The importance of students applying creative thinking at school, university, and at work, along with its benefits when applied to one’s personal life has been widely discussed in class assignments, workshops, lectures, and more! So, what is a creative-thinking mindset, and how does it shape student learning outcomes, problem-solving skills, and the ability to adapt to new environments?
Read on to learn more about how international students can develop and leverage creative-thinking skills to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
What Exactly Is “Creative Thinking”?
Creative thinking is the ability to approach ideas, challenges, and situations with an open and flexible mindset in order to generate original, effective solutions that may have not been considered before. It involves looking beyond memorized answers or fixed methods, and encourages students to question existing processes, make connections between different concepts, and consider multiple perspectives before providing solutions.
Developing your creative-thinking skills can start with reshaping your thought process. Through learning how to approach challenging situations with creativity, students can develop unique and flexible solutions to problems that are difficult to solve with more traditional thinking. Here are some thinking styles you can develop as the first step in building your creative-thinking skills:
Aesthetic thinking — This creative-thinking approach involves analyzing the underlying meaning and value of problems and looking at them from different perspectives with curiosity and openness. This shift in perspective allows you to notice patterns and come up with imaginative solutions, instead of approaching it as a source of stress.
Convergent thinking — This approach uses logic in building creative ideas. It focuses on facts and identifies effective solutions to a problem. These strategies are often used together with other ideas to develop new and creative solutions.
Divergent thinking — This traditional style of developing creative ideas involves coming up with as many solutions as possible and implementing the most feasible solutions to achieve the desired results.
Inspirational thinking — This creative thinking style focuses on imagining the best-case scenarios to find a new way to solve a problem.
Lateral thinking — A lateral thinking style involves letting ideas flow in a step-by-step format. For example, a student who may find it challenging to participate in an English language learning class may implement lateral thinking by first identifying the core problem: communicating ideas clearly. Then, they consider what the class values most—engagement. They can then explore different ways to participate, such as preparing questions ahead of time, contributing through online discussion boards, or sharing written reflections.
Creative-thinking skills are highly valued by peers, professors, and employers because they shape how individuals approach problems and ideas. Let’s take a closer look at why these skills are important.
Why Creative-Thinking Skills Are Important
Strong creative-thinking skills are essential for success in higher education, especially in the US academic system, where independent thinking and active engagement in classroom discussions are highly valued by lecturers and peers. Developing your creative-thinking skills during your studies in the US is important because creative thinking:
Enables students to approach coursework with flexibility — -Students learn to analyze ideas, question assumptions, and form original perspectives. By learning these techniques, students can adapt to new teaching styles, understand open-ended assignments better, and participate actively in discussion-based classes.
Enhances problem-solving and decision-making skills — Creative thinking plays an important role in how well students can approach problems and make decisions to solve them. During their education, students may come across many challenges such as managing time, navigating cultural differences, and balancing their academic and personal goals. With strong creative-thinking skills, students will become better equipped to explore multiple solutions, evaluate alternatives, and respond effectively to unexpected situations both within and outside the classroom, instead of feeling limited by a single approach.
Supports long term professional and personal growth — Employers and graduate programs seek individuals who can innovate, collaborate, and think independently. Sixty-one percent (61%) of employees say they are expected to come up with creative ideas or new ways to do things at work. By developing creative-thinking skills during their education, students build confidence in their ideas and learn how to communicate them clearly. It can also help them build a network of friends and colleagues during their time in the US.
Creative Thinking Practical Examples
Let’s take a closer look at some creative-thinking examples to better understand its meaning and how it can be applied to generate more innovative outcomes:
Combining unrelated concepts — This technique involves bringing together two ideas that may not seem connected at first. Students then explore how they might inform or improve one another, which can lead to unexpected connections and generate original insights and unique solutions.
For example: a psychology major could combine memory theory with classroom assessment methods to study how different types of testing affect long-term retention, creating a research angle that bridges theory and educational practice.
Mindmapping — Mindmapping is a visual technique used to brainstorm ideas related to a single core concept. This technique enables students to see the relationships between ideas, identify gaps in their thinking, and expand on initial thoughts.
For example: an English major may want to write an essay on social media, which is a vast topic. By keeping social media at the centre of the mindmap, the student can start forming a structure by branching out different areas of social media that they want to explore. These branches might include: differences in social media forums, the behavioural impact of social media, social media and human interaction, and more. This process encourages deeper analysis of the topic, leading to a well-structured, original perspective.
