This paper discusses the qualities and methods needed in a student success guide. This guide outlines what students must do to perform well and complete their education satisfactorily regardless of the institution they attend.
             Of primary concern to most students when entering college is their ability to achieve, succeed and acquire their diploma. Many universities now offer success guides to students with the hope that students will benefit from these guides. This paper hypothesizes that a successful student guide will encourage students to find intrinsic motivation and adopt learning strategies that support a self-managed approach. A self-managed approach is one where students have control over the courses they take and the manner in which they study (Dembo, 2000; Bandura, 1982). This approach does not suggest teachers do not involve themselves with students; rather it suggests the role of the teacher is to offer students skills that help them organize their coursework and encourage them to create a plan of action that motivates them on an individual level. Stipek (1998) notes that many students feel they have a limited ability to succeed. Thus, it is the teacher's role and the role of the student guide to help encourage the student and suggest this feeling is false and then helps the students identify their personal motivational triggers.
             Once a student understands what motivates them, they are more likely to change their behaviors and their beliefs about their ability to succeed. Also important to include in a student success guide are tips and strategies that will enable students to learn how to manage time effectively, especially when they are involved in multiple activities or extracurricular activities while attending university (Britton & Tesser, 1991). Time management strategies that may prove beneficial in a student success guide include techniques for prioritizing assignments, lessons, studying and "
             ...