As a new semester begins, it is sure to bring high points and low points. From a young age we were told, whether by our parents or the Hannah Montana song, that everyone makes mistakes. Although this message has been drilled into my head for as long as I can remember, making mistakes is still not easy. When I falter, I often don’t do so gracefully. I get upset and can spend too much time thinking about what I did wrong instead of what to do next. So, in the new year and beyond, I am going to put more effort into learning from my mistakes, no matter the size. I am also going to try to admit my faults and seek help from others more.

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There are different sizes and shapes of mistakes that happen. A few that come to mind are not catching misspellings in the Beacon or assignments, forgetting an obligation or assignment, or completely butchering a song in band. Depending on the size of the mistake, I may feel bad about it for a few minutes or for days. I am going to work on minimizing the “feeling bad” phase and maximizing the “what can I do better next time?” phase.

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New Year’s Resolutions often fail because they are too vague and do not include a step-by-step process on how to achieve the goal. One of the ways I can try to minimize mistakes from occurring in the first place is giving myself more time to work on things instead of rushing. Most of my mistakes, often silly, are because I did something last minute or did not allot enough time to do it. A paper I write at midnight is going to be filled with much more mistakes than one I work on for a few days. I am quite the planner, so my problem is mostly taking on too many responsibilities. I am notorious for never saying “no” to helping people out or participating in activities. Every semester I have also had a very full schedule academically, so this made it even harder to get everything done well.

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It’s also important to remember that as college students we are expected to make mistakes. I recently read a couple of articles about college being a place to learn and grow. Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn and grow, so discouraging people from making mistakes is counterproductive. Being overly-critical can leave people discouraged. I know I have been discouraged from pursuing things because of the fear of making a mistake and being yelled at or made fun of. The ever-encroaching presence of social media in our lives also makes making mistakes harder. Now, a simple mistake can be blasted and end up everywhere. Young kids learning how to use social media could post things that impact how they are viewed several years down the road, and it is apparent that people change dramatically throughout their teenage years.

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Seeking help is also important. I have found so many people within the Behrend community that are more than willing to help out. Whether you’re just having a rough day or struggling with a class, there are always people that have encouraging words and love to give. The Random Acts of Kindness club on campus dedicated an entire stairwell to good thoughts, and I find that to be really encouraging.

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We also need to be forgiving of others’ mistakes. This does not necessarily mean ignoring the mistake, but coming down too hard on someone can cause them to become even more upset and discourage them. In my case, I am already super hard on myself, so I often have already realized mistakes that others point out. And I will think about it for too long, hence my resolution to be better about that.

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So as a new semester begins, and even years from now, remember that it is alright to make mistakes. Learn from them and keep moving. Forgive yourself and others for their faults.