Nowadays, even the most minor inconveniences can send our generation to hide under the blankets. Mistakes, missteps, and failures happen on a near daily basis and can greatly influence mental state. As a university student, you may have faced failed exams or classes, social mishaps, co-op rejections, school rejections — possibly all at once. You are not alone.
In science, mistakes and failures are expected. Experiments often do not work and hypotheses require revision. There are days, weeks, and even months when nothing productive happens. Novice scientists may think this lack of progress disproves their intelligence, but that is not the case. It is often said that mistakes help us grow, even if the only lesson instilled was not to repeat the unsuccessful action.
Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson outlines three categories of failure: preventable, unavoidable, and intelligent. Scientific progress builds itself on the third category, seeing mistakes as opportunities to re-evaluate and explore clues towards new discoveries and innovations. However, not all failures are intelligent ones, and it is important to reflect on the aspects that may fall into the “preventable” and “unavoidable” categories as well.
When an experiment underperforms, the scientist should attempt to uncover all possible explanations for failure, whether those factors are caused by human error or unforeseen situations. Understanding the origin of flaws allows scientists to devise solutions. Plans are then developed to counteract the problems, and hypotheses are revised as new information guides the experiments along.
Scientists may backtrack their research if new discoveries counteract previous knowledge in the field and science may stall as researchers ponder various avenues of explanation. Behind every scientific innovation, a pile of failed experiments and a cloud of exhaustion and stress looms. This is the natural course of discovery.
The failures that support accomplishments often become overshadowed in success stories. However, the vital role they play in pushing innovation into the unknown should not be forgotten. As scientists venture into the realm of uncertainty, they must be comfortable with failure and acknowledge the limitations in their knowledge. These mistakes help scientists refine the skills they need to drive discovery.
As students, one should remember that education is a safe space to make mistakes. These mistakes do not define our self-worth nor capacity to achieve what we desire. Environments that encourage students to push through mistakes rather than shame them can change how students approach failure later on, and define whether they will use the mistake as an opportunity to extract wisdom, or crumble under the weight of imperfection.
With mistakes comes the potential for reward. Being at a university allows students to explore the opportunities available to them as they try to envision and create their future. Those who are unafraid of mistakes will take risks, giving them the courage to take advantage of resources that can help them thrive.
“Mistakes do not define our self-worth nor capacity to achieve what we desire.”
As young academics, we are obligated to perform evaluations of ourselves and the situations that contribute to our success or lack thereof, be kind to ourselves, and look for the next step forward. In the grand scheme of our lives, many incidents that may seem insurmountable in the present will look inconsequential in the future. As we all continue to walk down our chosen life paths, those who learn to pick themselves up will be able to laugh off a small stumble. You are doing just fine.