New to the Seventh Edition

The seventh edition of Peak Performance: Success in College and Beyond has been thoroughly updated and refined based on the many helpful comments and suggestions of adopters and reviewers of the previous edition. This new edition provides even more specific “how-to” information, including how to use the latest technologies to your advantage. Revised with our main objectives in mind, following are just some of the revised features and new material. (For a complete list of all the text’s chapter-by-chapter changes, please see the Instructor’s Resource Manual that accompanies this text.)

1. Many new hot topics and current issues have been added to demonstrate the relevance of the material to today’s student.  

• A new box entitled “Staying Safe” outlines strategies for personal safety in the wake of recent campus violence, and includes examples of suspicious behavior to report. (Chapter 4, page 133)

• Information on using technology at school includes a new note on Classroom Performance Systems (CPS) devices. (Chapter 4, page 134)

• The section on saving money has been completely revised, including a note on avoiding payday loans and an example of the outrageous interest incurred. (Chapter 4, page 146)

• Material on using laptops in class has been added to the note-taking strategies. (Chapter 5, page 177)

• A new section devoted to reading difficulties, including a discussion of dyslexia, decoding, and helpful strategies, has been added. (Chapter 6, page 212)

• A new introduction in Chapter 7 mentions how technology has changed our use of “personal memory.” (Chapter 7, page 230)

• The conducting research section has been revised to include the latest information on using the Internet effectively, including how to do key searches. (Chapter 9, page 312)

• A worksheet has been added to give students practice on paraphrasing material from a text. (Chapter 9, page 328)

• The section on caffeine has been revised to include the latest statistics and a mention of energy drinks. (Chapter 11, page 379)

• A section on the importance of drinking water has been added, including the latest recommendations. (Chapter 11, page 380)

• A new discussion of binge drinking defines the terms and discusses the serious consequences. (Chapter 11, page 390)

• A section on the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including DXM (found in cough medicines), has been added. (Chapter 11, page 391)

• Definitions of discrimination, sexism, homophobia, and racial profiling have been added. (Chapter 12, page 432)

• A new note cautions about posting personal material online using sites such as MySpace and Facebook. (Chapter 12, page 441).

2. More “how-to” information is provided to help the student put the material into practice.  

• A new feature entitled “Starting Today” appears at the end of each chapter and asks the student to choose a strategy to immediately implement and how he or she plans to incorporate it into his or her daily routine. (Chapter 1, page 38)

• A new box entitled “How to Say No” gives readers specific dialog to use in situations in order to manage their time by also maintaining positive relationships. (Chapter 3, page 101)

• A new box shows how to manage your time effectively when taking online courses. (Chapter 3, page 103)

• A new box outlines the features and benefits of forming or participating in a study group and how to get one started. (Chapter 4, page 127)

• The section on using the library has been rewritten to include the latest information on technology resources, reserves, and specialized libraries. (Chapter 4, page 129)

• A note on where to go at school for mediation and conflict resolution has been added. (Chapter 4, page 131)

• Information on how to check your credit report has been added to the section on protecting your identity. (Chapter 4, page 144)

• Revised and specific strategies for saving for the future are included. (Chapter 4, page 145)

• A 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. (Chapter 5, page 175)

• A new section is devoted to strategies for reading manuals. (Chapter 6, page 209)

• A new box provides specific strategies for taking online exams. (Chapter 8, page 266)

• A section on overcoming speech anxiety has been added. (Chapter 9, page 316).

• A new box entitled “Asking Questions” provides tips on how to frame questions. (Chapter 10, page 338)

• New information on what to do if you are sexually harassed has been included. (Chapter 12, page 438)

• A note on setting a timeline for declaring a major and the consequences for waiting too long is included. (Chapter 14, page 481)

• Interview tips on how and when to follow-up with a thank-you note and determining how candidates will be notified have been added. (Chapter 14, page 502)

 3. New and revised illustrations help visual learners understand key theories and concepts and provide more applications.  

