Alex Chediak

I read about this book in USA Today and The Chronicle of Higher Education, and it sounds outstanding -- and sobering. It is largely a presentation of extensive research done on "how much 2,300 statistically representative undergraduates—who enrolled as freshmen in a diverse group of 24 colleges and universities in 2005—had learned by the time they (in theory) were ready to graduate, in 2009." As a measuring tool, they used the Collegiate Learning Assessment, a standardized test that gauges students' critical thinking, analytic reasoning and writing skills. Their findings? * After two years in … [Read more...] about Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses

Incoming freshmen, particularly women, are stressed out and students' self-ratings of emotional health dropped to a record 25-year low in 2010. Only 45% of female freshmen perceive that their emotional health is above average; the figure is close to 60% for men. These are among the findings of a survey called The American Freshman: National Norms. The survey, involving more than 200,000 incoming, full-time students, was recently published by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies as part of the Cooperative Institutional … [Read more...] about Incoming College Students Rate Emotional Health at Record Low

Sorry the blogging is so light these days. My schedule has been quite full of late and I'm looking forward the redesign of this site, which should be ready in a few weeks. It's Wednesday, so here's the next installment of endorsements for Thriving at College. The two books listed below by Dr. Veith were quite helpful to me in the writing of the academic chapters of the book. “Since my oldest son is getting ready to tackle college in a couple years, I’m super grateful for Alex Chediak’s book. Writing from the perspective of both a parent and a professor, Dr. Chediak presents a practical … [Read more...] about Tchividjian, Veith, and Horton on Thriving at College

I'm thrilled to announce that Alex and Brett Harris, co-authors of best-selling Do Hard Things and Start Here, have written the Foreword for Thriving at College (note the updated info on Amazon). Here's how the Foreword ends: "The student who thrives at college—the student who glorifies God with his or her college years—is the one who sees it as a great opportunity that comes with great responsibility. Alex Chediak understands this better than most, with the experience and heart to help students reach their full God-given potential. Thriving at College will help you navigate the common … [Read more...] about Alex & Brett Harris, Bob Lepine, and Leland Ryken on Thriving at College