Book excerpt: This encouraging guide coaches African American and first-generation college students on strategies for maximizing their experiences and success on university campuses. Marked gaps in academic achievements continue to exist between white and black students on college campuses in America. This motivational book, with contributions from academic role models from within the African American community, provides tools to help ethnically diverse students choose the best college, improve their study skills, and cope with academic anxiety. From college selection to graduation, this practical resource provides firsthand accounts of successful college experiences and the strategies used by former students to obtain their degrees. This work is divided into four parts. After an introductory section that addresses how to find the right college for aspiring students, the second part discusses the culture of an academic environment and reveals what incoming students may discover on a new campus. The third section introduces the language and lingo used in college settings. Finally, the guide concludes with conversations with successful African Americans who have achieved their undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The content also features a helpful college and university directory.