Strands in the extant literature show many students graduate from high school illprepared to be successful in the postsecondary environment. The purpose of this study is to better understand best practices for achieving first-year student success within the realm of higher education. First-year college students may experience challenges in obtaining student success compared to those students who are at sophomore, junior, and senior levels. A review of the literature identified obstacles to and methods for achieving academic success. This body of knowledge underscores strategies to transition from postsecondary school to college. Additionally, students who are well-prepared demonstrate high-level competencies and proficiencies in all core and advanced coursework. Through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with college students who had completed their first year, success data were gathered and coded to reveal common themes representative of the best practices for achieving student success. Informed by the college readiness framework developed by Conley (2007), rich data from the study were analyzed using four dimensions of college readiness: (a) key cognitive strategies, (b) academic content, (c) academic skills and behavior, and (d) contextual skills and awareness. Findings from the Conley study indicated that post-secondary students' experiences determined their academic outcomes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]