Reverse thinking — This unique approach involves focusing on understanding the problem itself, and then working backwards to explore how it was caused. Once this is understood, a solution can involve preventing the cause of the problem or preparing for how to handle it.
For example: a student might start with the outcome “I missed an assignment deadline” and work backward to identify why it happened. By tracing the issue back to starting the assignment too late and underestimating how long it would take, the student can reverse those conditions by planning earlier start dates and structured work blocks to complete coursework on time.
Role-playing — Through role-play, students imagine themselves in the shoes of another person to gain a better understanding of the problem at hand.
For example: a business student working on a case study of a poorly performing organization can look at the problem from the viewpoints of customers, suppliers, and employees to understand how to improve the overall performance of the company. This strengthens the student’s skills in empathy, critical thinking, and the ability to evaluate multiple perspectives for a creative solution.
SCAMPER technique — SCAMPER stands for substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, and reverse. Using this technique, students can generate new ideas to solve problems.
For example: a student working on a presentation about study habits for college can make it more creative and engaging by substituting text-heavy slides to visual adaptations, combine academic research with personal experiences, adapt study strategies relevant to their peers’ learning styles, and more.
Five Ways to Improve Your Creative-Thinking Skills
Students can strengthen their creative-thinking skills by leveraging the resources offered at their university, and practicing creative thinking while writing their assignments and participating in classroom discussions. The following five strategies are some practical ways you can expand your thinking and approach challenges with confidence:
Expose yourself to unfamiliar ideas and disciplines
Creative-thinking skills develop when you step outside what you already know. Exploring a variety of subjects, cultures, or perspectives different from your own helps you see problems in new ways. For international students, this could mean taking classes outside your major, attending campus events, and engaging in conversations with people from diverse backgrounds.
Ask “why” and “what if” questions frequently
Asking questions is at the core of creative thinking. Asking “why” helps you understand underlying reasons, while “what if” encourages you to imagine other possibilities. Instead of accepting information at face value, questions push you to analyze, challenge, and explore ideas more deeply.
Set aside time for unstructured thinking (no goals, no input)
Unstructured thinking is a strategy that allows your mind to wander without the pressure or expectation of completing a specific task. This encourages ideas to surface naturally and connect in unexpected ways. You can practice unstructured thinking by taking a quiet walk, journaling, or sitting in a comfortable environment without distractions.
Capture ideas immediately, without judging them
Creative ideas are often brief and easy to forget. Writing them down as soon as they appear helps preserve potential insights before they evaporate. Remember, these are just rough ideas only meant to get you started and may evolve into something more original over time; they do not need to be perfect.
Combine concepts from unrelated fields
Combining knowledge from different disciplines can develop fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. For example, applying concepts from technology to social issues or psychology to business can lead to unique insights.
Common Mistakes During Cram Sessions (and How to Avoid Them)
Students studying at the last minute for an upcoming exam, or finishing an assignment the night before it is due is a common occurrence in college. In this type of situation, thinking of a unique and flexible strategy to complete your work on time can be a resource skill — this is where your creative-thinking mindset comes into play!
One of the most common mistakes during cram sessions is relying on memorization instead of understanding the material you are studying. Students often reread notes or highlight large sections without absorbing the information. Another issue is studying in a rigid way by depending on only one method of studying instead of considering other approaches.
To avoid these mistakes, you can use techniques such as reframing challenging concepts in your own words to remember them better, creating mind maps to build a visual memory, or connecting topics to real-life examples. Trying multiple study approaches, such as teaching the material to someone else or switching subjects strategically also keeps the brain engaged. By thinking creatively, you can transform any challenging situation into a more manageable one.
How Creative Thinking Can Help Students
Creative thinking enables students to approach learning with confidence, flexibility, and independence. It allows them to understand concepts more deeply, adapt to different teaching styles, and find unique solutions to academic challenges. By thinking creatively, students can connect ideas across subjects, participate more actively in class, and express their perspectives clearly. These skills help improve your academic performance while also supporting your personal growth and long-term success.
With the support of your professors and Shorelight advisors, you can access a wide range of resources that support a well-rounded education in the US and encourage creative thinking throughout your studies.
Speak to an advisor to begin your journey today!
