I failed my first assignment during my second semester of college. I failed my second assignment a week later. I told myself I had let myself slip. Was it too much time with friends, too many clubs, or just too much? Was I trying to exceed in every aspect of college that I had let one of the most important parts of it get away from me?

The truth is, there is always something that isn't going to come easily; there will always be someone who manages to get a better grade than you; there is always a discrepancy between the effort you put in and the praise you receive. The world is not fair in how it compliments effort and distinguishes natural success.

You won't always succeed at everything you do.

My roommate is humanities geared, and our minds work differently. When I took a humanities class last semester, I had to put in twice as much effort to come out of that class with a decent grade than other classes I was taking. I did it because the class was important to me, and I wouldn't say I particularly succeeded at it.

Doing things you're not good at does two things for you: 1) humbles you for when you exceed in your forte and 2) develops skills that may be applicable in your choice field. My humanities class taught me how to listen to a lecture and take valuable notes, and how to write a paper I'm not interested in or particularly good at. Because I attempted to succeed in the class, I earned a grade that I was pleased with.

You don't have to try and be any better than you are.

Sometimes, there are things you don't have enough time to change, or are naturally not inclined to be good at. I think I became complacent with my inability to create amazing art when I became confident in myself. They go hand in hand because I was able to accept that a painting that I enjoyed making was worth more than fretting over making a perfect art piece.

The trick to feeling successful starts with yourself. I recognize my weak areas in my classes and give them attention, but I also highlight my successes and pursue things that come more easily, so that the difficult topics will be that much easier for me.

You learn more from failing than you do through success.

When I get a decent grade on an assignment, I don't think about how I can improve the next time. I keep working with the same methods and never try to alter the system because it works. When I do fail or don't succeed, I am inclined to try a new way, search for help, and put more effort into the project or assignment.

While it is always good to find a path that works time and time again, finding new paths is the next best thing. One day we won't have the resources readily available to build these new networks of producing assignments, and gaining the ability to work in several different modes is excellent practice for future jobs that may have variability in working styles.

The take away is that you are successful somewhere. If you spend the majority of your days out of bed, up and doing something productive, then you are a motivated and passionate human being. You don't have to be excellent at something to be passionate about it. You just have to give your passions the time of day, and eventually you will become successful, or find an area which you exceed in.