Throughout my time here at PSU, we have learned about these things called the Habits of Mind. Through certain courses, we learn critical skills that are designed to help us succeed in our careers. These skills are broken into 4 distinct categories known as, Purposeful communication, Problem Solving, Integrated Perspective, and Self-Regulated Learning. I’ve learned a lot from these courses, and I can’t wait to share my experience with you!
Purposeful Communication is the first of four “signpost” I will be talking about here. In simple terms it says that you should communicate with your team and others effectively. There should be a reason you word things the way you do, and show you are actively engaged. I’ve practiced this plenty during my time at Plymouth State. Every group assignment, project, or presentation, requires all members to practice this signpost. Without it, a team simply cannot be as effective as they could be.
Problem Solving would be the second skill I’ve learned from my college career. The ability to problem solve in my opinion is the most important skill one can learn. Life is full or problems, it never goes smoothly. Being able to find a solution, whether it be a work, or at home is what makes a person successful. I’ve spent a lot of my time working on small electronics projects (I’m a Robotics major). These are littered with small errors that I make along the way and the only way for me to continue is if I found where I went wrong and fix it. One of my professors once said that our careers will essentially be “a professional problem solver”.
Integrated Perspective is the next of the four main categories. This skillset really ties everything together. No matter what major you are, or what career you wish to be a part of. There are different standpoints on any topic. People are raised in different ways, and therefore, have a different view on the same topic. For example, the conversation of AI which has been a big part of humanity now adays. A scientist might look at it as a nice tool for compiling information and drawing conclusions, whereas an art major may look at it as a competitor. Both people are college educated, but their unique experiences lead them to believe polarizing opinions. It’s important we take this into account when publishing work or trying to relate to others.
Self-Regulated Learning was the last topic I would like to touch on here. College is really the first time for a student where learning is completely up to them. In high school students are forced to go to class by parents and punished if they decide not to. College is a completely different experience. Students are 100% responsible for getting out of bed and putting their education first. I’ve learned how to study in college effectively as most of my education is my trying to learn new skills I don’t already have. There is a quote from Albert Einstein that says, “when you stop learning, you start dying”. This shows the importance this brings to your life, not just after school, but forever.
These skills have all come together to make me the person I am today. They help me outside of school way more than I realized. I used to think that these ideas were dumb when I was taking TWP (Tackling a Wicked Problem). As I was writing this, I really began to see why our university puts these courses into place.These core ideas will help us succeed in anything that we put them to, not just being a good employee.
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