When have you failed? What did you learn from it?

Macromistake

    There have been many instances where I felt that I had failed or let myself down. It is a very sour feeling for me, as it is for anyone. I lose my self-esteem and my confidence, leading me to doubt my own ability and criticize myself for not being able to do better. I hate failing, with a passion. But over time, I have failed more and more, whether for better or for worse. But not all failures are created equal, and some lead to drastic repercussions. This can include jeopardizing my grade in a class.

    Organic chemistry had gone off on the wrong foot. I had joined the class two weeks late, and I had found myself catching up on homework and lectures. Playing catch-up was already bad enough, but finding out that each lecture video was at least thirty minutes long killed me. I treated this class like I did the previous; I took notes in a separate notebook. This turned out to be a grave mistake. The slides were fill-in-the-blank and contained images of complex molecular structures that I drew to excruciating precision. Thirty-minute lecture videos became an hour long. Catching up on the lectures was a nightmare; I had to physically prepare my hand for all the drawing I had to do. I attended my first lecture with another friend who was taking the class as well. The lecture was just like the pre-lecture videos, but this time there was no pause button or replay. To add to the nightmare, the lecture covered topics that I hadn't yet learned because I hadn't caught up yet. Before long, an exam was mentioned. Initially, I had a mini-heart attack, but then I calmed down and said, “I got this, I can just take a day or two before the exam, shouldn't be that bad”. BIG mistake. The day before the test, I still had one pre-lecture left before I was officially all caught up with the material. I had planned to watch the last pre-lecture and do a quick review. Murphy’s law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. That's exactly what happened. I fell asleep watching the video, woke up at 3 am, and then took the rest of the time to study until we left the house at 7:30. To make a long story short, I bombed the heck out of the test. I was unfamiliar with the test format and was caught off guard by the little time we had to finish the test. 12 MCQs worth 5 points each and 4 FRQs worth about 20 points. Tests from previous classes were provided, and I hadn't taken full advantage of them. Looking at my grade, my heart skipped a beat. I was absolutely appalled.

    Although the result had taken a temporary emotional toll on me, I was able to come to terms with it. Not in the sense that I accept it and continue as if nothing ever happened, but I have been able to take away a massive lesson. Slacking off in a college course is never a good idea, especially if it's a more advanced one. Studying a week before the exam is the standard, and utilizing the provided practice tests is quintessential. Lastly, printing out the lecture slides so I can follow along on the videos and in person was critical. It helped me pay more attention in class and extract more from the lectures, rather than worrying if I had drawn a molecular structure right. As a testament to my improved work ethic and diligent studying, my second exam grade increased exponentially. Not perfect, but much improved. To conclude, you do not have to be a genius to succeed in a college course; you need to be determined and committed to get over any setbacks you encounter.