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Pros/Cons of Critical Thinking

I was offered a place to do Critical Thinking AS and I know it's going to be a worthless Alevel but Im keen to find out what I could gain from it.

Those who have done this, please discuss pros and cons! :smile:

Reply 1

The West Wing

18

It's only useful if you're applying to universities which require the LNAT or BMAT. It would help you somewhat in those aptitude tests.

Reply 2

Original Legend

just take it, heck it cant hurt can it ?

Reply 3

x.beth.x

11

To the above comment, how exactly does it help with the BMAT?

Our school forces us to do both Critical thinking and General Studies, but I can't really see if there is any point in either to be honest. Although CT is much more interesting than GS.

Reply 4

Spudder

2

My teacher said it would be a good subject to have on an application, bunch of bullcrap, a whole 2 periods a week for a year falling asleep and catching quick glances at the clock every 5 minutes. You should do it if you like english.

Reply 5

o00o

critical thinking is folder-organising/homework time! i do it and it's the most pointless lesson ever! i'm sure we do the same thing every week... useful things such as identifying an arguement... y'know something i find my self having difficulties with often :rolleyes:

Edit: just wanted to say i'm doing it because: a) possible help with BMAT, though this seems dubious..
b) possibly look good on ucas etc. if i get an A
c) don't want to do other enrichment courses ..."learning to cook on a budget.."

but yeah, that said it's not that bad, just generally patronising/ pointless :smile:

Reply 6

cpj1987

15

A lot of what you're taught in Critical Thinking is common sense. I think there are about seven key terms and definitions that you learn, and the rest is just a case of using those terms in order to deconstruct arguments and discussions.

As a subject, it is quite pointless for A-Level, as the things it teaches are things that, by the time they're capable of A-Levels, a person knows anyway. However, I found it fairly interesting, since we spent the hour-long class discussing and debating moral and ethical issues, and thinking about our own opinions - and I enjoy in-depth discussions.

Since it's more of a common-sense subject, you can do very little extra work, and, provided you know those key terms, still do well in the final exams. It's worth taking it for the extra qualification, as it involves no real extra effort on your part, and won't cut into the valuable time you'll want to spend on your other A-Levels.

:smile:

Reply 7

sh0tgun

All of it is a load of bollox, it's not helpful, it's not recognised and there is no scientific approach to it whatsoever. It didn't help me in anyway shape or form, although I did have the worst teacher ever for it.

Reply 8

sunspoon

14

Did it last year - it has helped a bit wiht the BMAT, but can't say that it was amazingly vital.

Reply 9

arpeggio

12

I thought it was alright, definitely helped me with the verbal reasoning stuff in the UKCAT.

Pros:
- Helps with some uni admissions tests
- Get an extra qualification at the end of it
- Helps you to analyse arguments etc better
- Very good if you're planning on doing law at uni, apparently

Cons:
- You might have to turn up to a lesson once in a while
- Everyone says it's worthless

You might as well take it...

Reply 10

xena101

I quit it yesterday, thought it was a waste of time as all i did was fall asleep in the lesson and nobody payed any attenion in the class so it was pointless for me. If you've got a lot of free time on your timetable take it!

Reply 11

xena101

I quit it yesterday, thought it was a waste of time as all i did was fall asleep in the lesson and nobody payed any attenion in the class so it was pointless for me. If you've got a lot of free time on your timetable take it!

Reply 12

xena101

I quit it yesterday, thought it was a waste of time as all i did was fall asleep in the lesson and nobody payed any attenion in the class so it was pointless for me. If you've got a lot free time on your timetable take it!

Reply 13

ash_moo

8

My tutor has 'suggested' that I do Critical Thinking, and even put my name down on the list of people.

A lot of people say it's pointless, but does it really help with BMAT?

I am already doing 5 A-levels and have next to zero free time. People doing the IB have more time off than I do!
None of the current class times fit into my timetable, but I could ask to have it rescheduled or something.

I just want to know if it will be a worthless waste of time that I could otherwise utilise to salvage the pieces of social life that I have left.

Reply 14

Vjyrik

10

Even though people are saying that it's common sense, many of them won't be able to identify very basic components of document credibility, argument reasoning etc.
It does seem like common sense but the subject will help you gain critical and analytical skills for when working with your other qualifications as well as real life.

Main keywords that we were taught already (BEERVAN): Bias, Expertise/Experience, Reputation, Vested interest, Ability to see, Neutrality

By learning the actual definitions of these words, mixing up 'bias', 'vested interest' and 'neutrality' will not happen as often as I see people do!

It's the first time I've done such a subject, really. Did do a small tryout on a past paper last week - miserably failed (U) - despite the questions being 'common sense', answering them was just impossible - overwhelmed my mind and I gave up >(

But I'll get it right, eventually - Critical Thinking is not that hard - just use the right language (that's where I lost most of marks in the questions that I did attempt).

Reply 15

AngryTeacher

You clearly gained a lot from critical thinking judging by the quality of your argument.
Main conclusion - CT is a load of bollox.
Premise 1 - Not helpful - Correct as long as you are happy to just believe anything ever tells you without question.
Premise 2 - It is not recognised - Well a contentious point as nearly every degree course in the world will reference that the importance of being able to think critically is vital to all their courses.
Premise 3 - No scientific approach - I am curious to see the results of these scientific tests that were conducted.
Premise 4 - Didn't help you - This I'll accept based on the amount of flaws in your argument.
My conclusion - Good luck in your dead end job/prison.
But honestly it is a shame you didn't get more from it, i appreciate that CT can be hard for some students and that is scary so it is easier just to blow it off as being rubbish, but it really does have value if you take the time to challenge yourself and engage.

Pros/Cons of Critical Thinking

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