Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
- Winston Churchill
Two out of Four - My participation grade in the 1220 finance unit. 50%. Glass half full; however, when a person is chasing 30+% more than that, it seems a lot more like glass half empty. My real surprise derived from my belief that I had actually been a regular contributor, and I was confused why I got the same marks as my peers that only showed up to class, not participating at all. My participation was usually once every class or two classes, and I would usually recite case facts or numbers that were easy to calculate. Yes, I knew this wasn’t ideal, but I was extremely nervous about being judged by others so early in the year. Fast forward to the present day, and I am on track to being from 8 to 8.5 out of ten for the year. This change wasn’t overnight. I had to learn many steps: the most important being comfortable with being wrong.
Office Hours are a Blessing
Distraught at my participation grade, I rushed to my Business 1220E instructor office hours after class to express my concern. The pivotal part of our conversation is when I suggested that I am just not as smart as many of the students in class and that if I were to participate, I would just cause confusion and feel embarrassed. I cited one student who talks 4-5 times in class as an example. My professor informed me that this particular student actually made multiple errors in every class, but he still persisted through those errors to learn from his mistakes and achieve high participation grades. My professor told me it wasn’t too late to get a high mark, and that I just needed to start taking chances in class. I needed to accept the fact that if I am going succeed in this class, I will have to get some answers wrong.
Breaking Through the Wall to a Routine
The next few classes were nerve racking: hesitant hand raising, shuffling nervously in my seat after answering. However, the more I spoke, the more it felt like a routine. The transition didn’t feel gradual and more like I broke straight through a wall that I once had to climb over. Routines are essential in human life, as they make people feel comfortable and consistent. For example, every successful professional golfer has a routine before they hit the ball, and this makes high pressure shots feel similar to all the other shots they took because they all share the same starting point. In the classroom, the concept is the same. I go to class and my goal is to answer a question in the first five minutes. Once I have done this, any other chances to participate are not full of nerves but full of ambition.
Persistence
There are days when I didn’t complete cases to the best of my potential, when I am tired from a late night of studying, or days when I just revert back to not wanting to talk. These are the days when you have to remind yourself that your grade isn’t going to care or take into account those off-days, nor will Ivey when up to 40% of your grade can be based off participation. However, these are also the days when answering questions can be the most developmental for you as not just a student, but as a person. Doing things you don’t want to do is part of real-life, and learning that when grades are on the line is much better than a rude awakening later on in your academic or professional career. Persist.
So now I’m in a better spot then ever with participation grades, and I am not changing my routine anytime soon. Remember: seek your professor’s help, break through the wall of fear and doubt, and persist through the off days. If you consistently do your cases, go to class, and follow this method, you will be running away with solid grades.