Book excerpt: Authored by three of the nation's leading experts on the first-year experience, this Concise version of Your College Experience presents a straightforward, realistic, and intelligent review of the skills students need to succeed in college. This less expensive, streamlined Concise edition offers an expanded academic focus through added coverage of writing, speaking, the library, research, and information literacy. Particularly relevant to today's students, a new Money chapter discusses managing money, building credit, and financing college. A new chapter on Emotional Intelligence explains what emotional intelligence is, why everyone should understand it, and why it matters in college. A fresh, clean new design eliminates clutter so that students can focus on the important topics.