Introduction

We designed this Open Educational Resources (OER) First Year Seminar textbook to help you navigate the transition to college and to prepare you for your future academic career. Our editorial team brings together LaGuardia faculty, staff, and students from various disciplines. We are committed to a process of open pedagogy and value student participation in knowledge production, so students were actively involved in all stages of the creation of this book. We are grateful to our student team for gathering and creating resources and providing valuable feedback on all chapters to make this an accessible and exciting resource for their peers! Some of the content you will find in this book is original and unique to LaGuardia, while other content has been adopted from other Open Educational Resources (OER).

What is an OER?

Open Educational Resources (aka OER) are resources available digitally, for free, on the web. OER can take many forms, including textbooks.

Your OER textbook is:

• openly accessible (free) and available to all students on the web.
• designed to be accessible using standard web browsers, mobile devices, screen readers and other assistive technology
• available in multiple formats
• printable
• downloadable

View the video below for a brief tutorial on how to navigate the textbook.

Textbook formats

You can read your OER textbook in a few different ways. Here are four options:

• Online: Using the textbook online offers features that include videos, interactive assignments, and links to other online resources. You can access all parts of the book digitally through the website given to you by your professor. The online version of the textbook requires an internet connection.
• Print PDF: Print PDFs are formatted to print a physical copy of the complete book or individual chapters. This format is a good way to read if you don’t have secure internet access, like during your commute on the subway.
• Digital PDF: Digital PDF files are useful if you want to read your book as a digital file, but do not intend to print  the file. Digital PDFs are optimized for accessibility, contain hyperlinks for easier navigation, and can be used online.
• EPUB: EPUBs can be opened by most modern ebook reader apps that you’ll find on your phone, tablet, or computer. Some examples of readers are Kobo, Nook, iBooks, and Amazon.

The best format is the one that helps you learn best, so choose the format that works for you.

College can be both exciting and overwhelming when you first get started, and we want to make sure that you can focus on the excitement rather than the anxieties that may come with a new beginning. In the First Year Seminar, we want to explore what you are passionate about and help you move towards realizing those passions. Some of you already know exactly where you want to go in life, and some of you might feel that there are many paths leading into different possible futures.

Watch the video below to hear Bryan Perez describe why this textbook is helpful to students:

To this end, in the following chapters, you will learn about:

• the many educational opportunities for students at LaGuardia Community College
• campus services and resources
• how to engage with the college community through extracurricular activities
• strategies for academic success
• research methodologies and career paths in specific disciplines
• health and wellness
• diversity and accessibility

Wherever your path may take you, we hope that this textbook will offer you a foundation that you can rely on to succeed in your future academic and professional endeavors. The entire LaGuardia community looks forward to supporting you along the way.

References, Licenses, and Attributions

Using OER Textbooks: Student Guide  by Jen Booth is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 unless otherwise noted.