Many students have difficulty with critical thinking and often fail a University exam in this area. Many times they find it difficult to think in terms of ‘big picture’ issues that are important in a broader context. They may fail to be open-minded enough to look at the situation from different perspectives. As well as being limited in their ability to critically evaluate situations, they may also lack the self-discipline and will to take action.
Critical thinking is about thinking critically about what you learn, about learning how to think for yourself rather than relying on others’ opinions, about using your own judgment, and about developing an ability to use critical thinking as an instrument for self-reflection. It is an attitude towards life and an attitude towards people and situations. It is based on the belief that life is too short to waste time on pointless and trivial matters. It is an attitude that make us happy by helping us to discover, understand, and use our intelligence. It is an attitude that make life more meaningful by making us able to see beyond the obvious and to see life in its larger context.
In the UK, many students fail a University exam in this area because they fail to apply the principles of critical thinking. Most of them will fail if they do not apply it to their personal lives. It is important to remember that your personal circumstances, interests and activities may differ from others’. Therefore, applying these principles is not just about applying critical thinking to exams but is also about applying it in your personal relationships, work and family life.
Critical thinking is a broad concept. It is used in a variety of contexts. It is used to understand social and cultural aspects of people, to understand people’s perspectives on issues, and to help us improve the quality of our lives. It is used to make sure that we are using all of our abilities in the right way so that we can reach our goals.
Students often believe that ‘critical thinking’ is an abstract or difficult concept. There is no such thing as ‘critical thinking’, the way of thinking that is ‘right’, or even an abstract ‘thinking process’. People can learn to think for themselves and to critically analyze a situation by understanding how to think.
Self-reflection requires self-awareness, self-analysis and self-expression. It is necessary for a student to ask questions and be honest and transparent about how he or she thinks. Students often fail a University examination in this area because they have difficulty with the concepts of critical thinking because they have a limited understanding of what they are thinking about. They may fail because they do not know the difference between logic and reason, between the use of logic and reasoning and between logic and faith. They may fail because they have not developed their own ‘toolbox’ of resources to test their critical thinking skills.
Self reflection requires practice. Students need to practice self-reflection in order to become better at it. A good way to practice is to use critical thinking as a tool for thinking about one’s life. It is important to note that when you apply critical thinking in your life, you will not immediately solve problems but only find solutions that are more meaningful to you. This means that it is important to develop and use the tools that you have and learn new ones to apply to your problems. As you become more proficient in using these tools, you will begin to see new ways in which you approach your problems and be able to think critically.
