Success course, they are already committed to the institution where they are attending classes, and have decided to attend college. They key is keeping them motivated to complete college.

Comments

I like the book overall. I am glad that the authors made it available as an OER. Writing a book like this is no small feat.

Reviewed by Dina El Musa, Faculty, Valencia College on 6/2/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I found this book to be quite comprehensive. It is divided into 11 units and subdivided into 62 chapters. Most topics covered in my course can be in found in this text along with relevant examples, videos, and pictures.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I found this text to be fairly accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book is definitely relevant with references that I believe my students can relate to. I found that most example and references have explanations.

Clarity rating: 5

I really liked how the book was divided into small, easy to read chunks.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is consistent with how it presents information allowing students to know what to expect in terms of format.

Modularity rating: 5

What I like the most about this text is that you can easily pick and choose topics and sections based on your own needs while allowing the book to continue to flow.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Personally, I like the way the book is organized but I may change it to fit the flow of my course.

Interface rating: 5

I did not have any navigation issues. On the contrary, I found it very easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find grammatical errors in my review.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I did not find this text to be insensitive or offensive.

Comments

Overall, I would recommend this text for Student Success courses.

Reviewed by Francisco Perez, New Student Experience Professor, Valencia College on 6/1/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This books touches on a wide-ranging list of topics that address concepts covered in the course I teach. From purpose (in the text it is referred as Passion), college success skills/strategies, diversity, career exploration, and finances are a few of the topics covered in this book.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

In my review, the information I found was accurate and did not seem to be biased in a strong sense. There are various sources cited that show a level of fair perspective sharing.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content in the book is relevant. There may be topics that will need updating as time passes such as the career paths section. As careers change and high-profile influencers in industry come and go, it will be important to stay relevant to the current times. As of now, the examples used are timely and relevant. This may not be the case in another 5-10 years. This will also apply to the Finances and Resources section of the book.

Clarity rating: 4

The book text is very clear and easy to read. For the college freshman at the level I teach, I feel as if my students will be able to digest and fully understand what is presented.

Consistency rating: 5

The flow of the content of this book seems to be well thought out and consistent. It begins with Passion and why a student is in college and ends with Finances and College Resources. This is a logical progression for students and faculty in my opinion.

Modularity rating: 4

It will be very easy to pick and choose what to use from this book. To utilize specific content from certain areas without having to use the entire book will be seamless from how the topics are developed. Copy and paste will also pose no issue due to the layout of the text.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

As I stated above, the topics are in a logical and clear fashion. The flow of topics from start to finish is similar to that of how my course runs in a typical semester.

Interface rating: 5

In browsing through the entire text, I did not come across any issues whatsoever. It is easy to navigate and free of glitches. The videos I clicked on worked and the images all were clear.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

After extensive review, I did not recognize any grammatical errors. This is also to say that I did not read every word in this entire book so there may be errors I did not come across.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I did not come across anything offensive. There could be more diversity in the speakers used in various videos included in the book.

Comments

Overall, I really enjoy this book and will use it in the future for my course. I highly recommend it to anyone teaching a first-year experience type course.

Reviewed by Kelsey Freeman, Native American College Prep Program Coordinator, Central Oregon Community College on 5/26/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

This textbook almost has too much information and seems overly comprehensive with not enough interactive pieces and too much advice from professionals long out of college, rather than students themselves. With 61 short chapters, it seems like several could have been combined for greater clarity.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

The content is accurate, but with teaching softer skills related to college success, it’s hard to gauge accuracy when the text just mostly shares various personal experiences. I wish there had been more discussion of what research shows when it comes to tools for success.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

It seems like the book is already a bit outdated, as several of the authors giving advice acknowledge that their college experiences were several decades ago and things have since changed. Since so much of the book revolves around advice from personal experience, I wish they at least used the voices of current students.

Clarity rating: 3

I read via PDF, as many of my students don’t have internet access, which made following the videos confusing. I wish there was at least a short description of each video to be able to go back to it when internet was available.

Consistency rating: 2

It is almost overly consistent, with so many of the chapters following the same advice/videos/questions format. I would want more variety across chapters, with interactive activities geared to the specific chapter theme. I appreciated the consistency of the objectives, but otherwise it needs more variety to keep students engaged.

Modularity rating: 3

I think several of the chapters should have been combined to make for more clarity. I also wish their were chapter summaries or key terms or clear ways for students to synthesize the information.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

Again, I think several chapters should be combined, so that there is more actual content in each one. I also wish there were more interactive activities and variety, as well as summaries or key take-aways. The flow was too consistent and quickly became boring.

