Every day, we use our brains to navigate life. At Plymouth State, we learn four key tactics that help us use our brains and navigate our lives: purposeful communication, problem-solving, integrated perspective, and self-regulated learning.
Purposeful communication is very important to me. It means communicating with meaning, whether through a text message or spoken words. I am usually the friend who speaks up when there is an issue or behavior that needs to be addressed. Sometimes I hold back and say nothing because it can be exhausting being the only person who stands up. I often communicate through texts because it is difficult for me in person. Before I send a text or have a deep conversation, I think carefully about the context, my tone, and how the other person may feel.
Problem solving is another habit of mind that is key and important to understand in life. “Problems range widely in scale and scope—small to large, local to global, well-defined to ambiguous, simulated to real-world—and problem solving may be undertaken individually or in collaboration with others” (Members). Making decisions is the most important part of life. You make decisions every day: what to eat for lunch, when you are going to do homework. These also shape who you are. I made the decision to send a text message to someone so I could get my point across because of rumors that are being made up; that decision, and thinking about what I will say, even when I will send the message, all played factors. Even factoring in whether I should even send the message, would it have a different outcome? I am not at base camp with this habit of mind; I am faced with challenges and problem-solving every single day.
Integrated Perspective is another habit of mind. “Integrated Perspective is a habit of mind characterized by the recognition that individual beliefs, ideas, and values are influenced by personal experience as well as multiple contextual factors—cultural, historical, political, etc.” (Members). My self-awareness is through the roof; it is one of my best qualities. It may take me some time to realize how I’ve affected someone, but most of the time I am always thinking before I act. For example, I am very self-aware of when not to bring my boyfriend around and can be told by my friends if they just want a girls’ hangout, unlike some people I know who lack that self-awareness that maybe we don’t want to see your boyfriend and have him hang out with us during a girls’ night. Collaboration is also one of my strong suits. I very much take in what others are telling me, but I also do stand my ground if I am firm on what I believe in.
“Self-Regulated Learning is a habit of mind that encompasses the desire to learn, the ability to set personal goals for learning, and the capacity to engage in a self-monitored learning process” (Members). We have a responsibility for our own learning, just as it is my responsibility for how and when I study for my LSAT and learn the material. If I study responsibly for the LSAT, then I am committed and have that engagement of going to law school and becoming a lawyer. The last point is that it is also important to know your strengths and weaknesses; this is a huge learning curve that can help improve not only education-wise but who you are as a human. I can acknowledge my weaknesses and strengths when it comes to being a friend; knowing my weaknesses can help me improve at being a good friend.
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