WEBVTT

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JustLearn. How much information is enough to decide?. Research should serve the

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decision, rather than becoming a comfortable place to avoid making it. This

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edition uses synthetic narration.

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Define the decision before collecting more material. You compare courses, read reviews

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and open another set of tabs. After an hour, you know more

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but feel less able to choose. Perhaps you have not decided what

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you need the course to do. More information cannot easily solve an

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undefined requirement. Write a practical sentence: ‘I need an introductory course I

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can complete in six weeks, within this budget, that includes guided practice.’

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The requirement gives the evidence somewhere to go. You can now distinguish

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an interesting feature from one that matters to the choice you are

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making.

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Look for the missing information with consequences. List the unanswered questions and

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ask which answers could change the decision. The teaching format may matter;

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a fifth testimonial describing the same benefit may add little. Where a

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claim is important, look for a direct explanation rather than accumulating approving

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comments. Notice what remains uncertain even after reasonable checking. No amount of

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browsing will tell you exactly how motivated you will feel on a

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particular evening. Some questions can only be answered through experience. Others are

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signs that you need an expert, a document or more time before

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committing. Treat those categories differently.

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Set a stopping point you can justify. For a modest decision, you

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might stop once the essential requirements are checked and no unresolved concern

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would reverse your choice. For a consequential decision, the necessary checks will

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be more extensive. A stopping point is useful only when it fits

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the stakes. Before opening the next tab, complete two sentences: ‘I am

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looking for…’ and ‘If I find it, I will…’ If neither has

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a clear ending, consider whether you are researching or postponing. Deciding responsibly

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does not mean eliminating every possibility of regret. It means using an

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appropriate amount of information to choose an action you can explain and

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review.

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A question to take with you. Which unanswered question could realistically change

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my choice? First published by JustLearn. Read the original article at justlearn

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dot online.