Interface rating: 2

The book is not particularly visually appealing and, again, lacks variety. There’s not space or a design that encourages students to truly interact with the text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 1

This book did not feel culturally relevant. Even the “Cultural Competency” chapter was very surface-level and geared towards helping white students be open minded and learn from people different than them (ie, the activity encouraging students to volunteer with immigrant organizations or go to the international student club assumes that students reading this book are not international or immigrants). The activity encouraging students to “Develop a program, activity or service designed to meet the needs of a specific international student population” is cringe-worthy. There were not resources for students of color and navigating a college culture. The “Words of Wisdom” story that mentions being Latina mostly focuses on how she came to terms with answering annoying and problematic questions, not on how she found support or advocated for herself.

Comments

Overall, this book felt overly preachy and lacked the variety of activities and interactive elements to keep students engaged. I would not use it in my college-prep/college success classes.

Reviewed by Angela Greaud, Associate Professor, LSUE on 4/30/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book covers a broad area of college readiness. In some ways it may be too comprehensive. Some of the material might be better suited for a high school college/career readiness course (Unit 1). Some chapters could have been developed more thoroughly ( chapter 21 and chapter 28). I would have preferred more detailed information on goal setting.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate, error-free and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

I especially liked Chapter 7: Speaking the Language of College. After having taught a college study skills class for 19 years now, I am constantly reminded that students often don't know "college lingo," especially first generation college students. I find the commonly used academic vocabulary really helpful and something I would implement in my course. Additionally, Unit 10 is extremely relevant and a financial literacy is often a missing element in the academic conversation. There is material here that I could easily embed into my course.

Clarity rating: 5

The book's text is presented in brief modules that allow for ease of reading and clarity.

Consistency rating: 5

The books framework is consistent throughout the chapters. Learning objectives are presented at the beginning of each unit. Most chapters open with a quote/proverb or personal testimony. Sections are easily identified with bold faced headings and licenses and attributions are presented at the end of each chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

I think this is one of the books best features. Unit topics are divided into multiple chapters which allow for ease of use and the ability to "pick and choose" relevant course content.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Unit 10 seemed to be "dumped" at the end of the textbook and may have been better suited earlier in the book. Otherwise, the book was well organized.

Interface rating: 5

The books interface is user friendly. Charts and videos are easily integrated into the text and do not distract from written text. Hyperlinks were operational although I would prefer to have them open in a new window, the back arrow allowed for easy navigation back to the textbook.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The book is well written and contains no major grammatical errors throughout the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text appears to be culturally sensitive. There is an entire unit dedicated to social interaction and diversity. Pictures and Ted talks represent a diverse population of students/groups. The videos presented are a great asset to this chapter.

Comments

This text covers a wide variety of information presented in most university orientation courses. Unit 8 Social Interaction and Diversity addresses issues often avoided in the college classroom but relevant to today's culture of students and Unit 10 Finances and Resources provides some basic financial literacy resources that are beneficial to first time students. As a freshman orientation course, it would be well suited. As an academic study skills course, it may lack some breadth and depth on key topics (learning an memory, goal setting, creative thinking).

Reviewed by Leslie Jennings, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 3/1/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a lengthy book (61 chapters) that is divided into manageable units that cover a variety of applicable topics for new college students. It is a compilation work and provides a helpful index.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content seems accurate with appropriate examples, statistics, and relevant information. It is thorough and did not appear to be biased in any way.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The book contains several statistics that may become dated but will still serve the purposes intended by the authors even if not the most recent, as the issues facing college students have remained consistent over time. Necessary updates may require some considerable effort due to the length of the book.

Clarity rating: 4

Overall the text is written in a clear, concise way that is easy to follow and understand. Explanations/ definitions are offered where appropriate. Due to the immense amount of material covered, the placement of some content seems unclear . For example, Chap 55 "Words of Wisdom: Failure Is Not an Option" is under the category 'Health' but is a personal narrative that it is addressing mental health, positive self-talk, etc. which could be explained for the reader to understand the purpose of the inclusion.

Consistency rating: 3

Due to the many contributors and author styles, this book causes a considerable amount of shifting and adjusting for the reader. Some chapters are long, some short; some include multiple media types as support, some have none. Overall focus of the book is consistent, but the variety of styles in each component can disrupt the flow.

Modularity rating: 5

Overall, this book can easily be divided up into smaller chunks for assigning to students. Due to it's length, this approach would be advisable. Headings and information divided up in a format that is organized and sub-units clear.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The structure and flow of this text is excellent. It starts with choosing a college, and moves through strategies for success, mental health, social aspects of college, and ends with financial and resources topics. Choosing a career is also included. As stated above, the placement of chapters in a unit could have been introduced a bit more clearly, but the overall organization is logical.

Interface rating: 5

The videos, links, charts, and graphs were clear. I did not experience any issues with navigation at all.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Text was free from grammar or writing issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The chapter discussing cultural competence within the college experience was applicable and the content was appropriate. The major topics in the book can apply to multiple backgrounds and appeared to be inclusive.

