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Seven Ways to International Students Can Improve Strategic Thinking

International students require a broader vision to understand future challenges during their study while living abroad. With a little focus and applying the right techniques, students can effectively improve their strategic thinking skills, and they can prepare themselves for future challenges.

By developing the following skills, students can become strategic thinkers. 

Start Pondering

People with strategic approach connect their ideas, plans and individuals in their lives. Students need a careful analysis of their surroundings. As an international student, you meet with the individuals belonging to various cultures; try to learn what they think and what their future ambitions are.

When you live abroad, you analyze the overall system and try to find ways as to how you can make progress in your career as a student. While walking and eating, give yourself a chance to think and evaluate the events that you see around and try to develop your understanding of the world.

Try to compare the worldviews of different people. This will give you a fair idea about the world. Observe behaviour, perception and oratory of your class fellows, colleagues, and teachers to have an idea about their approach. 

Improve Listening 

A critical thinker always understands that their ideas may not be correct and therefore pays attention to the conversation of others to broaden their views and learn from others’ experiences.

To develop strategic thinking, one should give value to all the individuals they deal with. Careful listening encourages people to develop perception and create an environment where everyone could contribute collectively as a unit.

Following tips would help individuals to derive maximum benefits out of the listening opportunities 

  • Be open-minded and keep any bias aside
  • Be open to receiving feedback from others 
  • Be attentive with an intent to understand a new idea
  • Analyze and extract the most valuable points out of the discussion that you heard

Empathy

An important aspect regarding developing strategic thinking is to share your perception with different people. By doing so, students will be able to know the viewpoint of others who have a different approach.

After listening to the views of others, you will be able to understand their situation, and subsequently, a relationship will develop, which will pave the way for new ideas.

Try to be interactive with your class-fellows and other people you meet. Analyze their problems and if possible, suggest some solution. 

Develop Questioning Skills

 Critical thinking requires students to raise questions about everything. Students should not ask questions only for the sake of asking questions; rather, the motive should be to understand and learn something objectively.

During the lecture, the students need to note the main points and then carry out their research and engage peers to get the answers. This approach will surely open up the minds of students, and in the future, they will be able to analyze things critically.

  • Students need to think in the following ways to develop strategic thinking
  • Is the discussion objective?
  • Is the source authentic? Was the information obtained from a credible person, or could it be hearsay?
  • Are there any biases or assumptions with this opinion or piece of information?
  • Locate evidence that may be available to support the idea/theory

Recognize the Consequences

 Every choice has implications. After raising questions on various sources and viewpoints, try to understand the consequences of each point. This concept is significant in final decision-making, and as students practice this, it will become simpler.

Recognizing the implications of numerous scenarios enables you to reach a conclusion logically. Come up with the questions to measure what outcome will integrate best with the approach of your goals and objectives.

By thinking in the following manner, you can better understand the consequences.

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of each scenario?
  • What does each refer to?
  • How can we achieve our objectives in the best possible way?
  • Is there any way that could open long-term opportunities?

Motivate Others

 When students think they have developed a critical approach, then it is the time to encourage others because, in this way, they will be able to foster an environment where people will share their ideas and views.

The relationships with each other will grow. You can educate and groom your juniors so that they could also develop a critical approach in their lives.

If you read any motivational article, refer it to your friends so that they could learn from the experiences of others. 

Decision-Making

 The strategy also involves decision-making and executing the plans. Therefore, once students start creating ideas and connecting them, they will develop a capacity to make decisions regarding their future.

The next step is setting the priorities; students should be able to know what choices will help them to achieve their goals in future.

In order to make your strategy effective, you need to systematically analyze your plans and objectives, and consult with your seniors and peers, take their advice and start utilizing that for improvement in your plans.

If students have developed a critical approach, and if they do not make a decision, it would mean that their thinking may go waste. 

Strategic Thinking: A Real Asset for the Students

Finally, strategic thinking is not all about generating new ideas. Still, it is a framework which can make students a better manager, a business person and a true professional in future.

It is a process that defines the way in which individuals analyze, foresee and build the future for themselves and others. They share their ideas with other people in a friendly environment.

International students need to make decisions based on their strategic thinking. These decisions are related to students’ personal life, studies and future. The real value of strategic thinking reflects in the decision-making process — an effective strategy, solid planning and timely decision-making lead to positive results.

As students meet with more people, listen to them, and share their ideas, they broaden their views and will become more mature regarding critical thinking. 

Amit Kumar

FreeEducator.com blog is managed by Amit Kumar. He and his team come from the Oxford, Stanford and Harvard. At FreeEducator, we strive to create the best admission platform so that international students can go to the best universities - regardless of financial circumstances. By applying with us, international students get unlimited support and unbiased advice to secure the best college offers overseas.

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