Republic Central College

Angeles City

College of Art Science Education

A Research Article Titled:

The Importance of Study and Thinking Skills

Submitted To:

Dr. Jaime R. Dizon

Submitted By:

Annabelle P. Baclay

October 16, 2015

Introduction

Study Skills are strategies and techniques that enables you to make the most efficient use

of your time, resources, and academic potential. Developing and improving your study skills can

help you: a. to make more efficient use of your study; b. to make your learning easier and c. help

retain what you have learned Thinking Skills are mental processes we use to do things like: solve

problems, make decisions, ask questions, construct plans, evaluate ideas, organize information

and create objects.

The ability to have a better study and thinking skills are important tools to success and to

our future. When both of the skills are obtained, it gives us the chance to develop our capabilities

that could make things easier than usual, it also gives us the chance to have bigger opportunities

in life, better career, relationship and environment. In addition to that, it also improves our health

mentally and physically due to a better way of thinking. But how important are these skills? How

significant and related are the two skills to each other? What are the benefits of having them?

Where can we use them and how can we improve those type of skills?

This research shows the reader’s information about the importance of the study and

thinking skills that could probably inspire them to develop their own skills and abilities that

could make them a better person, to obtain better lives for the benefit of ourselves.

Body

According to Rita O’ Donoghue the author of Study Skills: Managing Your Learning

Skills of National University of Ireland, Galway, “Study Skills are strategies and techniques that

enables people to make the most efficient use of time, resources and academic potential.”

Developing and improving this type of skill can helps us to be more organized by improving

concentration and motivation that can be useful in our everyday lives. It can also make learning,

understanding and thinking a lot easier.

“To study without thinking is futile. To think without studying is dangerous” said

Confucius. A person cannot study without thinking or putting their minds to it for it will get them

nowhere. It is like learning something that is not important or complex enough to think about it.

That gives thinking skills a big role in developing study skill by bringing one’s knowledge,

experience and judgment to consider the accuracy or value of any information he or she has

obtained and developed through studying. The person must know how good the information is,

who gives it and the qualities they bring.

According to Ralph Teller, “Better Thinking plays an important role in our Lifestyle and

Prolonged existence.” The clearer our thought would be, the better our ability will be. It will

enhance our ability to observe, solve problems, conceptualize and to be self-aware. Better

thinking skills translates into making smarter decisions regarding our purpose in life, personal

achievements, and interpersonal relationships. It improves the contributions we make to our life,

work, employment, and contributions to society. It is a component that would allow people to

endure the challenges to pursue one’s goals. This type of skills includes the ability to think

quickly, to understand the connections between ideas, construct, identify and evaluate

arguments, detect conflicts and common mistakes in reasoning, solve problems analytically by

correctly using information, identify the relevance and importance of ideas, perceive accurately,

hypothesize, be emotionally aware, reflect on the reasoning of one's own beliefs and values.

Aside from this, having better thinking skills also affect our bodies physically and

prevents people from having Alzheimer’s disease. According to William Blahd, MD, Regular

Brain training or exercises that focuses on the following skills: memory, reasoning and speed of

processing information, makes our thinking skills active which prevents people from having

memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. One study also found that exercising the minds

of the people who started having the symptoms of Alzheimer’s had better results, it improved

their brains and slowed the symptoms of the disease by reducing the amount of brain cell damage

that happens with Alzheimer, it also supports the growth of new nerve cells and prompt the nerve

cells to send messages to each other, increases blood flow and oxygen levels to the brain.

Although it may vary from person to person, exercising the brain is an important, fun part

of the lives of everyone. It has a part to play in a positive, healthy lifestyle in the same way as

physical exercise. Stimulating leisure and social activities are also thought to be important in

maintaining a healthy brain. Mental exercise can and should be a very enjoyable part of life.

Almost any type of mental activity may be beneficial, but they should involve new learning and

be reasonably complex, varied and interesting, and engaged in frequently. Some activities that

involve exercise for the brain as part of a mentally active lifestyle are reading, listening to the

radio, visiting museums, taking a course or a class, learning a new language, playing musical

instruments, using one’s artistic abilities and creativities, participation in leisure activities such as

sports, hobbies, dancing, gardening, groups, cultural activities and conversation, playing board

games, crosswords, sudoku and other puzzle. Many of these activities involve social interaction

and physical activity as well. Recent research suggests that combining mental, social and

physical components in leisure activities offers the greatest benefits. Training man’s brain to

achieve mental strength is not complicated, he or she just need to challenge themselves everyday

and get rid of habits that do not work and implement brain training, Everybody can achieve a

healthy mind by simple engaging in everyday activities to train our brain.

Conclusion

In order for us to have better careers, life and opportunity, every people must develop and

improve their studying and thinking skills by doing brain exercises to make people mentally

active individuals. This is obtained by frequent reading, listening to the radio, visiting museums,

taking a course or a class, learning a new language, playing musical instruments, using one’s

artistic abilities and creativities, participation in leisure activities such as sports, hobbies,

dancing, gardening, groups, cultural activities and conversation, playing board games,

crosswords, sudoku and other puzzle. It is proven by studies all over the world to improve man’s

capabilities especially to the youth who are still in the course of shaping their minds.

Reference

Teller, Ralph, Clear Thinking Skills for Enhanced Lifestyle and Longevity,

http://www.1vigor.com/brain-power/Clear-Thinking/

William Blahd, MD  (2014), http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/preventing-dementia-

brain-exercises?page=1

John Wiley & Sons (2015), The Importance of Critical Thinking to Your Study Skills.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-importance-of-critical-thinking-to-your-

study-.html

Fightdementia.org (2008), Understand Alzheimer’s educate Australia: Mental Exercise and

Dementia. Fightdementia.org.au

Rita O’ Donoghue, MPhil, M.A. (2006), Study Skills: Managing your learning. National

University of Ireland, Galway

Snyder, Lisa, MSW, LCSW (2010), An Essential Guide: Living your best with early-stage

Alzheimer’s. University of California San Diego

Scotts, Jason (2013), Train Your Brain & Mental Strength: How to Train Your Brain for Mental

Toughness & 7 Core Lessons to Achieve Peak Mental Performance: (Special 2 In 1 Exclusive

Edition). Amazon Digital Services, Inc