Today, when hiring, they not only take into account competence and experience in a particular field but also soft skills. These are non-specialized skills that characterize a person as a versatile personality. Creative thinking is also a soft skill that can be useful for both a job seeker and a student in studies. Young people are much more trainable and better at processing information than adults. That is why the student body is the best time to develop the skill of creative thinking. Students face different tasks like establishing contact with teachers, writing a thesis, etc.
In these situations, abandon familiar patterns and try to “follow an unfamiliar path.” This surprisingly simplifies the learning process; for example, instead of writing the dissertation on your own, seeking online dissertation help.
How To Develop Creative Thinking
Let’s look at tried and tested working methods.
1- Search for Associations
During the study of new material, information falls into short-term memory. But if it has nothing to do with the already familiar information from long-term memory, it quickly disappears from the head. Associations help create this connection.
Exercises that can help associative thinking:
- Take two unrelated words and make a logical associative chain between them.
- Take a few words and come up with a compelling story using them.
- Choose an everyday object and come up with other ways to use it.
- Pay attention to old jokes starting with the words and try to come up with non-trivial answers.
2- Brainstorm
Brainstorming is great for finding out-of-the-box ideas. The point is to identify a specific problem and try to develop as many solutions as possible. This method is often used in work teams, but it can be useful for personal training. However, if possible, it is worth trying to brainstorm with friends.
Different people with different experiences think differently, so this is a chance to learn to look at a problem from a completely different perspective.
- The task should be clearly formulated.
- You can set yourself a ceiling, say, 30 minutes and 50 ideas. Initially, the most familiar thoughts will come to mind, but each subsequent idea will be more non-trivial.
- If the brainstorming session is carried out in the company of several people, have all the participants take turns presenting their thoughts and arguing their decisions at the end.
- There is a method of “going beyond.” The bottom line is to imagine how you can solve the problem with unlimited resources.
3- Try Something Completely New For Yourself
It sounds corny, but it really helps in shaping creative thinking. Each person has a certain range of interests, beyond which he usually does not go. It can help clearly define your area of interest and then try something that is clearly not in it.
This does not mean that you need to do boring things. You can do what previously seemed impossible or did not come to mind. For example, a technical student might try his hand at historical quizzes or learning a new language. This not only develops creative thinking in students but also broadens their horizons.
4- Find a New Approach To Everyday Life
Ingenuity can be shown not only in essays on literature and scientific projects. It is worth trying to develop new approaches to everyday tasks, such as for assignments writing taking UK essay help. Even for going to a restaurant or preparing food, you can use a new approach:
- You can read life hacks for the household and try to come up with your own.
- Even the most common everyday problem can be solved in a large number of ways; you need to find them.
5- Learn To Ask Questions
Sometimes even excessive curiosity can be helpful. The more the teaching is effective, the more details the student learns. To do this, you need to learn how to ask questions correctly.
It does not matter what material a student is studying – physical processes, historical events, or chemical reactions. You can always ask the following questions about this material:
- How does this happen?
- What is the reason for this?
- How would the result change if the original data were different?
You can supplement this sheet yourself and use these questions whenever possible. So the student will gain a deeper understanding of the topic and learn to perceive the material being studied differently.
Conclusion
The main thing for developing creativity is to discard negative attitudes and fears that often interfere with self-expression and creation. Creative thinking is a way out of your comfort zone. The willingness to overcome your fears and learn to go beyond the ordinary is something without which the development of creative thinking is impossible.
