According to the test, my thinking style is Abstract Sequential. Not only the word is foreign to me, but also the idea. I’ve never paid much attention to my thinking style, let alone knowing which one I fit in.

I always thought the way I think is just simply following the logic of things. I would refuse anything that seems illogical, any argument that lacks solid and well-reasoned supports will not be accepted into my brain. I love arguments that present strong and strict logical reasonings. When it comes to learning, to grasp upon a subject, I’ll need to have detailed references. Most of the time they will come from my own experimenting or practicing on smaller pieces of the subject. Once I have a solid reference, new concepts will then quickly begin to make sense to me. After I did some research on my thinking style, the more I understand how I learn and why do I learn in such manner.

After reading this article, I have flashbacks of all the “whys” I’ve asked my parents when I was a kid. Even though they did answers them patiently, most of the time, but I was never satisfied with their answers :P , and now I know why. I need to have tangible and rational answers to my ‘whys’. I liked to solve problems which the process of solving or the answer will become a reference point for my ‘whys’. However, I will be bored and even get frustrated when I have to solve them repeatedly after I’ve gotten my reference. Relating back to phase 0, I’ve enjoyed every coding challenge so far, since every one of them allows me to experiment and then becomes a reference point to solidify my concepts. However, anything that’s repetitive, like reading materials that conveys the same topic tend to bore me quickly.

Another thing that was pointed out in my researching is the stress of being rushed. I know that I will perform poorly on timed test, even if it doesn’t require you to answer everything. It’s not the amount of assignments but the timed aspect of it will stress me out. My mind will begin to protest on the timed aspect of the assignment and will affect my focus and concentration. There are countless times throughout my life that I had to deal with this situation and I have learned how to ignore the timed aspect and just stay dive right into the problem to start building up my focus and concentration along the way. It does not perform nearly as good as I like it to be, but this strategy did helped at times and I’ll have to keep on improving it.

In additions to the characteristics above that stands out in my research about Abstract Sequential is the traits of preferring to work alone and having difficulties expressing emotions. I agree with these completely. I find that I’m most efficient when I work alone. When it comes to team work, I have a tendency to disconnect with the group to work on my own. Despite that, I’ve learned the value of team work. I remembered that when I first got stuck on a Ruby challenge, I was so frustrated. I went online to research for solution and explanation. I remembered getting even more frustrated when I can’t understand the explanation and the solution looked completely alien to me. I remember how relived I was when I found explanation that actually made me understand the problem and guided me through the challenge. Thinking back on all the pairing sessions I’ve had in phase 0 thus far, I would’ve been more productive if there was a partner to tackle this together instead of me getting stuck and infuriated. I also find that just explaining to others not only requires me to be clear and concise, but also requires me to think back on what I’ve learned. I would need to deconstruct and reorganize my thoughts before I open my mouth. I find this very challenging but helpful as I have to examine my thoughts piece by piece and will often find something I do not have a firm grasp on.

All in all, I’m glad that I now know more about my own thinking style. I need further research into this subject to get a better understanding. For now, I know which direction I need to take to improve my learning and better myself in team works.