Comments

Overall, a great resource that is organized well and applicable to college students. A variety of media types are used to engage the reader, along with both statistics and personal narratives. There is some minor repetition noted in content, and the switch between author's voices is prevalent and can be a bit distracting. The book is very long and the amount if information may be a deterrent to readers, as well.

Reviewed by Adam Karnes, Adjunct Professor, Linn-Benton Community College on 1/15/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book is massive at sixty-one chapters. This makes it a versatile resource for all students, but most particularly those thinking about college or just starting college.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book is biased in favor of the college path to a career. It does share some realistic statistics about the cost of education and college debt, however. In addition, it honestly engages with the idea that some students should reevaluate their college preparedness.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Some of the videos and statistics are showing their age, but nothing is egregiously out of date.

Clarity rating: 4

Data and chapter sources are well-documented.
Some of the references and examples need more explanation. The connection to the chapter content and theme is not always clear, such as the relationship between gamification and college success in Unit 1.
Some of the chapters are too deep.

Consistency rating: 4

Like many revised/remixed OERs that combine works from multiple authors, this one suffers from the variety of authorial voice/style. The change can be jarring.
Some of the chapters, especially the ones written by guest contributors, are unnecessarily long.

Modularity rating: 5

The book can be easily assigned in small sections. If fact, the book would be best used in this manner.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization is logical. Chapters fall into appropriate units. A few chapters seem repetitive within certain units (such as memory or productivity), but these can be skipped or skimmed.

Interface rating: 4

A couple of the embedded charts and videos no longer function properly.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Grammatical errors are absent or do not distract from reading.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The work is culturally relevant and appropriate. A lengthy chapter in the text discusses cultural competence in the college experience.

Comments

Pros:
o The book is massive at sixty-one chapters. This makes it a versatile resource for all students, but most particularly those thinking about college or just starting college.
o The book is well curated. It’s obvious that the author spent a lot of time on the OER.
o The endorsements and other supplementary content are impressive (and a nice touch frequently absent from OERs).
o The learning objectives listed at the beginning of each unit are helpful.
o The range of topics is appropriate for college students.
o Good use of graphics, particularly to assist in interpretation of data.
o The videos are a nice addition and add credibility to the chapters.
o Data and chapter sources are well-documented.
o The empty charts for student self-assessment are a great addition to improve engagement.
o I will start linking to this book in all of my course (LMSs) and recommend sections periodically when suggesting strategies for students.

Cons:
o The breadth of the book is impressive, but I’m honestly skeptical about just how many college freshman would read all (or even most) of it. I suspect that the students who most need to read it would also be the least likely to do so.
o This isn’t a book so much as a collection of books. I think that using the continuous chapter numbering is a little confusing, given the massive length.
o Some of the chapters, especially the ones written by guest contributors, are unnecessarily long.
o Some of the chapters within given units are repetitive. Unit 2 is a good example.
o The chapters on health get so specific as to seem like an entry-level course.
o Like many revised/remixed OERs that combine works from multiple authors, this one suffers from the variety of authorial voice/style. The change can be jarring.
o Some of these chapters are too deep. The chapter on reading strategies, for example, discusses the history of reading comprehension pedagogy. Students don’t need to know this.
o Some of the references and examples need more explanation. The connection to the chapter content and theme is not always clear, such as the relationship between gamification and college success in Unit 1.
o Sometimes, chapter content needs to be better interrelated. Chapter. 34, for example, talks about how important college is, but the next chapter begins by using Steve Jobs (a college dropout) as a great example of career development.
o How does a student complete the blank charts when using the ebook? A link to a PDF for each chart would be more useful.
o At least one graphic doesn’t appear to be displaying properly.
o At least one of the embedded videos no longer works.

Reviewed by Karen Acquilano, Faculty: First Year Experience, Linn-Benton Community College on 1/9/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less

Reading this textbook from the perspective of a student, I found it to be overly comprehensive. I have just spend 3 hours reading and have just been listening to other people talking and telling me what college is, what I should think about myself, why I should read this book, and what other people experienced. I am bored already. I just want some good tools and skills that I can use to pass my classes. Too much fluff. Finally ... chap 23, I start getting bits of information that might be helpful.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

Accuracy...? as far as I can tell it is full of personal opinions and stories of other people experiences. Biased against the intelligent student who wants some useful information and does not have time for leisurely reading of stories and theorizing.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

To be specific, reference to CA politics in ch 2 devotes a whole paragraph to information not relevant to me, the student. Again just seems to be more of the authors justifying the writing of the book. Quite a few unknown and outdated references to movies. I'm just through ch 6 and still have not been provided any real tools to help ME the student NOW seeking to fulfill my own needs, not hear about the needs or theories of others. (I am just being realistic here attempting to see this information from the student's point of view. So far it doesn't seem as though this book was written for the student in need of a 'blueprint for college success'.)

