From the moment students step on campus for the first time and until graduation day, college students are well acquainted with failure. From not doing well on a test to not getting the job you hoped for, it’s a universal experience all students encounter.
It’s safe to say that no one enjoys failing. It can make you feel terrible and acts as a setback, seemingly keeping you from your end goals or ruining your plan. In reality, failure isn’t the end-all be-all we all act like it is. Although it isn’t great, with a change in mindset and the right techniques to deal with it, failure can be good.
What matters most, when it comes to these less than ideal situations, is how you face it. The goal after failure is to find a way to move forward so you can be stronger and ready for the next challenge. From ideas to quotes, Pinterest has everything you need to get through failure and find success in the future.
Cry and eat ice cream
Depending on the failure, this may or may not be necessary. However, it’s important to know that disappointment and sadness is valid.
Failure isn’t fun. No one likes to fail, so it’s okay to take some time to cope with it however you see best. For some, this may require a cathartic cry or maybe a run to release frustration.
Find some friends
When something doesn’t go your way, it’s always good to get your mind off it and have some fun. A night out with friends is highly recommended, whether it is a night at the movies, bowling or just grabbing some food and hanging out.
Being with friends is a great way to turn your day around and make good memories to overshadow what went wrong.
Own it
One important step in coping with failure is to take ownership of it. Failure isn’t something to be ashamed of. It often marks growth or a turning point, so it’s important to take it and make it better.
Seeing failure as a good thing allows you to not only learn from it, but be motivated by it. Failure can be discouraging and disheartening, but realizing it is yours to react to and yours to deal with can be empowering in the healing process.
Choosing to deal with it in a positive light will make your experience with failure easier to handle and grow from.
Reflect on your failure
Recognizing where you may have gone wrong isn’t always easy. It’s often tempting to blame circumstances rather than yourself, but it’s important to reflect and get to the root of the problem. It could be you didn’t prepare or study hard enough, or you didn’t get enough sleep. Reflecting on your situation can bring fixable problems to light, and you can figure out where you need to do better.
Sometimes it may be that you did nothing wrong and it was out of your control. Sometimes there’s just a more qualified candidate. In these cases, it’s best to accept your circumstances and find motivation to keep trying.
Above all, it’s important to remember that failure isn’t everything. Moving on from failure can be difficult or take time, but in the end, everything turns out for the better. So, keep failing, and keep trying.