Assignment 3: Decision Analysis (-Inez-)

An instance: pro-active, not reactive
I think that everyone is pro-active when it comes to things that they are passionate about, for example when pursuing one’s interests. I remember a friend who told me about a particular passion she had- playing the electone (a kind of Japanese electronic organ-like instrument). According to her, she started her love affair with the electone years ago, when she first heard a senior in her school playing the theme song for Titanic. So entranced was she by the music that she immediately took up classes to learn to play the instrument and subsequently managed to even exceed her senior in terms of achievements, winning the grand prix in the national electone festival. That’s definitely pro-active!

Education system: are we taught to make good decisions?
I feel that the education system is structured and safe, there are rarely opportunities to make bad decisions because the major choices that our education system allows to make are all the best choices we can have (though that might be debatable). My educational path from primary to secondary to junior college was a rather smooth one and I felt that I had few decisions to make. Perhaps that was because I was rather sure of what I wished to study from the start though. I think that students nowadays though, have a greater variety of options, be it choosing the IB route, the IP route, going to NUS High or Sports Schools and I think it is good to have many choices, it allows students to not follow the long tried-and-tested path. That’s flexibility and I like it! I think the presence of many choices allows people to practice their decision-making skills. However, this is based on my premise that having a lot of opportunities to make decisions will improve one’s decision-making skills.
Are we taught to make good decisions? If the emphasis is on taught, I would say that the education system does try to teach us to make good decisions. I remember the critical thinking courses, Wheel of Reasoning courses etc. that I went for. Those courses taught me how to think in an analytical way and to me analytical thinking is essential in good decision-making, so perhaps I was indirectly taught how to make good decisions through these courses.

Real-life example
I am currently considering whether to take a course to get a translation diploma (Chinese-English translation). I have always been interested in how such courses are conducted and would really like to learn how professional translation is done. However, the intensive courses are up to 9 months long, starting from March. I am unsure whether I should take the course because the university school term would already have started before the 9 months are up (I would not be able to get the diploma if I do not complete the courses) and also as the courses are on nights twice weekly, with examinations included, I think it might be stressful taking the course while having to work and learn to drive.