Clarity rating: 2

What /who is "Kirsten Mruk" subtitle of chap 3? (Same with just a name of a persons that appear as subtitles to several subsequent chapters.)
What is a meme? (not all students know or care to know)
What if I do not have internet and cannot watch the videos? I'm lost with the text and activities that follow.

Consistency rating: 3

Yes, there is consistency, but not a a good way.
Consistently too many stories about other people's lives and too many quotes.
Nice to see the Objectives presented at the beginning of units, but then they are never mentioned again. Perhaps a reference within the chapters to the specific objective might help.
Chapter and unit summaries of the useful information would also be helpful.

Modularity rating: 2

Heavy text "preface" was a turn-off right away. Is a student really interested? no. Nice that the chapters are short, the they are very long paragraphs. More bullet points would help.
Where are my summaries? chapter reviews? (emphasizing only important information from the chapter of course)
Over use of authors and essayists personal stories and perspectives. I as a student am useful tools for ME.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

Objectives for each unit good, but again I want to know when and where in the chapter the objective is being presented.
Exercises and activities sporadic. This textbook is definitely making me a passive reader. I am going to fall asleep if I have to read one more personal essay by someone who is sharing their life story and their personal perspective. Not interesting. Not helpful.

Interface rating: 2

Too many Text boxes of quotes. How is student supposed to 'fill in the tables' chp 4 Not possible to type into or circle (ex. 18-1) in the book.
Suggested readings link broken in ch 4.
The study skills questionnaire tool hidden in the appendix belongs to another school with its doc and resources. (There are more generic questionnaire's available out there.)

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn't see any.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

As a student with a low tech background, I had difficulty with all the links and the references. With no internet, I had no access to videos or links to articles etc. Thus, all the info after was confusing without seeing what they were talking about. "Words of Wisdom" got really boring and I could not as a student relate to ANY.

Comments

Is this book intended for someone who has no concept of what college is and is not yet enrolled?
Or is this textbook for a student enrolled in college and seeking specific skills to help them get through successfully?
I, the student am not interested in theories or other people's perspectives. I just want to learn about the tools and skills I need to pass my classes.
"Blueprint" implies an outline. This book is nothing like an outline. It is difficult to wade through all the clutter to even find any useful information.

Reviewed by Terianne Brown, Lecturer, Hawaii Community Colleges on 1/1/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Blueprint for Success In College and Career contains extensive information. Sections covered include: College Decision, Self-Management, College Skills and Career Exploration to name a few. The back matter provides an appendix with the videos found in text as well as a glossary. However, there is no index present which makes navigating through sixty chapters quite tedious if using a printed copy of this text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The material was unbiased and I did not find any in-text errors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The majority of the content is relevant and up-to-date. The book can benefit from updating the videos and statistical data found in the early chapters to more recent years.

Clarity rating: 4

It is mentioned in the preface that the text had many contributors, this is clearly evident as you read through the content. In-text glossary terms as well as in the back matter need to be in bold for improved readability.

Consistency rating: 4

The format and terminology is consistent throughout the text. Select chapters in the first half of the text contain student "Exercises" and the remainder of the chapters are labeled as "Activities" with set objectives. It is difficult to tell if this is intentional.

Modularity rating: 5

As the book contains a plethora of topics, "Chapters" vary greatly in length. This is an asset for those who would potentially remix this OER or assign specific topics to students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The topics were generally clear and organized beginning with the college decision and then building upon it to college success skills. It then covers career exploration, social interaction and diversity. I believe the last two units, Health and Finances should have been placed earlier in the text.

Interface rating: 5

There were no issues with the interface and navigating the etext was easily done.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were found in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No insensitive or offensive language is used in the text.

Comments

This is a great supplemental resource for student and career success courses as it contains many topics not covered in traditional student success texts.

Reviewed by Michelle Blank, Director, Academic Support, Trine University on 5/16/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

As this text is a derivative from a variety of sources, it is indeed comprehensive. Both a glossary and an index are included.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found no errors in the content and see it as aligned with current best practices in this field.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

Some of the content is a bit dated. For example, one video is from 2001 and some of the data is from the 1990's. I would love to see more recent neuroscience included in the content. This seems most prevalent in the health and study habits sections.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing is clear, and the glossary defines terms nicely in ways that can be readily applied. I particularly like the inclusion of college-student-friendly terms.

Consistency rating: 5

As far as I can tell, the text seems to utilize terms consistently and be crafted within an appropriate framework.

Modularity rating: 5

I love the length of the sections and chapters. I will be using this text with students who are underprepared for college- ie who do not love to read. The short chapters should not seem too overwhelming to them.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I doubt I will use Unit 1, since they are already past most of those steps, but it is the appropriate place to begin the book. The rest of the units seem to be organized logically.

