My First Year at UNE

It is a saga of frustration, a tale of success, and ultimately the story of my first year at the University of New England. I have learned many lessons in my first four months here on campus. These lessons range from always remembering to set your alarm clock (as there is nothing more embarrassing than showing up halfway through class), to the importance of completing all my class assignments consistently. Although I am human and maybe more mistake prone than anyone I know, it still always bothers me when I falter.

However, making the mistake is not always what matters most, but how your actions proceed it. Compounding mistakes is truly the worst thing you can do after making a mistake. It occurs when someone makes a mistake and as a result their mental acuity drops and they develop a negative mindset. One of the most important things I have learned thus far at UNE is stopping this negative cycle dead in its track. This is possible through deploying a Growth Mindset. A Growth Mindset is the process in which I focus not on the negative fact of making the mistake but rather looking forward in a positive direction. This process is totally universal in its application. It is incredibly versatile and limitless in the potential for how it can create positive energy and growth.

I had a very pivotal moment this semester in my English class in which I was able to deploy a growth mindset to turn a weakness into a strength. I had experienced difficulty early in the course submitting my completed assignments into my newly published online ePortfolio. It was a task that I was not completing consistently and as a result is barred me from being able to fully engage in class discussion and receive full homework credit. After worrying and stressing about day after day I finally decided to speak with Professor about the issue. Instead of yelling and pontificating upon me the importance of the work and how I was an imbecile for completing it, he helped me develop a Growth Mindset. With the new mindset I would spend my focus and energy looking forward to completing my future assignments instead of crying over spilt milk.