Assignment 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. 

·       I’m a freshman in the Heavener School of Business. I knew I wanted to get involved even before I came to UF, but I was not sure with what. During my first semester, I spent most of my time getting involved in my sorority, the honors college, and acclimating myself to college life. Then came the Spring semester where I decided to begin applying to various clubs. I applied to three Heavner Clubs, which were promoted for freshmen of high academics and seemed relatively competitive. 

·      The first club I applied to, I did not even get a chance for an interview, so I decided to rework my resume and spend more time on my next application. The second club I applied to, I reached out to different mentors and older friends to help with my application and resume. This time I did get an interview, and it went great. However, I did not make the final cut to receive a spot in the club. I reached out to the coordinator of this club and scheduled a zoom meeting to go over my application. She helped with pointers on my resume and tips for my next interview. Finally, the third club I applied to I got an interview. I was feeling slightly defeated because I had been rejected from two already. However, I took the feedback I had received and finally got accepted to a program I am very excited to start in the Fall semester. 

2) Tell us what you learned from it.  

·      From high school, I did not really know what failure was like. I was used to getting every position or membership I wanted. This experience proved to me that even when I do fail, I do not give up. I used my resources and feedback from these failures to accomplish my goal. 

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?

·       Failure is definitely embarrassing. I remember I was about to go on a date with my boyfriend when I found out that I had not gotten into the second club that I was fairly confident about. I tried my best to hide that I was upset because I was embarrassed to tell him. Obviously, he could tell something was wrong and I inevitably told him. This made me realize that failure does not need to be embarrassing. No one thinks less of you for trying to better yourself and go for opportunities. It is better to try and fail than not try at all. 

·      I think I handle failure a lot better than I used to. I’ve been described as a perfectionist my whole life. I try to get over this stigma by letting loose and letting everything happen the way it is supposed to. This has definitely helped me get through failures and other situations in my life. I think this class has shown me that failing is mostly just an opportunity to learn from your mistakes. You can take your failure and learn a lesson from it to grow in the future. I am definitely more likely to try for more opportunities after taking this class, even if I am unsure of the outcome.