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.

With regards to this class, I started off the course while on a trip in Patagonia and I would constantly check for assignments though I didn’t see the introductory video where Dr. Pryor specified his theory for naming quizzes “cupcakes” to lessen the stress on the student. In my head I wasn’t seeing any quizzes or assignments to complete, just “cupcakes”, which I did not take seriously. When I got back home was when I became aware that the cupcakes were quizzes and you can imagine me palming my face.

In my management class I came extremely unprepared for the first test, having little time to study due to a busy week at work. I had no access to the lecture notes given they don’t provide them overseas, and I started studying the chapters from the textbook the day of. I received a C which was a slap in the face as I haven’t received a grade below a B on a test in two years of college.

2) Tell us what you learned from it.

As far as the learning aspect, it really was a mental switch that I had to initiate and get myself back on the ‘grind’ per say. Organizing myself to be able to deal with due dates for classes and also work a full time job, the latter of which was more difficult given we were renewing contracts with clients and with the country’s economic situation we really had to show them we were still the right candidate for business.

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?

In reflection I think something I learned from a personal standpoint as well as the reading assignments and lectures of this class is that failure is inevitable, but it’s really all about how you handle yourself and the situation around you when presented with failure. One has to learn to fail successfully and look at the bigger picture-- make decisions for changes on how to never encounter those failures again, and strive towards improving personal performance. I think what I took away from this is that success is a process-based scenario. One has to continually work efficiently and intelligently, making corresponding changes in their persona or behavior to reach the goals they set. Of course failure will be stressful, but the key is to chill. Get over that initial anxiety or frustration by punching a pillow if that’s what it takes, then move on and keep working hard.