A little background:
I started my BSBA at UCF in 2014 and ended up taking a 2 year ~hiatus~. I returned to UCF in the Summer of 2017, only taking one class to ease back into a routine then 2 classes per semester. I was really unhappy with the program I was in as well as UCF in general so I transferred to UF as an online student. I work a lot- usually 50 hours per week at least. This semester, I decided to test if I could handle 3 classes and also to speed up the process of finishing my degree since I only have a few courses left.
This course is not difficult, but has a lot of assignments and another course I am currently enrolled in has 10-16 assignments due every week. I did not do a great job planning and working ahead this semester. There were a few assignments that I made the conscious decision not to complete because I was exhausted and a few that I missed because I wrote down the wrong due date and was out of town so I was not checking the website as frequently as I normally do.
Although I am passing this course, it definitely would have been an "Easy A" if I had just planned better or pushed through and completed more of the assignments so I would consider that a failure.
I learned that I can handle 3 courses and pass, but if I want an A in the remainder of my courses here at UF, I need to manage my time better in the coming semesters.
Failure is definitely difficult and often embarrassing, but I think it's when we learn the most about ourselves. I don't typically handle failure well. I used to prioritize avoiding failure over anything, including eating, sleeping, and my health, but I have learned that not everything is going to be important in the grand scheme of things. I don't think I will care 20 years from now that I did not get an A in this course, which is something that you could not have convinced me of a few years ago, when I was pulling consecutive all-nighters to ensure my grades did not dip below 98-100%.. I think I live a healthier and happier life now that I've accepted it's okay and expected to not be perfect at everything all the time.
When looking at the grand scheme of things, a simple class that you "failed" to get an A in, is not so bad. When it comes to school, I also prioritize avoiding failure over my health. I would be on a constant study grind where I don't eat or sleep for long periods of time because it would cut into my study time. However, my body has taken a toll because of this mindset. I've actually been sick for a little over a month now and it is stopping me from doing well in my classes because I'm not able to concentrate well from coughing so often. I've learned from my mistakes and I am now prioritizing my health more.
ReplyDeleteI understand what exactly what you mean by planning ahead and sticking to that plan to get the most out of your grade in this class. I was in the same predicament when it comes to planning out and organizing yourself for this class. I would have had a A as well in this class but do to planning mistakes a I missed a deadline which caused me to get an A-.
ReplyDeleteVictoria, I liked the way that you described your failure. I think you did a great job turning the negatives into a positive. I also agree that time management is extremely important. I think that if you don’t plan out when you are going to do assignments, you are going to forget about them. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way.
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