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- Getting a bad grade can be motivation to study harder the next time around.
by Connor Vasu
After the New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl a month ago, many New Englanders felt as though the world had ended. Although the Patriots and their fans will certainly be smarting over the loss for months, painful experiences are what lead to a true win.
Your grades represent a series of roller coaster rides in the form of good and bad performances, and your metaphorical wins and losses add up over time to create who you are.
Regarding sports, every win or series of wins comes after a loss. For example, after a painful defeat from rival Brookline, the feeling of loss will haunt you for the rest of the year. The next time your team plays Brookline, the loss will be on your mind, motivating you to win.
Even undefeated sports teams have had their losses. The year prior, the team might have had a rebuilding year or a bad season. And as us students know, no one will ever ace every test.
When you fail a midterm, you feel terrible for having failed yourself. But, there is always a reason behind the loss. Maybe you neglected to study in favor of watching “American Idol” for two hours. So in June, when your final comes around, you will remember the loss, and be more inclined to study so you do not experience the painful feeling of loss again.
Many of us think of successful people, like the late Steve Jobs, as winners. However, Jobs was not always a winner. Right after he dropped out of college, he started a business because he wanted to succeed, something he had been unable to do in school.
Some losses, like the aforementioned Patriots Super Bowl loss, take more time to get over than others. Because of this major loss, the Patriots will now be motivated to work harder next season, and will hopefully improve enough to win next year’s Super Bowl.
When you think of a loss, you think of a painful experience, but from the depths of that loss will eventually come a better performing you.