Interface rating: 5

I don't see any interface issues. I am excited to use the additional materials, like the videos.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I do not see any significant grammatical issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There seems to be an attempt to be sensitive to all people. The section on diversity addresses race, biases, sexual-orientation, and disability. The chapters on substance abuse and mental health are carefully crafted to focus on finding help and achieving success. The chapter on sexual health is honest and straight-forward. Sexual assault is addressed appropriately.

Reviewed by Yen Dao, Director of Student Success Services, Augustana College on 5/9/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

There are some concepts in similar textbooks that were not included in the chapters. However, there were many concepts in this book that were thoroughly discussed that I hadn't seen in similar textbooks.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I did see a couple of errors. However, I don't know if I have ever read a textbook that doesn't have errors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

There has not been much update to the area of student success. The author incorporated recent findings in the textbook and can easily update it as necessary.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing styles between the Author and the Words of Wisdom writers seem appropriate for this type of textbook.

Consistency rating: 4

There are times when the Words of Wisdom reflections seem to suggest something different than what the author was conveying. However, because these are personal experiences and opinions, I don't see a problem with this.

Modularity rating: 5

I was actually surprised by how quickly I was able to get through the chapters. If anything, I thought the chapters were short compared to chapters you would typically see in a textbook. This makes sense given that most students will be reading this from a screen.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

There were times when I felt that certain topics fell under chapters/units that I would not think to look or place them there. However, because of how easy it is to access the chapters and units, I don't see this as a major issue.

Interface rating: 5

I did not see any issues related to interface.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not notice grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There were sections of the book that celebrated diversity. The fact that the Author also offered various perspectives in the Words of Wisdom chapters indicated that the Author valued diversity of ideas.

Comments

I have been using the same college experience and success textbook for the last four years. While the content of this book is still relevant, the fact that there are other free options such as "Blueprint for Success in College Career" out there is an amazing gift to college students. I found some content in this textbook to be more appropriate for high school students, but most of the content in this textbook is relevant to our college students today. I will definitely use this textbook for my college experience and success course in the Fall semester.

Reviewed by Brenda Williams, Faculty , Lane Community College on 4/18/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This textbook covers all area important for academic success in college. I valued there was an index of what videos were used during each chapter and the list of recommended readings.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content was engaging with stories and examples. I think these stories help students think about their own college experience. It was easy to read.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content was up-to-date and the necessary updates would be easy to implement.

Clarity rating: 5

Any terminology was quickly explained as soon as it was used. It was also helpful to have graphs, videos, and pictures to explain some of the content.

Consistency rating: 4

The same terminology and format were used throughout the chapters. I would suggest that some color would be added to some chapters. There are tables which are great, but they blend in with the text.

Modularity rating: 4

Some chapters were broken up with more videos and pictures but then other chapters felt too text heavy. There were easy to find headings and the lists were bulleted. It was an easy read and flowed well.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book flows well. I liked that it started with a talk about passion and finding if college is right for you at this time in your life instead of assuming college it is for everyone. It kept the academic pieces together and then talked about outside factors that impact your success (social, health, safety and finance).

Interface rating: 5

I expected the navigational buttons to be more noticeable on the bottom of each page/after the learning objectives, but once I realized they look like a toolbar at the bottom of the website, then the navigational buttons easy to use. The videos and links worked.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

It is free of grammar issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I think the book does a good job of being inclusive. The themes, questions, and videos can apply to different backgrounds.

Reviewed by Heidi Croatt, Faculty and First Year Experience Coordinator, Minnesota State on 3/20/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I appreciate how many topic areas are covered in this text. It is broken up into many chapters, but that makes the content areas easy to navigate. The titles of each chapter would be intriguing for students and I think it would help students get excited about using this text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This text is easy to read and free from errors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The topics and text in this book are up to date and will not be obsolete in the near future. Some of the statistics and graphs are 5 years old, so those could be updated, but overall the information is relevant.

Clarity rating: 5

This text is easy to read - perfect for first year students! It includes stories and accessible prose, all while sharing important content and research on each topic area.

Consistency rating: 5

The format of this text is consistent throughout each chapter. Chapters include easy-to-find headings and often includes embedded videos and graphs.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter is relatively short, once again making it easy to read and navigate. The order of each chapter makes sense, and they are placed in units. Moving chapters around or reorganizing units would not disrupt the reader.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of this text is similar to other comparable texts.

Interface rating: 5

All links and videos are working, some of the graphs/charts have small print and are hard to read, but overall the interface does not have major issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No major grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The Diversity chapter is one of the longest in the text, and includes a lot of valuable information and a variety of content. Throughout the rest of the text, there are no major insensitivities. At times, the text does seem geared for more traditional college students, at four-year institutions, so some of the language/examples is not as inclusive for two-year colleges or non-traditional students.

