7B: Failure is a Learning Experience

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Although I believe my college experience has gotten off to a good start, there are some things I believe can be better. I think the thing that I am failing to do, even in just the slightest way, is putting all my effort into schoolwork. I do my homework, take notes, and listen in class, but am I doing it well enough? I think I'm not learning as much when I take notes because I don't really look over them after I take them. This week’s readings focused on the benefits of failure and how failure can help you. In the article/video "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination", "Harry Potter"'s JK Rowling focused on her experiences with failure and how they taught her many things, such as things she couldn't have learned about herself in any other way. I think everybody has to fail at something in order to become better at it. 

To put more effort into my schoolwork, I will need to learn how to focus better. Instead of having my cell phone right next to me while doing homework and studying, I could move it to a different room so it will be out of my sight. Also, when I take notes, especially for my lecture hall class (history), I will want to look them over at night, so when the test comes I am more familiar with the topics. I rarely think to look over my notes, until it comes time for the test, and I think I should start looking at them every day after I take them, so I can have a better understanding when test time comes around. Also, for my math homework, when I correct it and correct my mistakes, I want to write down all of the ones I got wrong and solve them again, instead of leaving them and not thinking about it.

What I can learn from this experience is how to better my life at college. If I understand everything that I’m doing, and get it done correctly, then I can become a better, successful student. If I fail at something, I will take it as a lesson learned and know that next time I need to be more careful and understanding at what I’m doing.