Failure is

Human

We’ve all felt “less than” at some point—not smart enough, not talented enough. But we’ve found that learning from our failures helps us grow.

Meet Your Peers

MIT students share stories about their own challenges and the strategies that help them learn from their struggles. Here are four new stories recorded in January 2024.

Video Story

Managing a Stressful Situation

I start feeling like my faith in my ability to be resilient and let this roll off my back is also starting to show some cracks.”

Meet HJ,

Graduate Student

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Video Story

Struggling with Self-Doubt

If I quit now, there are stereotypes waiting to get confirmed, something like, what do you expect from a foster kid? So quitting was not an option.”

Meet Neki,

Visiting Graduate Student

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Video Story

Sacrificing Self-Care

I start freaking out because this is not how I pictured myself in that classroom. I pictured myself confident and respectable and presenting myself as someone who knows this material. And that was true. But I was very obviously not taking care of myself and my well-being.”

Meet Paige,

Undergraduate Student

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Video Story

Struggling with Self-Doubt

I was not able to identify an interesting problem to work on after so much effort. Like, am I even competent? Am I fit to do research if I'm not able to do this very simple task?”

Meet Pradeep,

Graduate Student

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Practice Coping Strategies

MIT students share strategies they have used to connect with peers, utilize their resources, and avoid comparing themselves to others.

Strategy

Sleep

Hear strategies for getting enough sleep and how sleep has positively impacted MIT students' overall performance.

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Strategy

Prioritizing Well-being

MIT students describe how they create space to be mentally and physically healthy while tackling difficult challenges.

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Strategy

Cultivating Awareness

MIT students describe how making deliberate efforts to recognize and attend to their emotions as well as their bodies has helped them cope.

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Take Restorative Breaks

As they encountered the pressures of life at the end of the semester, MIT students recognized the value of restorative breaks and share specific strategies to manage their stress.

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Pradeep: Focusing on Self-Care

Pradeep describes how taking deliberate steps to engage in fulfilling activities helps him break the loop of anxiety and procrastination.

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Teresa: Pacing Yourself

Teresa shares how she learned to take breaks rather than trying to power through on difficult and exhausting assignments.

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Emily: Scheduling Free Time

Emily describes the value of setting aside free time to get off campus, whether alone or with friends.

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Daniel: Exercise

Daniel shares how he built a habit of exercising consistently.