Critical Thinking

Chapter 3 Summary

There is no stereotypical college student. All face an array of challenges, whether it be social, vocational, academic, physical, emotional, spiritual, or financial. College and "real life" can throw many curve balls such as accidents, illness, natural disasters, social upheavals, economic downturns, etc. While these curve balls may serve as a distraction to reach our goals, they could also lead us to change our goals entirely. What we intend to plan for our lives will not also be what turns out. Instead, we should follow where life takes us and make the best of what is given. We can do this, even with the unexpected turns, by using a 5 step critical thinking problem-solving process.

This 5 step process teaches us how to take responsibility for our own lives. This 5 step process also goes by "The IDEAS process", because each step begins with a letter of "IDEAS". The text defines problem solving as "moving from the point at which we initially realize that we have a difficulty that requires our attention to that point where we regard the difficulty as being sufficiently resolved for the current time and circumstances" (46). Mentioned in the text's definition is Step 1 (also the "I" in "Ideas"), which is to Identify your problems and set priorities for oneself. We must clarify to ourselves what the situation is at hand and be honest, even if it is hard for us to swallow. Step 2 is to Deepen your understanding and gather relevant information. By seeking further information about our situation, we are able to better comprehend what we are dealing with. Step 3 is to Enumerate options and anticipate consequences. We must consider the realistic outcomes of our situation, whether they are ideal or not. By realizing these outcomes, we can save energy and move forward with solving our problem. Step 4 is to Assess the situation and make a preliminary