I haven’t failed at much in life. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but throughout high school, I was selected or hired for nearly everything I wanted.
And then I came to UA. Instead of competing against my high school classmates, I was competing against nearly 40,000 other students. And these weren’t just any students; they were college students. They were smart. They had experience. Suddenly, I wasn’t the star pupil. I was just another name on the roll sheet.
To be honest, I was scared.
Not failing much in high school can make college downright terrifying. Real life is closer and the competition is better. But what I learned, and what you will learn too (if you haven’t already), is that a fear of failure can be quite dangerous.
I almost didn’t apply for a PRSSA executive board position. I thought I wasn’t involved enough. I figured there were students much more prepared than I was. I counted myself out before I even gave myself a shot. If it weren’t for the kind words of my family, friends and peers—as well as some gentle nudging from the current UA PRSSA President Bethany Corne (thank you)—I probably wouldn’t have even filled out the application.
But I did, and here I am.
Fast-forward a few months to the start of the school year. I had just gotten out of our first PRSSA executive board meeting, and I remember thinking what a great group of people I had been given the opportunity to work with. I had already learned so much, and it felt silly to think that I almost hadn’t applied.
In that moment, I realized how ridiculous fearing failure was. When I thought back to my most rewarding experiences, I remembered how scary they seemed at first. A fear of failure just means you care. You don’t worry about getting rejected for a position you don’t want. But your dream internship? You get a little nervous submitting that application. So, I’m here to tell you that you should never be ashamed to care about something. And if you care, you’re most likely scared to fail.
Just remember, the things that scare you the most often end up being the most beneficial.
So, I encourage all of you to go do something that scares you. Apply for Capstone Agency this spring. Run for SGA. Interview for that internship you really want.
Maybe it’ll work out as you would hope; maybe it won’t.
Just don’t let fear hold you back.
By Alyssa Comins, Vice President of Web-Based Communication
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