Don't waste your failure!

The world of university can sometimes seem like an ocean of studying and exams all seamlessly woven together so that you end up looking back on those years of intellectual stupor and wonder... where did it go by? But every once in a while that dream like state will be broken by the unexpected blunder and sharp pain of failure.  

Failure is a golden opportunity to succeed...
if you don't waste it!
Courtesy of Flickr - Beat Kung

When a failing grade comes in, be it in an exam, assignment or even a course your first reaction will be to berate yourself. The onset of guilt will most likely take you further down the path of mediocrity and serve you little towards your goal of learning better and getting a higher mark. I rarely remember failures, but I most definitely tend to reflect on them. In fact, every set back can be seen as a (hopefully rare) opportunity, to jump forward. If you did well in an exam, you're not going to get anything out of that but a pat on the back. But when you fail there is far more good you can derive out of that. Here's a few things to think about when that happens:

1) Guilt is not your friend.

What's done is done. Cast it aside and use your mental energy to focus on how to use that failure as a springboard; guilt will turn into a tar pit that'll only sink you into further into failure.

2) Identify the definitive cause of failure.

You were sick. You mismanaged your time (that you had another ten exams on that date makes no difference... time management is a skill you must hone in during university and use it for life). You are simply not understanding what your prof is saying. You are not studying well. Take the time to pin point exactly the cause of your performance in that exam.

3) How can you fix this problem?

Whatever it is that stumped you, learn how to fix it. This may take more time and effort depending on the problem but it's crucial you carry through with this part of the exercise. It may require you to ask others who are more experienced than you, ask your professor(s) for advice or even read more of my blog!

4) What is the overarching cause of failure.

Are you noticing a pattern? Is this the second or third course where you have been experiencing this problem? Then it's time to zoom out a little and do some reflection on the way you are doing things in general. If it's not a pattern, the problem is likely to be more specific.

As I've often said on this blog, studying "more" isn't the answer. There are a good number of things that will make you learn more, retain information better and enjoy university life. Take this opportunity to do just that and maybe university will seem less like a featureless ocean and more like a vivid adventure.

Oh and don't just do this when you fail. Let this be the norm every time you get so much of a grade you don't like that much!

Marc Mikhael, Ph.D
The Apprentice's Compass