Past, Present, and Future Paper
I began my undergraduate studies at the University of Phoenix (UOP) in July 2006. The decision to pursue the Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree from UOP was based on the school’s curriculum, reputation, learning environment, and personal references.
Past
Looking back, it is amazing to reminisce upon the last two years. When I started school in July 2006, I had not been in an accredited learning environment in over thirty-two years. My previous schooling had been at a local College where I didn’t really have any educational or professional goals in mind and lacked workforce experience. Upon enrolling at UOP, I possessed that experience but my study skills were void of any value.
At that time, I had over twenty-six years in the defense industry and another ten in construction management. I was a mid-level manager for a leading aerospace contractor, receiving a very comfortable salary with great benefits, and I was considered an industry leader in the field of asset management. My critical thinking skills were satisfactory and I was well in tune with the teaming concept. In fact, my group had the distinction of being the first group to be charted as a salaried employee involvement team and we were already well into our sixth year of maturity. The ability to communicate, both written and oral, was always a choir. I could perform these skills and get by, but this is one area where a lack of formal education was very evident. I was dependent on grammar and spelling check for all written communications and lacked confidence in presentation skills. The only skill that I was sure of was my technical ability to perform my job, but this was only a result of my work history and e...
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...ly to my understanding of business practices, management decisions, and human factors. My development of communication skills, both oral and written, has shown immense improvement. After I have completed my educational program at the University of Phoenix and continue the pursuit of the goals outlined in this paper, I know I will always find my educational experience at UOP to be a solid base to continue to build on.
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What is not easily recognized is the fact that the very fabric of life is dependent on the ability to think properly and make good decisions. Improper thinking is costly in the quality of life and monetarily. The result of a critical thinker that has worked to cultivate proper thinking skills includes: the ability to ask vital questions and to identify problems with clarity. A critical thinker also collects relevant information while effectively interpreting it, thinks with an open mind, uses alternative systems of thought, and understands how to communicate while working to formulate a strong solution. In summary, critical thinking is self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. Above all else, the standards of excellence are rigorous, and it entails the prospect of overcoming the challenge of sociocentrism and
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Critical thinking regularly involves the capability to interpret information and make knowledgeable decisions based on such information. Additionally, problem solving is frequently theorised as the use of critical thinking skills towards the effective solution of a specific problem or towards a specific end goal. Critical thinking is the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances. The general goal of thinking is to figure out some situation” (Critical Thinking, 2001, p.1), solve some problem, answer some questions, or resolve some issue. It also is a process in which a person pursuits reliable and pertinent information about the world. Critical thinking is often described as reasonable, ruminative, trustworthy, and a well-practiced form of thinking that assists people with deciding what they should believe in and what actions should be taken. A practiced critical thinker will ask good questions, collects pertinent data, categorizes common characteristics, logically reasons with the new data and then he or she will come to a trustworthy and dependable conclusion. Critical thinking makes use of many processes and procedures. Some processes include but is not limited to asking questions, making judgments, and identifying