Students who manage their time properly and communicate effectively with faculty -- no matter what the situation -- perform better in college. Today's college tuition is too expensive to go to school unprepared and hope it all works out okay. Every penny, every minute, needs to count. But most college students have no idea how to start making the most of their investment. It isn't enough just to go to class. Students need to know the rules: how to tackle assignments, the trick to organizing life's must-haves like eating, exercising and family, how best to work with faculty in and out of class and how to have time off to relax and recharge, just to name a few.

This isn't your typical "how to be successful in college" book. College success isn't about brilliance, and it isn't about working yourself to death. It is about a student's commitment to themselves, their education and their future. 'Sink or Swim' is straight from the hip and designed to be entertaining and memorable, filled with buzz words and stories that etch the advice and methods into the reader's brain. Ann James Joles boils college down to the rules every student needs to understand. A first-year student? 'Sink or Swim' tells you everything you need to know. A seasoned student tired of being overwhelmed and exhausted? 'Sink or Swim' gets you back on track and helps you find your motivation.

Ann James Joles is a former University of Maine faculty member and has worked with countless college students over the last two decades, often helping first year students navigate their early semesters. Leaving the classroom to pursue writing full time, she decided that college students had to be her first assignment and wrote this book to help students make the most of their education. She also provides academic coaching and workshops for college students and their families.

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