Ways To Improve Your Decision-Making As A Student
Decisions — something that you make every step of your way. Whether it is choosing the right outfit of the day or deciding which commute to take while going to school. You are making small to big decisions every other minute of your life. Small choices remain subconscious whereas big decisions require a logical approach. Decision-making as a student is extremely important because you are a young adult who is going to face much more challenges as life goes ahead — extending beyond which highway or commute to choose to reach school.
For instance, when you choose to study abroad, from choosing the best student accommodation for a comfortable stay to choosing your major subjects in college. These are some of the big decisions that you will have to make as you grow up.
Let’s take a deep dive and understand how decision-making as a student is beneficial and ways to improve your decision-making skills.
Mental Health Benefits Of Decision-Making Skills
Before learning about how decision-making skills impact a student’s day-to-day life, it is important to learn the mental benefits of these skills. Because let me tell you, there are many significant advantages that we overlook a lot of times! Decision-making skills help students cope with anxious feelings as they grow up. As per the clinical neuropsychologist Ned Johnson and William Stixrud, founder of PrepMatters, research says that feelings of anxiety and depression rate have risen 37% in kids and teens since 2005. Many young kids do not have a sense of control over their lives. This lack of control is the major factor of stress. When they do not have a say in their own life decisions and what paths they can choose; it takes a major hit on their mental health.
Giving students the power to make good decisions by either their parents or teachers allows them to build self-reliance and boosts empowerment. Now that you know how decision-making skills can have a major impact on your personal life, let’s see ways to improve your decision-making as a student.
Different Ways To Foster Decision Making Skills In Students
Lead The Classrooms
Imbibing decision-making skills in students is not a difficult task. It can be as simple as letting them have control over how to learn. We may notice that students have very limited control over their routine or daily life. Whether it is about what they choose to eat or where they wish to go. Giving them this liberty of making choices can reflect a sense of responsibility and power. One way to do so is by letting them choose how they wish to complete a particular assignment. When teachers and parents give them a choice; there is a kind of ownership developed in the students. This leads to the result being more authentic to them.
Come Up With More Solutions
One of the best and quickest ways to enhance a student’s decision-making skill is by putting them in a hypothetical situation and asking them to come up with different solutions. Finding multiple solutions to a problem enhances their problem-solving skills. This does not mean that all solutions can be successful. Trial and error are mandatory and once the student recognizes every change and understands that failure is a part of the learning process, it will further empower them.
What if you wish to apply for a scholarship that can help you with your study expenses? Here your task is to search for multiple options that fulfil your criteria. Furthermore, it teaches them to face any challenge head-on with no fear of messing up. Because in the end, messing up means they get to try again in a different manner.
Living With Your Choices
When you allow the student to make a choice, it becomes essential that they suffer the consequences of their own decision. If they rush through it and don’t think properly before making a decision, they will see how it turns out to be. Instead of allowing them to have both options or reverse their decision when they see jeopardy; it will not help them make better choices in the future. But when you let them live with their decisions, that is when they realise how both the outcomes i.e. positive and negative can have an impact on their choices in the future. Most students choose to take loans when they decide to study abroad, here you are burdened with the heavy responsibility of paying it back after you graduate. Well, you must live with this choice as you have the desire and passion to pursue that degree no matter the cost.
Step Back From The Entire Process Of Decision Making
This one is for the parents and teachers. Don’t we want our children to make better choices when we are not around? Well, one way to do so is when you allow them to take this responsibility and make their choices alone. Let them stimulate their mental scares and realise what is the best way to go ahead. The idea here is that parents and teachers need to see how the students perform even when there is no reward or praise involved or when no one is watching them. Even when it’s much more difficult.
There are several other ways to boost decision-making skills in students but for starters, you can go ahead and try the above-mentioned strategies. Also remember that this entire thing is a process, which means it will take time. With different ways and ideas, you can improve it in time and see the effects yourself. Good luck!
