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15. What are you taking from this class when you leave 

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15. What are you taking from this class when you leave 

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This class has allowed me to develop my analytical eye. I do not read for comprehension, I read in hopes to find an underlying message; I have learned to answer the "why." Throughout the course I was given the chance to practice analyzing and breaking down pieces of literature. I am leaving feeling confident that I am capable of picking apart the facts and giving them true meaning. This skill will help me in my education endeavors and in any career i wish to pursue in the future.

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Analytical thinking skills are critical in the work place because they help you to gather information, articulate, visualize and solve complex problems. Even with comprehensive training, there will be many times where you will be put on the spot to think analytically and the right or wrong answer could make a difference with regard to your upward mobility within the company. You want your employees and especially your boss to trust that you will make the most well-informed and correct decisions. Some decisions can even make or break your career. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to have well-developed analytical thinking skills. However, where do you start? Sometimes, you need to use specific techniques to get information in and out of your brain, creating highly effective maps. This crucial online course will give you the tools you need for effective mind mapping. Read on to learn more.
Analytical Vs. Critical Thinking
Some people make the assumption that analytical thinking and critical thinking are one in the same. That is not actually true. You want to have the ability to differentiate the two so that you understand when you need to think critically and when you need to think analytically.

When you think critically, you make the decision whether or not an event, an object or situation appears to be right or wrong. Once you are given information, you evaluate the data and determine how it should be best interpreted. You then make conclusions regarding your unique perception of the information. Moreover, you combine your new information with your current knowledge of the world in order to make the most accurate assessment you can make. You start to look into other pieces of data that could be relevant. In addition, critical thinking takes facts and uses them to form an opinion or a belief.

As for analytical thinking, you use it to break down a series of complex bits of information. You take thinks step-by-step to develop an overall conclusion, answer or solution. You look at something through different points of view with the objective to create a cause and an effect. To illustrate, you might try to determine why dogs wag their tails, and then come up with the scientific answer.

Also, with analytical thinking, you use facts to support your conclusion and train of thought. On the other hand, critical thinking is more of an opinion-based style of thinking. Analytical skills lead you to have a more focus and stream-lined approach to solution finding where critical thinking skills can go around in circles infinitely. When you have a complex-problem or solution to find, you would use your analytical skills.
Developing Analytical Skills
If you worry that your analytical skills are not up to par, never fear. They can be developed with time and consistent practice. Like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. One way to start is to read more books. This may sound a little too simple of a solution but it really works. How does it work? Well, it helps when you read as actively as possible. Instead of passively skimming over paragraphs and grazing the pages, try to look at both sides of the story. For example, if you are reading a novel, try to see the plot from the perspective of the hero, the villain and other supporting characters. This causes your brain to think in new ways, and increase your stimulation. Thinking differently helps to expand your mind, which is critical. To expand, this powerful online course gives you recipes to help you with fresh forms of thinking.

Another excellent option is to build your mathematical skills. Calculus, algebra and statistics all make use of logic and analysis. You need to go through each problem step-by-step in order to come up with the right answer. Sometimes, you have to work a problem multiple times before you finally figure it out. This can be frustrating, but you get better with focused practice. You can also work through different puzzles with the goal of solving them.

Try going for a walk, and observing everything occurring all around you. If you see a squirrel, try to determine what it is doing, and then ask yourself why is it doing that? If it is eating nuts, is it being fed or hunting? Is the squirrel resting or watching? After your observations, let them settle in your mind. The next day, write down your observations. Can you recall your questions and answers?
Analysis and the Workplace
So, now that you understand the purpose and how to use analytical skills, you might not yet know how it is used at your place of work. Well, there are several ways that may not have even crossed your mind. For instance, say you have large amounts of numerical data that you need to summarize. In this example, you might need to use the Excel program to plot the information, in addition to Pivot Tables.

If you have a large, high-level project due in a few times, you are going to have to break it down. First, you need to look at the big picture, and ask what purpose it serves and who it benefits. Second, you need to prioritize the steps you need to take and in what order. Third, you might have to delegate several parts of the project in order to get it done on time. Fourth, you will have to manage the progress and results of the project. Wouldn't it be nice to be considered "the brain" at the office? You can, and this fun online course helps you to learn like a superhero!

Also, you might have to resolve a technical issue. Your first step would be to determine the cause of the problem. Then, you have to fix the error. After that, you want to take preventative measures to ensure it never happens again. All of these things require questioning, researching and analytical problem solving techniques. Without strong analytical thinking skills, you might come up with the wrong answers that could be detrimental to your workplace reputation. For more important steps, you should check out this article on analytical reasoning.

As you can see, it is essential to develop your analytical thinking skills. There are many uses for it and it's not just in the workplace. It is beneficial at home or anywhere for that matter. As you get better, you will no longer fear obstacles that come your way. In fact, you might be the first to volunteer to nip them in the bud!

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Analytical Thinking: Why You Need It and How to Get Better

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Analytical thinking skills are critical in the work place because they help you to gather information, articulate, visualize and solve complex problems. Even with comprehensive training, there will be many times where you will be put on the spot to think analytically and the right or wrong answer could make a difference with regard to your upward mobility within the company.

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Over these past weeks I have gained an appreciation for the revising process. Every time I write, no matter what it is, it seems there is always some way in which I could improve upon it. I do not always enjoy making needed changes to my work, however, it is a process which I am developing further and my writing is stronger because of it.

