Failure is Okay
When a student is transitioning from the home life into the life of a college student, it can be very difficult. At home, one listens to their parents and normally has a very structured life. In college, parents make one create a structured life of their own. One of the scariest things for a college student is failure during this change in their life. Jim Rohn reminds one, “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” The fear of being on your own and having to take initiative can be overwhelming and one may fail, but change is a way to reach success. For a college student to successfully begin life on their own requires self-esteem, creation of self-image, and self-improvement. While many feel that failure is an indication in lack of self-improvement, Roth the author of The Achievement Habit, believes failure is a validating sign of improvement.
When one begins college, they feel the pressure in many aspects of life. First, they feel pressure from their parents to always go to class, get good grades, keep their dorm clean, and make new friends of course. Beyond that, if one is an athlete or a member of a club they feel pressure there as well. In the book The Achievement Habit, Bernard Roth, founder of the Institute of design at Stanford states that “In life typically the only one keeping a scorecard of your successes and failures is you” (Roth 21). Whether it be from one’s coach, instructor, or the members also involved in the
When we meet others who may be able to perform a simple task seemingly well, we feel threatened, and act through envy, hurting others in the process. Most importantly, we end up hurting ourselves, for trying to aim for perfection when it doesn’t exist. As I grew up, my aspirations of being the perfect student were met with unsatisfactory results. At one point, if I were to mess up for any reason, I felt there’d been no need to continue as I felt that I’d failed myself. However, the road to perfection became a narrow path to failure. Over time, I realized that it’s perfectly okay to make mistakes; that we have the ability to learn from them and take those lessons and apply them in the future. As I began to let go of any frustrations regarding not achieving as much as all of the others, I came to the conclusion that the only competition worth having is with myself. Learning to use my past self as a reason to become a better person. I aspire to attend Lynn University as a graduate student looking to further my knowledge and feed my many curiosities on the human mind and learn from how culture and context can bring about the set personalities of others and shape their
The college drop-out and failure rate in North America is unacceptably high and it’s becoming a huge problem. In fact, US News reports that “30% of college freshmen drop out after their first year of college” (Bowler 2). There are quite a few reasons students drop out of College. Whether it’s having a child or working two jobs, it’s hard for most students to balance college and life. Some of the main causes of dropping out include nontraditional situations, mental issues such as stress or anxiety, and lack of self-knowledge.
According to Lupien, McEwan, Gunnar, and Heim (2009), going off to college involves significant adjustments to their daily routines; sleeping and eating habits, time-management skills, and stress levels will be altered in one way or another. First-year students have to adjust to the new school environment, different social settings, and new schedules, all without the help and guidance from their parents, who have been there for them for eighteen years. Over 30% of college freshman report that they feel overwhelmed (Klainberg, Ewing, & Ryan, 2010), where some students even opt to work as they juggle their class and work schedules. Some students work at a job or study harder than others, but they are all trying to get degrees so maybe one day they will have meaningful and significant lives. It is a constant struggle for everyone who is trying desperately to make him or herself into a success. And every college student wants to be involved in society in a positive manner, allowing contribution of their ideals and values to others.
Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle in their book “Rereading America” feel that commencing college is a very disturbing experience. So many things we have to deal while starting college, but the major challenges are expanded difficulty levels and higher expectation which we are not familiar over the years of high school. In order to solve this issue, we have to remodel ourselves by taking up the challenge and rethink about our strength and flaws. To succeed in college we need to be mentally strong and dedicated towards our goal.
Through the course Strategies for College Success Cpd 150 taught by Michelle Garland one can learn many things. Despite this course possibly being more helpful to others then it was to me it did still teach me multiple things. At the beginning of the course I had been dealing with relationship drama and figuring out how online college works, now halfway through the course the drama has subsided and I understand how online college works.I have learned that one of the most important factors of college success is determination. It is a person's ability to keep trying as hard as they can no matter what comes their way. I say this because college can be difficult and even seem pointless at times, but those who are determined enough to keep going, to keep trying, will eventually succeed. Although I am stubborn I have issues staying determined, I do generally accomplish what I need to. Another skill going along with determination is the ability to seperate the various areas of ones life. For example the ability to have a fight with your best friend then go to class and learn just fine. Now while this can be harmfull as well, since it does involve temporarily bottling your emotions, it can also
“Conquering the Freshman Fear of Failure,” by David L. Kirp, main idea id that every student starts college with the overwhelming feeling that they have to succeed. “This fear of failing hits poor, minority, and first generation college students especially hard. (pg.1 p.3)” I am the first person in my family to go to college in my family, and I am so driven to make them proud, and make every cent they are paying worth it. The idea of succeeding means so much to me that I would become devastated if I got even a “C” on an exam. I pressure myself to become an example to my brother and sister, so one day they will have the influence and courage to become something great in the life. I am trying to reach for the stars, but my biggest fear is my
The transition from high school to college is a dynamic time in one’s life that parallels the change from childhood to adulthood. Both of these changes are dramatic and, as a result, feelings are difficult to put down into words. A messy combination of emotions fills the heart, surfacing in strange ways. Confident high school seniors go right back to the bottom of the chain when entering college as freshmen. These students start all over, just like entering grade school or high school for the first time. The move up from high school to college signals the switch from dependence to self-sufficiency. From a personal point of view, going through the experience of graduating high school and transferring to a residential college campus at STLCOP, made me realize I was no longer a kid and capable of making my own decisions.
