Just by reading my essay title, you would think why would I write about failing? Everyone loves when things are easy, well because it’s easy. When problems or games are easy, you won’t make any progress or grow. This may sound cliche, but you actually grow the most when you are fail. To be honest I was afraid of failure at first because I always wanted to be successful. I have failed numerous times, but that is why I am successful. The reason this is the case is because you learn from failures and mistakes. If you are afraid to fail and make mistakes how are you going to become successful? Isn’t that ironic? You need to fail in order to succeed? I find this very fascinating when you think about it. I will go into a few different areas of my life where failure has made me successful.
I joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training or AFROTC in the Fall of 2015 because I wanted to serve my country and give back to a nation that has given me everything. It was also a great way to pay for school as well, so I thought this was the best route to go. AFROTC is very challenging and makes you step out of your comfort zone. I am a pretty talkative person when it comes to my friends, but when it comes to talking in front of people, I always get really nervous. In the actual Air Force we are required to give briefings where we talk in front of a group of airmen and provide information. In AFROTC, we practice giving various briefs. The first time I briefed it was pretty rough. I was stuttering and didn’t make much eye contact. I practiced my brief at home before my actual briefing, but giving the actual thing is a whole lot different compared to practicing. After that first briefing, I was very discouraged. My friends were much better than I was and I felt like I would never get good at it. Instead of complaining and thinking negatively, I started to step out of my comfort zones and volunteered for more opportunities to give briefings. Each briefing I got better and better each time. The main lesson I learned was to step out of my comfort zone and just put yourself out there. You can’t be afraid of what people think about you or how the audience will react. You just have to have confidence in yourself and do your best. I am still not the best briefer, but I get better and more confident each time I do it.
When I declared Computer Science as my major I had no idea what I was getting into. I decided to pursue this as my major because I loved technology and video games. I also pursued computer science in the hopes of having a better chance of getting a scholarship for AFROTC. You are more competitive when you have a technical degree. By the grace of God I was able to earn a scholarship. Getting a scholarship was awesome, but that also meant I wasn’t able to change my major. If I wanted to change my major I would lose my scholarship, so changing my major was not an option. Taking my first couple of courses in the computer science department wasn’t too bad. My third semester in my major is when it got hard and each semester has been difficult since. I was struggling and I felt at times I just wanted to quit. Even though I got help, I was still having a hard time with things. Luckily I took the time to watch YouTube videos and really practice. This major requires a lot of dedication and practice. I realized that and semesters are still difficult but manageable. I was struggling a lot and failing assignments, but keeping at it and seeking help was the best solution.
Failing is a part of life and a huge part of success. Obviously everyone will fail at some point in his or her life, but it is important to keep pressing on. Most people, including myself, get discouraged when they fail. During these times I think the best solution is to take a deep breath and think of the long term goal. That long-term goal should motivate you and you will continue to press on. Failure is a part of the process. If you press on, I promise each and every one of you will succeed.