Scholarship / We are the product of both our efforts and our failures. NTU scholarship essay [4]

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Describe, in less than 300 words, the values and beliefs you hold strongly to. Please provide examples of how you have demonstrated these in your actions.

To Face The Fear Of Failure And Win

Failure is often seen as something negative and to be avoided. However I beg to differ. While it would not make sense to actively hope for failure, I feel that when facing failure, it is often important to stay positive and look at what we can learn from the experience. Oftentimes, failure may even be an opportunity in disguise.

Penicillin, one of the top health advancements in history, was discovered by accident when a petri dish was contaminated. One could say that Sir Alexander Fleming had failed in his original experiment, though his failure led him in another direction, allowing antibiotics to be discovered.

In my own life, my first sense of failure was when I was unable to get into the school I wanted after my PSLE. I was greatly disappointed, and ended up going to another school. One thing led to another and I ended up studying in a school I really loved. I also gained many valuable opportunities and skills which I would not have gained otherwise. Looking back, I can see how everything fell into place. Today, what I viewed as failure seems instead like an opportunity. It was an opportunity that led me to the right place.

In life, failure will come at the most unexpected times, and things may not always work out the way we wish. Increasingly, I get the sense that it is the way we face our failures that matters the most. Do we wallow in depression? Or do we look at what can be learnt and move on? I believe that we are the product of both our efforts and our failures. In the end, our failures force us to reevaluate ourselves and ultimately push us in the right direction.