Sixty-three
percent of U.S. graduates are not prepared for the global economy, according to
Florida A&M English professor and Quality Enhancement Program director, Dr.
Genye H. Boston.
Critical
thinking is being able to look at something, analyze that information, process
it and make a decision.
Boston said employers
are looking for college graduates who can think and read critically.
According to the
U.S.
Department of Labor, employers
are looking to hire people who can effectively asset problems and find
solutions. Having critical thinking skills shows that someone has good judgment
and communicates ideas while making decisions.
Over the next
two weeks, The Graduate Studies and Research office will conduct seminars to help
students prepare for professional development. Boston’s seminar on Thursday
focused on how to critical think and read for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
“This class is
fundamental because critical thinking isn’t something that is typically taught,”
Boston said. “You know if you look at most degree programs, undergraduate
degree programs there’s not a critical thinking major.”
The answer to
why so many American students don’t think critically has fallen on their
education system, according to Richard Arum’s book “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College
Campuses.”
But Boston said there are many factors that contribute to
American students lagging behind.
“I think it’s partly due to reading and reading
comprehension may not have been really emphasized at the secondary level for
some students,” said Boston.
Boston noted that another factor might be that Millennials do
not read as much as prior generations.
Critical thinking is a big factor when taking the GRE especially
critically reading. Students must understand that in order to earn a good score
on the GRE test they must study and understand the material.
“I don’t think students familiarize themselves with the test
or how it formatted and that can really pose a problem,” said Boston.
About ten students attended the seminar and they said it helped
them study and understand how to answer the questions on the GRE.
Sergelyn Saint-Jean, a FAMU senior social work student from
South Florida said, he feels confident that he’s ready and plans on taking the
GRE next week.
“I was happy that I was there because I just got the booklet
and the CDs but I hadn’t got one-on-one training yet,” Saint-Jean said. “So, I learned a lot.”
Boston gave tips to students when about how to break down
and analyze questions without getting confused by the answer choices.
Merissa Evans, a graduating political science and pre-law senior
from Monticello, Fla., learned it’s important to skim through the questions
before you read a passage and look for key words when reading.
“You should skim through the questions so you could see what
they’re looking for because they try to throw in a lot of distraction choices
during the question,” said Evans.
In order for students to select the correct answers on the
GRE they have to be an effective thinker. Boston goes in depth to the main
problems students have when they don’t know how to think critically on
standardized test.
“Some of the major challenges when critically reading is
understanding the question, retaining information, understanding vocabulary and
reading comprehension,” said Boston. “It’s one of the skills sets you’re forced
to enhance. ”
The next seminar “Higher Learning and Education” is on Feb.
11 in the Coleman Library, room 410 at 2:30 p.m.
For more information on the Graduate Studies and Research
office go to, http://www.famu.edu/graduatestudies/m/
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