Comments

Overall this is a great option for First Year Experience or Student Success classes - students will enjoy reading it, and it provides a nice framework for instructors.

Reviewed by Cybele Higgins, ESL Faculty, Lane Community College on 1/6/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Blueprint for Success in College and Career provides useful, comprehensive information for success in college and career; related and motivating videos, such as TED Talks; student activities for connecting with prior knowledge and application of learning; and effective personal stories. The textbook is full of immediately relevant discussions, ideas, tips, and how-to’s that both traditional and non-traditional students can benefit from. For example, in Chapter 4, the list of 10 factors to consider before choosing a college is appropriate and thought-provoking, and it flows extremely effectively to the section on the College Catalogue followed by a reflection exercise to evaluate what type of degree to get. In Chapter 7, the helpful table exercise in which students provide the meaning of key terms reinforces the learning of the language of navigating college. These types of activities are included in each chapter, encouraging active engagement with the text for deep retention of content. In Chapter 14, the discussions of fixed time vs. free time, goal-setting with SMART goals, and the 4 Quadrants time use analysis and time management are critically useful, in Chapter 16 the discussion of the what and why of procrastination are illuminating, and the reading strategies for decoding a textbook in Chapters 23-25 are great. These topics and more throughout this textbook make it not only relevant for the new college student, but also for the seasoned college student, or even graduate degree holder!

There are a few areas where additions and simple revisions would enhance an already excellent textbook. For example, in the presentation of note-taking styles in Chapter 27 and test-taking strategies for specific exam formats in Chapter 31, great for new college students who may not have considered these issues, the addition of images to show what these are would enhance the presentation. The Words of Wisdom chapters, personal stories that support and connect with the textbook contents, are effective to reinforce ideas and provide relatable testimonials. They help the reader identify with the textbook content via a variety of life experiences. To provide credibility for these additional textbook contributors and create better flow, it would be helpful to include a very short preface at the beginning of each Words of Wisdom chapter that explains who the person is (student, professor, etc.) and why their testimonial is included. This will weave the Words of Wisdom chapters into entire textbook more smoothly instead of requiring the reader to make inferences as to their relevance part way through each testimonial.

The Glossary and Appendices are comprehensive and useful.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content of Blueprint for Success in College and Career is accurate, error-free, and largely unbiased. While the textbook addresses immigrant, international, and non-native English speaking students, more consistent reference to these students would enhance the textbook.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This textbook is very relevant for non-traditional and traditional students as well. It provides a comprehensive and engaging orientation to the many facets of entering college. Moreover, it can be a useful orientation about expectations in the U.S. education system from a cultural perspective for immigrant, international, and non-native English speaking students as it is or with a few minor revisions. Throughout the textbook, additions and small revisions can be made to increase inclusivity for students entering college in the U.S. from other educational system backgrounds by explicitly addressing cultural issues. For example, in the Introduction, immigrant, international, and non-native English speaking students may not have a cultural reference to understand the significance of the image that is painted about 18 year olds going off to college. A simple revision might be to add a prefacing statement, such as “In the United States, it is common to see…” In another example, in the helpful list of things to think about before choosing a college in Chapter 4, a suggested minor revision is that #10 might include Listening and Speaking in English, not just Speaking English; alternatively, English Language Skills would be inclusive of the four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

The data and sources included in this textbook are comprehensive, relevant, and well-placed in the logical flow of the text. All of the data and sources are key to providing a clear, focused, and full discussion. However, throughout the textbook, some of the data and sources are dated. For example, in the Introduction, it is unclear which year the College Attendance Demographics graph data is from, and the data in the paragraph that follows is not current, 1999 to 2013. In Chapter 4, the graphs, Full Time and Part Time Enrollment Patterns are from 2013, and the data in Chapter 33 is from 2010 to 2015. I think that it’s important to preserve relevance by providing the most recent data possible or, alternatively, provide a reason why older data is used, such as to show trends over time. Alternatively, links to data websites that are updated regularly can be included and evidence that is dated deleted.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is well-written in accessible prose. The language choices are in an effective register, not highly academic but not overly informal, which makes the textbook accessible to a variety of reading abilities. In fact, the context is provides for technical terminology is presented in a way that teaches readers the meanings and provides resources for deeper learning. It is somewhat informal on occasion, for example in the use of “kid” instead of “child,” but this should not be an issue for the intended purpose and audience, except in the case of non-native English speakers, who may not know the significance of the difference in register between “kid” and “child.” However, in Chapter 3 in the section, What My Friends Think I Do, the author uses the word “girl” to refer to a person in a photo. To me, it looks like the photo is of a woman, not a girl (woman college student, not high school girl?) I would like to see this revised.

