WHEN REMEDIAL COURSES IN ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS, AND STUDY SKILLS PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING FAILURE AND ATTRITION RATES AT ROCKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, A PROGRAM OF REQUIRED COUNSELING WAS ADDED, BASED UPON NINE ASSUMPTIONS--(1) ALL BEHAVIOR IS PURPOSIVE, (2) ALL HUMAN BEINGS HAVE A DESIRE TO ACHIEVE, (3) LEARNING IS A CONSEQUENCE OF LIFE EXPERIENCES, AND THE DESIRE TO LEARN IS NATURAL, (4) FAILURE TO LEARN IN SOME AREAS FREQUENTLY RESULTS FROM DISCOURAGEMENT, (5) EACH PERSON DEVELOPS A LIFE STYLE TO GOVERN HIS PERCEPTIONS, DETERMINE HIS GOALS, AND CHARACTERIZE HIS ACTS AND REACTIONS, (6) A STUDENT'S BEHAVIOR TOWARD HIS ACADEMIC WORK IS CONSISTENT WITH HIS LIFE STYLE, (7) A STUDENT ABLE TO CONCEPTUALIZE HIS LIFE STYLE CAN MODIFY IT, (8) BY A PROCESS OF ENCOURAGING, COUNSELORS MAY HELP IN MAKING CHANGES TO FACILITATE LEARNING, (9) THE COUNSELOR IS ENCOURAGING WHEN HE SHOWS HONESTY, FRANKNESS, RESPECT, AND WILLINGNESS TO BE COOPERATIVE. TECHNIQUES USED WERE (1) IDENTIFICATION OF THE STUDENT'S LIFE STYLE, (2) CONFRONTATION OF THE STUDENT WITH HIS LIFE STYLE, (3) RELATING OF HIS LIFE STYLE TO HIS ACADEMIC WORK, (4) ENCOURAGING HIM TO WORK TOWARD MODIFYING ERRONEOUS ASPECTS OF HIS LIFE STYLE, AND (5) MAINTAINING RESPECT FOR THE STUDENT AND HIS RIGHT TO MAKE HIS OWN CHOICES. THE PROGRAM APPEARED SUCCESSFUL BUT EVALUATION WAS NOT COMPLETE. THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN "PERSONNEL AND GUIDANCE JOURNAL," VOLUME 46, NUMBER 2, NOVEMBER 1967. (WO)