Preface

1 University as Preparation for a Great Job

What’s university all about?

What to expect after graduation

Will I get a well-paid job?

How to select courses

Mature, returning, and part-time students

What job-related skills can I learn in my courses?

2 Skills for Success at School and Work

Oral presentations

Group work

Being a proactive professional

Using numbers

Taking notes

Getting yourself organized

3 Prospering in the Classroom and Workplace

Exams, a fact of life

Strategies for multiple-choice exams

Strategies for written exams

The usefulness of essays

Writing for the academic reader

How to organize an essay

The basic structure of an essay

Essay writing as a process

Common essay-writing errors

Lab reports and similar assignments

The last word

4 Strengthening Your Critical Skills

What are critical skills?

Communication and critical thinking

Strengthening your critical skills

The limitations of narrative

Contextualizing information

The significance of theories

Theoretical levels and forms

Practical tips to help you on your way

5 Active Listening and Active Reading

Passive listening

Active listening

Active reading

Reading at an academic level

Perfecting your skills

6 Researching a Topic

Rules of thumb for researchers

Two research strategies

7 Practical Problem Solving for School, Work, and Life

Why applied problem solving is so important

Problem solving as a process

Step one: defining the problem

Step two: discovering causes

Step three: establishin