Last Thursday

Cognitive Flexibility and my resonance with it as a CS major

Cognitive flexibility is the ability to adapt our thinking in response to changing situations, new information, or unexpected challenges. It involves switching between different concepts or approaches to solve problems effectively. As a Computer Science major, cognitive flexibility is a crucial skill I resonate with and continually develop.

In programming, there’s often no single correct solution. When faced with a bug or an inefficient algorithm, I have to consider multiple perspectives and pivot strategies quickly. For instance, while developing a Ranked Choice Voting system, I initially struggled with an approach that couldn’t handle edge cases. Instead of persisting with the same method, I restructured the entire codebase, implementing a different data structure to optimize the process. Overall, the video did an amazing job encapsulating how cognitive flexibility is something we pick up daily especially as a CS major.

Cognitive flexibility not only allows me to navigate the technical challenges in Computer Science but also enhances my ability to thrive in dynamic and multidisciplinary environments.