Your Career: Some Thoughts About a Critical Thinker

By Chip Law

Recently a client sent me an email expressing concern over a news show he recently viewed on national television. The show emphasized the fact that the US is using robots or machines to handle many of the required tasks in a job. In the show a hospital worker was talking about a task being done in the hospital. Her quote, “the robots can't do it because it requires critical thinking”. The client seeks to hire for key positions in his company and felt that getting critical thinkers into the organization was imperative. The client asked: How can I find them?

Some Background

Today businesses, institutions and organizations have a huge deficit in human capital i.e., the small number of their employees that have mastered the ability to think critically. Here are some reasons why:

·         We reward left brain thinking. This is a linear thought pattern and requires straight forward (proven) methodologies for analysis, planning and execution.

·         Our current systems reward those that meet our expectations and give answers that we think are right because we happen to think like them ourselves. If you go against the grain or presupposed thinking, you risk being fired or ruining your career.

·         We confuse strategy with strategic thinking or problem solving.

·         We solve problems one at a time, thinking we’ve done the whole job and a good one at that: think of the medical field where one takes care of the symptom but ignores the root cause.

·         Failure is not accepted, experimentation is not tolerated

·         Our entire educational system is predicated upon measures of success that are almost fully left brain oriented: think GPA and standardized tests. Someone with a good ability for rote memorization can ace these tests and have a high GPA but retain next to nothing.

·         None of the above requires a person to think more deeply about the world they live in, yet by conventional norms they are highly successful. Right?

·         Perhaps one has given deep or unconventional thought to provide a solution to some particular issue and been able to articulate it well, only to have the left brain world tell them that are not coloring within the lines i.e., their opinion is not respected or wanted.

I could go on and on but I think one can easily get the idea. We reward this person, we expect this person to have certain behaviors and when they do, we think they will be the right person for a college, or a job etc.

Tips to discern critical thinkers in the hiring process

So for business situations, how do you identify people that have good critical thinking skills? Here are some thoughts:

·         They would likely have a liberal arts degree with a healthy dose of philosophy and then an MBA with an international global business focus. By the way, at the undergrad level, Jesuit schools produce students with excellent critical thinking skills

·         They’ve conducted and published original research. (Research here meaning an in-depth critical look at a particular area of interest or study).

·         They have demonstrated a passion for something that allows them to go very deeply into the subject area.

·         They can remove themselves from this depth and take a view of the same subject from a mile high. From there they question everything, look at “what if” scenarios and probabilities and then offer solutions, options and contingencies.

·         On their resume they should have the PAR (Problem, Action, Resolution) format which can really help one interview them in a manner that will naturally surface some critical thinking discussion.

·         Present them with real scenarios (both in your business and outside it). When they respond, look at how their thought process addresses the situation.

o    Were they thorough? Imaginative? Unconventional? 

o    Did they ask (the right) questions?

o    Did they clearly explain how they arrived at their conclusion?

o    Did they mention that they had areas where they were not expert but knew what was required and how to get it?

o    Did they offer solutions? If so, were they only immediate or did they think of long term implications? (a changing economy and workforce, social and demographic trends, advanced technologies, etc.)

o    Can they give you a quick SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) synopsis?

                  o    Could they make intelligent connections to areas that might be 

                        considered obscure to others?

When reflecting on the candidate, a good critical thinker should have stimulated your own thinking patterns, made you feel energized and created an urgency for you to take action. These are the special people that can actually teach you a thing or two just by observing how differently and openly they tackle what is put upon their plate.

Stimulate your thinking

For some great insight into this phenomenon I suggest picking up a copy of Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind…In it, he basically says that to survive in the future, we will need to train and reward right brain thinkers. We’ll still need the left brain excellence, but that is taken as a given.

Thomas P. “Chip” Law is an IECA Professional Member and an Educational Consultant. He helps students and adults define their career path and refine their approach to the job market. He can be reached at 843-278-1271 or chip@eduave.com

College Admissions: It’s All About ADD

By Chip Law

It’s February and time for the annual pandemic of ADD!

Aha, if you are thinking this story is either wacko or just another rant about Attention Deficit Disorder you are incorrect. This seasonal event starts in late December and can last until April and in some cases even into the summer. This ADD has to do with college admissions and only students truly immune from this syndrome are those that have had the joy of receiving an offer of admission from the college to which they applied via the Early Decision process.