A student who succeeds is one who encompasses the bravery and courage to start anew. Even knowing that, I was a student who feared every little action I took in high school because of the consequences I was afraid to face afterwards. The uneasiness of carrying out plans alone shaped my character into an indecisive clutter about everything inside my mind. But even with that hindrance, I tackled one of the hardest choices I had to make: choosing Case Western Reserve University over University of Georgia.
Faith is experiencing her first few weeks adjusting to the life of a college student. This adjustment period created some difficulties, yet also some great experiences for her. She walks around the oceanfront campus unsure of her friendships, schoolwork, and how to successfully live a college lifestyle. However, she continues through this rocky time attempting to engage in positive behaviors and continue active participation in daily life. This adjustment period is proving difficult for Faith, yet with proper goals, and progressive actions, she can reach an occupational balance.
In this paper I will be explaining my biggest failure, how I was affected, and what I learned from this failure. I know there will be more failures in my life but at this time my biggest failure has been the many failed tests and assignments at the Early College. Most of my failures have been caused by my own procrastination.
Being a very similar student to that of which William Zinsser illustrates in his essay “College Pressures” it is fairly easy for me to identify with the pupil that falls into the pressure cycle he construes; and like Zinsser so plainly states, it is the student's’ own mind that places them there. Oftentimes, I tend to view my success as a relative concept. My thought process is this: It is only when I measure up to the achievements of others that am I able to consider myself “accomplished”. Evidently this philosophy is flawed. When elaborating on this very subject Zinsser shares an experience one dean related to him. The administrative executive explained that the student, “Linda” (as he called her), came to him with a complaint concerning
The thought of leaving home and going off to college makes me excited as well as terrified for how I will ever survive without my parents. In the article written by Randall S. Hansen and empowering entrepreneur, college students are informed of twenty-five tips on surviving and thriving throughout college. “Actually, it doesn’t really matter what you did in high school as you make the transition to college”(Hansen), freshman year is a time to start over, a clean slate to grow from. Furthermost, college is meant for students to thrive rather than set students up for failure. There are many statistics showing the graduation rates as well as continuation after freshman year, “don’t be a statistic; be determined
Success, a goal of many forms, is something we all strive for and hope to achieve. However, on the long rugged road to success, we all eventually encounter a roadblock known as failure. For teenagers, the sting of failure can be especially painful. Many parents dream for their child to graduate from a prestigious university and spend the majority of their lives working at a high paying job and supporting a family. Furthermore, the relentless demands of family can extend to extracurriculars, family traditions, and standards set by other family members. The harsh standards of society can restrict teenagers from acting like themselves and also be mentally punishing if they are not met. For certain individuals, the expectations placed upon themselves
There are several qualities to have to be successful in college. These qualities can range from attending class to going above and beyond what’s expected. Success comes from the journey taken or the path chosen. Success also comes from being prepared. As a student, I must step up to the challenge and find the path to success along the way. Several ways I define success is to uphold academic integrity, have the ability to prioritize, and to motivate myself to stay on top of what needs to be accomplished.
Now that I am reaching the end of my undergraduate career I feel like it’s fit to reflect on how far i’ve come and some high and low points during this time of my life. Some people may say that these four years of college are the most wonderful times of their life, and for the most part that is correct. But there is this whole other part of college life that is super stressful and even scary. During this paper I will address my personal development and how certain experiences played a role in those developments. Even though I feel like i’ve grown a lot and have developed and learned new things, I have run into some issues. Those issues being family/culture, social and emotional growth, intellectual growth, values and beliefs, citizen and community member.