College Survival & Success Skills 101

By Marianne Ragins

Get Off to a Fast Start in College!

Avoid Pitfalls!
And Do Well the First Year and Beyond!

It's College Freshman Orientation in a Book with an Added Boost for Those Already in College!

In this fully updated third edition, College Survival & Success Skills 101, rich with anecdotes from students across the nation, is essential for any student who wants to improve time-management and study skills, boost a college GPA, get along with roommates, stay on track to graduate, become a world traveler with opportunities such as study abroad and find scholarships and awards to shrink the tuition bill. 

Not only does College Survival & Success Skills 101 show you how to pack your college years with career-building experiences that can lead to graduate and professional schools clamoring to admit you and employers offering multiple job opportunities; this easy-to-use resource also shows you how to avoid many of the pitfalls on a college campus and still have fun.

Whether you're a college bound high school student, an interested parent or a currently enrolled college student, College Survival & Success Skills 101 is a navigational tool you can't do without. College Survival & Success Skills 101 is also a great resource for 1st generation and at-risk college students. This helpful resource is also frequently used by organizations interested in boosting student retention and academic success at universities and colleges.

College Survival & Success Skills 101 includes:

• Easy-to-follow guidelines for succeeding in your classes and how to get help when you're not
• No-fail techniques for securing high powered internships, co-ops, and summer jobs with a contact list for the top forty opportunities
• An in-depth look at the top ten pitfalls to avoid in college
• Step-by-step suggestions for building your credit responsibly and minimizing student loans
• Ingenious strategies for combating loneliness and managing your social life
• Little-known methods for winning scholarships and awards as a college student
• Strategies for on-time graduation in four years and ways to avoid issues leading to late graduation and escalating college bills
• Sure-fire ways to help high school students prepare to enter college including a "What I Wish I Knew Before . . . " section from current college students

As president of The Scholarship Workshop, author of the highly successful Winning Scholarships for College, and the winner of more than $400,000 in scholarship money, Marianne Ragins has worked with students, parents, and educators as a motivational speaker and educational professional dedicated to student success for nearly twenty years. Ragins also graduated summa cum laude, with an international internship, multiple job opportunities, and earned an MBA.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TSW Publishing
• Release date: May 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9781950653058

Marianne Ragins

Marianne Ragins is the author of College Survival & Success Skills 101 and the president of The Scholarship Workshop. She is the winner of more than $400,000 in scholarship money and received an MBA from George Washington University and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science from Florida A&M University. Both of her degrees were entirely funded by scholarships and other free aid.

Book preview

Praise for College Survival & Success Skills 101

and Marianne Ragins

"College Survival & Success Skills 101 is an excellent guide to suc­cessfully navigating the college experience. Students who read this book as they begin their college careers will find it extremely helpful. Not only does this book give a thorough outline of the opportunities available, it also discusses how to quickly recover from ‘mistakes’ before it is too late. Furthermore, Ragins’s advice about speaking with professors and academic counselors are words that would be most beneficial to every student...This book and her book, Winning Scholarships for College, would make great gifts for the graduating high school senior and current college students... I have used her person­ally as a reference to help some of the students with whom I work."

—Angela Grant, Ph.D., assistant professor, Northwestern University

"College Survival & Success Skills 101 contains all one needs to know to be successful and graduate from college. The information it contains will help students get the most out of their college years and leave the university setting as well-rounded individuals with a skill set to make them very marketable in today’s workforce. This book is a must-read for anyone who interacts with a high school student or college student of any age: high school counselors and teachers; parents; college personnel; and community members involved in the college process. College Survival & Success Skills 101 should be re­quired reading for all college freshmen orientation classes and for parents of college-bound students."

—Carolyn D. Jones, Ph.D., community member involved in the college planning process for high school and college students

"College Survival & Success Skills 101 should be given to all people before they enter college so they can take advantage of all the resources provided by a college, and graduate with so much more than a four-year degree...If students apply the tips in this book, they will have experiences of a lifetime that will springboard them to an en­riched life and a successful career. This is a great high school graduation gift."

—Leslie Kulis, parent

"College Survival & Success Skills 101 offers advice to help you on your way to success, not only in college, but also beyond. Marianne provides an easy-to-read, well-structured plan to make the most out of every college experience."

