CREATING THE IMPERFECT PERFECTIONIST BY KAYLA MCCARTHY

Coming into a class based off of failure was one of the most unsettling feelings I have ever felt. Growing up, I have always been such a perfectionist that I let it dictate my life in ways I never expected. I lost my social life in the beginning of high school to studying trying to perfect my grades. I lost myself to an eating disorder trying to perfect my body. I lost my drive for all sports to my drive to be perfect one particular sport. You get the point. So, you can imagine that someone telling me to basically expect failure would be pretty nerve-wracking to someone like me.

To my surprise, failure has been the best part of college. From my failures on tests, relationships, etc. I have had to learn how to take new and creative approaches to life to learn how to live in this new environment with a new role as a college student who can choose whether or not I go to class versus a high school student who has to ask to go to the bathroom. It’s intimidating to say the least, but I have already found creative ways to make friends, study, write and get through each day. I can’t say it’s easy, because it most certainly is not, but I’m making it work and someday it will be second nature to have a second right answer to everything.