Consistency rating: 4

The textbook is largely consistent in terms of terminology and framework. However, it’s a composite of five different co-authors, so the reader should expect some variations. There are a few areas where revisions for consistency would increase the effectiveness of the textbook for flow and regularity so the reader can follow the organization with clear expectations. These areas are the student activities and the video prefaces to the videos and connection to the following text.

The student activities in this textbook are comprehensive, relevant to content, and useful. A few minor revisions would increase consistency of format and organization. For example, a statement in the What to Expect for Student section about activities included in each chapter for activating prior knowledge/connecting to the topic and application (grey and blue boxes sprinkled throughout chapters) would help students know that engagement with the text and reflection are key to getting the most out of the contents. A major suggestion is to Include both grey and blue activity boxes in every chapter consistently, grey for activities to activate prior knowledge/connect with the topic and blue for application and assessment. Co-author Phyllis Nissila effectively prefaces each grey box at the beginning of each of her chapters with an explanation, or lead in. Co-author Linda (Bruce) Hill appropriately prefaces the blue application and assessment activity boxes in her chapters, which can be modeled throughout the textbook. Currently, some chapters have both kinds of activities but inconsistent colors of boxes, and some chapters have the potential for both kinds of activities, but the consistency is unclear. For example, in Chapter 40, the Networking for Career Development activity could be in a blue box. If these patterns were consistent throughout textbook, it would improve the flow and help readers know what to expect in regards to the rhythm of active engagement.

Excellent and relevant videos that have been carefully chosen to include in each chapter enhance and expand on the text, enriching student learning. These videos are a wealth of information about success in college and support the textbook contents well. However, the videos need to be consistently prefaced/introduced and then woven into the text that follows with direct reference to the video and/or an application activity. The chapters by Linda (Bruce) Hill do this well and can be used as a model to revise the other chapters for consistency, regularity, and flow.

A final, minor comment is that Unit 9: Health, Chapter 50: Sleep does an excellent job of connecting sleep health to success in college right at the beginning of the chapter, the hook, and then goes on to comprehensively describe what, why, and how. The other chapters in Unit 9 are comprehensive and relevant discussions of other aspects of health, but they lack equally effective, short hooks. A simple addition or revision to each chapter would support the reader’s immediately relevant connection to the topics.

Modularity rating: 5

Blueprint for Success in College and Career is logically divided into 10 Units (and an 11th Unit conclusion and useful Appendices), which can fit nicely into one trimester. The 10 Units are divided into 60 chapters, which may seem like a lot, but the chapters are short and targeted, and the textbook organization makes it easy to pick and choose units or chapters appropriate for one’s course. Students can browse unassigned sections they are interested in, or teacher can assign sections for group work and ask students to choose additional sections for jigsaw, individual or group presentations, etc.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion overall. The topics logically flow from thinking about college, preparing for college, being in college, thriving in college, and preparing for after college. There are a few instances, largely due to the this being a coming together of five authors, where organization and/or development is inconsistent, but this does not take away from the meaning of the topics. These have to do with the activities and videos as discussed above under Consistence, and the Preface and Unit Objectives.

The Preface shows the passion and experience the authors have in working with student success. However, it is confusing because it begins not with the editor/co-author, but with two of the co-authors with the titles of their books, followed by the editor/co-author’s. The remaining two co-authors and titles of their books are not included in the Preface. Readers beginning to orient themselves to the book may do a double-take why the editor’s words do not come first in the Preface, look for and not find the titles of the individual books in the Table of Contents, and wonder why the the other two co-authors are not represented. A suggestion to revise for clarity and inclusion is for the editor/co-author to put his statement in the Preface first, including an explanation that the other authors’ prefaces are also included in their originally published form. The other authors’ prefaces might be listed following the editor’s, hopefully including all four of the other co-authors. Alternatively, the editor/co-author might weave together key parts of all of the other co-authors’ prefaces, highlighting key ideas, motivations, and experiences.

The Unit Objectives at the beginning of each Unit are comprehensive and relevant. If students pay attention to them, these Objectives can support students to develop metacognition about their own learning and control over self-assessment and directing the course of their own learning. To enhance this already great feature, a section might be added at the end of each Unit in which students are asked to revisit the unit objectives to self-assess, review, and reflect to improve retention and deepen understanding. In the What to Expect for Students section, the addition of a brief explanation to the learning objectives for students statement (at end of this section) about how students can use these objectives to self-assess would be helpful to orient students as to the level of engagement with the text that is encouraged. Also, most of the verbs in the Unit Objectives are effectively measurable, such as “explain,” “identify,” and “describe”; however, some of the verbs are not measurable but can easily be revised, such as “discuss.”

