Smarter Than You Think - Suzanne Liff

Millions of students head to college every year. Yet only about half persist to earn their degree.  Even among the “best and brightest,” many struggle, drop out, fail, or step away. What’s going on? And how can it be different for you?

Smarter Than You Think: Accessing Your Personal Powers to Triumph in College reframes our concept of what it means to be smart in higher education. Take a groundbreaking and transformative journey with Professor Liff through the hidden foundation of college success; not IQ or achievement scores, high school grades or SAT’s…but personal intelligence.  See its pervasive power to lift students up and escort them right on to the graduation stage.  You’ll enjoy your travels!

Crafted for new and returning college students, college-bound high schoolers, non-traditional students coming back to college after a break, and parents, professors, and counselors, this book is both a prerequisite and companion for a positive pathway to college success.

Discover the many ways to be intelligent.  Then delve into the six major competencies that make up our personal, social and emotional intelligence:  self-awareness, the capacity to regulate emotions and deal with disappointment and stress, the ability to set meaningful goals, knowing how to monitor your own progress and actions, having empathy for others, and social skills that help establish relationships, work well on a team, and even step up to leadership. Experience how they support, guide, and even rescue students during the changes and challenges of college life. You will be amazed at how these capacities promote success and champion academic performance – and happiness – throughout the college years and beyond.

Along the way readers explore related incredibly valuable qualities for thriving in college:

•    Know how important it is to be optimistic.
•    Understand why delaying gratification is so vital for any student who wants to graduate.
•    Learn what it means to have grit and to keep going when you feel like quitting.
•    Reflect on issues shared by college students, so you won’t be shocked by them or feel alone in your concerns.
•    Consider productive ways to communicate your needs and advocate for yourself.
•    Take valuable risks, like joining in, speaking out, finding your voice, and taking charge!
•    Learn tools to resolve conflicts with others and inside yourself.
•    Discover a remarkable potion for ditching procrastination and managing your time and workload; the number one challenge for every undergraduate.
•    Think about yourself often to consider your own reactions and reflections to things you learn or experience. There are many stopping points throughout the chapters of this book to do that!

An engaging independent read, Smarter Than You Think, also works beautifully as an ancillary text for freshman college experience courses or university orientation programs. It far transcends typical “tips” for college students. In an encouraging and supportive voice, it weaves scholarly theory and research with compelling college issues and scenarios, true campus stories, insights and advice that packs every reader’s book bag with the tools to thrive in school.

Succeeding in college is not just about academics.  Read Smarter Than You Think to understand, unlock, and apply your personal powers.  You can grow them.  Make them stronger.  They will enrich, uplift, and manage your life and times in college.  Achieve, persevere, enjoy…and triumph!