—Jean D. Jordan, dean of admission, Emory University

"College Survival & Success Skills 101 highlights every area a college student would need to be prepared from day one. Understanding the cost concern that faces many students and parents, the use of this book will help enlighten both on pertinent concepts to make this transition achievable and attainable."

—Nikita L. Baxter, director, Visions an Educational Talent Search Program, York Technical College

Readers will find it easier to balance academic demands with their social lives, procure employment, and avoid excessive credit card debt and other pitfalls. The college terrain is often difficult to navigate. Ragins clearly marks the academic quicksand, financial hazards, and social landmines.

—Shlawnda Calhoun, English instructor, Stephenson High School

"I first met Marianne Ragins in 1991 when she joined 149 other high school seniors, out of an applicant pool of over 58,000 students, and was designated a Coca-Cola Scholar. She and the other 4,000 Coca-Cola Scholars I have known since 1989 live the contents of this book. In my experience, success may be a bit of luck, but mostly it is capitalizing on the information and mentoring that come from so many facets of our lives. Use College Survival & Success Skills 101 to get the most from your college experience. The table of contents alone provides a snapshot of what one may expect to experience on this educational journey. Sensational!"

—J. Mark Davis, president, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Inc.

"College Survival & Success Skills 101 is a comprehensive road map for students entering college or someone who is enrolled and not feeling like they are getting the most from their experience. This is a must-read for my high school senior. I wish we had this book for my other two children who have finished college. For me, being a college freshman was just the next year after high school. Today’s kids face so much competition that if they don’t put together a detailed plan, they risk wasting their college experience. Too much has changed since I was in school, limiting my abilities to effectively coach my daughter as she enters college. As a parent, I cannot invest more than $100,000 for my child’s college education unless we both read this book. College Survival & Success Skills 101 is required reading to get the best return from a college investment."

—Randall J. Wilke, parent

"Most of our first-generation college-bound students need all the support and guidance that they can get since some may be missing parental counsel or a mentor’s wisdom. This book will help fill-in many of the gaps caused by a lack of college experience in the extended family. College Survival & Success Skills 101 will also help those who are the oldest in the family, the first to go in this generation, update the material their parents may have shared about their college experiences...This book provides a very comprehensive guide to not only surviving, but also thriving during the college experience."

—Philip L. Hostetter, counselor liaison, J.P. McCaskey High School

Also by Marianne Ragins

Winning Scholarships for College

College Survival & Success Skills 101

The Scholarship & College Essay Planning Kit

The Scholarship Monthly Planner

Last Minute College Financing Guide

TSW Publishing

P. O. Box 176

Centreville, Virginia 20122

www.scholarshipworkshop.com

TSW Publishing is a division of The Scholarship Workshop LLC

Copyright © 2008, 2013, and 2019 by Marianne Ragins

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written consent of the author, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.

College Survival and Success Skills 101 was written to provide accurate advice to readers. However, please note that the author nor the publisher are engaged in the practice of providing legal, accounting, tax or other professional advice unless otherwise indicated. If you need legal, accounting, tax or other advice, please consult a professional in the appropriate area. Neither the author, the publisher, nor any entity associated with College Survival & Success Skills 101 assume any liability for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. Any action you take or do not take as a result of reading College Survival & Success Skills 101 is entirely your responsibility.

If relevant, comments from individuals referenced in the first edition of College Survival & Success Skills 101 and Making the Most of Your College Education may also be included in this third edition of College Survival & Success Skills 101.

ISBN: 978-1-950653-05-8

First Edition 2008

Second Edition 2013

Third Edition 2019

This book is available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums, fundraising, and educational use. Special versions or book excerpts can also be created to fit specific needs. For more information, please contact [e-mail] or call 703 579-4245. You can also write: TSW Publishing, P. O. Box 176, Centreville, Virginia 20122.

––––––––

COLLEGE SURVIVAL

&

SUCCESS SKILLS

101

Keys to avoiding pitfalls,

staying in,

enjoying the life,

graduating,

and being successful

––––––––

Marianne Ragins

To my mother, Laura; my husband, Ivan; and my little ones, Aria and Cameron; your love, motivation, and presence in my life keep me going.

