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to reach your goals. Topics will broaden your understanding, and exercises will have
                                   you put it into action in personal and productive ways. Self-assessments and journal
                                   questions will encourage reflection. Your thinking skills will grow and will transfer
                                   to any task or situation in your life.
                                      One of the most essential skills you will build is learning for life. The signs in
                                   Key 1.9 point to the need to be a lifelong learner, continuing to build knowledge and
                                   skills as your career and life demand. Your work in this course will help you fulfill
                                   that need.
                                      Finally, you will strengthen your ability and willingness to take calculated risks
                                   large and small. You will find threaded throughout this text the concept of targeted,
                                   productive risk leading to a desired reward. In everything you approach in life, a reward
                                   waits in exchange for your risk. Here are just a few examples of how to take action,
      1                            earn rewards, and build your risk-taking habit while in college:
      CHAPTER                       ■  Risk looking confused by asking a question in class or in an online class forum,

                                      for the reward of greater understanding.
                                    ■  Risk the time it takes to match or exceed your abilities on a project, for the
                                      reward of increased knowledge and skill (and perhaps an excellent grade).
                                    ■  Risk the awkwardness of reaching out to an instructor, for the reward of a rela-
                                      tionship that can deepen your academic experience and perhaps provide career
                                      guidance.




             KEY       1.9    A changing world means learning is for life.





          If you stop learning, your                                                  The Internet and technology
          knowledge base will be                                                      will shape communications and
          inadequate to keep up with the                                              improve knowledge and
          changes in your career, thus                                                productivity during the next
          affecting your marketability.        Knowledge      Technology is           20 years—and will require
                                        in nearly every field  changing how you        continual learning.
                                       is doubling every two  live and work.
                                            to three years.




                                        The global economy    Workers are changing
                                          is moving from a    jobs and careers more
                                        product and service   frequently.
          In the United States and     base to a knowledge                            Every time you decide to start a
          abroad, jobs are being created   and talent base.                           new career, you need new
          that ask workers to think                                                   knowledge and skills.
          critically to come up with
          solutions.














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