Critical thinking has been very helpful to me and my success in Pre-Calculus 12 because I use it to understand complex problems, recognize patterns, and find and use the most efficient strategies for solving equations. Whether I’m working with functions, trigonometric identities, or conics, I have to carefully consider each and every step to avoid errors especially in this class as such a small mistake can cost me. This core competency has helped me approach questions more logically, interpret and understand graphs more accurately, and explain understand solutions with confidence.

Creative thinking played a big role in my experience with Chemistry 11, especially when I had to visualize certain complicated concepts like molecular structures or find/predict the outcomes of chemical reactions. It helped me think past normal memorization and apply my understanding to real-world situations and lab experiments. Whether I was designing an experiment or solving a challenging problem with limited information, creative thinking helped me to explore a multitude of different possibilities and find new ways to connect my knowledge into my everyday work in chemistry.