Knowledge and Creativity: Reflective Essay on Preparing for Success

This reflective essay details the student's journey in developing essential skills for university success through a module focused on knowledge and creativity. The essay covers various aspects, including decision-making, problem-solving, and creative thinking, highlighting the importance of structured decision-making processes and innovative problem-solving approaches. It delves into cognitive biases such as the priming effect, halo effect, and anchoring, illustrating how these can influence decisions. The student reflects on the impact of System 1 and System 2 thinking, as well as concepts like the Mose illusion and the importance of context. Furthermore, the essay emphasizes the enhancement of communication skills and the ability to write reflective essays, ultimately contributing to personal and professional growth. The student expresses confidence in applying these newly acquired skills to excel academically and secure employment in a competitive environment, referencing relevant academic sources to support their reflections.

Preparing for success
at university knowledge
and creativity

Table of Contents
Decision Making:....................................................................................................................................3
Problem solving:......................................................................................................................................4
Creative Thinking....................................................................................................................................5
System 1:.................................................................................................................................................6
System 2..................................................................................................................................................7
Priming Effect.........................................................................................................................................7
Cognitive Case........................................................................................................................................8
Mose Illusion...........................................................................................................................................9
Context..................................................................................................................................................10
Halo Effect............................................................................................................................................11
Anchoring effect....................................................................................................................................12
How to Write Reflective Essay..............................................................................................................13
Summary...............................................................................................................................................14
References.................................................................................................................................................15

Decision Making:
While studying in the module, I leaned that decision-making is an important skill in order to take
rightful and timely decisions. It is about making suitable choices with an aim to get better
outcomes in the future period of time. There is requirement of a proper structure or system to
take an effective decision. For instance, five steps process can be used to take better decisions.
Here, the five steps includes identification of objectives, collect information, chose feasible
option and further make an appropriate selection and implement to get positive outcomes.

Problem solving:
During the module, I also gained knowledge regarding problem solving. Presently, this skill is
crucial to deal with different issues significantly. This was based on the lesson on applied
thinking. Decision-making is based on making choice where problem-solving is related to
identify an appropriate solution. This makes a person enable to find out an appropriate solution
for a particular problem (Hsu, Lee and Chen, 2017). In case of inability to find a solution, the
person needs to think out of the box to deal with the issue appropriately.

Creative Thinking
Creative thinking allows an individual to use conscious and unconscious mind to develop
something new. Further, these skills are importance to facilitate further innovation and
development of new products and services (Lejeune, Beausaert and Raemdonck, 2021). During
initial phase, I used to think that creative thinking is something different than problem –solving.
However, PSKC module changes my mindset. I understood that if there is no solution in the
problem and conscious mind could not found suitable solution. Then I rely on the dept mind. In
other words, I rely on my unconscious mind to deal with the issue significantly and create new
ideas. Also, I am looking forwards to get benefit of the respective skill in future.

System 1:
In this module, I learned the way thinking works. Now, I can easily understand the reason of
some of my rash decisions as these are affected by theory of system 1. I reacted instantly in
many situations. But, now I can recognize my such behavior as System 1. This theory is fast,
automatic, not too deep and based on unconscious mind. It nevers turn off and work constantly.

System 2
During the course module, I found that there was difference between system 1 and System 2.
When, I found myself unable to give the answer, System 2 kicks. It gets involve in case of
deliberating and surprising behavior of mine. However, I learned that I got tired, become lazy
and slow as a result of system 2. Here, it is based on logic for making a suitable decisions and
reaching at appropriate conclusion.
Priming Effect

Prior to this course, I don’t even know about priming effect. As per this effect, outside stimuluis
can influence our thinking capacity. While reflecting on my past, I can easily think of a number
of situations where I primed. As I learned regarding the priming effects, I become more
conscious regarding my future. Now, I have become more conscious regarding the effects
priming in future time. I used to observe when I am being primed or what is the impact of prime
on me negative or positive.
Cognitive Case
It is an another way of influencing my decisions in profound manner. During the module, I
learned that simple things which seems as obvious also likely to involve a superficial thinking
and also caused act of System1 and helps in taking suitable decisions without involvement of
system 2. At this level, one starts to feel that things are really going smoothly hence the person
does not need to mobilize the efforts. At another level, I came to know that there is something
wrong hence, there is requirement of the involvement of system 2. These types of insights can be
easily used by me in future so that I could think differently.

