COLLEGE SMARTS:^®The Survival and Success Guide for Canadian Students

CONTENTS

PART ONE: Get Ready: Start Smart

A) Know Yourself

1: What Are Your Interests?

2: Next, Consider Your Personal Values...

3: What Are Your Talents and Skills? (and What Do You Want Them to Be?)

4: Assessing Your Skills, Continued--Considering Employability

B) Know Your Career Options

Start with an Attitude Adjustment...

Then Learn More About Where the Jobs Are...

Consider Some Strong Career Prospects...

Be Smart and Wary! Professions and Industries In Transition...

Finally, the Career Sampler...

C) Know Where to Begin While You're in High School

Six Brilliant Things To Do While You're In Grade Ten

Nine Brilliant Things To Do While You're In Grade Eleven

Lots of Brilliant Things To Do While You're In Grade Twelve

A Final Note--Taking a Year Off

PART TWO: Get Set: Choose Smart

A) Know Your Institutional Options

Option 1: What Is a University and Is It for You?

Option 2: What Is a Community College and Is It for You?

Option 3: What Is an Institute of Science and Technology and Is It for You?

The New Integration: How a "Hybrid" Might Work for You

Alternative Training Options

Option 4: Co-op Education--Learning and Working at the Same Time

Option 5: What Is an Apprenticeship and Is It for You?

Option 6: Private Vocational and Technical Schools (Where Students Pay To Be Trained for Paying Jobs)

One More Possibility? Distance Learning

B) Look Like an Insider--Know Your Terms

C) Know How to Make a Good Choice (and make one)

Part 1: Do the Footwork

Informed Decision Step One: Read Plenty

Informed Decision Step Two: Visit Personally

Informed Decision Step Three: Know Your Criteria

Informed Decision Step Four: Complete Your Own Process

Part 2: Prepare Your Applications

Advice from the Admissions Office

Writing Your Admissions Essay

Part 3: Response Time

PART THREE: GO!! Student Smarts

A) Money Smarts: Investing in Your Education

1: The Costs Ahead: Know Your Expenses

2: Financing Your Education: What Are the Options?

3: Putting It All Together: Getting Specific About What You Need

4: The Working Student: Will That Be You?

5: Once You Have the Money, Be Smart About It!

B) Choose Your Courses: And Everything Else

Step 1: How Many Courses?

Step 2: Which Courses Are For You?

Step 3: Plan To Be There!

Step 4: Making Time For Everything Else

C) Live Smart (and Happy) Away From Home

The Big Challenge: Choosing a Roommate

The Next Big Challenge: Finding a Place

Finally, Some Thoughts About Living at Home

D) Study Smart: Very Important Sections

The Hard Truth About Workload

Our Top Four Study Smart Strategies--VIS.1 (Very Important Section Number One)

Step 1: Get it right from the start: focus in class

Step 2: Pick your time and place--there's nothing like concentration

Step 3: Learn how to read!

Step 4: As with anything, there's no substitute for practice

A note on university study skills resources...

Learn Your Learning Style--VIS.2

Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic learners

Rationalists, Idealists, Guardians, and Artisans

Preparing for Exams--VIS.3

Step 1: Prepare early for exams (read: start the first day of school)

Step 2: Study smart, not hard (this isn't quite a war, but strategy is everything)

Step 3: Get feedback on assignments, tests, presentations, and your thinking

Step 4: Take care of yourself--physically, mentally, and emotionally

Step 5: Seek balance!

Specific Strategies for Specific Exams--VIS.4

First, the often-dreaded multiple choice:

Now, the essay questions:

A very important note:

E) When the Going Gets Tough: Trap Avoidance 101

Avoiding the First Trap: The Fine Art of Scheduling

Avoiding the Second Trap: Keep Your Eye on the Ball (Setting Goals and Staying Motivated)

Avoiding the Third Trap: Stress-Busting

Avoiding the Final Trap: Creative Coping with Conflict

Our Final Advice: Ask for What You Need

Appendix: Extra Smarts: everything else we'd like you to know...

Extra Smarts: For the International Student

Extra Smarts: For the Mature Student

Finding Further Information on Just About Anything

The Adventures of Graduate School