26A Celebrating Failure

1)     Tell us about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class, or outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times this semester, and failed each time.

My Introduction to Financial Accounting class has probably been the biggest challenge for me this semester. My biggest failure of the semester in that class was the second exam. My final grade on that exam was not a F (thankfully) but it was still low enough that it was discouraging. Prior to the exam, I failed at keeping up with the lectures every week and fell a little behind. I spent the three days leading up to that exam catching up on a quite a few lecture videos, which are roughly an hour and a half each. I studied like crazy for that exam and at the end of the day I still did not get the results I was hoping for. So, with the next exam only a few weeks away, I am making sure I do not fall behind on the lectures and adjust my studying to help myself succeed.

2)     Tell us what you learned from it.  

I learned a couple of things from this experience. I learned that it is not smart to fall behind on the lectures for any class then try to cram all of the information right before the exam. I also learned that you could put in as much effort as you can into something and at the end of the day you might still fail. This made me realize that I may need to change my methods of studying in order to achieve the goals that I set out for myself in that class.

3)     Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally). Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure -- are you more likely to take a risk now than you were just a few months ago?

When you first experience any kind of failure, sure it can be hard. Perhaps you were confident you were going to achieve certain results but ended up with the opposite. That can be hard because it can be discouraging in the short run. However, it is important to treat failure with the right attitude. Someone once told me, “Failure is like a life lesson. We learn from the mistakes we make and figure out how to do better next time. That is why failure is the most important tool we can have.” Ever since I heard that, it has kind of changed my perception on failure. Yes, I might feel discouraged at first, but ultimately, I try to take the failure and learn as much as I can from it.

This class has also changed my perception on failure. This is the first class where I have had to interact with random people and share my ideas. Sometimes people like my ideas, others do not. However, I felt the lessons I have learned from both groups have been very valuable. This class has shown me that failure is expected and is the most valuable tool in entrepreneurship. I would say I more likely to take a risk now than I was before.