Decision+Making

= Decision Making = = = = Everyday you make dozens of decisions-many of them without even really thinking them-like eating breakfast and getting dressed. Others, though, take a lot of thought-like whether you will go to college, university or directly to work after high-school. You will soon be making some very important decisions-like what you will do for your future career and you will need to know how to make these decisions. The best way to make good decisions is to learn the steps to take. What are these steps? The 5 A’s. = = = = Ask-what decision has to be made? = = Alternatives-what are all the possible choices? = = Advantages and disadvantages-list pro’s and con’s for each = = Answer-what is your best alternative? = = Action how do you make your decisions work? = = = = You will learn to organize your thoughts more clearly if you write the answers for each of the 5 A’s. This is a good process to follow throughout your life. You will make many important decisions in your lifetime and having good decision-making skills is a necessity. = = = = Activity#1 = = Use the five A’s to make appropriate decisions in each of the following cases. = = = = 1. You have been searching for a part-time job and have left resumes with several retail stores and fast food restaurants. You get called in to two places to work weekends-one is a store at the local mall within walking distance, the other is a fast food restaurant downtown where your friend works. It’s a bus ride to get there. Your friend is the assistant manager on the weekends. = = = = 2. You are a good student who is trying to get a scholarship to go to university. The night before the final exam in your poorest subject, your friend tells you she has stolen a copy of the exam from the teacher’s briefcase. If you ‘ace’ the exam, you may win the scholarship. If you are caught you will be expelled and not graduate. = = = = Activity#2 = = Think about a decision that you would have to make about your future-it can be courses you need to take in school, where to go to college or university, whether or not to live at home when you get a job after high school or any other decision that must be made. Apply the five A’s that you have learned to make your decision. =