This paper will examine the decision-making process that had to make Papua Hochinoa a student of the University of Nevada. Papua is faced with the choice of continuing his football career or investing more time in his studies. A rational decision-making model was chosen as a model for solving this problem. The purpose of this paper is to offer the decision on how Papua should handle coaches and studies.
Description of the Problem
The first step in making a decision is defining the problem. Papua Hochinoa studies New Media & Graphic Design at the University of Nevada and plays on the college football team. He is not doing well in academic study as he devotes all his free time to training to fulfill an athletic scholarship’s requirements. In his third year, he got the opportunity to get into the National Football League (NFL). He is expected to enter the second or third round of the NFL Draft. Thus, there are two possible problems. The first is how Papua should succeed in a football career and get into the NFL league. The second is passing the final exams and gaining knowledge in the chosen profession.
A good decision depends on more than just the correct object. It is necessary to determine the ultimate goal to which the decision leads (Paul & Elder, 2019). Papua loves football, but he loves art and creativity more than anything else. He hoped to get a good education and eventually create his comic book about Polynesian heroes to tell the world about the rich history of his people. The creation of comics can be defined as Papua’s goal. Thus, the problem to solve is successfully passing the final exams while maintaining the athletic scholarship.
Data Collection and Analysis
Papua must collect all available data about their studies and football at this stage. Information may include the number of exams, written assignments, hours of training, and days that will be completely missed due to competitions. Analysis of information will help to identify various alternatives for solving the problem (Paul & Elder, 2019). The more alternatives are found, the better the future solution will be. Using tools such as tables and graphs is recommended to conduct a better analysis.
Evaluation of Alternative Solutions
Papua has to conduct a thorough and unbiased evaluation of each alternative at this stage. For example, he should evaluate a possible solution that involves not changing his training and class schedule but improving his time management to increase efficiency. Another alternative would be not playing the December Bowl Game and investing more time studying. This decision will favor the final goal, but it may not please the coaches and reduce his chances of making it to the NFL. Thus, all invalid arguments are eliminated from the list of alternatives (Black, 2018). Valid arguments serve as a base for the final decision.
Determining the Best Solution
The best solution to reach Papua’s final goal is to reduce training hours and invest more time in his studies. To achieve this goal, Papua should talk to the coaches and refuse to participate in some competitions and training. He also needs to determine the strategy for preparing for the final exams. After making the decision and activity, it is necessary to evaluate the results.
Conclusion
The decision-making process is based on a rational approach but does not exclude intuitive and subjective factors. A good decision must always meet the ultimate goal of an individual or group. In addition, the decision-making process includes collecting information, analyzing, generating alternative solutions, evaluating them, and making a final decision. Using a rational model, monitoring and eliminating biased and imposed conclusions is necessary.
References
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2019). The miniature guide to critical thinking concepts and tools. Rowman & Littlefield.
Black, M. (2018). Critical thinking: An introduction to logic and scientific method. Pickle Partners Publishing.