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Reading "The Lanyard" reminded me of how the scent of this particular candle reminds me of sleepovers at my grandmothers house when I was a young girl. Much like when the man sees the word "lanyard" he finds himself in a past memory, if I smell this candle, or a scent similar, I find myself in my grandmother's basement having a tea party, just the two of us.

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The visual rhetoric research assignment was extremely helpful in developing my ability in creating and supporting an argument. I was able to compare and contrast two modern music videos and successfully argue that they sexually objectify women.

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Fifth Harmony - Work from Home (Official Video) ft. Ty Dolla $ign

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The brevity of this poem does not match the weight it carries in meaning. Within it's sixteen lines this piece depicts a young boy who admires his alcoholic father. I found this relationship to be a beautiful one. It is incredible, the innocence of the boy, allows his love for his father to be so pure.

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Analysis of the Poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke | LetterPile

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I have always had a very strong relationship with my father. To read stories in which sons and daughters miss out on that connection with their fathers saddens me. "Reunion" was no exception, if anything it was a deeper sorrow. The son in the story for only a moment seemed excited to see his father, until he was reminded that his father was not the man he needed him to be. In the story the son gave up on his dad and that is a terrible point to come upon.

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This story freaked me out more than I would like to admit. More than anything, the story emphasizes that even the most average and seemingly normal people have their secrets.

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Lock your doors. There are some dangerous weirdos out there.

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7. Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" 

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7. Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" 

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This piece of literature made me question my personal beliefs. I began pondering the concept of abortions a bit and found a poem which made me think twice.

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Faulkner's story successfully left me torn between feeling very sorry for Emily and feeling absolutely frightened of her. The way in which Emily's character is portrayed, pulls at the readers heart, fueling their empathy towards her. However, there remains a mysterious, unnerving vibe about her which is exposed at the end.

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6. Oat's "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" 

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6. Oat's "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?" 

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This story reminded me of the ways in which I have longed for adulthood over the years. Now that it is around the corner I sometimes wish I could return to my childhood. Many artists have reflected this same feeling in their song lyrics including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It is comforting to know that many young adults share the conflicting thoughts of wanting to grow up yet longing for their childhood innocence. But do we ever really stop growing up?

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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Growing Up (Sloane's Song) feat. Ed Sheeran

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This selection I found to be quite disturbing. It made me start rethinking many of my current traditions and searching for true meaning behind my actions. I also began wondering about other culture's traditions and came across this article on bizarre traditions which exist today.

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Some are taboo, some are cringe-inducing, some are downright revolting, and all are extraordinarily bizarre. From the weirdest things we put in our bodies to the weirdest things we lop off our bodies to the weirdest things we do with our dead bodies, here are seven of the strangest cultural practices from around the world that are still carried out today.

Cutting Off Fingers

The death of a family member in the Dani tribe of Indonesia heralds a vast amount of emotional and, for women, physical pain. Aside from the inevitable emotional grief, women of the Dani tribe physically express that grief by cutting off (by compulsion) a segment of one of their fingers.

Before being amputated, the fingers are tied with a string for thirty minutes to numb them. Once amputated, the new fingertips are burned to create new scar tissue.

This custom, one of the world's most bizarre cultural practices, is performed as a means to satisfy ancestral ghosts, and is rarely, but still sporadically, practiced in the tribe.
Next up: The big one. The one you knew was coming...

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7 Bizarre Cultural Practices Still Carried Out Today

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Some are taboo, some are cringe-inducing, some are downright revolting, and all are extraordinarily bizarre. From the weirdest things we put in our bodies to the weirdest things we lop off our bodies to the weirdest things we do with our dead bodies, here are seven of the strangest cultural practices from around the world that are still carried out today.

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Mrs. Mallard is supposed to have died as a repercussion of her discovery her husband was in fact not dead and she was not free as she had thought. This personal "heartbreak" as her cause of death seems like a stretch, however, it has been known to happen.

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Heartbreak Can Literally Kill You, Says Very Sad Study

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Can love kill you and can you die from heartbreak? While you may feel like you are dying of a broken heart after ending a relationship, your grief may be impacting your health. Because research has shown that "broken heart syndrome" is a real occurrence, especially after the loss of a loved one.

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5. Perkins-Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-Paper"

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5. Perkins-Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-Paper"

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I loved how the story was the author's reflection upon personal experiences. It made the piece feel more authentic and more intriguing. Ms. Charlotte Gilman had a very interesting history.

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Writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman penned the short story "The Yellow Wall-Paper." A feminist, she encouraged women to gain economic independence.

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After reading this piece I was very musically inspired and spent some time scrounging the web for various jazz and BeeBop songs. I found several that I rather enjoyed.

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Jazz Tutorial, How to Build your Be-Bop "Chops", Donna Lee

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A great exercise to build up your Be-Bop 'chops" uses Miles Davis' composition -"Donna Lee'" (originally credited to Charlie Parker) played at different tempos with the metronome. Demonstrated on the piano with melody and chords. Lead sheet with fingerings available for free download at website: http://www.kenthewitt.com

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It is common for the title of literary works to hold significance. I interpreted Collier's title of "The Chaser" to be in reference of the drink. This could elude to the assumption that the love potion will be followed or "chased" down with the death potion.

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Something you drink right after taking a shot or swig of hard alcohol.. Usually juice, pop, or beer.