Interface rating: 5

The interface of this textbook is effective, appropriate, and easy to use. Navigation is convenient using the Table of Contents sidebar, topic-focused chapters, and logical sections and sub-titles. The images and charts are well-chosen to enhance and support text meaning. A few tables need to be reformatted, such as Making the Choice in Chapter 4, which would be more effective if it covered the whole page with even columns wide enough to fill in and had consistent font. In the table, What does this Mean in Your Life? In Chapter 6, the spacing needs to be fixed so there is space to fill in the blanks.

In Chapter 14, in a chart about time management, it is unclear what “Units” refers to until rereading the paragraph that follows the chart, so a suggestion to improve clarity is to preface the chart with an explanation of what “Units” means in this context. And there’s a reference to two videos in Ch. 47 but there are no videos, and following that there’s a reference to a list, but a video, not a list, appears after clicking on the link.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The grammar is consistently accurate and clear. There are no grammar or punctuation errors that I noticed in the entire textbook.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

This textbook is very inclusive and relevant for non-traditional and traditional students as well. It provides a comprehensive and engaging orientation to the many facets of entering college. Moreover, it can be a useful orientation about expectations in the U.S. education system from a cultural perspective for immigrant, international, and non-native English speaking students as it is or with a few minor revisions. Throughout the textbook, additions and small revisions can be made to increase inclusivity for students entering U.S. colleges from other educational system backgrounds by explicitly addressing cultural issues. For example, in the Introduction, immigrant, international, and non-native English speaking students may not have a cultural reference to understand the significance of the image that is painted about 18 year olds going off to college. A simple revision might be to add a prefacing statement, such as “In the United States, it is common to see…” In another example, in the helpful list of things to think about before choosing a college in Chapter 4, a suggested minor revision is that #10 might include Listening and Speaking in English, not just Speaking English; alternatively, English Language Skills would be inclusive of the four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The great discussion about socializing in Chapter 44 raises readers’ awareness of its importance in college life. The discussion is comprehensive, includes the concept of interdependence, and provides a list of feasible actions students can take. Adding a discussion of cultural norms might expand the relevance of this discussion in a variety of ways to both U.S.-raised students and recent immigrant, international, and non-native English speaking students. For example, an addition to the item, Smiling, on the Engage with Others list might address the fact that smiling may have a variety of connotations in different cultures, but that in the U.S., this is a common feature of socializing in mainstream culture. The Diversity and Accessibility discussion in Chapter 46 is sensitively presented and to the point for the general coverage that this textbook can provide. The addition of a section addressing unconscious bias would be recommended, at least to bring awareness that everyone has unconscious bias and that everyone can continually self-check unconscious bias and its effects on interactions with others.

Comments

I plan to use sections of Blueprint for Success in College and Career in my College Transition level ESL Bridge to Credit WR 121 classes. I will have the link in my course site so that students can access it for assigned readings and activities as well as peruse it for their own individual interests. Thanks to the editor and co-authors for their great, dedicated, and passionate work!

Reviewed by Carla Warner, Director/ Adult, Commuter & Transfer Services and Adjunct Assistant Professor for the School of Continuing Studies and Academic Outreach , East Tennessee State University on 11/1/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is a 275 page brook with 61 chapters divided into 11 units. The authors deal with topics spanning from "choosing a college" to "student success strategies" to "critical thinking" ,"health & wellness" and diversity. This is a comprehensive resource for faculty and staff who work with freshmen success courses. I liked the variety of topics found in one source. The text also includes helpful resources and exercises to use with students - particularly new freshmen. The authors wrap up wthe book with a discussion of finances, resources and scholarshops. The authors state that this text is a remix of five previous open sourced textbooks. This contributes to it being a comprehensive resource.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

In my opinion, the content was accurate. I rated this a 4 due to the date on one or two of the charts.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Most of this information is timeless to a degree. The factors contributing to college student success have remained unchanged. This material is relevant to anyone working on retention issues on their campuses. There will be new data and new resources that will be published that will require the authors to update this text; however, there are some classics within this text that will withstand the test of time.

Clarity rating: 5

This text is a compilation or "remix" of work from other OTN books. Given this, I found the text to be easy to understand and written in a clear and concise manner. Each chapter includes an "About the Author" segment which is helpful and they are consistent in the layout of the chapters.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is consistent in layout and in its focus on the factors contributing to student success. That it includes health, career, diversity and finances makes it unique.

Modularity rating: 5

Yes, the chapters are divided in such a way that they can be used individually.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The structure and flow of this text is good beginning with choosing a college and ending with career and finances. The chapters flow nicely touching on the various stages of the college experience.

Interface rating: 3

The videos are not imbedded or clickable which was a bit frustrating. The charts and graphs are displayed well.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no issues with grammar and or writing as I read the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text includes a chapter on diversity which is something that many freshman experience texts do not include and that I appreciated.

Comments

This text is a good resource for those of us working on student retention and or teaching freshmen success courses. There are links to videos and exercises that can be used in class. I found this text to be helpful and would recommend it.