Best Practices in Critical Thinking, Essay Example

Critical thinking is disciplined intellectual criticism that combines research knowledge of historical context and balanced judgment. The reason for critical thinking is to have the ability to think logically and analytically. Critical thinking is based on facts and beliefs of the person.

When analyzing certain events, things or action, person does not simply use his/her feelings about the topic. To make right decision, whether to support or oppose the argument, one needs to search for valid information, analyze it and drive out logical conclusion.

I believe if I go back to school, I will be able to acquire additional skills, which are necessary for my future job. This is not just an ordinary feeling; this is a fact. If I was just going by my feelings, not critical thinking, I would try to develop myself.  While studying, I do not have enough time to work as I have two children.  When I was going off feelings, I was putting all my time into looking for a job because I felt like it did not look right for me to be in school to get a master degree that would create a better job for me. I felt like I should keep looking for a job, but I started thinking critically and I told my self to get in school and get my master degree. I was still able to receive financial support for unemployed people and this is what I am doing right now. It is hard to live off my subsidies with two children when one is in diaper and the other one is about to finish 8th grade. Nonetheless, I know that my schooling is going to pay off in future. Using critical thinking skills will definitely contribute to a better quality decision for me. It will make me stop just looking at it from only one perspective and allow me to look at the whole picture. I have researched it when I was thinking about coming back to school to get my master degree. I have been looking for a job for the whole year and I have had no luck. Therefore, I told myself that it was time for me to make my own job, as I have always wanted to start a mentor program for young ladies. I knew I would need my master degree to do so.  I thought I would get in criminal justice because I felt that would be easy for me. When I was undergraduate, I took some classes on criminal justice and they were fun and easy. For this reason I signed up for the master program for criminal justices. I attended classes several times and I started asking myself if I was taking the right class and how would this degree help me to do what I wanted to do. I called my pastor and told him I was back to school and he was excited with this idea. However, he also asked me how would that help me to do what I want to do. I said I have just asked myself the very same question. We talked for a while and when I got off the phone and called my Academic Counselor and asked her is there was a chance to move from a master is criminal justices to a master in psychology. Unfortunately, I had to drop my classes on Wednesday in order to pass the master program in psychology. When making my decision to come back to school, I had to use critical thinking and I did not do what was easy. I picked what I needed, not what I wanted and not what I felt like would be easy. My decision-making and some other factors led me to choose this degree program. I believe that I will be the best counselor in my church because I have already learned what the church and Bible said about being a counselor. My master degree is needed to become a licensed counselor and I see myself in five years with my mentor program up and running. The reason I decided to take online class is because I had a one-year-old baby. I felt that I could get online degree doing my work at home during the daytime and going to sleep at night.

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