Failures in Life

[Tomato]

So this is a ramble/blogish/personal type of post so ignore if that stuff doesn't interest you

I know I haven't been the most active member in this community but for the last two years I have been trying my HARDEST to get into some of the top business schools in America. Everything from ensuring my essays were top notch, having good GMAT score, extra curricular, the whole package. I have applied to over 12 schools the past two years and I will only get accepted to one.

It just got me thinking that if this is all I had to give how far am I from some of the "top" people in the world when I couldn't even get into my business school of choice. Its a horrible feeling when you come to realize that sometimes your best isn't good enough, that no matter how hard you work, you just can't hit that level.

But on the other hand I know for a fact that "top name" schools doesn't measure into great people. Look at all the duds Harvard has created, George Bush, David Miller (current Mayor of Toronto), Jeff Skilling (enron). But it is KILLING me knowing that I will never get into Harvard. Or work at prestigious companies like Goldman, or McKinsey b/c my best wasn't good enough. Feels weird that I am upset that I won't be lumped into the same category as those three clowns.

Yet one doesn't need a fancy MBA, or a fancy school to do good in the world. Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Romeo Delaire. Yet I am okay that I do not want to be lump into the category as does people. What does that say about me as a person?

I know the answer to this. But I'm curious for those who are a bit older and wiser than me (I'm 27). Where there times in your life when you felt you were an utter failure. But when you look back it was the best thing to ever happen to you. Anybody experience what I'm going through? Is this another aspect of 20 something crisis?

 

[gturner]

* wonders if those (Businessmen bad, nuns good) are the same answers he gave in the business school questionaires *

 

[Tomato]

Nope I played their game and lied.

 

[gturner]

But how well? Perhaps business school entrance people have developed a good nose for BS.

A safer answer to why you want to get into a top business school might've been to quote Conan the Barbarian.

 

[Kestra]

I've failed at just about any measurable thing in life, but I think I'm on a better track now.

Just accept that no matter how good you are at something, there's someone out there that's better at it. Probably a lot of someones. That shouldn't stop you from trying and doing your best at whatever it is you pursue. And there's no measurement for being a good person.

 

[RoJoHen]

Just accept that no matter how good you are at something, there's someone out there that's better at it. Probably a lot of someones. That shouldn't stop you from trying and doing your best at whatever it is you pursue.

And unfortunately, along with this, at some point you have to accept what you can actually achieve.

So you can't get into your ideal schools? Who cares? There are plenty of other schools out there. It's once you're actually in the workplace that your true potential will be allowed to shine, and at that point the name of the university on your diploma won't be important anymore.

 

[gturner]

Don't listen to that pap!

Sure, there may be people out there who are better than you, but that's why you should devote your life to driving them into bankruptcy, seeing them come crawling before you, defeated, begging for a morsel of bread - before you carve out their beating hearts and laugh demonically in their ashen faces.

 

[sojourner]

But how well? Perhaps business school entrance people have developed a good nose for BS.

A safer answer to why you want to get into a top business school might've been to quote Conan the Barbarian.

Nooo! You need to quote Conan the Librarian!

 

[Tomato]

But how well? Perhaps business school entrance people have developed a good nose for BS.

Trust me really well. My essays sang.

The thing is that for most workplaces goes something like this. Top notch school --> Top notch feeder workplace (BCG, Mckinsey) --> start a middle management in some company --> Targeted for advancedment --> Director/VP in 10 years.

I've seen it happen way too many times for it be a coincidence. Working hard/smart is only 50% of this rat race game. The thing at the end of the day I want to make the most $$ in the shortest time as possible. None of this give your life to some company to only give you a standard BS, "You should be thankful you have a job" line.

Things happen for a reason. I'm sure of it. But it fucking sucks when it isn't what you want.

 

[RevDMV]

Hey win the rat race, you're still a rat.

Ask bigger questions, if you have tons of money what would you buy with it. Now skip the middle step and create that.

 

[Jetfire]

But how well? Perhaps business school entrance people have developed a good nose for BS.

Trust me really well. My essays sang.

The thing is that for most workplaces goes something like this. Top notch school --> Top notch feeder workplace (BCG, Mckinsey) --> start a middle management in some company --> Targeted for advancedment --> Director/VP in 10 years.

I've seen it happen way too many times for it be a coincidence. Working hard/smart is only 50% of this rat race game. The thing at the end of the day I want to make the most $$ in the shortest time as possible. None of this give your life to some company to only give you a standard BS, "You should be thankful you have a job" line.

Things happen for a reason. I'm sure of it. But it fucking sucks when it isn't what you want.

Agreed.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Bill Gates = Dropped out of Harvard

If any elitist, fancy-pants company won't do business with him he'll just buy it, burn it to the ground, and dance on the ashes. That's how you get prestige my friend!

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Never look at them as failures, think of them as learning experiences.

 

[john titor]

Tomato, I commend your aspirations. Make as much money as possible in the shortest time frame possible so you don't have to work anymore. Its like building up enough energy to lift off and live easily in zero g.

 

[John Picard]

Warren Buffet didn't attend some fancy pants business school, and he seems to be well off.

 

[TheBrew]

So this is a ramble/blogish/personal type of post so ignore if that stuff doesn't interest you

I know I haven't been the most active member in this community but for the last two years I have been trying my HARDEST to get into some of the top business schools in America. Everything from ensuring my essays were top notch, having good GMAT score, extra curricular, the whole package. I have applied to over 12 schools the past two years and I will only get accepted to one.

