On Course (The Book)

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Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, the publisher, provides complimentary examination copies of On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life by Skip Downing for adoption consideration to qualified college educators. All requests are subject to approval. Call the publisher's Faculty Services toll-free at 800-423-0563.

New editions of On Course are NOW available.

To request exam copies of both new editions, call 800-423-0563

Why Adopt On Course?

Quite simply, adopting On Course improves student academic success and retention. Each year, more than 100,000 students benefit from On Course. Read Compelling Data from some of the 500+ colleges and universities that use On Course to improve the academic outcomes and retention of their students in the range of 20-30%. Does the book you use now provide such dramatic improvements in student success?

Why is On Course such a powerful intervention for improving student success? Before students can succeed in college, they need to become active and responsible partners in their own education. Also, many students need to master the challenges and conflicting priorities of their own complicated lives, including jobs, finances, relationships, children, and personal problems. In addition to presenting essential study skills, On Course offers students the opportunity to learn essential behaviors, beliefs, and skills for creating success in college and in life. And it does so in a way that is unlike any other student success book.

On Course is the backbone of our mandatory student success course that rolled out this semester for all students testing into two college preparatory areas. Our plan is that for fall 2011, students testing into any college preparatory area will be required to take the student success course, and for fall 2012, all first-time-in-college students will be required to take the student success course. –-Brenda Hellyer, Chancellor, San Jacinto College District, TX

As an instructor of our Power Learning class using On Course, I have been repeatedly approached by students who have asked me why an On Course based class is not required by all colleges to promote students' success and motivation. --Seth Slater, Faculty, Reading and English, Southwestern College, CA

I'm deeply grateful to you for bringing a window of hope that allows students to triumph despite the odds against them. People could say your book is a general book on how to study. But there are many books on how to study, and yours isn't like any of them---you've developed a whole approach that reaches out and shows people how it's their own thinking and attitude that is part of the problem when they are not successful in school. And you show people in very concrete ways how to go about rearranging their thinking and attitude. Your book reaches out to people who are unwittingly their own worst problem when it comes to studying. --Barbara Oakley, Oakland University, MI

What Makes On Course So Effective?

On Course empowers students to take control of their lives by helping them apply eight essential success principles to their important decisions. First they read about these time-tested principles; then they apply them to their own academic and personal lives through the writing of guided journals. These success principles include:

Accepting Self-Responsibility

Discovering Self-Motivation

Mastering Self-Management

Employing Interdependence

Gaining Self-Awareness

Adopting Life-Long Learning and Critical Thinking

Developing Emotional Intelligence

Believing in Yourself

Imagine working with students who have adopted these eight principles...what a difference!

I am using On Course again with our Summer Bridge program students. Their response has been fantastic. I have literally seen a transformation from detached, unmotivated, and sometimes sullen students to engaged and responsible learners! I am looking forward to continuing On Course in the fall semester. You have created a wonderful thing in On Course!--Lori Pellescki, Neumann College, PA
My class LOVES the book. I even met the mother of one of my students, who said she was reading the book along with her student daughter. What I really like about the materials and the exercises is that they are so relevant and that most students seem genuinely interested! This is so inspiring to me. --Dorothy Ulcak, Palo Alto College, TX

This summer I taught a 3.0 unit On Course class for students on Academic Dismissal/Probation. The class was five weeks, Monday - Thursday 10am - 12:30pm. I began with 29 students and I ended with 29 students! This was the best class I have ever taught - I had so much fun with all of the activities and so did my students. What I loved was that the activities were fun but the students walked away with valuable lessons that they could remember. I was a good teacher before On Course but after On Course I feel that I improved 110%! --Amy Merkel, Counselor, Santa Rosa Junior College, CA

In addition to providing readings about the eight success principles above, On Course provides students with...

...a comprehensive self-assessment. This self-assessment (also available online...see link in upper right hand corner of target page) enables students to determine their personal strengths and weaknesses at the beginning of the course; taken again at the end of the course, the self-assessment shows students how they have changed for the better.
...the CORE Learning System. Applying the latest discoveries from brain and learning research, the CORE Learning system provides students with the four behaviors that are essential for learning any information or skill.
...critical thinking skills. Approaches for developing logical and analytical thinking prepare students to apply these skills in their academic, personal and professional lives.
...case studies in critical thinking. Stories of real-life situations generate spirited discussions and offer students a chance to apply critical thinking skills to their exploration of key success principles such as self-responsibility, self-motivation, and self-management.
...cultural awareness. Woven throughout the text is information to help students successfully negotiate their experience with the unique and challenging culture of higher education as well as respecting the many other cultures they will encounter in college and in life.
...effective study strategies. Students learn more than 150 proven techniques for improving their academic success in college, including sections on Reading, Note Taking, Organizing Study Materials, Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials, Test Taking and Writing. In the Study Skills Plus edition of On Course, students learn a problem-solving method that helps them identify their own unique academic difficulties, create a personal Academic Skills Plan, implement the plan, and, finally, assess its success. As a result, students learn not only study skills but also the essential critical-thinking skill of solving problems.

