Coping With Failure as a Grad Student and Beyond

[Sam Staples]

No one sets out to fail. In the article, Coping With Failure as a Grad Student and Beyond, Kavya Devarakonda explains how to cope with the "destructive mindset" failure can create both professionally and personally.

If comfortable, share an experience where you've dealt with a difficult failure. Do you find Devarakonda's shared process to cope with failure relatable? What techniques do you find best help you cope when failure arises? 

[Mathew Abrams]

I have always subscribed to the notion that the word "fail" is an acronym for "first attempt in learning" which in my opinion sets a more positive tone and calibrates my expectations of myself (think about learning to ride a bike: it took several attempts and a few stumbles along the way to master the skill). Also, I believe that it is important to have something else in ones life that you are passionate about (family, cooking, sports, etc...) and that you try to create a balance between this passion and neuroscience; so that when the professional failures arise (which they will), you have the other passion to reaffirm your self worth. I hope this makes sense!

[Hugo Sanchez-Castillo]

I like the statistic... In statistics we always have the error bias. In fact is a fundamental concept for the understanding of nature. If you see this equation: y = b1 + b2 + e is one of the most beautiful one because is sensitive to the error (the e obviously), if we want to explain the data we will have to include the error. Without the error there is no predictions there is no learning, there is no changes and adaptation. If you have a successful task, may be it will be no change, because you did right (and that is great of course), but if you always have that results there no more learning. In science we know for sure that there is no absolute true. We know that the science is perfectible, that the laws are temporary and that the data and analyses can change every paradigm or theory, no matters for how so long it will be stablished it. Because that science characteristics we should love the errors, the errors allow us to change our post of view, the errors permits the change and new and renovated theories, the error make us better scientists. We have to learn how to show this to the students, when we have a failure, we have the opportunity of change the mind of one person, for good, or for the worse... If we are sensitive to this, we can build a resilient scientist, we can built a propositive and ethical person. And I think that we ned many of this.

[Julia Araujo]

I personally loved the article. Kavya Devarakonda did such a brilliant work on it. Her tips are so realistic! (And that's a rare finding)

Mathew and Hugo, I dearly enjoy having us three discussing and participating at all of these posts as Community Leaders. The contributions get us engaging and celebrating Neuroscience through words and the thoughts behind them.

Sincerely, I wish I were more optimistic and confident enough to deal with my failures in the elegance you all shared. From Kavya's unbelievable ideas, going through Mathew's kindness within himself, all the way to Hugo and his talent on bringing up metaphors for complex matters: failure comes as forgiveness and a hand that will raise you back on your feet so you can keep climbing obstacles.

I'm working on applying Devarakonda's "rules" piece by piece and hope someday soon I'll come back with more details, sharing my own setbacks and even, perhaps, my own suggestions.