Tuesday, February 14, 2012

A.O.C: Creativity and Restrictive Choice

Haley Scholar Reading Groups

By Danielle Hall

In the second part of chapter 6 of The Art of Choosing, Sheena Iyengar discusses the advantages and disadvantages of “keeping doors open” (201). Iyengar makes some useful connections throughout this section. More notably is the link between creativity and the practice of restrictive choice where she concludes that “creative disciplines” are where we can look "for guidance” (214).

Iyengar discusses how inventors and artists now come to know the value of restrictive choice(s) and while some boundaries are broken, newer ones can still be defined. One concept that is useful to consider is Iyengar’s proposition that “To choose is to invent,” by which she means that "choosing is a creative process, one through which we construct our environment, our lives, our selves" (213).

What is one way that you have made a restrictive choice--related to your field of study--that somehow led to new or creative possibilities?

12 comments:

Jasmine said...

One hard decision I had to make at the beginning of this semester was whether or not to take Calculus 3 and Physics at the same time. I ended up making the restrictive choice to only take Calculus 3 and take Physics next semester. This allowed me to take other classes that I need for my second major. It also allowed me more free time to do extra curricular activities like gospel choir.

Jennifer Johnson said...

One way that I have made a restrictive choice is when I decided to study Chinese as a minor. I at first tried using the learning CDs in order to learn on my own. I found that studying Chinese in class was much different because of the fact that I cant take a day off from learning it and that a lot of my tine is engulfed in reading the text book and writing the characters.

Ralicia said...

I am about to enter the Elementary Education Program, and I had previously chosen to focus on Language Arts as my emphasis. As I progressed, I became concerned that I would not be able to find a job. However, because of my other classes, I was able to obtain an emphasis in Social Sciences as well as Science. This will make me more marketable as a teacher, despite the fact that in the beginning I feared I could have made the wrong choice.

Ashley Jeffers said...

When I decided to take Anatomy and Physiology as an elective, even when it's not required for a Biology Major, was one restrictive choice I've made that has opened a few doors for me academically. It is a very difficult biology course, and I knew it would be very time consuming in order to receive my desired grade. Even though this class was difficult and not required, taking it knocks off requirements in order to be admitted not only into Optometry school, but also programs like Physicians Assistant, Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, Nursing, and others. Thus, if I decided Optometry was not for me, I could still have many options in the biology field all because I decided to take A&P even though it wasn't on the curriculum guide.

Rohan Genge said...

For each of my government classes I have to choose a topic to research. I restrict my choice by researching the same topic each time but in a different light. Instead of having a fuzzy understanding of multiple topics through restrictive choice I have an in-depth understanding of one problem from many perspectives.

Natalia Habibi said...

Last semester I had to load up on classes to finish all my pre-requisites for dental school before interviews began. Because of this, I have been able to enjoy and very laid back semester of only 14 credit hours. With all my free time I have been able to be the step captain for my sorority in the ebony and ivory step show. I have also been able to volunteer more and help with preparations for Relay for Life.

Sherrie Jayne said...

When I was in high school, I was not sure whether I wanted to go into nursing or education. I wanted to have an idea because I could either go into the health occupation and class and get my nurse assistant license that would put me ahead, or go the education route and take early childhood courses. This was very stressful for me my junior year but even though I was uncertain and this was, I thought, a restrictive choice, it was the best move I did for myself because I fell in love with the field. Now approaching graduation in May and becoming a nurse, I have so many different avenues I could go into in the future because the field is so broad. From teaching, business, forensics, management-I am starting my career and not knowing where I will end up ten years later. Therefore, that "restrictive choice" I made my junior year of high school led to a world of possibility.

Alexia said...

One hard decision I had to make was if I wanted to take 2 research positions this semester. One of them directly pertains to what I would like to do in grad school, and the other I wanted to stay in because I told my professor I would be on his team all year. I didn't want to break my commitment to him, but I very badly wanted the other assistantship. I decided to do both. Although it is very time consuming, I'm glad I did take both because I have gained a lot of experience through the first position, and the second position makes me look more professional which I'm sure helped me get accepted to grad school.

Jim Engracia said...

In high school, I had the decision to take college courses/AP credits. I knew they would be hard and difficult while I worked and had extracurricular activities. I decided to take an equivalent course to PSYC 111, AP Biology (BIO 111) and AP Chem (CHEM 121A). By doing this it allowed me to have an easier time in college by joining the honors program. It also allowed me to take more elective classes because I had more room in my schedules.

Kizzy said...

I made a restrictive choice when I decided to leave my family in Chicago and permanently move four hours away. I decided to futher my education. I left Chicago's inner city, my family, and friend's to persue a higher education in Psychology. Therefore my restrictive choice was self betterment through education.

Jessica Hickman said...

One decision that I had to make was whether or not majoring in nursing was the right choice for me. The process of getting into the program seems very intense. I have considered changing my major but I realized I have to just continue. This has allowed me to join a student nursing achievement program that has been at great organization to be apart of.

William Roa-Schmitt said...

I found myself faced with a restrictive choice during the middle of this past fall semester. My job, at the time, wanted me to try to work full time and go to school full time at night. About two months into the semester I realized that I had too much on my plate. I made the restrictive choice to resign from my job and focus on school. This choice created the possibility for me to better my academic experience while also meeting new people on campus through a part time job.