...guided journal writing. Students apply what they are learning to their lives by reflecting on and applying success skills to their personal situation. With thirty-two journal entries in the text, students have an opportunity for extensive practice in writing.

...learning preference inventory. A learning preference self-assessment (also available online) gives students a revealing understanding of how they prefer to learn; importantly they discover ways to succeed in a class when the instructor doesn't teach the way they prefer to learn.
...stress control and money management. Stress and financial problems are significant contributors to high attrition among first-year students. Learning to manage stress and money problems greatly enhances students' ability to persevere in higher education.
...workplace applications. Students learn how the eight On Course Principles, called "soft skills" in the the work world, will help them excel on the job. These are the same skills mentioned in the US Secretary of Labor's SCANS report and the Conference Board of Canada's report about the essential abilities that employers require of their employees.
...inspiring stories from fellow students. Short essays by 25 students tell how they used specific On Course strategies to overcome obstacles to their academic success and get back on course. Obstacles discussed in these essays are ones your students will recognize as real-world challenges to their success in college: from dealing with difficult text books, overwhelming schedules, and academic anxieties to coping with personal self-doubts, binge drinking, and abusive partners.

I asked my students today for comments regarding the class. From an older (30ish) male student: "I find the class to be an exciting, stimulating adventure in self-discovery and motivation. This course should be required of everyone." From a young (19-20) female: "I have learned a lot from this class and it has really helped me put my priorities into perspective. I am learning more and more about myself every day and my motivation grows stronger as well." And there are comments from 20 more students just as positive. --Sue Palmer, College-Wide Coordinator/Student Success, Brevard Community College, FL
After attending the On Course I Workshop, I completely revamped my student success course and the philosophy of the program. For my class I used the On Course text, and I must tell you this was the BEST professional experience I have ever had teaching a course. I enjoyed every minute of it, and the students really embraced the course as well. Additionally they all did extremely well with their math and English classes, even having 3 students earn a 4.0 for the semester. This is unheard of for such high risk students! --Tamara Rury, St. Thomas Aquinas College, NY

On Course: Available in Two Editions

Here's information about the two editions of On Course. You can request examination copies by calling the publisher's Faculty Service Office at 800-423-0563. Be sure to ask for a copy of the On Course Facilitator's Manual, which is packed with activities for creating an engaging learner-centered classroom.

On Course, 7th ed: Both versions of the text have a full-color design as well as updated coverage of all eight of the On Course empowerment skills (self-responsibility, self-motivation, self-management, interdependence, self-awareness, lifelong learning, emotional intelligence and self-esteem). Both versions also include extensive coverage of learning skills, including the unique CORE Learning system that helps students personalize an active learning approach to enhance their learning and improve their grades. Both versions also offer new essays and journal entries about "Understanding the Culture of Higher Education" and "Respecting Cultural Differences." And both versions offer four additional "One Student's Story" essays (for a total of 25) so your students can read about how their peers have used On Course strategies to change the outcomes and experiences they created in college...and beyond.

On Course, Study Skills Plus Edition, 2nd ed.: Over the years, a number of educators requested an expanded coverage of study skills in On Course. If your students need more help in this area, take a look at the Study Skills Plus edition. This version of On Course has everything mentioned above, plus an entirely new approach to teaching study skills. First, the Study Skills Plus version offers your students many more learning strategies, many more examples to illustrate their use, and many more activities for practice and reinforcement. But the biggest change is that the presentation of study skills employs a six-step critical thinking process for solving problems (Wise Choice Process). By employing this process, students are empowered to identify their own learning problems, actively explore strategies that will help them with their problems, create a personalized Academic Plan to learn and apply those skills, and finally evaluate the success of their Plan. The result is that, as students master study skills, they simultaneously learn and practice a powerful critical thinking process that helps them solve problems of all kinds: academic, personal, and professional. In short, if your students need a unique and comprehensive approach to study skills--one that will engage them at a very high level--request an exam copy of the Study Skills Plus edition of On Course.

