When I began my college journey last fall, I felt like I was in a vast, unexplored maze. While thrilled for what was in store, I wanted to avoid as many wrong turns as possible, to reach the end in a timely manner. To me, failing to do so wouldn’t only risk a low GPA — but a future degree and career.
Come to find out, the road ahead wouldn’t be as error-free as I hoped. During my time as a freshman, I faced multiple dead-ends, from missing assignments to failing to get the facts right for this publication — yikes. However, in that time I discovered an important lesson: mistakes are a fact of life, but they aren’t the end of the world.
I understand the pressure to get everything right, especially as a first-year. Everyone wants to find their place in this giant puzzle called NC State. Not to mention, no one wants to waste the thousands of dollars invested into their degree. However, there is no escaping imperfection, no matter how hard you try.
In order to fully accept this inevitability, I think it’s important to remember what being here is all about. Although everyone attends for different reasons, college serves one primary goal: to foster learning. These four years are a time meant for discovery, a period for exploring unknowns and gaining knowledge in the process.
Yet, learning isn’t only about finding what works for us but also what doesn’t. When we make a mistake, we discover the incorrect approach, which we can use to make better decisions in the future. In other words, every error is an opportunity to grow in some way. Sure, turning in an assignment late isn’t preferable, but now we know to manage our time better in the future.
Embracing mistakes may even boost learning. In a study conducted in Singapore, researchers compared the performance of students who struggled through math problems to those who received help from an instructor. Although the former group failed more often, researchers found they demonstrated an improved ability to solve problems, which resulted in higher test scores. Not only that, individuals who tried different approaches to solving problems were more successful than those who didn’t.
Furthermore, striving for perfection is both an unhealthy and unproductive endeavor. When we place our expectations too high, we leave more room for disappointment, among other negative mental health consequences. According to WebMd, a perfectionist mindset is not only linked to increased procrastination but also increased feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.
On the flipside, being OK with mistakes builds resilience. Resilience, according to Psychology Today, is “the psychological ability that allows people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before.” The ability to come back from setbacks is correlated with improved well-being and life satisfaction.
While some people are naturally born resilient, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to cultivate. If you struggle with accepting failure, try to reframe the situation. Remember that no one is perfect, and messing up from time to time is only a sign you’re moving in the right direction.
As much as I would like to say otherwise, college is no cake walk. Chances are, you won’t study as much as you should or get the grade you want, but that’s perfectly OK. Ms Frizzle said it best: take chances, make mistakes and get messy.