Mose Illusion
While getting knowledge of mose illusion, I came to know that I can easily mislead or misguide
by a particular picture or words. Here, my mind could not recognized the errors or inconsistency
in a text or overall picture. For instance, I visited to a shop which is closed as sharp 5 Pm. I went
there at 6 pm and inspite of having closing sign on the window, I was trying to open the door of
the shop. In this situation, it was meaningful to remember the illusion of “close” sign.

Context
At this module, I came across that the people and situation can be misjudged easily as it is all
based on the context. Every particular thing is happened in a particular context. Before making
interpretation, one needs to understand the context first. While I watch someone at the party of a
millionaire I used to think that all the people of party are millionaire. Here, context put a major
impact on shift of choice by alternating the overall process through which decisions are made.

Halo Effect
I came to know that Halo effect is about passing judgment about a person or thing based on
single trait or feature. While learning about Halo effect, I got to know that first impression is
really important as we make our perception by looking at a person or thin once. For instance, I
will assume that a person is rich while watching him in nice clothes, well-groomed. Sometimes,
first impression about a person or thing might lead towards wrong decision. In my case, Halo
effect could influence me in terms of taking wrong decisions. It might possible that someone is
looking really skilled and educated but in reality they are not.

Anchoring effect
I got to know that Anchoring is a form of cognitive bias due to which people focus on the first
piece of information provided to them at the time of decision-making. While getting a particular
reference for a question, the answer will somewhere lie nearby the given reference point.
Without giving second thought that my answer could be at opposite pole of reference point. I
used to think in relation of given reference. Anchor can have strong influence which is really
informative for me and it is also important from the point of view of business negotiation.

How to Write Reflective Essay
While studying in PSKC course, I learned to write a proper reflective essay. It made me enable
to express my thinking, thoughts, opinions, view-points and more. Additionally, I could have
been expressed my capabilities, perception with the help of reflective writing practices during the
class-room sessions. In addition to this, I also learned that how these skills will help me in terms
of gaining success & growth in the future period of time.

Summary
While joining to the University, I was familiar that I will get numerous opportunities to learn
different skills, capabilities, competencies and more. My communication skills was poor due to
which I was unable to interact with other individuals confidently. In addition to this, lack of
communication skill also affected my performance in significant manner. However, the course
module helped me in enhancing my communication skills. As a result, I can easily interact with
different individuals potentially. Further, my creative thinking skills were also not up to the
mark. Due to this, I was unable to think properly & systematically to reach at meaningful
decision. During the course, I got the opportunity to develop various skills in terms of
communication, thinking skills, decisions-making and more. Now, I have been learned different
skills like decision-making, communication, creativity, analytical thinking and so on. These
skills will assist me in becoming a better academic student. In addition to this, I am able to
prepare appropriate CV, cover letter, preparing for the interview by doing necessary research
about the companies and more. Additionally, I got various tips regarding the interview such as
how to dresses-up, how to speak during the interview, preparing about some common questions
and so on. These are some of my learning’s during PSKC course that will also assist me to grow
in future. Apart from the above-mentioned learning’s, I also learned regarding the halo effects,
priming effects, anchoring, cognitive case, context and much more. I am really pleased to
become a part of the respective module as this will certainly helped me to grow as a student and
make me enable to enrich in my future career. By implementing the above-stated learning’s and
skills, I can easily get a good job in the competitive environment.

References
Books and journals
Lejeune, C., Beausaert, S. and Raemdonck, I., 2021. The impact on employees’ job performance
of exercising self-directed learning within personal development plan practice. The
international journal of human resource management, 32(5), pp.1086-1112.
Hsu, C.Y., Lee, W.H. and Chen, W.Y., 2017. How to catch their attention? Taiwanese
flashpackers inferring their travel motivation from personal development and travel
experience. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(2), pp.117-130.
Mityaeva and et. al., 2017. Psichological counseling strategies for women regarding their level of
fulfillment of need for personal development. The Turkish Online Journal of Design Art
and Communication, 7(S-APRLSPCL), pp.3263-3283.
French, P.E. and Eskridge, R.D., 2021. Empowering the Female City Manager to Succeed: What
Role Does Mentoring Play in the Personal Development and Preparation of Women for
this Leadership Position?. Public Administration Review, 81(4), pp.704-714.