Critical Thinking Blog #1

Part OneHow do you define critical thinking? Describe a situation in which you thought through something critically. Describe a situation in which you did not think through something critically.

Critical thinking is calmly examining a situation or other topic void of emotion; utililizing different angles and approaches to the topic to percieve all scenarios and possible outcomes. Hopefully like other students, I have critically analyzed and planned my college career. I have planned different routes for different outcomes for universities. On a smaller scale, which classes to take and where to take them has also been critically decided since I go to both Cosumnes River and Sierra College- a choice decided because of my major in Architecture. When it comes to not thinking critically, a perfect situation for me would be dating. I knew better than to get involved in a relationship so close to transferring and ignored all logic. While its a good relationship there are dilemmas with habits and the fact I will probably be moving (at least) two hours away. I was not thinking when I entered a relationship- love can be blind lol.

Part Two"We often long for surefire, step-by-step procedures [to help us solve problems] and the more personally threatening a situation is, the more we want foolproof rules. But there are no rules that guarantee our thinking will be correct . . . The only way we can decide whether to follow certain rules is if we use our best reasoning to determine that those rules are reasonable, that they lead to reasonable results when followed." – Gerald Nosich, Learning to Think Things Through

Describe what you think of when you think of “intellectualism”. Does this word have positive connotations or negative connotations for you? Why? Describe what you think of when you think of “logic” and “reason.” Do these have positive connotations or negative connotations? Why?

Intellectualism is something that is fading from the world as pop culture and mass media swarm through our daily lives. I have a fond admiration for anything intectual. While I do enjoy the crude humor of TV sitcoms, I still love the simple and refined cultures. I consider myself a very logical person; reason seems more practical to me than faith or beliefs- not to attack religion because I still respect it and understand its draw for people. My immediate family is not religious and having taken so many classes with culture, philosophy, history, etc. I have incredibly positive connotations of logic, reason and intellectualism; admiring the solid facts and forwardness of reason and logic. I dont have to stretch my mind around anything that science can not explain.

Pre-Reading Blog #1

Here you are in college. How’s that working out for you? Consider your educational experience to this point. What are your impressions of education? What do you seek to gain from education? Have you enjoyed your educational experience through high school? Why or why not? Please end your blog with at least one good critical question.


I think it is safe to say that the first two years of college for anyone right out of high school are pivotal times in one's life. When high school was coming to a close I was reluctant to leave the small and safe world of grade school I had known for the majority of my life. Then came college and my world began to change. I became empowered as I gained control over my schedule and what and how many classes I took; I was no longer at the whim of others. This is my third year in college and in that time I have matured and changed in ways that I naively thought I already achieved when graduating high school. I enjoyed high school and tried to walk away with as much as possible but I am glad I left all the drama and censorship behind.

Besides the personal development of college, the academic gains have been tremendous. Being my third year of college, I have completed around ninety units while attending two colleges and have broadened my limited high school spectrum of knowledge to an almost unlimited one. Not only have I enhanced my knowledge of the basics, such as math, enlglish, history, etc. but I have learned about architecture, public speaking, photography, philosophy and more. With every class I have and will take, I seek a more well rounded and better understanding of the world around me; whether it be the basic curriculum of the class or more confidence, critical thinking, or just another point of view of a subject, I have gained something from every class I have taken. Being my third year at a junior college, I am hoping to transfer to a univeristy where I can get a bachelor's and eventually a master's degree. I know a lot of people I graduated with that went straight off to an university and ended up dropping and switching to Sierra College. Using junior college as a stepping stone to a University seems to be the right choice but I wonder if I have wasted time scrapping units together for different universities and the possible hindrance on my personal development? Maybe I should have just taken the leap and applied to a university right out of high school?



Define the following: Rationalism, Anti-Rationalism, Fundamentalism

Rationalism: the principle or habit of accepting reason as the supreme authority in matters of opinion, belief, or conduct.

Anti-Rationalsim: is the opposite of Rationalsim. Emotions are in lieu of reason for opinions, belief or conduct.

Fundamentalism: strict adherence to any set of basic ideas or principles or the beliefs held by those in this movement.

The definitions above were found using http://dictionary.reference.com