I am really enjoying using the On Course Study Skills Plus edition this semester. I really appreciate your approach to education. It has been instrumental in moving me from an individual who was going through the motions to someone who is fully involved in my own classroom because I can see the positive effect On Course is having on my students. --Pat Grissom, San Jacinto College South, TX

My teachers love the new edition. I couldn't teach my night class one semester so someone taught it for me. Now they don't want to give it back, and we deans aren't supposed to take classes from faculty. I'm working on a way to get back into the classroom. I miss it! Marianne Dzik, Dean, Illinois Valley Community College, IL

I am teaching a self-development course using On Course. We run the class once a week for 3 hours. The sessions are so interesting that we may take one break, but usually not. One evening as we were leaving, one student said that the class is so much fun that time just flies. Isn't that so-o-o-o wonderful!!!" --Jill Kouchi, Kauai Community College, HI

CHAPTER 1: GETTING ON COURSE TO YOUR SUCCESS

Taking the First Step
What is Success?
The Power of Choice
Write a Great Life
  Assess Yourself
  Forks in the Road
  A Few Words of Encouragement
Journal Entry 1

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Jalana Onaga (University of Hawaii, HI)

Understanding the Culture of Higher Education
Culture Shock
The Culture of Higher Education
Choices and Culture
Journal Entry 2

Becoming an Active Learner
How the Human Brain Learns
Three Principles of Deep and Lasting Learning
The CORE Learning System
Journal Entry 3

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Kase Cormier (Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, NC)

On Course Principles at Work

Believing in Yourself: Develop Self-Acceptance
Self-Esteem and Core Beliefs
Know and Accept Yourself
Journal Entry 4

Wise Choices in College: College Customs

CHAPTER 2: ACCEPTING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Case Study in Critical Thinking: The Late Paper

Adopting a Creator Mindset
Victim and Creator Mindsets
Responsibility and Culture
Responsibility and Choice
Journal Entry 5

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Brian Moore (Glendale Community College, AZ)

Mastering Creator Language
Self-Talk
The Language of Responsibility
Journal Entry 6

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Alexsandr Kanevskiy (Oakland University, MI)

Making Wise Decisions
The Wise-Choice Process
Journal Entry 7

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Freddie Davila (The Victoria College, TX)

Personal Responsibility at Work

Believing in Yourself: Change Your Inner Conversation
The Curse of Stinkin' Thinkin'
Disputing Irrational Beliefs
Stereotype Threat
Journal Entry 8

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Dominic Grasseth (Lane Community College, OR)

Wise Choices in College: Reading
Reading: The Big Picture
Challenges with Reading
Strategies to Improve Reading
     Before Reading
     While Reading
     After Reading
My Academic Skills Plan for Reading

CHAPTER 3: DISCOVERING SELF-MOTIVATION

Case Study in Critical Thinking: Popson's Dilemma

Creating Inner Motivation
A Formula for Motivation
Value of College Outcomes
Value of College Experiences
Journal Entry 9

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Chee Meng Vang (Inver Hills Community College, MN)

Designing a Compelling Life Plan
Roles and Goals
How to Set a Goal
Discover Your Dreams
Your Life Plan
Journal Entry 10

Committing to Your Goals and Dreams
Commitment Creates Method
Visualize Your Ideal Future
How to Visualize
Journal Entry 11

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: James Terrell (Appalachia State University, NC)

Self-Motivation at Work

Believing in Yourself: Write A Personal Affirmation
Claiming Your Desired Personal Qualities
Living Your Affirmation
Journal Entry 12

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Donna Ludwick (Carteret Community College, VA)

Wise Choices in College: Taking Notes
Taking Notes: The Big Picture
Challenges with Taking Notes
Strategies to Improve Taking Notes
     Before Taking Notes
     While Taking Notes
     After Taking Notes
My Academic Skills Plan for Taking Notes

CHAPTER 4: MASTERING SELF-MANAGEMENT

Case Study for Critical Thinking: The Procrastinators

Acting on Purpose
Harness the Power of Quadrant II
What to Do in Quadrants I and II
Journal Entry 13

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Jason Pozsgay (Oakland University, MI)

Creating a Self-Management System
Time and Culture
Monthly Calendar
Next Actions List
Tracking Form
Waiting-For List
Project Folder
The Rewards of Effective Self-Management
Journal Entry 14

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Allysa Lapage (Sacrament City College, CA)

Developing Self-Discipline
Staying Focused
Being Persistent
Journal Entry 15

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Holt Boggs (Belmont Technical College, OH)

Self-Management at Work

Believing in Yourself: Develop Self-Confidence
Create a Success Identity
Celebrate Your Successes and Talents
Visualize Purposeful Actions
Journal Entry 16

Wise Choices in College: Organizing Study Materials
Organizing Study Materials: The Big Picture
Challenges with Organizing Study Materials
Strategies to Improve Organizing Study Materials
     Before Organizing Study Materials
     While Organizing Study Materials
     After Organizing Study Materials
My Academic Skills Plan for Organizing Study Materials

CHAPTER 5: EMPLOYING INTERDEPENDENCE

Case Study for Critical Thinking: Professor Rogers' Trial

Creating a Support System
Seek Help from Your Instructors
Get Help from College Resources
Create a Project Team
Start a Study Group
Journal Entry 17

