Growing up as the product of two parents who pursued careers in education, I always heard the word “grit” being tossed around in conversation.  A popular scholar by the name of Angela Duckworth has done extensive research focusing on grit. Duckworth describes “grit” as “the tendency to sustain interest in an effort toward very long-term goals” (Duckworth et al., 2007). For example, “grit” came up when my mom was talking about how she couldn’t understand why a student had a D in eighth grade English because they did not do anything all quarter. Or maybe when my dad was talking about how it was a tough day at work because one of his students wasn’t going to make it at the University. When I heard them discussing situations like this, they always explained to me that having so-called “grit” was the ability to know that it’s completely okay to make a mistake; however, it is how you deal with the mistake that sets apart the individuals who have “grit” and those who do not.

 During my first quarter here at Drexel, I was placed into a math course in which I did not belong. I quickly started receiving grades on the cusp of failing despite how many hours I was studying. This was the first time in my academic career where failing was a possibility. I was working overtime in this course to receive a passing grade. I hired a private tutor, attended all of the teacher’s office hours, and went to the Korman math center to complete all my homework assignments. With the quarter flying by, it was already week Seven which meant I needed to consider the reality of me passing this course. Even if I did pass the course, was receiving a D the best option on my transcript?

I met with my professor and consulted the peer mentor in my University 101 class. I weighed the pros and cons of passing the course by one point or withdrawing from the course. Despite the tremendous amount of hours I contributed over the past seven weeks, I made a mature decision to withdraw from the class. I knew that barely passing would not benefit me in the long run. I decided that I would take the slower version of the math course where I could find success. I was beside myself that I had to receive a “W” on my transcript. I ultimately felt like I had failed and did not work hard enough.

However, four years later, when I look back on the situation, I can confidently say that failing is okay. Failing didn’t mean I hadn’t worked hard the past seven weeks, or I did not do everything I could to pass the course. I didn’t fail because how I dealt with the situation was what mattered. The following term, I registered for a different math class where I worked just as hard and received a grade that I was proud to have on my transcript. That same “grit” has stayed ingrained in me throughout my college experience. That same “grit” will remain rooted in me no matter what comes my way in life.