• A new illustration of the Adult Learning Cycle shows how to move through the steps and the

• importance of practice and repetition. (Chapter 1, page 30)

• A revised illustration of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs includes examples of needs at each level. (Chapter 2, page 56)

• A new goal-setting illustration helps students map out their learning goals. (Chapter 2, page 61)

• Revised time log charts clarify how to fill them out and more effectively support the narrative. (Chapter 3, page 85)

• An illustration on the power of compound interest has been added to the section on saving for the future to demonstrate how saving early pays off big later. (Chapter 4, page 145)

• Revised note-taking illustrations more effectively demonstrate how to take notes using these systems. (Chapter 5, pages 171, 173)

• A new illustration of the Ebbinghaus Curve of Forgetting reinforces the importance of reviewing notes directly after lecture. (Chapter 5, page 178)

• A new illustration on how to take notes on a page gives students the opportunity to practice taking notes and examples of possible notetaking styles. (Chapter 6, page 205)

• A new figure shows examples of different illustrations and what to look for when reading graphs. (Chapter 6, page 210)

• A new figure shows how to sketch out a math problem. (Chapter 8, page 268)

• A new illustration of Bloom’s Taxonomy further explains the critical thinking skills. (Chapter 10, page 333)

 4. 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.  

• A new exercise entitled “Am I a Positive Person?” asks students to assess their overall attitude to life in general and how they approach every day. (Chapter 1, page 4)

• Specific examples of negative thinking have been added. (Chapter 1, page 7)

• A revised mission statement relates to the reader’s experiences. (Chapter 1, page 9)

• The Peak Self-Assessment Test now includes examples of skills for reference. (Chapter 1, page 11)

• All financial statistics in Chapter 4, “Maximize Your Resources,” have been updated, including the latest stats on credit card and financial aid debt and current savings rates. (Chapter 4, page 141)

• 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. (Chapter 4, page 144)

• Material on reading for different courses includes additional examples of courses in sociology, psychology, and anthropology. (Chapter 6, page 201)

• Examples of prefixes and suffixes for certain fields of study have been added to the section on building vocabulary. (Chapter 6, page 206)

• An exercise on creating your own acronyms and acrostics, including examples, has been added. (Chapter 7, page 241)

• The section on writing citations now also includes examples of APA citations, along with MLA. (Chapter 9, page 307).

• A new box entitled “Think It Through” reinforces that one must think of the consequences when making decisions. (Chapter 10, page 335)

• A new box on inductive versus deductive reasoning provides examples of each and gives the reader the opportunity to create his or her own statements. (Chapter 10, page 340)

• All statistics in the alcohol abuse section have been updated. (Chapter 11, page 388).

• Statistics on suicide have been added. (Chapter 11, page 395)

• The latest terminology is used in the section on sexually transmitted infections, as well as updated statistics, where to go for help with AIDS, and a revised STI chart that includes additional common STIs. (Chapter 11, page 396)

• Recent statistics on acquaintance rape and date rape have been included, along with more specific definitions. (Chapter 11, page 398)

 5. The narrative has been revised throughout for clarity and streamlining of the material, focusing on key content and strategies.  

• The ABC Method of Self-Management has been revised from five to three steps, making the process more palatable and easier to understand and apply. (Chapter 1, page 7)

• Chapter 2 has been reorganized into two main sections: Emotional Intelligence and Maturity, and A Positive Attitude and Personal Motivation. Topics within the latter section have been further organized and condensed for ease of understanding. (Chapter 2, page 45)

• The material on discretionary time and urgent and important priorities has been revised for further clarity. (Chapter 3, page 86)

• The entire section on money has been revised, reorganized, and expanded, including more specific tips on saving for the future (including new material on paying yourself first). (Chapter 4, page 141)

• The section on assessing and reviewing your notes includes creating a timeline for reviewing. (Chapter 5, page 179)

• Part 4 of the Five-Part Reading System has been retitled to “Process Information” to better describe the purpose and tasks for that step. (Chapter 6, page 195)

• Definitions of problem solving and decision making have been added. (Chapter 10, page 332)

• A revised section on math and science anxiety includes the most relevant strategies. (Chapter 10, page 354)

• The opening discussion on diversity has been revised for further clarity. (Chapter 12, page 000)

• Many references to historical and trade authors are available in the AIE version under “Further Reading.” (Chapter 1, page 8)