For G. Solomon and S. Moore

As ones who truly got the most from life

and helped us to get the most from ours,

your sunny smiles, loving hearts and

generous ways will be remembered forever

by all of your family and friends.

Special Thanks

Patti Ross Cohen, Carolyn Norton, J. Mark Davis and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation; Bing Spitler, former manager of College and University Relations, Armstrong World Industries; Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and the many instructors I referenced in this book, Professor Ronald Jarrett; Dr. Ivy Mitchell; Dr. Evelyn Trujillo; Dr. Angela Grant; Jany Kay Allen; David Buckholtz; Rondre Jackson; Otis J. Ragins Jr.; Professor Tammy Hiller, Bucknell University; Professor John Miller, Bucknell University; Scott Price; Cadeltra Adams; AJ Robinson; Ryan Upshaw; Julia Rose Judge; Charity Avery; Tavia Evans Gilchrist; Spencer Blevins; Daniel Lyons; Amehlia Mehtar; Janel Janiczek; Jeannette Bennett; Jordan Scarboro; Dianna He; Hayley Ford; Roberto Lopez Jr.; Hodari Pilli Tourre Brown; Richard Rusczyk; Ashley Chang; Erin Husbands; Amy Crook; Fraya Cohen; Deneige Kay Miles; Stephen Schorn; Ivan McGee; Marcus Braswell; Nikki West; Stephanie Gargiulo; Carolyn Norton; Janice Hyllengren; Jayla Edmonds; and Ariel Fortson.

Introduction

Most students graduate from high school with visions of going to college but not with visions of how a college education can help them. Many don’t know what to expect from college, or what to expect from themselves. Some students decide to attend college at the urgings of their parents; others to get away from their parents; some because of their friends; and a few for the sheer joy of higher learning. Whatever the reason, not everyone has the option of going to college. College can provide you with tremendous learning opportunities to further your personal and career development, and most other aspects of your life. However, it requires your effort and an awareness of those opportunities for you to really get the most out of it and to survive college beyond freshman year.

The total cost of a college education ranges from roughly $20,000 to well over $100,000 for four years. Wouldn’t you consider it to be a waste of thousands of dollars–not to mention your time–if all you did was go to college for four or more years, and then graduate feeling no more enriched than when you arrived? Most students about to graduate and step beyond the walls of their college campus reflect on their accrued accomplishments. Some have feelings of frustration due to realizing that they have squandered four years and lost opportunities ripe with challenge and adventure. Others, who met numerous challenges and reaped the benefits of several opportunities such as an internship, study abroad, or directed individual study, feel supreme fulfillment. Attending college can open doors into worlds otherwise unknown, as those who graduate feeling satisfied and enriched very well know.

I have heard many college graduates exclaim, I haven’t used a thing I learned in college. The educational system is archaic. Most of my classes were boring and useless. Who wants to waste thousands of dollars and countless hours earning a degree that’s useless? I am sure you wouldn’t want to. This book will help you get the most out of your college education, aid you in recognizing unique opportunities you may only be able to experience as a college student or on a college campus, and urge you to utilize many of the resources available on your campus. It is also designed to help you avoid typical college pitfalls and give you strategies for choosing a major, getting the best grade point average (GPA), overcoming loneliness, enjoying college life, graduating with a great job offer or graduate school placement, and so much more. When you graduate and look back on your college years, I want you to feel enriched, enhanced, and most of all that the experience was worthwhile. You will need first to understand a college degree is not the total summation of your college experience.

Did you know that you can get college credit for volunteering in a soup kitchen or studying in London? Were you aware that you can visit a doctor, receive medical treatment, see a play, or listen to an award-winning playwright, author, or musician, discuss his or her techniques in one day and in one place—your college campus? Did you know you can get investment advice or tips on starting your own business, also while on campus? For years I dreamed of learning how to play the piano, but had neither the opportunity nor time to do it. In my last two semesters of college, I realized this dream and many more. If all you do in college is satisfy the requirements for your degree, you’ll miss out on a lot of opportunities and challenges.

