Critical thinking is one of the important skills that every students must understand, learn, and practice. If you are wondering what is critical thinking then here is the definition:
Critical Thinking is the ability to make informed decisions or solve problems by analyzing, evaluating, and process the information that is available.
Developing critical thinking skill is a must for students in order to make reasoned decisions and sove problems that may come their way. This skill is not only used for academics but this is a life skill which is going to help you throughout the life.
This guide is specially created to let students understand the importance of critical thinking, how they can learn it, and they can apply critical thinking to real life problems in order to find out an informed solution.
What it’s important to understand Critical Thinking?
Following are some of the reasons why critical thinking is important every student. This a must to learn skill,
Problem Solving
Problem solving comes with critical thinking. We often make decisions or look at problem from emotions point of view which isn’t good in most of the cases. Critical thinking allow students to look at problems in a very systematic manner, consider different perspectives, and make an informed decision based on the data, reasoning, and analysis. Logical reasoning is given importance instead of emotions or bias.
Independent Learning
Through critical thinking, students get to understand the importance of self directed learning and self intellectual growth. They rely on their study, evaluation, and analysis rather than solely relying on other’s opinions or information.
Academic Growth
Critical thinking helps a lot in improving the academic performance. Once you have an understanding of critical thinking, you will be able to perform to many academic tasks more efficiently such as reading comprehension, writing essays, and conducting research. You will be able to present your ideas more clearly and construct well reasoned arguments.
Lifelong Skill
The use of critical thinking is not limited to academics only. This is a skill that will help you in both personal and professional for lifelong. You will be able to solve complex problems, understand data much better, think from different perspectives, and make well reasoned and informed decisions based on your analysis.
Every student must understand what is critical thinking, why is it important, learn it, and practice it. Practise is most important to make critical thinking habit for yourself.
What is Foundation of Critical Thinking?
Curiosity and Open Mindedness are the foundation of Critical Thinking. You have be open minded and curious in order to understand the critical thinking because they are the foundation of it. If you have these qualities then you’re good to go and if you haven’t these qualities then make efforts to develop them. Here is how you can develop these qualities:
Ask Questions
Curious people ask a lot of question, they are hungry for information and they are curious to know everything. Start asking questions in order to gather as much information as you can. The gathered information will eventually helps you in a better understanding of the topic.
Understand Different Perspectives
You should be open to explore different perspectives. Engage in discussion, explore diverse sources. In order to make informed decision, you must consider all the siders of an argument.
How to Apply Critical Thinking to Real-Life Situations
The use of critical thinking is not limited to the academics only, apply it in your day to day life and make wise decisions. Here is how you can use critical thinking skills in real-life scenarios:
Make Informed Decisions
Use your critical thinking ability to make daily life decisions i.e. what sports to play, which club or group to join, manage your time, resolve conflicts with friends, etc. This skill is valuable for personal and professional life.
Analyze Information & Data
Critical thinking helps you understand what to trust and what not. There is a lot of false narratives or fake news on the internet these days. Through critical thinking, you can question the credibility of news or narratives, you can better understand the context, see if there are any biases, etc.
Solve Practical Problems
Solving problems comes with critical thinking. Apply your critical thinking skills to find solutions to daily life problems such as budget management, time management, etc. Be logical while finding solution, refrain from emotions and personal biases.
Critical thinking comes with practice. Apply this skill in a day to day life to practice it even more. Make sure to evaluate your decision to understand where you have gone wrong and where you have made a perfect decision.
Conclusion
In today’s world, it’s essential for everyone to develop critical thinking skill. Critical thinking does not come naturally to most out us, so we have to make efforts to understand and master this skill. Start with the foundation i.e. be curious and be open minded. Learn to look at things from different perspectives. To be a good critical thinker, you must have sharp analytical skills. Apply critical thinking in your daily life in order to practice it more.
You won’t learn this skill in a day, so make sure to learn and practice it.