Growing up, I was always a great student. I got mostly A's and B's in high school, and that continued through my first few semesters of college. I worked hard for all my grades, but never really struggled to pass a class or keep my grades up.
During my fourth semester at college, I took an ancient history class. It wasn't one of my favorite subjects, but I needed it to complete my minor and wasn't expecting much trouble. For my first assignment, I had to find a peer-reviewed article and write a short two-page summary and review of the article. I always considered myself to be a good writer, and I had done many similar assignments in the past. I put my normal amount of effort into the assignment, so I didn't think this would be a big deal.
Several days later, I got the assignment back. It was coated in red ink, with a big "D" at the top. I was stunned - for one thing, I couldn't believe I got a bad grade on something I thought I was good at. But if that's how harshly this professor grades a short essay, what would the rest of the semester be like?
Perhaps not thinking clearly, I tried to take the coward's way out. I was taking one class over the minimum for a full-time student, so I could drop the class if I wanted. After getting my test back, I stormed over to the registrar's office. But I learned the deadline to drop classes and not have the grade count had passed just a few days ago.
Before I completed that article review, I had no idea it may end up being the most important assignment I ever did in college. It was a wake-up call I badly needed. I had never really confronted failure before, at least not academically. And since I had to stay in the class, I couldn't afford to lose time feeling sorry for myself. I made it a personal challenge to "get back" at the professor by doing well the rest of the semester.
I quickly learned his teaching and grading style and what I would need to do differently from past classes if I wanted to succeed in his. I worked harder in that class than I did in any other class, before or after. I took tons of notes. I spent more time than normal preparing for exams. And I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the term paper. I finished the semester with a "B". I had never been more proud of myself.
After I finished college and went out into the adult world, I confronted failure much more frequently than I ever did in school. Most adults must deal with rejection many times: in looking for jobs, in dating, and elsewhere. Sometimes, your best effort will not be good enough. Sometimes, doing what you have always done to achieve success will not work. I was mad the day I got that essay back, but now I am so happy it happened. I was forced to make adjustments and learn a new way of completing assignments. It was one of the best life lessons I ever got.
If you are in college or thinking about going, be sure to show up with the right attitude. You don't go to college just to confirm you already know everything. Realize that there is a lot you don't know and that you are there to learn - not just academically, but also about life. You have to learn that you aren't entitled to anything, and that can't happen until you decide to have an open mind. Not only will it help you to get good grades, but also to get the most out of your college experience.
And I hope all of you who go to college get at least one opportunity to learn from failure. Maybe you'll have a similar experience to mine, when you get a terrible grade on an assignment you thought you completed well. Maybe you'll fall in love only to have your heart broken. Maybe you won't get a scholarship you wanted or will struggle to find a job. At least one of those things happens to virtually everyone. I know it's not fun. Nobody likes to fail. But it might end up being the best thing that ever happens to you. And if you emerge from it stronger than ever, it's an amazing feeling.
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