If you don’t know how you can make your college experience all you want it to be, you will after reading this book. I have written each chapter with three goals in mind: helping you get the most from your college education, helping you avoid typical college pitfalls, and helping you succeed in your college endeavors. I have included my experiences, those of many of my friends, and those of students all over the country to illustrate how our lives have been enriched by college. My job as author of this book is to make you aware of the many resources available at college. Your job is to take advantage of those opportunities and use the resources available to you to make your college experience, and the rest of your life afterwards, a success. You could graduate with multiple job offers in your pocket; numerous skills and activities on your résumé; as the owner of your own business; as the possessor of an investment portfolio; as a student with many graduate or professional schools clamoring to admit you; as a world traveler; in minimal debt . . . and much more.

Without your effort, college could very well be a waste of time and money. But with your effort, a world of opportunity awaits you. Explore it! Challenge it! Embrace it! But most of all, enjoy it!

Throughout your college career you will be constantly shaping your future into whatever you envision it to be. Your vision can encompass many areas. When you think of your immediate future, you may see graduating, getting the job of your dreams, graduate school, or fulfilling your own personal fantasies. Whatever your mind conjures up for you, chances are that somewhere on your college campus or during your college career, there is an opportunity just waiting to open its doors and help you achieve your dreams. But first, you must know where and how to look. You must find it, work for it, and then use it to your advantage to have the future you envision for yourself. If you succeed, you will have learned the true value and essence of a college education. Education has many facets and involves learning within and beyond the classroom: it encompasses the campus and its resources, your professors and their advice, your friends and their opinions, and so much more. Your overall learning experiences and your total involvement in college life differentiate the attainment of a college degree from the attainment of a complete college education.

Learning is so much more than the information in the pages of a textbook. A real college education involves tapping into every resource on your campus, as well as neighboring campuses, and campuses all over the world open to you as a student. You must explore the wealth to be found in every building on your campus, in every faculty and staff member, in every contact, in every office, and every club. If you do, you will be well on your way to shaping your future into the vision of your dreams and getting the most out of your college education.

If obtaining a complete college education is one of your goals, many opportunities await you. Explore many of them in this book, and then explore them in reality. I promise you will be thoroughly enriched by your experiences, and you will be well on your way to surviving college, but also being successful in college and out. I know I was!

1

Campus Resources

On a college or university campus there are a multitude of offices and services to assist with many of your needs and concerns. Indeed, if you know which office to consult, you may never have to go beyond your own campus. There are offices such as the career/development center to help you make career choices; launch a job search; or find a job, co-op, or internship. There are resource centers in which you can expand your leadership abilities, your writing skills, or your knowledge of mental health, for instance. If you need mental or physical treatment, you can find that too on your campus. Consult your college or university catalog or website for information on specific offices and the services they offer. 

The Career/Development Center

The career/development center is an office or building with information and individuals dedicated to providing resources to assist you in finding summer and postgraduate jobs, internships, cooperative education programs, study abroad courses, and much more. The Career Center or its equivalent should be one of the most important resources you consult when determining your career path and how you will find the job of your dreams. You should become familiar with both the reference materials in the office and the individuals who make things run smoothly. Most offices will have computers, brochures, and binders from corporate recruiters, applications, job data banks, interview signup sheets, lists of corporate receptions, interview dates, and a wealth of helpful information available to you as a current student, alumnus, or a student from a neighboring campus. Also many campuses have career centers allowing you to connect with them on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Make sure you get connected to be alerted about opportunities at your school. These opportunities could include study abroad, internships, research opportunities and more.

At the career center you should find trained individuals skilled at helping you to determine a major, a career, and your job search criteria. They may also conduct workshops on writing résumés, successful job interviewing, taking job placement tests, completing applications, developing effective communication and networking skills, and many other topics. The career center may also offer individual counseling, career assessment tests, and videos of mock interviews. In addition to services provided face to face at the center, you may also be able to attend or listen to webinars, podcasts, and other online types of online broadcasts with or without prospective employers to help you get prepared for a bright future. Most centers have or should have as their goals the following:

To develop and enhance the marketability of the students who visit the offices;

To provide relevant and current information to students about employment opportunities;

To expose students to corporate professionals will-

ing and able to provide students with employment opportunities. 

Registering

At most career centers you will be required to register. To do so, you may need to complete a form listing your name, current address and telephone number, major, expected graduation