Critical Thinking Skills From A Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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grilled-cheeseToday’s students have it too easy.  And I’m not just talking about Google and laptops and cell phones, although they are a huge part of the equation.

I’m talking about living conditions.

The dorms of today are much more like a luxury hotel than student housing.  Gone are the bare-bones cinder block walls, linoleum floors and modular furniture we felt lucky to have “back in the day.”  I doubt today’s students would tolerate living in such spartan conditions, although we thought they were spectacular once decorated with rugs, comforters and posters.

Back in the day, we would save our money to rent a mini-fridge for the room.  Not a medium one; the very small, square unit that could barely hold a six pack.  Diet Coke, of course.

Today’s dorms are posh in comparison, with many including fancy items like flat screen TVs,  bigger refrigerators and microwaves in the rooms, as well as full-size kitchens on each floor.

In a DORM.

This is in addition to WI-FI, movie rooms, study lounges, pool tables, and cafeterias.  There’s the occasional swimming pool and even covered parking for some.  It’s crazy what is considered “normal” for dorm life anymore.

All of this luxury comes at a price. Not only for the parents wallet, but for the students’ long-term well-being.

The opportunity cost of living such a luxurious college life is students are missing out on building their critical thinking skills.  With everything at their fingertips to solve their problems, there’s no need to improvise or develop solutions to a college student’s most pressing problems.

Example: I’m hungry, the cafeteria is closed, and I’m out of money.

The solution is not: Go to the ATM, use a credit card, or call mom.

The only food options available in the room and/or mini-fridge include a loaf of bread, peanut butter, single cheese slices and an assortment of beverages.

What’s a hungry student to do?

This is where the critical thinking skills come in.

When faced with the same situation back in the day, we got creative.  We had nothing but the trusty mini-fridge, a coffee maker, popcorn popper, and a meal plan. Late night hunger pangs were satisfied by popcorn or pizza delivery, if we could pull together the cash and the pizza place was still open.

Most of the time we were stuck without pizza.

It was like being on Survivor: Dorm Edition. How can we make something different to eat given the limited resources in our room?

We had the same staples as today: bread, peanut butter, and cheese. We also had an iron!  It was a brilliant idea to use the iron to make hot sandwiches. And cheap, too.

Of course we were not the first students to make grilled cheese sandwiches using an iron but we were proud of our resourcefulness.

We had no choice.  What else were we to do?

Is the ability to make a grilled cheese sandwich really an important skill for today’s college graduate?

If you’re still focused on the sandwich, you’ve missed the point.

It’s about solving a problem in a new way. Critical thinking.

There will be many times on the job when a new hire will be asked to develop a solution to a problem.  Gut instinct always tells us to go with the most obvious solution: Find a pan, put sandwich in pan, heat pan on stove until sandwich is done. 

Many times we will not have the resources necessary to solve the problem in the most obvious manner. It could be we lack financial resources, or human resources, or technical resources –whatever – yet we are still expected to arrive at the optimal solution.

The earlier we develop our critical thinking skills – learn to improvise ways to the optimal/desired solution – the better.

Critical thinking in the form of a grilled cheese sandwich.  Brilliant!

Random Acts of Mentoring

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Airports and air travel fascinate me.  First, I’m still thrilled to get on a plane.  The fun of going away to see something different has not diminished, even though I have to undress in the security line to get to the gate.

Then there’s people watching.  Airports are THE BEST for this!  Viewing the fashion statements is enough to keep me occupied for hours, with everything from tuxedos to tank tops.

Most recently I had the “privilege” of seeing a woman dressed as Batman (or should I say “Batwoman”) including the cape.  No, it was not Halloween.  She even carried a colorful posterboard sign that said, “Ka-Pow!” which she would hold in front of people’s faces and shout the words.  Fun to watch, but sadly she sat behind me on the flight and Ka-Pow got old after the first time.

As I was standing in the airport terminal at my gate, I was mesmerized by the orchestration of planes, people and luggage.  Like a well-oiled machine planes came in, refueled, loaded/unloaded people and baggage, and take off again.

Okay, sometimes the system isn’t perfect – planes are delayed and luggage decides to go to a different destination – but it really is phenomenal that this is happening day-in and day-out, all over the world.

Wonder what the Wright brothers would think if they could see this?  Did they ever imagine that their one flight – in front of naysayers – would eventually turn into a world-wide travel system that we completely take for granted?

You never know exactly how your actions might impact someone else.  Your passion could make a difference to one person, a group, a neighborhood or the world.  Who knows?

And you may not actually see the impact.  But you have to know and believe that it’s there. If you’re lucky you might see a glimpse of it. Hopefully those you impact will understand the value and make an impact of their own.

We don’t need to be as innovative as the Wright brothers to leave a legacy; simply find something that interests you.  It could be a passion for science and research that allows you to work towards a cure for a disease; a love of animals could turn into a pet-related service or business; volunteering anywhere provides much-needed resources.

For me, my passions are many, but there is one that stands tall above the rest – mentoring. Particularly college students about to embark on their careers.

As a mentor, my goal is to listen first, then share my experience to help the students on their career journey.  I’ m passionate about it for several reasons, mainly because a mentor is something I wish I’d had.  It would have been great to have had access to an experienced mentor working in my field of interest when I was in school and throughout my career.

The students I’ve met are seriously smart, courteous, engaging and fun to be with.  They actually think my career is cool, or awesome, or whatever it is kids say nowadays.  I don’t have all the answers to their questions and am not there to solve problems, but to guide them to success. Together we talk and strategize and come up with a possible plan of action.

My mentees know they can call me with any question and I’ll give them a straight-forward answer. Even if it’s one they don’t want to hear.

I’m luckier than the Wright brothers. While I may not impact the entire world, I get a sneak peek at the impact I’m making, one student at a time.  And I love it.