The ADD in this case is Admitted, Deferred or Denied.  For the rest of those susceptible to ADD, the symptoms run the gamut: euphoria, confusion, indecision, depression, inertia, anxiety and many others. These terms are often taken as defining a student. Their young life’s “body of work” has gone into getting into that special college or university that just calls their name. Even though the word admitted sounds like a terrific outcome, it can present problems albeit different than the noncommittal deferred or the funereal tone of a denial. Let’s look at the components of ADD, see what they might mean and how you, the student, can make the best of their impact.

Admitted

Okay, let’s say several colleges have said they see you as a match for their college and they have made you an offer of admission. Wow, now you’ve got choices! How you approach the choices can make the A in ADD a positive or not. The more intimately you get to know the colleges that accepted you, the easier it will be to make a decision. You will need to revisit the campus and use that opportunity to grill students and faculty with questions that you feel you MUST have answered in order to make an informed decision. Stay overnight, use online forums and social media to get the pulse of the college and see if it really meets your expectations both from a social and academic interest point of view.

Problem solved right? Not so fast my friend. Most families are bracing for the hard economic realities of today and college funding is an important, if not the most important, factor in making a college selection. This is the time to look VERY carefully at the TOTAL cost of attendance at each college that’s offered you a place in their incoming class. Along with your parents and perhaps an external advisor, you need to understand the world of loans, work/study, and budgeting time and money. Once you understand the REAL cost of attendance, then you will be in a position to make a decision on which college will be the total best fit for you AND your parents.

Denied

This is rough. It is agonizing. It is a traumatic event. It can crush you and take away your motivation…the list of negative things could go on and on. A denial is nothing more than what it implies: the college did not see you as a fit and it let you know so that you could move on to consider other possibilities. It is how YOU take the denial that is most important. It is okay to cry, to grieve, to be angry, to think about telling the college how sorry they are going to be for not taking you and so on… You are now at a pivotal point in your development of coping skills that will be a part of the formation of the future person you will become. Go through the Kubler-Ross psychological steps of the loss: the first being-guess what? : Denial, then Anger (no problem there right?), Bargaining (I’ll do ANYTHING to change this outcome), Depression (it's okay to feel bad, you’re human) and then most importantly Acceptance.

Acceptance (amazing how these college admission words keep coming up!) of the result allows you to move on. Moving through the stages quickly will get you focused in the right direction instead of playing the "If only I": woulda, coulda, shoulda blame games. You can now look at your other choices and if you really look carefully you’ll find some wonderful things in the college that DOES want you on their campus.

Deferred

This is the beast of ADD because it leaves you in limbo. This is your absolute first choice in colleges. You compare yourself to others that were admitted and don’t see how they could have been chosen over you. You do the math based on what is the probability of getting in as an admitted student if you were originally deferred. You feel panicky because you do not have the path cleared for you like the admitted or denied student. Well, DON’T let paralysis creep into the picture. You must put a plan in place that deals with the possible outcomes and you must do it right away.

First, let the college know that you still have a strong desire to attend. You have established some level of email communication with the admissions officer that is responsible for your geography, right? Let them know how you feel. If you get ANY good news, academic or otherwise, that might shed new light or reinforce a positive bit of information about yourself, make sure that the college is informed. To do this you can use your email contact or if appropriate, your college counselor, but don’t be a pest and email every day. Once you have done these things you must move on to make other plans. Be prepared to go through the same grief steps of those that were denied and then generate and direct your enthusiasm on to your next college. Lighten up and make the best of a (not so really) bad situation. Doing nothing is NOT an option and fretting will only take a toll on your mental and physical health. You must put yourself into a position where you can envision a positive outcome NO MATTER what happens.

For behavioral ADD, people are now asked to use the acronym ADHD instead of ADD. So for this rendition of ADD let’s add the “H”. In this case, H stands for HOPE. Not hope like winning a lottery, but hope in terms of optimism, future promise, and the filling of expectations. While the content of your ADD may be immutable, the way you hold and interpret and act on the context will define how you can handle this form of ADD.

Thomas P. “Chip” Law is an IECA Professional Member and an Educational Consultant. He helps students and parents find the best college match for them.  He can be reached at 843-278-1271 or chip@eduave.com

Copyright 2012 Educational Avenues, Inc. All rights reserved.

October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month

How Well Can YOU Read? 

Chances are pretty good that you have heard of dyslexia and that you have the perception that people with this label will read the word dog as God, or the word rat as tar. Interestingly, dyslexia does not have anything to do with one’s ability to see clearly and it is by no means that simple to describe or recognize. Imagine being asked to read hieroglyphics fluently with no training. This is what the dyslexic has to deal with every day of his life.  

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) defines dyslexia as:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Here are some interesting factoids about dyslexia:

• It affects nearly one out of 10 people
• If you are dyslexic there is a good chance one of your parents or children have the trait
• It is termed a language based learning disability
• Dyslexia is identifiable with over 90% accuracy, at ages 5 ½   to 6 ½ .
• Many people with dyslexia cannot read at better than a third grade level and some college dyslexic graduates cannot read a single word
• A dyslexic’s IQ has nothing to do with his condition
• Dyslexics are often singled out as academic losers at a very early age by teachers, classmates and even their parents
• Many dyslexics experience low self-esteem, are often fatigued and may contemplate taking their own lives
• A number of those that cannot read a single word are:

                        ·         Nobel prize winners

·         Exceptional (and wealthy) entrepreneurs

·         Award winning artists and sculptors

·         College graduates with advanced degrees

You might be interested to know that reading is NOT a natural ability.  It must be taught and then fully assimilated in the brain. To a “normal” student, reading seems to be an step by step progression of proficiency. To the dyslexic student the development of reading skills is greatly impeded by the fact that the left brain connections that “light up” when one is learning to read are often dark. When this happens, the student begins to use the prefrontal cortex (which is not fully developed until young adulthood) and consumes enormous amounts of energy in the process. So, not only do dyslexic students not comprehend what it is they are supposed to, they also create a brain frenzy that often leads to mild to severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Last week I attended a local conference for members of the South Carolina chapter of the International Dyslexia Association. The conference had one track that focused on the basics of learning to read and the various approaches to deal with non-verbal language disabilities The presenter, Dr. Margie Gillis E.D and head of Literacyhow, is a nationally recognized subject matter expert when it comes to reading and she exposed us to many tools and techniques that are available to facilitate the development of reading abilities. Her approach is a sensible consideration for all parents of children for whom reading is problematic.

For me, the highlight of the day was having 15 conference attendees take part in a dyslexia simulation exercise. Do you want to feel confused, frustrated, ashamed, abused, and truly dumb and picked upon? Then this exercise is right up your alley! I knew this was a simulation, but the tangible impact it had on me was enormous. While I can never know what it truly feels like to be dyslexic, I certainly can now understand the negative and hostile world within which a dyslexic individual must strive for “normalcy”. It is no wonder that reading failure is the most commonly shared characteristic among juvenile offenders, 60% of prison inmates are illiterate and over 27% of children with learning disabilities drop out of high school. Illiteracy costs the US $2 billion per year for students that must repeat a grade due to reading problems and over $20 billion per year on a national basis to businesses and taxpayers.

So this month let’s honor those with dyslexia. Parents: form a support group, get help for your child if she has reading problems by having her tested. Ask your local IDA* organization for a viewing of an incredible documentary on dyslexia and for a simulation kit that will let participants feel what dyslexia is like. After exposure to these resources I’m sure you will want to share the information with the community at large. Like many brain wiring issues dyslexia cannot be cured, but there are MANY ways to overcome its impact. In addition to honoring all of the incredibly successful dyslexic achievers, there is also a reason to celebrate one’s own dyslexia: right brain thinkers are likely to be the leaders, innovators and most progressive individuals as our society continues to evolve.

*To get access to the kit and video in South Carolina contact Liz Hall: EHLearning@aol.com or by phone at 843 856-8966.

The College Admission Game: What's the Ante?

Like Poker,  To Play the College Admission Game You Have to Have Jacks or Better

Yep, when you apply to a highly selective school it's a real crapshoot. So how can you improve your chances in this seemingly random lottery? Using a poker analogy, you must have Jacks or better to play the game, Here are some tips to "stack the deck in your favor".

1. At selective colleges, strength of secondary school curriculum and performance (GPA) within that context are the most important criteria for initial consideration. Additional differentiation can be seen in the Standardized test scores and class rank. Students applying to these schools have to have stellar grade and test scores. To achieve them they had to do their BEST at ALL times.

2. Excerpts from college admission officers selection attributes: "Our students have individual passions: things they really care about. They see themselves as playing a significant role in world and know how to accomplish this by making a contribution in their area of concentration using their passions as a driving force.

From a college admissions interview: "We ask about what current events you follow, favorite subjects, what you're involved in at school, what you want to do at our school, your family, who you look up to, in what area are the "king of trivia of", etc.

3. Select colleges have the cream of the crop applying to them (see # 1 above). Part of the ante to play in their league is to differentiate yourself and do so in a way that makes you unique and standout. Playing a sport, being on the newspaper/yearbook, playing an instrument are all nice and may be significant but they are really basic and only par for a course where birdies and eagles are expected. Competing on a school team that has a basis in intellect AND achieves higher level (state/national) recognition WILL stand out and be duly noted as a real positive on the student application. Participation in such areas indicates intellect, critical thinking, teamwork, competitiveness and problem solving skills. These attributes combined are highly valued by admission professionals. These activities can also help you have the ability to answer difficult essay or interview questions such as:

* "If there were five students competing for the same seat in a class, what would be your sales pitch to        the professor for letting you take it?"
* Name a class you have taken that has changed the way you think.

4. The ability to read both in quantity and quality is an imperative to college performance. College students receive multiple reading assignments every week, each of which is usually associated with an accompanying written paper. Learning to read in volume with a high level of comprehension is the acquisition of a skill that will have a lifelong positive impact. Such reading will increase vocabulary, enable better scoring on standardized tests, and perhaps most importantly help you develop critical thinking and problem solving skills while stimulating intellectual curiosity. From another college interview application supplement:

* What book have you read recently that you would tout as a "must read" to your friends? 

* What are your top five favorite books and why are they interesting to you.

5. Colleges look at how students spend their time. While not evaluating things such as playing video games, they are looking for meaningful pastimes that enrich the student's life and help them understand what they will be able to contribute on their campus. From a college brochure: "Students should strive to add things into their lives that will be meaningful to them. This requires effort and a self-starting mentality which will ultimately fully develop intellectual curiosity and the truly valuable attribute of seeking to be a lifelong learner."

6. Schools have two opinions of the concept of volunteerism/community service. The first is compulsory volunteer activity that must be completed as a requirement for graduation. This is seen as a given for all students regardless of selectivity. The second type of community service or volunteerism reflects a drive within the student. This activity demonstrates to the school that the student has matured to a level where their own self-interest is superseded by a real desire to help others over their own immediate needs. The select colleges expect that their student body will be cognizant of the needs of others and actively participate in areas to which they feel drawn.

A recent article and survey in the NY Times : "In the most positive light, such service teaches children and teenagers to look beyond themselves and understand the role they can play in their community and country. In the most negative light, it is one more activity to tick off en route to college."

A 2008 survey of admissions officers from the top 50 colleges and universities by the organization DoSomething.org, found that admissions officers consistently put a higher value on continuous volunteering over several years at a local place than a short-term stint overseas. In the survey, the admissions officers said they were confident they could discern when a student was being disingenuous about her commitment to community service. One noted that "insincerity seems likely when there is a laundry list of activities with minimal commitment."

7. College admissions personnel: We are looking for tomorrow's leaders. The fate of the world is literally in their hands. Students should actively seek any opportunity to take leadership during their secondary school years: captaincy of sports teams, student government, the lead in a school play or become known as a "go to" person that can resolve conflict. Not only will having these experiences help gain admission to a select college, they will provide a development and skill building cycle that will have a significant positive impact throughout the student's life.

8. Many students "hit the wall" at some point in their college career. Hitting the wall is finding that class work is overwhelming. Getting behind in a class can quickly lead to discouragement, and possibly failure. Students must develop the necessary skills that will minimize the chances of hitting the wall. In addition to the importance of reading discussed above, organization, time management and assignment completion planning skills are very important to keep a student from hitting the wall. It is critical that healthy habits are formed during the high school years and to be able to quickly correct a situation while at home where resources and assistance can be readily applied using parents, teachers or a tutor’s expertise.

If You Are Wait-Listed In College

Every year thousands of students who may have bypassed college planning get denied or wait-listed at our nation’s "Elite" colleges. These are good students who may be at the top 10% of their class and sport a solid number of extra-curricular activities. However, “Elite” colleges require more than the posted admission requirements. Those are only minimums. Students also need a solid “hook” or “tipping factor” that the college can use. It’s all about what you bring to the table of that college. If that table needs a side dish of asparagus or potatoes to complement the main meal, then a college looks for that “side dish”, even if you are a student who brings a batch of chocolate chips cookies. The April-cruel part is this: who could refuse a batch of chocolate chip cookies? Each student is valuable and brings to a college a unique set of personal characteristics and gifts beyond what they have achieved academically

As an English major in college, April for wait-listed and denied college applicants reminds me of T. S. Eliot’s cruelest month, “breeding lilacs out of the dead land and mixing memory and desire”. It’s a time of reckoning for students who applied to college based on desire rather than realistic expectation. For some students “winter kept them warm, covering the earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers”. These tubers fed the hope that an idealized Ivy League or “Elite” college would say “Yes”. Unfortunately, hopes that were kept alive in winter may come crashing down in April, when these “Elite” colleges send out their letters. In April all colleges must get back to their applicants with a definitive answer, says the National Association for College Admission Counselors (NACAC). Don’t have a pity party if you are denied! Close the book on the “Elite” and move on to those “safe” colleges that accepted you.

This article is not for students who were admitted last November through early action or early decision or have already been accepted to their top choice college. This article is for those students who were denied by their first, second or even third choice “Elite” college. It’s for those who are wait listed at a college they want.

The good news is that students can find many colleges that fit their needs and personality preferences even if they don't get into those "Elite" colleges. In fact, the farther away they move from the Ivy League and "Elite" colleges the more likely they are to find a place at a dinner table that very much appreciates their contribution.

If you get wait listed and still love (or are obsessed by) that Ivy League or Elite college, then here are some tips about what to do:

1.If you have any new information to add to your file, such as a new and improved SAT score, a 5 in an AP exam or a much improved grade in an Honors Math class, send the transcript to your Ivy League or Elite college.

2.If the principal or head of your school graduated from the college that has wait listed you, and he respects your work and behavior, then ask him/her to write a recommendation on your behalf.

3.Even if your school principal did not graduate from the college that wait listed you but he/she knows you quite well and can add something new to your already submitted file, ask if he/she will write a recommendation for you.

4. Do reply immediately if you receive a questionnaire or card from this college asking if you still want to remain on their wait list,if you are absolutely positive you would attend even at this late date. You’d be surprised to know that after the first card is sent out, only 50% of wait listed applicants reply. This enables the college to cut their wait list in half. After the second card is mailed the college wait list is reduced again and only about a quarter of applicants remain on the wait-list.

5. This is when demonstrated interest counts. But you have to be honest with yourself and the college. It’s OK to have sent your commitment deposit to the college that already accepted you. However, don’t tell the college that has wait listed you “yes, yes, yes I’ll come if you accept me” and then back out. I have seen a student do this with a military academy. It was probably for the best because this student might have gotten into trouble with his indecision in a military setting.

6 At this point, do your calculations here, :) put your AP Statistics to good use: what is the probability that your name will rise to the top of the wait list?

7. Call the college and ask to speak with the admission counselor for your region. After re-stating your love for the college, ask how many students remain on the waiting list and what is your place on that wait list.

8. Build your relationship with your admission rep but refrain from calling or emailing every week. (don't be a pest! :) )

9. Be sure to always call yourself. Don’t let your parents call.

10. When the college asks how you will pay, be honest about your financial need.

11. Although colleges are likely to favor students who can pay fully and on their own if accepted, if you need financial aid in order to attend say so. Don’t play the bait and switch game with colleges.

12. If the Elite college says “If we admit you we have no financial aid” and you do need financial aid to pay for college, move on. This practice by colleges is called “admit-deny” and it results on wait-listed students with financial need paying much more for college than those already admitted.
13. Be prepared to wait until May and June to see if any spots open up. There is some fall-out of accepted students who may change their mind in the summer. It’s not over until it’s over.

