Even if you’re not a genius, you can use the same strategies as Aristotle and Einstein to harness the power of your creative mind and better manage your future.

The following strategies encourage you to think productively, rather than reproductively, in order to arrive at solutions to problems. These strategies are common to the thinking styles of creative geniuses in science, art, and industry throughout history.

Nine approaches to creative problem solving:

• Rethink – look at problems in many different ways
• Visualize – utilize diagrams and imagery to analyze your dilemma
• Produce – genius is productive
• Combine – make novel combinations
• Form – Form relationships
• Opposite! Think in opposites
• Metaphor/simile! Think metaphorically
• Failure – learning from your mistakes is one example of using failure
• Patience – don’t confuse inspiration with ideas

(source: Study Guides and Strategies)

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Successful online students dialogue with their instructor. They learn to ask probing, relevant questions as well as thoughtfully answer questions posed. It helps not to think of it as busy work. Your professor asks questions to cause critical thinking to occur, so that you are able to develop a better understanding of the course materials and resources.

Before the start of the semester, send your professor a brief e-mail to introduce yourself. Don’t pen your life story, keep it short and sweet. Share what you hope to gain from the course and your eventual career and/or life goals prompting you to get your degree. This will help to break the ice as well as cause the professor to make a mental note about you – in a good way. Let’s face it, a professor gets hundreds of e-mails a week. It will help to stand out of the crowd when you’re looking to get one of your questions answered sooner rather than later.

-Online Learning Tips Staff

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