Your College Handbook
Smart_Tracc: Smart Transition And Completion of College
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Know What's in the Box before You Go out of the Box
Smart_Tracc: Smart Transition And Completion of College
Get on the Smart Path and
Ace the College with YourCollegeHandbook
Welcome!
I offer consultation, guidance, and mentorship on transition to, and completion of college & beyond.
Parents and students spend significant amount of time and resources to get into college. College education will likely be the most consequential investment they make.
But they do not consider how to transition to, adapt to, and graduate college with a job that turns into a rewarding and successful career.
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While college completion is a national issue, with proper knowledge, planning, and sustainable execution your can be a rewarding learning experience, fun and a character builder journey - as it is said the best time of life!
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Here at YourCollegeHandbook we can help you on a successful journey!
Coaching | The Book | Videos | Tools & Resources
Success in College & Beyond!
Transition to College
A crucial need for success
in college is to
understand the difference
between high school and
college.
In a study of high
school seniors, 89%
expected that their
collegiate academic experience would echo
that high school, and
almost 71% of new college
students assumed that
their college instructors
would get to know them personally. On the other
hand, professors think
majority of college
entrants are not ready and
that high-schools must
better prepare students.
You need to know the differences & expectations and plan well.
See SERVICES for a
bullet list of how we
can help.
While in College
Teachers are trained to
teach or impart
knowledge. Professors
are trained as experts in
area of research – create knowledge.
Teachers approach you if
they believe you need assistance. Professors
expect you to initiate
contact if you need assistance.
Teachers lead you
through thinking
process, while
professors expect you to
think critically and
synthesize seemingly unrelated topics.
For an AP course in high school you go to class
135 hours but for the
same class in college
only 45 hours.
The difference?
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The list goes on and you
need to understand and
plan for engagement
and success.
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See SERVICES for a
bullet list of how we
can help.
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Post College
Myth: “If you get into a
good college, study hard,
and graduate with
excellent grades, you will
be pretty much set for a successful career,”
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That's just a Myth.
It's more than that.
Much More!!!
You need to plan beyond college while in college.
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See SERVICES for a
bullet list of how we
can help.
Bio
First and foremost parent of three college graduate and professional children. I have the life as well as professional (as you read below) experience to help you!
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M. Ala Saadeghvaziri is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He joined NJIT in 1988 as an assistant professor after receiving his BS (with high honors, 1981), MS (1983), and PhD (1988) degrees from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Saadeghvaziri’s research background is rooted in structural engineering, with a strong emphasis on the nonlinear response of structural and mechanical systems under extreme multi-hazard events, infrastructure resilience, the application of new materials, and the sustainable development of infrastructure. More recently, his research has expanded to engineering education, driven by a deep commitment to enhancing student success in college. He envisions truly student-centered universities, where students do not merely consume knowledge but actively engage in its creation - a stark contrast to traditional K-12 education. He underscores a critical yet often overlooked contrast between high school and college: in high school, subjects are covered over 135 hours by trained, licensed educators dedicated solely to teaching. In college, however, students receive only 45 hours of instruction from professors who juggle multiple roles, with teaching as just one of their responsibilities. The expectation is that students will independently make up the 90-hour deficit, yet prior active learning strategies, despite good-faith efforts, have largely failed to bridge this gap. His work focuses on developing a pedagogical framework that effectively addresses this challenge by engaging students more deeply, fostering autonomy, and promoting long-term academic success.
Dr. Saadeghvaziri is a registered professional engineer in the states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He is a program evaluator for ABET (PEV), a Fellow of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and a past member of American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). He is the 2024 recipient of NJIT Nexus of Excellence Award: Excellence in Innovation in Education, and 2025 Saul K. Fenster Innovation in Engineering Education Award.