Starting September 2020, I will be writing a series about a different monthly theme. The goal is to walk you through a weekly process to help alleviate concerns surrounding the topic of the month. October’s theme is failure, and this blog post explains how your failures indicate growth.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of a student is a “SCHOLAR, LEARNER.” How do you suppose one becomes a scholar or a learner? They fail, they make mistakes, they use poor judgment and they get up to try all over again. If learning is such a good thing, why beat yourself up over mistakes? I want you to consider that mistakes are essential to learning.
It is not all doom and gloom. Many engineering students can claim they have failed an engineering course. It’s okay to dwell for a day or two. But then, you can use this opportunity as a wakeup call. It’s time to see your professor and tell your parents what they need to hear.
What to do if you failed an engineering course? This post may apply to you at some point during your engineering career. Please read it as many times as necessary. I failed my fair share of engineering courses yet I still thrived in a professional career. Trust me when I tell you it is not as bad as you think.
Many engineering students may fail an engineering exam. If you are not used to failing, it can be a jolting shock. You then decide to make it mean something negative about you. “Maybe I’m not as smart as I thought …this is devastating…I didn’t work hard enough”, etc. And the negative thoughts keep rolling in. I am here to tell you it is not as devastating as it feels when you fail an engineering exam. Read on for ideas on what to do next.
I will give you a hint: it is not so you can be happy. And it is not so you can claim bragging rights. Obviously, one of your main goals as a student is to become educated and earn your degree. Did you stop to think, however, there are other goals you can set for yourself, and the benefits can be priceless? Attempting to achieve goals is one of the most important activities you can do to evolve and transform.