1. You know when you're about to fall asleep and your brain says, "Hey, why don't we think about every embarrassing thing you've ever done at length?"
Yeah. The instance I'm about to describe falls under that category.
Remember Assignment 16: What's Your Secret Sauce? It was arguably one of the most involved assignments we've been given this semester, only because we had to record our interviews, upload them to Soundcloud, and embed the recordings into our posts. I had all my interviews laid out and loaded into my post except one. I arranged to have a sleepover with my two best friends so I could interview one of them for the assignment. All I had to do was remember to interview one of them before we commenced our night of music video dance parties and fatty foods. Simple, right?
Wrong. Very wrong indeed.
I bade my companions goodnight, and just as I closed my eyes at 11:58 p.m., I remembered the reason for this sleepover, yet unfulfilled. I jolted out of bed, stuck a recorder in my friend's face, uploaded the file, and copied the link to my blog post. Just as I landed on good ol' ufl.instructure.com, the clock struck midnight. The assignment portal, once glittering with promise, had turned into a pumpkin, and I left the glass slipper of my academic dignity on the staircase of Heavener Hall.
I emailed poor Ms. Nave begging for mercy, but I knew that mine was a lost cause. I messed up.
2. First of all, I learned that no amount of hard work that you put into a project matters if you don't turn in the damn thing. It's a simple concept, but one that Friday night sleepover Peyton had forgotten entirely.
Second, I learned that I should never tempt fate with my tendency to forget important things. Now, when I really need to remember to do something, I set several alarms on my phone.
Third, I learned that it never hurts to ask. I knew that no extensions were given according to the syllabus, and I knew that I was probably just bothering Ms. Nave with my groveling, but the worst anyone can say is no. I think that as long as you're polite and self-aware of your faults, there is no harm done by asking for help or forgiveness. I'll hold to that, even if the results of my requests aren't in my favor.
3. I am very much in favor of failure. I think it gives us a golden opportunity to humble ourselves and understand our strengths and weaknesses a little better. As a journalism major, I think I face failure pretty often. Failure usually takes the shape of a source who doesn't want to talk to me, a professor who dislikes my angle, or an editor who doesn't think my story pitch is "quite right" for their publication. All of these are super frustrating and leave me feeling more than a little incompetent or untalented. Eventually, I just brush it off and keep calling, pitching, etc. There's no time to mourn one's failure in journalism.
I feel like I've just applied my journalism to this class, so I wouldn't say I'm more likely to take a risk now than before this course. I do think that this class has helped me flex my interview muscles during an otherwise uneventful summer. Thanks to this class, once I get back to my journalism classes in a few weeks, I won't be out of practice.
Yeah. The instance I'm about to describe falls under that category.
Remember Assignment 16: What's Your Secret Sauce? It was arguably one of the most involved assignments we've been given this semester, only because we had to record our interviews, upload them to Soundcloud, and embed the recordings into our posts. I had all my interviews laid out and loaded into my post except one. I arranged to have a sleepover with my two best friends so I could interview one of them for the assignment. All I had to do was remember to interview one of them before we commenced our night of music video dance parties and fatty foods. Simple, right?
Wrong. Very wrong indeed.
I bade my companions goodnight, and just as I closed my eyes at 11:58 p.m., I remembered the reason for this sleepover, yet unfulfilled. I jolted out of bed, stuck a recorder in my friend's face, uploaded the file, and copied the link to my blog post. Just as I landed on good ol' ufl.instructure.com, the clock struck midnight. The assignment portal, once glittering with promise, had turned into a pumpkin, and I left the glass slipper of my academic dignity on the staircase of Heavener Hall.
I emailed poor Ms. Nave begging for mercy, but I knew that mine was a lost cause. I messed up.
2. First of all, I learned that no amount of hard work that you put into a project matters if you don't turn in the damn thing. It's a simple concept, but one that Friday night sleepover Peyton had forgotten entirely.
Second, I learned that I should never tempt fate with my tendency to forget important things. Now, when I really need to remember to do something, I set several alarms on my phone.
Third, I learned that it never hurts to ask. I knew that no extensions were given according to the syllabus, and I knew that I was probably just bothering Ms. Nave with my groveling, but the worst anyone can say is no. I think that as long as you're polite and self-aware of your faults, there is no harm done by asking for help or forgiveness. I'll hold to that, even if the results of my requests aren't in my favor.
3. I am very much in favor of failure. I think it gives us a golden opportunity to humble ourselves and understand our strengths and weaknesses a little better. As a journalism major, I think I face failure pretty often. Failure usually takes the shape of a source who doesn't want to talk to me, a professor who dislikes my angle, or an editor who doesn't think my story pitch is "quite right" for their publication. All of these are super frustrating and leave me feeling more than a little incompetent or untalented. Eventually, I just brush it off and keep calling, pitching, etc. There's no time to mourn one's failure in journalism.
I feel like I've just applied my journalism to this class, so I wouldn't say I'm more likely to take a risk now than before this course. I do think that this class has helped me flex my interview muscles during an otherwise uneventful summer. Thanks to this class, once I get back to my journalism classes in a few weeks, I won't be out of practice.
Hey peyton, I very much relate to the just-too-late-homework-submittal scenario you described. Additionally, your newfound understanding of how important failure is also something I have been becoming more cognizant of myself. In my case I think that as I've grown as a person and become more self aware I've also started to hold myself more accountable and as a result have been having a much more positive learning experience as a result of my recent failure. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteHey Peyton! I couldn't agree more with you on your appreciation of failure. It really is the only way we can grow sometimes and it's super important to remember that. Also, I really love your writing style in this post! It's conversational but really conveys a strong message to get your point across. Again, nice work!
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