Wade Leuwerke is an associate professor of counseling at Drake University. Wade’s research focuses on the assessment and development of student and employee noncognitive skills. He also studies the factors that predict college retention, the impact of computer-assisted career guidance systems on academic planning and career exploration behaviors, and the role of technology in career development processes. Wade is the author of Connections: Empowering College and Career Success with Paul Gore and A.J. Metz.   Tell us about one initiative you are currently working on that you are really excited about. I am working on a proactive advising project that infuses noncognitive assessment data into efforts to proactively reach out to students before any problems arise as they start college. This program seeks to help students build critical college success skills through goal setting and action planning. Students are also encouraged to apply their skills in their initial college classes and make use of the range of available campus resources. What motivates you to work in college success?   I entered college academically prepared but woefully underprepared with respect to study skills, problem solving strategies, and discipline. I nearly ended up on probation after my first term and spent the next three years digging my GPA out of the hole I created the first term. I am motivated to help students avoid this stressful start to college.   What advice would you have given to your younger self as you embarked on your first year in college?   Make use of campus resources! Go talk to your professors and adviser. Stick around after class and get to know your first-year experience instructor. What are some trends and developments you are currently seeing in the college success/FYE course?   I think there is even more emphasis on looking at data and connecting the efforts of FYE/student success to tangible outcomes. Budgets are tight and the focus on retention is increasing and I think FYE is uniquely positioned to be a great ROI and impact retention. Collecting data to make this link continues to be a trend in the field. What did you enjoy the most about writing Connections?   My favorite parts of the text are the Voices of Experience and the multiple features in the book that explicitly draw the link (or connection ) between content in the book and the skills/strategies that students will need in the world of work.  My hope is that once students understand, as clearly as possible, that the skills they learn in this course are the same skills they will need at work, they will be more motivated and engaged in class.   On a personal note… What book has influenced you the most?   Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol What is something you want to learn in the next year (related to higher education or otherwise)?   I want to learn how to use Google docs and the related suite of products. If you hadn’t pursued your current career, what do you think you would have done?   Building contractor or economist What is your ideal vacation?   Any beach in a tropical location Tell us an interesting fact about yourself that not many people may know.            I survived a very large tornado during my last semester of college. It sounded just like a train running past the house!     ... View more

Betsy O. Barefoot is a writer, researcher, and teacher whose special area of scholarship is the first year of college. She currently serves as senior scholar at the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. In her Institute role, she led a major national research project to identify institutions of excellence in the first college year. She currently works with both two- and four-year campuses in evaluating all components of the first year. She is the author of Your College Experience, Step by Step, and Understanding Your College Experience. Tell us about one initiative you are currently working on that you are really excited about. Recently, I have joined a team as part of the John Gardner Institute to work with NACADA, the National Association for Academic Advising, to develop an exciting process for evaluating and improving the process of academic advising at colleges and universities in the U.S. and other countries.  This process will help not only first-year students, but also students at all levels in the undergraduate experience. What motivates you to work in college success? The factors that motivate me the most are my teaching experiences at the University of South Carolina in the college success course, University 101, and my work as a consultant for hundreds of other colleges and universities – mostly in the U. S. but also around the word. In spite of their many differences, the institutions I have visited share in common a desire to improve the learning, success, and retention of first-year students.  Over the years, I have found that well-designed college success programs can actually transform students, instructors, and host institutions by giving them a laser-like focus on what matters most – student readiness for collegiate learning. What advice would you have given to your younger self as you embarked on your first year in college? My advice to me would have been to understand how my university experience was going to be vastly different from my high school experience.  I was minimally prepared for college, even as a high school valedictorian, and I found my initial grades demoralizing and frustrating.  My first year could have been so much more engaging and enjoyable if I had relaxed a bit and given myself time to adjust to a different level of expectations. What are some trends and developments you are currently seeing in the college success/First-Year Experience course? The most constant characteristic of first-year seminars is change.  Institutions are constantly trying to find the balance between what students need and what faculty, staff, and administrators are willing to provide in a credit-bearing course.  Existing data show a trend toward more courses based on an academic theme, more contact hours (fewer one-hour courses and more that are three-credit hours), and more use of new methods of teaching including flipped classes and online components.  