It just got me thinking that if this is all I had to give how far am I from some of the "top" people in the world when I couldn't even get into my business school of choice. Its a horrible feeling when you come to realize that sometimes your best isn't good enough, that no matter how hard you work, you just can't hit that level.

But on the other hand I know for a fact that "top name" schools doesn't measure into great people. Look at all the duds Harvard has created, George Bush, David Miller (current Mayor of Toronto), Jeff Skilling (enron). But it is KILLING me knowing that I will never get into Harvard. Or work at prestigious companies like Goldman, or McKinsey b/c my best wasn't good enough. Feels weird that I am upset that I won't be lumped into the same category as those three clowns.

Yet one doesn't need a fancy MBA, or a fancy school to do good in the world. Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Romeo Delaire. Yet I am okay that I do not want to be lump into the category as does people. What does that say about me as a person?

I know the answer to this. But I'm curious for those who are a bit older and wiser than me (I'm 27). Where there times in your life when you felt you were an utter failure. But when you look back it was the best thing to ever happen to you. Anybody experience what I'm going through? Is this another aspect of 20 something crisis?

Well, you are actually a bit older than me, but I can give you some advice from my specular failures from a few years ago:

1) Never give up. If it seems impossible, sometimes just struggling is worth it.

2) Establish broad life goals. Once I went from a specific goal to a broad goal, I was able to look at more opportunities to achieve. My goal is really simple: I want to help people. It is goal that I can never complete (and therefore I will never be purposeless) and a goal that I can fulfill in a variety of ways. Right now I am working as an IT Analyst at a hospital and that is very fulfilling for me because I get to not only help people, but help people whose job it is to save lives.

3) Anything worth it is never easy. There is no such thing as quick easy money unless you win the lotto. Even the people who make it look easy had a hard time of it.

4) Money is worthless (though this is more philosophizing than actual advice). If all you want to do is see numbers go up, play World of Warcraft. Besides that, money is just a means to an end. Focus on the ends and not the means.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Lyndon Johnson went to Southwest Texas Teacher's College. He used to like to brag about all those Harvard boys who work for him now.

 

[RoJoHen]

Never look at them as failures, think of them as learning experiences.

I had a teacher in junior high who used to give us "Learning Experiences" because he didn't like the word "test."

 

[Franklin]

Never look at them as failures, think of them as learning experiences.

I had a teacher in junior high who used to give us "Learning Experiences" because he didn't like the word "test."

Heh. I had one who called them "opportunties." As in, "We're going to have a little opportooonity next Tuesday." God, I hated that.

 

[Franklin]

So this is a ramble/blogish/personal type of post so ignore if that stuff doesn't interest you

I know I haven't been the most active member in this community but for the last two years I have been trying my HARDEST to get into some of the top business schools in America. Everything from ensuring my essays were top notch, having good GMAT score, extra curricular, the whole package. I have applied to over 12 schools the past two years and I will only get accepted to one.

It just got me thinking that if this is all I had to give how far am I from some of the "top" people in the world when I couldn't even get into my business school of choice. Its a horrible feeling when you come to realize that sometimes your best isn't good enough, that no matter how hard you work, you just can't hit that level.

But on the other hand I know for a fact that "top name" schools doesn't measure into great people. Look at all the duds Harvard has created, George Bush, David Miller (current Mayor of Toronto), Jeff Skilling (enron). But it is KILLING me knowing that I will never get into Harvard. Or work at prestigious companies like Goldman, or McKinsey b/c my best wasn't good enough. Feels weird that I am upset that I won't be lumped into the same category as those three clowns.

Yet one doesn't need a fancy MBA, or a fancy school to do good in the world. Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Romeo Delaire. Yet I am okay that I do not want to be lump into the category as does people. What does that say about me as a person?

I know the answer to this. But I'm curious for those who are a bit older and wiser than me (I'm 27). Where there times in your life when you felt you were an utter failure. But when you look back it was the best thing to ever happen to you. Anybody experience what I'm going through? Is this another aspect of 20 something crisis?

I have a PhD from a darn good university and had good letters of recommendation when I went onto the job market for the first time, almost 20 years ago. It still took me two years to get my first teaching job. I must've applied to over 150 colleges and universities. The worst was getting as far as the visit-interview stage, then getting that thin letter in the mail a week later saying how sorry they were, but one of the other four finalists was a slightly better fit.
I didnt' feel good about it, but there were often over 100 applicants for one vacancy (still are, today), and half of them were just as qualified or more qualified than me. I couldn't blame myself for that. I couldn't control the market or the competition. When I did get an offer, it wasn't from the type of school I thought I'd go to, and not where I thought I would be living. But I was still finally doing what I'd always wanted to do -- teach at a university.
To this day, a line in TVH sticks in my mind. At the end of the movie, when McCoy thought they'd get a freighter and not a ship like the Excelsior, Kirk said, "A ship is a ship." Now, whether he meant it or not is debatable, but he still makes a point. One often just has to be glad to even have a chance to be doing what one wants to do.
You didn't fail. You got into a school, that's a win. Now be glad and make the most of it and don't look back.

Having a plan for your future is good, but never target fixate.