In our society, we often view failure as something negative, but that mindset needs to change. Progress requires risk, and when we take risks, failure is inevitable. It is okay to fail. Each setback offers a chance to learn and grow. Got rejected from a school you hoped to attend? Reflect on what you might strengthen in your next application. Didn’t make the team? Let that motivate you to train harder and try again next year. Received a disappointing grade on a major assignment? Use it as an opportunity to visit office hours and better understand where you struggled.
Here are two assignments from Michigan Tech’s Honors Seminar, HON 3150, in which students reflect on past failures and reframe them in a positive light.
Failure Resume
First, we have Connor Nunn’s “Failure Resume”, in which individual students create a resume of recent notable failures.
Connor Nunn
- Second Year Chemical Engineer, Second Year Questioning My Life Choices.
EDUCATION FAILS
- Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI BS, Chemical Engineering (WHY?!?!), Expected Spring 2028, More like Spring 2030
- GPA: That of A Genius Burnout Diploma (?)
- Bay City Western High School, Auburn, Michigan GPA: Too Scared to Look
- Honors On accident, AP Failure, Senior Yearbook Staff Member, June 2024
SKILLS OF FAILURE
- MATLAB (I just cry looking at code)
- Chem (I freeze on exams)
- Floor Time (I am a pro)
EXPERIENCE IN WORK
Marketing Assistant (PHC, Enterprise Program), Houghton, MI, 2025 – Present
- Major time commitment that is hard to juggle
- Forgetful, squirrelly brain making forgetting to inform employer of completed tasks prevalent
- Dyslexic nature making an employer’s job a living hell
Rozsa Center, Houghton, MI
- Ad-libbing my way through a job
- Somehow not being chased out with a broom (somehow a success?)
- Using my charisma to be close with bosses as to be “fired” 5 times on October 4th, 2025 between 3 and 5pm
McDonald’s, Auburn, MI, 2022-Present
- Attempting to wrangle my fellow crew members to get sh!t done since 2022
- Mistakes made in order taking: 2,539?
- Pounds of food/product waste caused by me: 1.4×103
- Times yelled at by customers: I lost count after 10,000
LEADERSHIP & INVOLVEMENT
President, MTU Building Government, East Hall, East Hall Association, 2025 – Present
- No clue how I got here
- I forget what I am talking about halfway through talking about it
Tech Crew Lead, Bay City Western High School’s yet again dissolved theater program
- Too focused on production goals to properly train my successors
- Was an inefficient link between crew, actors, and directors, causing the director to get fired
TIME SINKS
The Yearn for the Outdoors • Rock Hoarding • Digital & Film Photography and Development
Failure Story
Next, we have Shuang Gao’s “Failure Story”, where she walks us through one of her failures and the insights that followed. Here is her story.
Last November through December, I worked on a new product concept board for my Marketing class. The project was about developing a creative idea and presenting it as if it were a real business concept. After completing it, I decided to take a big leap and enter the Husky Pitch Competition. A campus-wide event where students present entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges.
At first, I didn’t realize how competitive the event would be. When I arrived, I quickly noticed that almost everyone else was a graduate student or a senior with business experience. I was the only first-year student there. That realization alone made me nervous, but it also motivated me to do my best. I spent hours rehearsing my five-minute pitch, revising my slides, and trying to anticipate questions the judges might ask. I practiced in front of friends, in front of the mirror, and even recorded myself to catch any mistakes.
When the day of the competition finally came, I was excited but also terrified. As I stepped onto the stage, the bright lights hit me, and my heart started racing. My hands were slightly shaking as I held the microphone. I began my pitch confidently, but halfway through, the nerves took over. My voice trembled a little, and I stumbled over a few words. I could feel my face getting warm, and I knew I wasn’t performing as smoothly as I had practiced.
Even though I tried to recover, I knew I had lost some momentum. When the presentations ended and the winners were announced, my name wasn’t called. For a moment, I felt disappointed. I had worked so hard, and I was a little sad to see others walk away with awards and recognition. But as the event continued, I realized something important. Listening to the other presenters opened my eyes to how much I could learn. Their projects were detailed, their delivery confident, and their experience showed. Instead of comparing myself negatively, I decided to treat it as inspiration. A few participants even came up to me afterward and complimented my idea. They said it was creative and showed promise. That encouragement meant a lot to me.
Although I didn’t win, I walked away with a certificate of participation, valuable experience, and a new perspective. I learned that failure isn’t always a loss, it can also be a feedback. It showed me where I could improve, but it also proved that I was brave enough to take a risk. Looking back, I’m genuinely glad I entered the competition. That moment of failure became a small but meaningful step toward confidence and growth.
Taking risks is essential, and failure is an unavoidable part of taking those risks. This assignment gave students the chance to reflect on their own experiences and rethink what failure means to them. By looking closely at moments that felt discouraging, they were able to recognize what those experiences taught them and how they helped them grow. Students enjoyed this process, and it shows that anyone can benefit from taking time to reflect on past failures and reframe them as meaningful steps forward.