At NCSSM, failure is part of learning

Research is one of those words with a reputation.

Something looming and impossible, a concept that often seems out of reach.

At NCSSM, that word, blurry and far off, comes into focus.

Warren, a senior and student researcher in the Research in Biology program at NCSSM-Morganton, describes his perspective, “There’s so many ways to research here, like classes, independent studies, forums, mentorship, so many ways to explore the things you’re interested in.”

The accessibility of research here at NCSSM is not only accredited to our programs, but also the incredible faculty and staff who facilitate it.

“In a normal classroom, you have one teacher trying to teach the entire room learning the exact same material. Here, it’s the opposite. Every student specializes in something different, and we’re each encouraged to push our own topics as far as we can,” says Anthony, a senior researcher in the Research in Mathematics program.

Without the support and guidance of mentors, faculty advisors, and even our school’s administration, our research programs wouldn’t be possible. The time taken and attention to detail provided by each and every person on campus allows so many students, like myself, to pursue their passions to their fullest potential.

To reach that potential, however, there are many adaptations that us student researchers must make. A seemingly universal experience shines through all research programs; we have to change the way we think.

NCSSM is unlike any academic environment anyone has experienced before. As oftentimes needed, a new environment requires a new attitude, perspective, and rationale.

When asked about how his research has challenged him, Anthony (RMath) responded, “The biggest challenge I’ve faced in my research is just learning to think abstractly.”

Breaking away from the boxes we have traditionally been assigned to, is easier said than done. Often, you don’t realize you’ve confined yourself until you fail. Changing the way you think, also means changing the way you view things around you.

One of those things is failure, the dreaded event that every researcher has to face when pursuing true exploration.

Warren (RBio) expressed his own interaction with it, “You go into these research projects thinking that everything will go according to plan and you make this timeline and you think ‘Wow I can get everything done in the first five weeks!’, and then everything goes wrong … But I keep trying and persevering through everything.”

Persevering. That is something that everyone who researches has to remember. Failure is going to happen, and it shouldn’t be viewed as something terrible, something that happened because you’ve done something wrong. It’s a change of pace, a point to pivot from that will eventually help you in the end. A temporary setback that is made for you to persevere through. To find that new path that will lead you to success.

Reflecting on these anecdotes, thanking those around you, adapting to change, accepting failure, and persevering through adversity, are not only applicable to research.

These are things that we can all learn from, that we can all implement to not only work towards goals, but to move through life, where much like in research, the most meaningful discoveries are those we least expected to make.