Welcome To The Student Success Library!

Each subject below links to a student success “chapter” of content which includes videos, readings, activities as well as tools for educators. At the bottom of this page, you’ll see a big button that says Student Success Textbook, which has all of the content on each of these subjects compiled into a downloadable PDF. Enjoy and have a great experience.

N.B.: The Student Success Library was customized for Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, CA. If you come across an SMC that does not apply to or is not useful to you, search your local resources for similar tools that can help.

Student Success Library

• Explore Your Personal Values and Motivation

• Goals: Setting and Reaching Them

• What Does Success Mean To You?

• Time Management, Including Battling Procrastination

• Learning How To Learn

• The Information Processing System: Memory, Active Reading, Notes

• Test Taking and Anxiety

• Exploring Majors and Careers

• Identify and Plan for Your Educational Goals

• Critical Thinking

• Diversity And Communication

• Mental, Physical and Emotional Health

• Stress Management

• Substance Use, Abuse, and Dependence

• Relationships and Health

• Personal Finances and Paying for College

• Now What?

Shorter-Than-A-Chapter Tips And Articles Just For You

• How Can I Set And Achieve My Goals?, 

• How Can I Learn About Money And Budgeting?

• How Do I Choose A Career That’s Right For Me?

• How Do I Talk To Professors When I Need Help?

• What Can I Do If I Have A Problem Dealing With Roommates?

• What Documents Do I Need To Have?

• How Do I Ask For A Recommendation Letter?

• How Do I Write A Professional Bio?

• How Can I Get Help With Intimate Partner Or Family Violence?

• How Do I Get Paid To Go To College?

• How Do I Get Ready For A Job Interview?

• What’s a Resume and How Do I Make One?

• How Do I Get and Keep a Job?

• What Can I Do After High School Besides College?

Do you want all of the Student Success Library items in one easy-to-download and share PDF? Click below!

I hope these resources help you get the most out of your educational experiences as well as achieve your life goals.

All of these resources are free of charge to all, and you may use and share as you wish under the Creative Commons license indicated below.

Please let me know if I can help you get the most out of school as a student, develop materials or skillsets as an educator, or lift up your community. I’m here for you and appreciate you.

If you’d like me to come and speak at your school, offer a teacher training, or help you develop your own customized student success curricula, please get in touch with me.

This donation invitation is not intended for current or former Santa Monica College (SMC) students, faculty or staff. It is a request for the wider community to support my work outside of SMC for communities in need. Thank you.

This work, Student Success Library, is part of the Student Success Library, which is a derivative of Student Success, originally modified by Vanessa Bonilla, Dr. Tyffany Dowd, Jackeline Felix, Dyana Valentine, Olivia Vallejo and Daniella Washington from the original Student Success by Graciela Martinez, Anh Nguyen, and Liz Shaker under CC BY-SA 4.0. Student Success Library is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 by Dyana Valentine. Last edit date: July 2022.