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I despised English class in high school. I would have taken an animal dissection class with a hefty helping of multi-dimensional algorithmic problems over writing any day. I was what some would call a nerd -- a "logical-mathematical" dweeb. When I got to college, however, I discovered my verbal-linguistic side.

It was during my freshman writing courses at Kings College (Wilkes-Barre, PA) that I realized my interest in language. And now, in my junior year, I've found that I'm a pretty good English student and, to my surprise, I really do enjoy the subject! It was as if a sudden awareness had hit me -- a self-assured biology major -- when I least expected it.

English ate away at my prior conceptions faster than an acid-catalyzed chemical reaction. Instead of suppressing my curiosity, however, I followed through. This is the story of how a reformed science and math geek discovered a whole new way to think once he opened his mind up to new possibilities.

A Failed Experiment
I came to college excited and with high hopes of pursuing marine biology. Little did I know that not two weeks into my freshman semester, I was going to hate it. For many soon-to-be and new college students, there is a tremendous pressure to know exactly what to major in, and to like it once that course of study is started. It's admirable when these students keep a list of goals that will help them succeed, and steadfastly begin working toward their future. But for some students -- myself included -- it's not always that easy.

"Many students enter college without any specific direction," explains Dr. Joan M. Blewitt, office director of King's College career Planning and Placement Center. Instead of viewing this predicament, or that of changing interests, as a problem, Dr. Blewitt encourages students to see the silver lining. "Think of it as an opportunity to explore different career paths," she says.

Dr. Blewitt would give me a round of applause then, since my experience involved more than a switch in majors. I explored a whole new discipline after my mind was completely redirected and focused on the one scholastic area I never thought I'd come face to face and actually feel at ease with: English.

After about two or three weeks of working through bio lab, I -- the dead-set science-buff -- could not believe what was happening. I hated it. All the action of "adding this," "measuring that" and "mixing two solutions" together ... well, it started to bore me. The only part I truly enjoyed was when I had to type up a lab report. After my failed educational experiment, I discovered a newfound solace in English.

It was a bit ironic that English was the something I so strongly detested in high school. Once in college, it just felt right.

The Science Behind My Metamorphosis
The science geek in me couldn't help but analyze how this chemical reaction in my brain could possibly take place. So with a little help from cognitive and educational psychologist Howard Gardner, who I learned about in my magazine article writing course, I realized I was morphing from a logical-mathematical thinker into a verbal-linguistic one.

Gardner, a world-renowned theorist and Harvard University professor, created the theory of multiple intelligences in the 1970s, which outlines eight different ways of thinking. Scott Vinciguerra, a professor at Cazenovia University (Cazenovia, NY), explains: "Gardner's theory offers a framework for the ways in which we think."

Vinciguerra, who grew up in a musical environment, explains that if children grow up as he did -- learning to play music -- they learn through repetition. As they proceed through school, they will tend to organize their information in this way. However, a logical-mathematical person differs in that s/he learns and thinks through analysis.

And although at college I realized I was a recently-exposed verbal-linguistic thinker, I still recognized my logical-mathematical side; I didn't ignore it, I learned how to cultivate both. After discovering my new intelligence, I was motivated to pursue a different major at college. I switched my major from biology to a Double major in English writing and mass communication. I was literally a new person.

How Do You Absorb Knowledge?
Discovering how you think can be a simple matter of trial and error, mixing and matching, says Vinciguera. Lucky for you, the wide array of College Courses available can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and in turn help pinpoint your intelligences.

Once you understand the thinking types, and recognize characteristics within yourself that connect, it's about further developing and broadening your competency for absorbing different types of knowledge. Finding out how you think, says Gardner, takes some work.

Real-World Application
In addition to such self-analysis done through college coursework, says Dr. Blewitt, researching and rummaging around for suitable future careers is another way to develop a sense of self-awareness. "Various kinds of career assessments can play a helpful role in determining the student's niche," she says.

Ultimately, the key is to apply your intelligences to real-world situations like an internship setting or at a part-time job. Doing so will allow you to try new things and see if they are right for you.

Take it from me: Don't be alarmed if you feel a change of heart -- or more importantly, a change in mind -- while you're in college. It is possible to think in two, three or even four or more ways. Familiarize yourself with the eight intelligences, see where you rank, then be bold.

According to Gardner's theory, there are at eight modalities, referred to as intelligences, into which each of us fit. So, how do you think?

1. Verbal-linguistic: sensitive to the meaning and order of words
2. Musical: sensitive to pitch, melody, rhythm and tone
3. Logical-mathematical: Able to handle chains of calculation and recognize patterns and order
4. Spatial: perceives the world accurately and tries to re-create or transform aspects of that world
5. Bodily-kinesthetic: able to use the body and handle objects skillfully
6. Interpersonal: understands people and relationships
7. Intrapersonal: possesses access to one's emotional life as a means to understand oneself and others
8. Naturalist: is sensitive to nature and the environment.

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