Criticism can be helpful

Criticism. It is a factor of life and is ever present in the world of higher education. Being able to handle criticism is a crucial ability to have in college.

It is not a skill that we are born with. Handling criticism is a skill that is in the weird realm of common sense.

It is never something explicitly taught, but it is knowledge usually gained through experience.

In the age of the internet, though, we can skip all the hassle of life experiences with a quick Google search. A search that will, most likely, lead to this very article.

Now, let’s talk about criticism. Everyone experiences it, and utilizing it is a fantastic skill to know.

There are a few critical factors to utilizing criticism. Listening, staying calm, being humble and learning from failure are all imperative to getting the full use of criticism.

Listening is probably the most essential part of handling criticism. Not just hearing or reading what is said, but actual understanding it.

Criticism is not something that always has to be reacted to instantly. Sometimes, time is needed for the brain to wrap around the criticism fully.

Allowing yourself to actually listen to and think about the critique requires a calm demeanor.

Taking things personally is not the way to go here. Even if the critique is negatively worded, step back and stay calm. Diving straight into ad hominem attacks will never help a situation.

Being defensive is also ill-advised. Even if it is not an accurate critique, pushing back against it with excuses will only backfire.

If the critique is accurate, admit to the wrong done.

Being humble is the best thing to do when any criticism rears its head. Get the critique expanded upon to learn from it. Then, actually, learn from the criticism.

Never let anything learned go to waste. Ponder it. Reread it. Be conscious of it.

Critiques can be a well of knowledge.

Taking the time to actually analyze critiques is an excellent way to better one’s self, especially in the world of education.

So, next time a paper comes back, actually take them seriously and use some of the advice above to utilize them.