College Success: Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the use of reflective judgment in decision-making.Critical thinking is a survival skill used in our fast-paced world.  The following are steps to improve those skills.

Improve Your Skills

1. ​Get the information you need
2. Check for source credibility
3. Remain open-minded
4. Clarify
5. Consider alternatives
6. Think a few steps ahead
7. Organize your thoughts
8. Be patient

Common Sense

The ability to make sound judgment based on previous experiences or fact is known as common sense.  There are many ways to improve you common sense skills and is not necessarily common.  Here are some ways to improve your ways of thinking to hone your common sense.

Improve Your Skills

1. Admit you have a problem - recognizing that you have a problem will help you accept the solution
2. Slow down - errors can occur based on impulsive decisions
3. Bite your tongue - avoid misinterpretation of what you say
4. Ask for feedback - understand other perspectives
5. Take a personality assessment - some of these include MBTI, DISC, or Hogan test to identify your natural abilities and biases that you may have
6. Ask for help
7. Choose a role model
8. Read - there are many books to improve your ways of thinking (Blink - The Power of Thinking Without Thinking)

8 Ways to Develop Better Common Sense, Dan McCarthy, (2015) Retrieved from http://management.about.com/od/projectmanagement/fl/8-Ways-to-Develop-Better-ldquoCommon-Senserdquo.htm

How To Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills, (2009). College Foundation of West Virginia. Retreived from http://www.cfwv.com/Home/Article.aspx?articleId=h4PENiEIk1ZI1u6tEYsNhQXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX&level=3XAP2FPAX6J7I3kztATGuYyXAP2BPAXDahIQXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX