Teaching, Learning & Assessment

Habits of Mind

Developing habits of mind is essential for academic excellence and personal success.

Habits of Mind and Academic Excellence

  • Academic excellence is the practice of continual recommitment to engaging with educational opportunities.
  • It is nurtured through engagement with a community of learnings dedicated to developing habits of mind.
  • Success development as an educated person requires development of habits of mind that enable students to fully benefit from learning opportunities.
  • For more information about fostering habits of mind at CSUMB, read the article, Critical Habits of Mind: Exposing the Process of Development by Jennifer Fletcher.

The Habits of Mind That Foster Academic Excellence & Personal Success

Metacognition

Reflect on your own thinking and the processes used to structure knowledge.

Flexibility

Develop the ability to adapt to situations, expectations, and demands.

Creativity

Try novel approaches for generating, investigating, and representing ideas.

Responsibility

Take ownership of your actions and understand the consequences for yourself and others.

Persistence

Sustain your interest and attention to short- and long-term projects.

Openness

Be willing to consider new ways of thinking and being in the world.

Engagement

Cultivate a sense of investment and involvement in learning.

Curiosity

Desire to know more about the world around you.