Page 162 - Keys to College Success

KEY 5.12 Examine how problems and decisions differ

SITUATION YOU HAVE A PROBLEM IF . . . YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION IF . . .

PLANNING SUMMER Your low GPA means you need to attend summer You’ve been accepted into two summer abroad
ACTIVITIES school—and you’ve already accepted a summer job. internship programs.
It’s time to declare, but you don’t have all the There are three majors that appeal to you and you
DECLARING A MAJOR
prerequisites for the major you want. qualify for them all.
HANDLING COMMUNICA- You are having trouble following the lecture style Your psychology survey course has seven sections
TIONS WITH INSTRUCTORS of a particular instructor. taught by different instructors; you have to choose one.

Note your own perspective, and look for others. Make sure your assumptions are not
getting in the way.
Generate possible solutions based on causes, not effects. Addressing a cause
provides a lasting solution, whereas “putting a Band-Aid on” an effect cannot. Say, for
example, that your shoulder hurts when you type. Getting a massage is a helpful but
temporary solution, because the pain returns whenever you go back to work. Changing
your keyboard height is a better idea and a lasting solution to the problem, because it
eliminates the cause of your pain.

Consider how possible solutions affect you and others. Which risk rewards you
most? Which takes other people’s needs into consideration? Is it possible to maximize
reward for all involved?
Evaluate your solution and act on it. Once you choose a solution and put it into
action, ask yourself: What worked? What would you avoid or change in the future?
What happens if you don’t work through a problem comprehensively? Take, for
example, a student having an issue with an instructor. He may get into an argument
with the instructor, stop showing up to class, or do half-hearted work on assignments. Critical, Creative, and Practical Thinking
All of these choices have negative consequences. Now look at how the student might
work through this problem using analytical, creative, and practical thinking skills.
Key 5.13 shows how his effort can pay off.

Make a Decision

As you use the steps in Key 5.11 to make a decision, remember these strategies.
Look at the given options—then try to think of more. Some decisions have a
given set of options. For example, your school may allow you to major, double major, or
major and minor. However, you may be able to work with an advisor to come up with
more options, such as an interdisciplinary major. Consider similar situations you’ve
been in or heard about, what decisions were made, and what resulted from
those decisions.

Think about how your decision affects others. What you choose
might have an impact on friends, family, and others around you.
Gather perspectives. Talk with others who made similar decisions. If
you listen carefully, you may hear ideas you never thought about.
Consider choices with different levels of risk.

Look at the long-term effects. As with problem solving, the quality
of future choices depends on your examining what happened after you put
the decision into action. For important decisions, do a short-term evaluation
and another evaluation after a period of time.

125