14. Some colleges will have additional fall-out from September to December and may invite a wait listed student to enroll in January.

15. Other colleges may suggest a student do a “study-abroad semester” for the fall of freshman year.

16. Re-examine your reasons for wanting the “Elite” college. This book "Find the Perfect College For You" help you figure out how your MBTI® personality preferences fit in at Ivy League and other “Elite” colleges.

17. Don’t forget to deposit at a college that has accepted you. Do this before May 1st, NACAC’s “universal” commit date for students.

18. Do not double deposit just to keep your options open at two colleges. If colleges find out you may lose both acceptances. Besides, this is a good time to start adhering to an honor code that will serve you well in college and in life.

What Makes a College or University Unique?

When a student and her family are searching for a post-secondary school that will be a “perfect” fit, they may see this as a daunting or even overwhelming task. How can they better the odds that the schools they consider will meet most of their needs? Will they be able to provide an environment where the student will have a chance to thrive in the midst of preparing for their career or post-graduate life?

While there is no easy answer, the process of school selection is quite definable, manageable and with enough advanced research and planning can be a wonderful experience for the entire family. The one MUST of this process is that it stem from the student point of view: what are her passions, what environment best suits her personality, what are her values? If these parameters are not brought into the selection process, there is a very HIGH probability that the student will not graduate in 4 years, will not enjoy the college experience, or not find anything that will facilitate their entry into the workplace upon graduation.

So put all of the above into the mixing bowl and add several additional key ingredients: student stats (GPA, ACT/SAT, rank, curriculum challenge, extracurricular involvement), their essay, their choice of large or small school, location, selectivity etc. When you stir this mixture you have the opportunity to then select several of the over 3500 colleges and universities where you can seek admission. Oh yeah, you then need to factor in that not so little consideration: the actual cost of attendance.

Okay it took a bit of preamble to address this topic of this post but here it is. While you should be prepared to do all of the above, it really helps to look a large variety of schools when you are trying to make a decision. Some you choose should be sure shots for admission, some should be possible and others a bit of a reach-visit as many as you possibly can. Make your visits with variety in mind; see a few large and small schools to get a feel for the campus and students that attend.

Here’s the deal, almost without exception each school you see (even though you have carefully narrowed down your choices) has some MAJOR uniqueness that will make it stand out. Whether it is faculty, specific majors, school spirit, the physical plant, student type or location there will always be something different about each institution.

Over the past few years, we at Educational Avenues have visited over 400 colleges. We use a practiced eye to look at each school as an entity unto itself: what student would fit there and who might have trouble? Is the faculty research oriented to the exclusion of student development? Are the students accepting or exclusionary? For some very good reasons, a number of these schools fall off our list of possible choices for the students we help in the school selection process. The rest have that uniqueness that will be an absolute match for one of our students. Give us a shout (chip@eduave.com or Claire@eduave.com) and we can share some of the ways we spot these characteristics as well discover the true hidden gems. We just completed a tour of 16 private colleges and universities in Florida and can give you an example of how each one has been able to be competitive as well in touch with what students of today require.

The Adolescent Brain

“Adolescents are complicated critters”, said Dr. Jeff M.Georgi a well-known clinical specialist in addiction at Duke University’s department of psychiatry and surgery. I thought back to my own kids and the students I work with and nodded. He continued: “Their brains are biologically vulnerable and psychologically impacted by exposure to adverse social settings”.
Even though I have taken a number of physiological psychology courses, this workshop I attended at the recent IECA national conference, honed in on new research that links early nicotine use to a high probability of addiction. Dr. Georgi explained that the earlier kids start smoking, the more programmed for addiction their brain becomes. In other words, nicotine has a sticky way of priming the developing brain by getting into all the nooks and crannies, thus predisposing the brain to seek out substances that produce those feelings. Exposing a developing brain to nicotine primes it for addiction. No other substance has such a tragic effect.

