Overcoming Failure
By Katie Koot, Biology, Class of 2009
I breezed through high school, easily obtaining good grades and SAT scores, participating in extracurriculars, volunteering, and still spending a large amount of time partying and socializing.
I was accepted to Case with a sizable scholarship, and I was sure my experience here would be very similar; I was on a fast track to success! However, I soon realized that all the other students were just as intelligent. I still felt that I could receive high marks without spending the suggested 3-4 hours per day studying. After my first failing grade on a test, I was angry. I felt I had been wronged. I was a very smart girl, and these professors were trying to trick me and "weed me out." My attitude turned into more of a "well, forget this" stance.
Obviously, that approach did not go over well with successive tests and grades. I dug myself into a very deep hole, which I am still climbing out of. My suggestion is a little cliché, in the way of "getting back on the horse," but after a failure, talk to professors and students; get motivated to try again! Refrain from misdirecting blame and getting angry at the wrong people; it does not get you anywhere closer to success— trust me.
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