New Features

The ABC Method of Self-Management has been revised from 5 steps to 3, making the process easier to understand and apply. The ABC Method of Self-Management will help students manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so they create positive results and achieve goals. This process (A=Actual event; B=Beliefs; C=Challenge) utilizes visualization to show the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions and empowers the reader to dispel negative thoughts and replace them with realistic and positive thoughts and behaviors.

New! More “how-to” information is provided to help students put the material into practice.

Examples:

•Inside the classroom- New box entitled “Getting the Most Out of a Class Lecture” gives students specific tips on how to excel when an instructor’s teaching style may present certain challenges. Also, “Asking Questions” provides tips on how students can frame effective questions in class.

•Outside the classroom- New feature entitled “Starting Today” appears at the end of each chapter and allows students to immediately implement how they plan to incorporate the content of the chapter into their daily routine. Chapter 4 also provides new and revised information on checking credit reports and saving for the future, which helps students plan ahead for their life beyond this course.

•Technology- New information in Chapter 3 shows students how to manage their time effectively when taking online courses, and a new box in Chapter 8 provides specific strategies for taking online exams, providing practical applications for the digital learner.

New! Revised design and new illustrations help visual learners understand key theories and concepts and provide more applications.

Examples:

•New illustration of the Adult Learning Cycle in Chapter 1 shows how to move through the steps and the importance of practice and repetition.

•New Goal-setting illustration in Chapter 2 help students map out their learning goals.

•Revised illustration of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Chapter 3 includes examples of needs at each level.

New! Statistics have been updated and/or added throughout to support the material. Also, many examples have been added or revised to encourage application and personal reflection.

Examples:

•A revised mission statement (Chapter 1) better relates to the student’s experiences.

•All financial statistics in Chapter 4 have been updated, including the latest stats on credit card and financial aid debt and current savings rates.

•A numerical example of paying off credit card debt, as well as mention of “universal default”, has been added to the revised section on credit card debt in Chapter 4.

New! Hot topics and current issues have been added to this new edition to demonstrate the importance and relevance to today’s student. Students will feel more connected to the book and become engaged with the content.

Examples:

•Information on how technology is changing today’s student includes material on note-taking using laptops in class (Chapter 5), technology’s influence on “personal memory” (Chapter 7), effectively using the internet for research (Chapter 9), and a caution about posting personal information online using popular networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace (Chapter 12).

•“Staying Safe” outlines strategies for personal safety in the wake of recent campus violence, and includes examples of suspicious behavior to report.

Retained Features

LASSI: Learning and Study Strategies Inventory: The LASSI is a 10-scale, 80-item assessment of students' awareness about and use of learning and study strategies related to skill, will, and self-regulation components of strategic learning. The LASSI is available in print or online at http://www.hhpublishing.com/. Ask your McGraw-Hill sales representative for more details.

The Adult Learning Cycle: Introduced in Chapter 1 and carried throughout each chapter, the Adult Learning Cycle is a five-step process that demonstrates that learning comes from repetition, practice, and recall. This process offers a critical fifth stage not included in other learning theories: 1) Relate; 2) Observe; 3) Think; 4) Do; and 5) Teach. Each chapter provides the reader an opportunity to apply the chapter material to the Adult Learning Cycle within a Peak Progress box.