Cornerstone: Building on Your Best, Concise Edition - Softcover

Education is not preparation for life, education is

life itself.
– John Dewey, educator

Cornerstone was born out of our desire to help new college students develop the skills that would enable them to be successful in college. Seldom will you read a textbook as honest and straightforward as we have tried to make this one. The words that you read and the activities provided in this worktext have not come easily to us. They are the result of our collective experiences over our many years of teaching and administration in higher education. We hope our words will touch you deeply and provide you insight that will enable you to make it to graduation and beyond.

We hope that our words will give you peace as well as cause you some discomfort; teach you and challenge you; hold you and let you go. It is also our hope that you will approach these activities with new eyes; yours is a different world now. To experience that world, you'll need to be open and willing to participate. Without your participation, the power of this worktext is lost. With your participation, it holds unlimited possibilities for bringing change, improving skills, and setting you off on a lifetime of success.

Within the pages of this worktext you will find many activities, such as At This Moment, which will help you explore where you are and where you are going. Each chapter includes a feature called An Insider's View, stories from students across the United States discussing issues found within the chapter. You will also find a new feature, From the World of Work, essays from professionals in a variety of careers.

You will notice that the pages of Cornerstone are filled with cartoons. They are there for your enjoyment and to add a little comic relief (many of them are a howl!). The cartoons also tell a story. Get to know Cliff, Miho, Vasquez, Kate, and the others. Watch how they cope with their college experiences, how they're changed by them, and how they grow from them.

We have added a couple of important new topics. There are three entirely new chapters, Chapter 3, How are You Smart? A Personal Journey into Multiple Intelligences, Learning Styles, and Personality Typing, Chapter 4, Think before You Leap: Using Critical Thinking Skills in College and Life, and Chapter 10, Strategies for Success: A Guide to Writing and Public Speaking.

There is a double entry journal designed to accompany this text (at no extra charge), which , your instructor may opt to order with the text for this course. When used properly, this journal can be a valuable communication tool between you, your peers, and your instructor. Take your time to reflect honestly and openly on the questions asked. Only through your own soul-searching and self-revelation will the features of this book help you improve your skills as a college student and assist you in becoming a productive citizen.

We wish you luck in building your future on the cornerstones that will carry you for the rest of your life.

Rhonda, Pat, and Robb

Key Benefit: It is never easy to deal with transition and decision-making in life...especially when factors such as careers, relationships, prejudice, and study stress are added to the equation. This book is designed to help the reader to learn to trust his or her ability to make responsible, thoughtful decisions during life's major changes and it's daily challenges. Key Topics: The "Concise Edition" of the popular Cornerstone: Building On Your Best program continues the Cornerstone emphasis on helping teachers to empower their students to make responsible choices in college and in life. It shows, rather than tells, through its real-life vignettes and self-reflective exercises that engage readers and help them look at themselves and their lives through different eyes. This book promotes growth, change, and responsible decision-making -- whether the reader is examining his/her own study habits, facing prejudices, or making difficult decision about relationships and careers. Added to the discussion are important new ideas about thinking skills, learning styles and cooperative learning. This book differs from the "big" Cornerstone through the concentration of discussion on self-esteem and motivation into one chapter, shorter discussion of relationships and campus activities, a new chapter on "Think Before You Leap: Using Critical Thinking Skills in College and in Life" and a new section on Learning Styles and Learning Preferences.Market: Teachers, educational professionals and counselors.