During my clinical field experience, I attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where people would smoke during the break and then return to the hall where they worked on their alcohol addiction. Their smoking addiction was not even addressed, and it was clear to me that while they could quit drinking using the 12-steps program among supportive peers, they were sucking on those cigarettes for dear life. Were they trying to give up alcohol when the nicotine addiction had started it all? If nicotine is the root of the addiction shouldn’t we all try to stop young people from starting and help those who are already addicted tackle the root cause of their illness? This thinking had never occurred to me prior to attending this workshop. Dr. Georgi’s research implies that if teens don’t start smoking, they are much less likely to succumb to addiction
Dr. Georgi pointed out what many adults know: teens are excitement seekers and boredom is deadly for them. Physiologically, if those places in the brain that make and retain memories (the amygdola and hippocampus) are not active, the frontal cortex, that performs many functions loosely called cognition, is also not active and kids experience boredom. Teens seek novelty because it results in an increase of dopamine, a substance that gives pleasure to the receptors in the brain. Bored teens are likely to take more risks to get out of their boredom and fulfill their biological mandate. In proper dosage, dopamine allows people to enjoy themselves, but too much causes over stimulation. Teens do not have fully gown neurons in the pre-frontal cortex until their twenties, so their judgment and planning ability is easily compromised. (The neurons in the brain are like a tree, the trunk and branches are called the axion and dendrites respectively). In kids these branches are not yet fully myelinated, or covered with a sheath or coating of myelin. If these “naked” or uncovered dendrites get coated with nicotine, they become programmed for addiction.

Teens absolutely need novelty and excitement, some of which is positive such as roller-coasting, white-water rafting and even skydiving can be relatively safe. However, a sky-dive does not last three hours or the diver would be dead. Too much stimulation is not good. Too much drive and shame toward perfectionism interferes with learning in school. We don’t learn when we are terrified or humiliated. According to Dr. Georgi, the same brain cells that benefit from novelty die with too much stimulation. For instance, when a child is subjected to a traumatic event, the hippocampus shuts down and does not remember, but the amygdola registers and stores the events subconsciously. This is important to know when helping teens who were traumatized, because the memories you make in adolescence are memories you keep. If adolescents don’t take advantage of their brain’s ability to learn during their teen years, their window narrows, the unused branches or dendrites get cut off. It’s why we want our teens to experience events that produce good memories, to have good relationships, and to experience emotional safety.
We want to challenge our teens socially, physically, emotionally and academically because purposeful attention helps maturation of the prefrontal lobe, that part of the brain that stores working memory and other functions needed for higher learning.

An overall recipe for teens’ health is seeing two parents who love each other. They need to see the commitment and courtesy between mom and dad. They need to see healthy role models: girls need to be exposed to strong women who have power and choose their relationships wisely. Boys need to identify with dads who love, respect and take care of their mate and the children. If mom or dad is drinking every night and s/he can’t help it, s/he sets the example for the children to follow. In our practice we refer teens to special programs where they learn to self-regulate and make better decisions for themselves. However, when they return to a family that has not changed, there’s a gravitational pull toward regression. Successful intervention requires significant time to solidify lasting change in both parents and teen.

There’s a myth about college students drinking, that they study hard, work hard and play hard. Research shows that binge drinking destroys the pre-frontal cortex, which moderates impulsivity among other functions. Impulsivity increases the risk for addiction. (UNC Researchers: Crews FT, Boettinger CA). Students may have studied in the library for 6 hours, if they then go out drinking they wipe out what much of what they just learned. However, it should be pointed out that college is not “Animal House” anymore. The majority of college students do not abuse alcohol. It’s important to dispel this myth so students will not expect themselves to drink once they enter college.

A recent article printed in the Chronicle of Higher Education indicates that a few college presidents at very elite colleges are considering lowering the drinking age, perhaps because they think their high-achieving students are mature and sensible enough to decide for themselves. Smoking which is even more pernicious a substance was not mentioned. It too should be made illegal to purchase before age 21. Dr. Georgi makes it clear that it makes no sense to lower the drinking age when an 18-year-old brain is still at the mid-point of development. An 18 year old is not capable of making the decisions that a 23-year-old can. Dr. Georgi concluded: “If we are going to do something stupid, let’s not do it in the face of this tidal wave of facts and information”.

C. Claire Law, M.S. IECA Certified Educational Planner, is the author of Find the Perfect College for You, based on matching a student’s MBTI® personality preference to the best-fit colleges. Claire is the founder and president of Edcational Avenues. She can be reached at claire@eduave.com
Bibliography: Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are by Joseph LeDoux Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy (Third Edition) by Cynthia Kuhn, Scott Swartzwelder, and Wilkie Wilson