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Jason Matthew Loden (Avila University, MO)

Strengthening Relationships with Active Listening
How to Listen Actively
Use Active Listening in Your College Classes
Journal Entry 18

Respecting Cultural Differences
Showing Respect
Journal Entry 19

Interdependence at Work

Believing in Yourself: Be Assertive
Leveling
Making Requests
Saying "No"
Journal Entry 20

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Amy Acton (Southern State Community College, OH)

Wise Choices in College: Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials
Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials: The Big Picture
Challenges with Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials
Strategies to Improve Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials
     Before Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials
     While Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials
     After Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials
My Academic Skills Plan for Rehearsing and Memorizing Study Materials

CHAPTER 6: GAINING SELF-AWARENESS

Case Study for Critical Thinking: Strange Choices

Recognizing When You are Off Course
The Mystery of Self-sabotage
Unconscious Forces
Journal Entry 21

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Sarah Richmond (Missouri University of Science and Technology, MO)

Identifying Your Scripts
Anatomy of a Script
How We Wrote our Scripts
Self-Defeating Habits
Journal Entry 22

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: James Floriolli (Foothill College, CA)

Rewriting Your Outdated Scripts
The Impact of Outdated Beliefs
Doing the Rewrite
Journal Entry 23

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Annette Valle (The Victoria College, TX)

Self-Awareness at Work

Believing in Yourself: Write Your Own Rules
Three Success Rules
Changing Your Habits
Journal Entry 24

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Brandee Huigens (Northeast Iowa Community College, IA)

Wise Choices in College: Taking Tests
Taking Tests: The Big Picture
Challenges with Taking Tests
Strategies to Improve Taking Tests
     Before Taking Tests
     While Taking Tests
     After Taking Tests
My Academic Skills Plan for Taking Tests

CHAPTER 7: ADOPTING LIFE-LONG LEARNING

Case Study for Critical Thinking: A Fish Story

Developing a Learning Orientation to Life
Growth Mindsets and Fixed Mindsets
How to Develop a Growth Mindset
Journal Entry 25

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Jessie Maggard (Urbana University, OH)

Discovering Your Preferred Learning Style
Self-Assessment: How I Prefer to Learn
     A. Thinking Learners
     B. Doing Learners
     C. Feeling Learners
     D. Innovating Learners
Journal Entry 26

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Melissa Thompson (Madison Area Technical College, WI)

Employing Critical Thinking
Constructing Logical Arguments
Asking Probing Questions
Applying Critical Thinking
Journal Entry 27

Lifelong Learning at Work

Believing in Yourself: Develop Self-Respect
Live with Integrity
Keep Commitments
Journal Entry 28

Wise Choices in College: Writing
Writing: The Big Picture
Challenges with :
Strategies to Improve Writing
     Before Writing
     While Writing
     After Writing
My Academic Skills Plan for Writing

CHAPTER 8: DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Case Study for Critical Thinking: After Math

Understanding Emotional Intelligence
Four Components of Emotional Intelligence
Knowing Your Own Emotions
Journal Entry 29

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Lindsey Beck (Three Rivers Community College, CT)

Reducing Stress
What is Stress?
What Happens When Stress Persists?
Unhealthy Stress Reduction
  Healthy Stress Reduction
Choose Your Attitude
Journal Entry 30

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Jaime Sanmiguel (Miami Dade College, FL)

Creating Flow
College and Flow
Work and Flow
Journal Entry 31

Emotional Intelligence at Work

Believing in Yourself: Develop Self-Love
Design a Self-care Plan
Journal Entry 32

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Wynda Allison Paulette (National Park Community College, AR)

Wise Choices in College: Managing Money
Managing Money: The Big Picture
  Increase Money Flowing In
Decrease Money Flowing Out

CHAPTER 9: STAYING ON COURSE TO YOUR SUCCESS

Planning Your Next Steps
  Assess Yourself, Again
Journal Entry 33

ONE STUDENT'S STORY: Stephan Montgomery (Washtenaw Community College, MI)

The biggest plus for the On Course classes I have taught is that students who had little hope begin to have hope for their lives and their futures. Yes, hopeful students are a joy to teach. --Celia Young, Montgomery College, MD
My campus president recently nominated me for a nationally recognized first-year advocate award, and I had to acknowledge your text, On Course. My students' journals were amazing, and for the first time I had fun facilitating the class.   --Michael Perez, Grossmont College, CA

I'm sure you hear constantly how your On Course book and success principles have changed people's lives; I cannot imagine how anyone could be introduced to them and not be changed. Before our request to start our On Course program was approved, I had been seriously considering finding something to do besides teaching. Being able to use your book and strategies to really impact students' lives has re-energized me and reminded me why I wanted to become a teacher. I am finding joy in my careen again! --Lory Conrad, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, AR

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