College Thinking 9A

There are several major differences between high school and college.  The biggest adjustment has been the kind of work professors are expecting us to do.  In high school it’s all about written assignments that were to be handed in.  It was all based on fact and not necessarily on opinion.   College is completely different.  College is about thinking in a different way.  Critical thinking is the key to college success.  Critical thinking takes practice and is a lot more work than just learning and thinking about the facts. 

Anytime you learn something, your brain has to process the information.  For most, they just learn it for what it is and never really take the time to analyze it or break it down further to the point where they really understand it.  When you do break things down further, you are able to get the underlining meanings to things. Usually, the underlining meaning means more then what it would if just learned it literally.  By doing this, you are able to answer deeper questions and ask deeper questions.  Critical thinking is different for everyone.  When you think critically, you break down things in your mind so you understand it.  Some people call this “over thinking,” but over thinking can lead to great ideas. 

In the end, thinking critically takes a lot more time and effort.  I have noticed throughout this first half of a semester here at Southern I have been exhausted.  I have been asked questions that lead me to understand whats not being shown.  This is harder then I thought, but I think I am getting better at it.  When talking to one of my professors, I learned that this is because my brain is not used to thinking like this, it results to me always being tired.  She continued on to say that it gets much easier. 

Although, thinking critically takes much more effort and determination, in the end it pays off.  You become smarter and are able to learn in all different ways.  It’s worth it in the end!