Growth Mindset

I had never heard of Carol Dweck before watching these videos, but I was very intrigued by the ideas she was proposing. The idea that the absence of success should not be treated so much as the outright failure to succeed, but rather not yet succeeding. This puts students in a mindset that success is within their grasps if they try just a little bit harder and put out their maximum effort, instead of making success look like a far off dream. 

As far as the growth vs fixed mindset spectrum is concerned, I think I try to be as growth-oriented as possible, though I feel I would be lying if I didn't admit that there is a part of me that feels more in line with the fixed mindset, particularly when it comes to failing, with it being a monumental detriment, rather than a stepping-stone to future success. I am somewhat pessimistic at times, which leads to this feeling, one that I am trying to learn to move past, growing into a more optimistic person.

As the years have progressed for me at OU, I've struggled in the face of failure. Engineering can have some really rough classes featuring masses of work as grueling exams, several of which I received a less than passing grade on. Only on one occasion did I come seriously close to failing a course outright however, but my reaction to this situation at the end of the semester told me something about my mindset when it came to learning. As I approached the final exam, my grades were looking, well. Less than desirable. I had a 65 average on the exams, and a 30 on the quizzes (I had missed one of the two pop quizzes on the ONE day I decided to skip...). My homework score was almost a 100, which was barely keeping me afloat. As the final exam neared, I managed to reach a state of resolve when it came to my predicament. If I failed the course, then I failed the course and it would be no-one's fault but mine. I would simply have to take the class again, and perhaps spend an extra year here. I began to imagine the scenario and focused on making it a positive one, in spite of the negative possibility that spawned it. I imagined taking extra classes to obtain a minor in mathematics on top of my regular major, as well as taking a few extra courses unrelated to my major to fill time requirements, such as history or music courses. 

Through this positive thinking, I was able to keep calm as I studied my butt off for that final exam. In the end, I managed to perform well on the exam, and thanks to a healthy curve at the end of the class, I passed the class. This was a relief, but I also never forgot that feeling of being content with whatever path my life was going to take, because I knew that whatever way it worked out, it would help build the person that I am trying to become. That's why I think I associate with the growth mindset more than I do to the fixed one, and it felt good. It made me want to approach every obstacle I face in the same way, seeing how succeeding and failing would both, in the long run and in different ways, help me. 

Growth? Source: Memegen