Student Success

About the Book

Student success validates what we teachers do. Yet not all students succeed. Many give up helplessly, reaching—unnecessarily—the end of their ropes. We teachers spent years honing our craft, figuring out ways to reach out, to connect, and to positively affect the lives of our students, not only while in college, but well beyond the often-treacherous college years. Paving the students’ path toward a thriving university life and a rewarding career, therefore, gives meaning to what we do for a living. The art of learning has indeed transformed. Both the Internet and distinct generational preferences of our students have introduced new paradigms in post secondary education. Whereas years ago, the teacher and the local university library were the main repositories of knowledge, today’s students can use the Internet—indeed the libraries of the entire planet—to instantly locate the information they need, often effortlessly from the comfort of a couch! What the students want is not mere information; they need—and demand—practical knowledge and how information is applied. To be a successful teacher, one must constantly experiment with new and more effective learning strategies that combine best practices in learning. In this book, the authors have assembled numerous strategies and techniques for academic success. We have emptied our bags of tricks onto these pages. We have witnessed how these strategies rejuvenate our students’ university experience. By authoring this book, we pass on to you—our student—the intricacies of the art of learning. From the role of motivation to memory retention to the ins and outs of connecting with your teachers, we have provided not only what is needed to succeed academically but also the evidence for our recommendations. We offer you this book not only for us to make sense of our professional lives but also for you to make sense of yours.

About the Author

Terry D. Anderson, PhD is the managing principal of Anderson Corporate and Executive Coaching. He does business in the corporate and public safety sectors under this name mainly on the West Coast of the United States and Canada. He was also the founder, president, and CEO (and is now chairman emeritus) of Consulting Resource Group International Inc., a publishing and consulting firm, which he sold in 2002. He provides consulting and coaching services for business and police executives and has done so for over thirty years. He has also served as a professor of leadership, problem-solving, counseling, and mentoring for over thirty-five years. He has delivered plenary and keynote speeches, workshops, and seminars to over thirty-five thousand leaders in eight countries. Sia Samimi completed his undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering (1979) and computer science (1983). After teaching technology courses for eighteen years, he “emigrated” to social sciences and in 2006 earned his master of arts in leadership and training degree from Royal Roads University. His quantitative thesis, which contrasted attributes of outstanding teachers from the students’ and faculty’s perspectives, received the University Chancellor’s award for outstanding research and practical application. He is the current faculty and former chair of digital media and IT program at the Northern Albertan Institute of Technology, Edmonton, Alberta. Kelly M. Bohl is a graduate student in criminology at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, focusing her research on supporting sex workers and advocating for sex worker rights and the decriminalization of sex work in Canada. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of the Fraser Valley before working in a recovery program for young women, exiting sex work and dealing with multiple issues of past trauma, drug and alcohol addiction, historical abuse, and mental illness. As a student, Kelly excelled at writing assignments and continues to create, edit, and proofread documents and manuscripts for a variety of people in both the academic and business fields. She has worked as a teaching assistant for undergraduate criminology classes at Simon Fraser University and enjoys the challenge of working with new university students. Currently she works as a private assistant to several business professionals as she pursues research avenues toward her master’s thesis as well as working with a local documentary filmmaker with a focus on the residents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Kelly was a student of Dr. Terry Anderson and considers him a mentor academically, professionally, and personally and has been fortunate enough to work with him on a range of projects that have challenged her research analysis skills as well as her interpersonal and leadership skills. She is also a ninja-level knitter and can often be found knitting at conferences, in movie theatres, doctor’s offices, and even once while waiting in line to meet Commander Chris Hadfield.