26A - Celebrating Failure

1.) I would consider mainly one event a true failure this semester: me failing my second exam for calc 2. I didn’t understand the material while I was being taught it but, instead of seeking help, I just pushed it aside. I did the bare minimum required for the homework and the class, in general, leading up to the exam.  I only studied the day before the exam! Then came the exam. After about 90 minutes of guessing, I ended up with a 15/40. My worst exam score ever.  I was surprised: I genuinely thought that I could figure out the material during the test, but series and the different rules/tests require a ton of practice.

2.) Instead of blaming the test for being too hard or the math department for being evil people, I took full ownership of the matter. Had I went to office hours and completed extra practice work, then I would have at least passed the test.  This was all on me.  My efforts were worth a 15/40, so I needed to increase my effort.  And so I did.  I went to tutoring, office hours, and completed my homework with great effort in preparation for the next exam. As a result, I only missed three questions on the multiple-choice on exam 3.  I essentially learned that the important things in life don’t come easy: they require a lot of hard work and effort.

3.) When I was younger, I hated the mere idea of failing.  I found failure to be something that only idiots would do.  When I came to college, my whole world view changed.  I became more inclined to the idea of taking risks and also to the optimistic idea that nobody really cares.  Essentially, I found that if you take a risk and fail, you can either learn from it and grow, or complain and never rise.  This class definitely helped me with viewing failure as a necessity for growth.  Especially reading the Mindset… by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. really emphasized the value of effort.