The Great Failures

If you haven't failed, you haven't lived.

But what made those great minds stand up after those obstacles?  How did they know that they were heading towards the right direction?

Failure resume!

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EDUCATION

June 2016              Failed to get into the Mechanical Department in The University of

                              Illinois at Urbana Champaign

                                    Lesson learned: I should think closely what I really want to do instead of changing

                                    my mind in the middle of the semester

June 2012              Failed to go to the dream high school 

                                Lesson learned: I didn’t even apply to the school because I thought I’d never be able

                                   to get in. But later, I found I had met all the requirements to go to that high school.

                                   I wasn’t able to evaluate myself properly.

LEADERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES

2011                         Failed to organize efficiently the class chorus

                                      Lesson learned: I was trying to meet everyone’s demand, hoping that doing so

                                      could make everyone satisfied. But in fact it is quite impossible to listen to every

                                      single voice in the group. As an organizer, the basic principle of decision is to

                                      profit the whole group.

June 2011                Failed to be a tutor

                                       Lesson learned: I was rejected after the first try of being a physics tutor of a

                                     middle school student. I am good at physics but I failed to consider who I was

                                     tutoring. I explained most of the concepts in a perspective of a high school student.

                                     I should adjust my teaching method according to whom I am tutoring.

October 2010           Failed to perform actively in a textbook drama

                                       Lesson learned: I was pretty confident I could perform extraordinarily in the

                                     textbook drama since I knew the textbook well. I skipped most of the rehearsals

                                     which I thought was simply a waste of time. But no matter how good I am, I can’t

                                     skip necessary procedures any way.

HOBBIES

August 2012             Lost in the karting racing with my friends.

                                   Lesson learned: When I was racing, I always focused on where my opponents

                                      were. I became rush when I was taken over and felt too good when I was leading.

                                      In competition, it’s necessary to know where your position is. However, never

                                     lose your pace regardless falling behind or leading first. 

I was thinking what HR would react when they see a resume like this? They will 'LOVE' it!

This I believe

What I find most college students like is to always be together with their friends, or to be social. That way they never feel lonely. And when facing troubles, there are always someone they can turn to for help, which makes them feel safe. I really don't need to list any more about why we want to be social as reasons are obvious. We all know that. But what I belive is solitude. NOT isolation with the society, but for a week or a day, I like to have some hours staying alone.Because in order to be with others, there is always some limitation: you are not totally free.

I don't want to offend my math prof., in fact I love his style of teaching, but I have to say that everytime, I can only understand those concepts or thoeries until I finish reading the textbook myself. There is so limited time in class that I swallow the delicious rather than taste them slowly. I even doubt the necessity of the lecture. What can a student learn when he's just rushing writing new concepts without stopping and taking a look at it? I enjoy reading the textbook by myself. No rush at all. I can have a piece of paper and a pencil. When deliberating over a question in the textbook, I draw or scratch messly on the paper which helps with my thinking. I can spend a whole afternoon like this until I see a concept crystal clear. Trust me, group discussion might give one some clues or ideas, but in the end, to truly reach the point of understanding, he has to sit alone thinking the problem through. After all, what prof. or anyone in the group said is what they understand, not me.

No matter you've noticed it or not, being together with others sacrifices some parts of a person. If he wants to be social, he has to compromise to the popular way of doing things or believes. Vincent van Gogh had a very different perspective of the world. He could give up his uniqueness and join the majority. But it was the uniqueness that led to his greatness. As often sited, 'The truth is in the hands of the few'. Great minds often went through solitude. If they compromise, it is the lost of the world.


Feel no fear of solitude. Embrace it. It's just a necessary part in your life as an individual.