Also, we are happy to note the increasing use of peer leaders – student co-teachers of college success courses who can make a tremendous positive difference in student attitudes about the course. What did you enjoy the most about writing Your College Experience, Step by Step, and Understanding Your College Experience? Writing these books helps keep me informed about what’s happening in higher education, the characteristics of students who are coming to college today, and the intersections between students and institutions.  Today’s students are not necessarily the students we used to have or want to have or believe we were like.  Rather, they are students with complex lives and experiences who need more help than ever on academic, social, and personal matters.  I enjoy thinking creatively about how to blend the needs of our students with the expectations of higher education in ways that are relevant and encouraging. And on a personal note...   What book has influenced you the most? I am a constant reader, mostly of fiction, but also of books that explore ideas and historical perspectives.  The most influential book I have read in the last year is The Road to Character by David Brooks. What is something you want to learn in the next year (related to higher education or otherwise)? In the next year, I want to learn more about other countries and cultures.  I intend to do this through travel to places around the globe. If you hadn't pursued your current career, what do you think you would have done? In addition to my current career as a writer and editor, my other career has been as a mom and grandmom.  But in terms of a work life, I believe I would have ended up somewhere in higher education, possibly as an administrator or as a full-time faculty member. What is your ideal vacation? I can think of two: the first – a beach where I can relax, read, and walk; and the second a “festival” of music, film, or more generally the arts in a lively and interesting city Tell us an interesting fact about yourself that not many people may know. I love movies – even children’s movies – and I can sometimes be found (by myself) at the latest “children’s” film, which, I believe, can be delightful for anyone of any age who is willing to suspend reality for a short time.                ... View more

Time management and organization are important skills to be successful, and finding a system that works for me has been a struggle. I often find that my to-do lists either get too cluttered to be effective or I lose them. I wanted to find a system that allows me to mesh together my personal and professional to-do lists in a way that makes sense. Nothing ever seemed to work until I found the Bullet Journal system. Here are some images of my bullet journal. If you haven’t heard of a Bullet Journal before, it’s a pretty simple concept. It’s an analog organizer where you write tasks, events, and other things as bullets. Sounds like every other organizer, right? The major difference is that this isn’t a bunch of post-it notes with to-do lists scribbled on them. This is a formal way of writing to-do lists, events that have happened, and taking a quick note. It combines all of these important daily items into one place. My professional and personal life can be combined here too. No more keeping lists for work and at home. The Bullet Journal lets me keep everything in one place. I first came across the Bullet Journal through a Buzzfeed article. It seemed easy enough, and it also appealed to my creative side. This article was a great guide on how to get started and also provided a list of  good resources, including Ryder Carroll’s guide to start your own Bullet Journal. Ryder actually created the Bullet Journal system, so his site is a great reference. Here’s how I got started:     Found my journal – Carroll says all you need is a notebook and a pen. My first step was already done! I already had an Arc journal lying around, so I decided to use that. It is customizable, so I was able to add any extra sheets I want to put in the journal and it allowed  me to use my own paper with the Arc punch I already owned.      Bought my markers – Since I wanted my Bullet Journal to be colorful like all of the ones I saw on Pinterest, I needed markers. I got a pack of 12 dual-tipped markers for $3. Thank you, Target One Spot!      Decided on a layout – Carroll lays out a pretty simple layout, but I wanted to go off the ideas on saw on Pinterest to give my journal more flair. You don’t have to do this, but I liked the addition of doodling and making my pages look fun. Since I use an ARC journal and punch my own paper, I actually created a template using Whitelines Link template and Photoshop. I love that I can make changes from month to month though. I am actually thinking about trying something different for December.      Pinned ideas from Pinterest – If you search Bullet Journal Layout, Header, Ideas, etc. on Pinterest, you will find a ton of resources that will help you get started, too. I’ve been keeping my journal for three months, and I really think it’s the perfect blend of professional and personal organization. After doing a Bullet Journal for three months, what have I learned? 1. My brain is always on. ALWAYS. I need a system to keep me organized. Using the Bullet Journal helps clear my brain before I go to bed at night and gets me ready to tackle the next day. 2. Looking back on what I've done is surprisingly fun. I like being able to look back at what I accomplished as well as the little things that happened throughout my day. You’re not only writing things that need to get done, but you also can write in lunch dates that happened, what TV shows you watched that evening, and when you finish a good book. 3. I’m so good at being an adult! I like that I feel like I manage my time more effectively with my Bullet Journal. I see what I’ve accomplished as well as plan for the next day. It’s a handy tool that keeps me focused. If you have any questions about how to start your own Bullet Journal and why I found mine to be helpful, let me know! I love talking about how to be more organized, and hearing more from other people on how they stay organized as well. What are some of your favorite organization tips? ... View more