Commonly Used Methodologies by Students

First Principles Thinking is a mental model that breaks down problems to fundamental truths and reconstructs solutions from the ground up.

An agile freame for efficient coolaboration and rapid delivery through short iterations and continuous feedback.

Brainstorming is a creative thinking method for teams that encourages open, judgment-free discussions to quickly generate numerous ideas, then filter for feasible solutions. Ideal for product design, team collaboration, strategic planning, and more to break fixed thinking patterns and spark innovation.

Reverse thinking is a problem-solving approach that challenges conventions by looking at the opposite perspective, helping uncover creative and unconventional solutions.

Six Thinking Hats, by Edward de Bono, is a parallel thinking tool that separates emotion, facts, risks, benefits, creativity, and process into six ‘hats’ to help individuals and teams make faster, more balanced decisions.

The PDCA Cycle is a continuous improvement methodology that uses four steps—Plan, Do, Check, Act—to enhance quality, optimize processes, and achieve sustainable growth.

The SMART principle is a goal-setting framework that helps individuals and teams create Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives to enhance execution and success.

SWOT Analysis is a classic strategic tool that helps organizations or individuals identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to create effective strategies.

The SCAMPER method is a creativity technique that stimulates innovation by exploring seven angles: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Rearrange.

Critical Thinking is a method of analyzing and evaluating ideas using logic, evidence, and reason to avoid biases, identify fallacies, and make better judgments.

Porter’s Five Forces Model is a classic strategic management tool that analyzes five competitive forces in an industry to help businesses identify competition dynamics and profit potential, guiding better strategic decisions.

Value Chain Analysis is a strategic management tool that breaks down a company's internal activities to identify key drivers of competitive advantage and optimize business performance.

The BCG Matrix is a classic business strategy tool that categorizes products or business units into four types based on market growth rate and relative market share, helping companies optimize resource allocation and strategic decisions.

The Learning Pyramid illustrates how different learning methods affect knowledge retention, showing the shift from passive listening to active practice, helping people discover the most effective way to learn.

The Feynman Technique is a learning strategy that tests understanding by explaining concepts in simple terms. Its core idea: if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t truly understand it.

Deliberate practice is an effective learning method that emphasizes clear goals, immediate feedback, and consistent challenges beyond the comfort zone to achieve skill breakthroughs.

Mind Mapping is a visual and structured note-taking and thinking tool that helps organize information, spark creativity, and improve memory.

Analogy Thinking is a way of reasoning by similarity. It helps people use knowledge from familiar domains to explore new ones, often applied in learning and innovation.

The RIA Reading Method is an efficient strategy that helps readers move from surface-level reading to deep learning and application through three steps:

The SCQA model, developed by McKinsey, is a structured communication and writing tool that organizes ideas through “Situation-Complication-Question-Answer” to ensure clarity and logical flow.

The STORY model is a structured storytelling framework that emphasizes clarity and persuasion through five steps: Setting, Task, Obstacle, Resolution, and Your Lesson. It complements rather than replaces the traditional “Five Elements of Story.”

The Five Elements of Story are the core components that make up a complete narrative: characters, setting, plot, conflict, and theme. They help structure stories logically and make communication more engaging and impactful.

The STAR Interview Method (also known as the STAR Principle) is a structured technique that guides candidates to answer interview questions by outlining Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

5W1H and 5W2H are practical analysis tools. 5W1H helps clarify the full picture of a problem, while 5W2H focuses on execution with cost and quantity considerations, often applied in business management and project implementation.

The Plan of Action (POA) is a structured execution tool that helps individuals and teams transform goals into actionable steps, ensuring efficient implementation and greater control over outcomes.

The MECE Principle, introduced by McKinsey, is a structured thinking method that emphasizes "Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive”

The SRAR Model is a structured approach for learning and communication. It uses four steps (Situation, Reason, Action, Result) to help organize thoughts, summarize knowledge, and express ideas clearly.

The Issue Tree is a structured analysis tool that breaks down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts in a tree-like structure to identify root causes and solutions.