Failing To Succeed: Why Post-Secondary Students Need More Room To Mess Up

(MENAFN- The Conversation) University students today face a confusing mix of messages about failure. They hear from a variety of sources, sometimes including educational institutions, that it’s a normal part of learning, yet they move through systems where even small mistakes can have serious consequences.

Institutions may encourage reflection after setbacks, but the structural message is clear: failure is risky. A single low grade in first year can affect access to competitive programs, co‐op placements, scholarships and graduate school.

Our recent scholarship draws on interviews with university administrators and previous scholarship about dealing with experiences of failure to examine how students are caught between messages that celebrate failure as growth and systems that punish it. Navigating this contradiction leaves many feeling stuck.

When messages that failure is part of life collide with its sometimes costly consequences, students are often left to interpret failure on their own.

Many arrive at university with strong academic records, so their first disappointing grade can feel devastating. Administrators commonly shared that students are“terrified of failing” and“do not quite know how to cope with it.”

Students fear failing

Fear of failure exists for a reason. Universities sort, rank and evaluate students in ways that carry long-term consequences.

For students receiving scholarships or financial aid, even one challenging term can put essential funding at risk. Research also shows that students who fail a course are more than four times more likely to withdraw from it or leave university entirely.

Despite this, students hear that failure is central to learning. The 12 university administrators we interviewed in our study echoed this belief. Each was from a mid-sized, research-intensive institution located in southern Ontario.

One described making mistakes as“the most important lesson of higher education… messing up is the whole point… and learning [from it].”

Across other interviews, administrators similarly stressed that students should value failure as growth. At the same time, they acknowledged that students and instructors have to navigate the confines of current university structures, including grading and other merit-based opportunities.

Nobody teaches you how to fail well

Administrators also noted that many students enter university without the academic and executive functioning skills they need.

Time management, note-taking, independent learning and critical thinking take time to develop. When students who are still building these skills receive a low grade, they often interpret it as a reflection of ability rather than a signal to adjust strategies.

** Read more: Teaching university students how to learn matters for retaining them**

Without guidance, this can spiral into self-doubt, anxiety and procrastination. Many first-year students hesitate to seek help because doing so feels like revealing weakness. It is common for students to look for“bird courses” - easier courses with lighter workloads.

This illustrates how some choose safer paths and avoid intellectual risk, limiting learning at the exact moment when support is most important.

Some students bounce back more easily

The consequences of failure are not felt equally. Administrators stressed that today’s students are increasingly diverse, and many balance course work with paid work, caregiving, commuting and financial responsibilities.

What used to be considered traditional student life is becoming less common. For students who work full time or care for family, a repeated course or reduced course load doesn’t just delay graduation. It can mean lost wages, extra child-care costs or increased debt.

** Read more: How universities relate with students changed in the past century, but a duty of care remains**

Students from marginalized communities may face additional barriers. These students often encounter services that do not reflect their needs or require navigating complex systems, all of which can make asking for help feel harder than failing quietly.

As one administrator put it, institutions must ask whether students“see themselves reflected in your services.” When the answer is no, students are less likely to reach out, which compounds the impact of any setbacks.

Making room for mistakes

Many instructors already try to make failure a constructive learning experience. Practical strategies include offering low-stakes assessments early in the term, allowing revision and resubmission and building in reflection activities that help students understand mistakes.

Sharing personal stories of academic struggle can also help. One administrator described showing students their own first-year transcript to demonstrate that academic journeys are rarely perfect.

These practices reduce stigma and build trust. Students take more intellectual risks when they believe their environment is supportive. However, instructors work within wider systems that reward performance and ranking. Large class sizes limit feedback, students with disabilities face bureaucratic hurdles that make seeking help difficult and heavy workloads reduce time for check-ins. Without broader structural changes, even thoughtful instructors face limits.

How universities can fix the problem

Messages from some universities cannot continue encouraging students to embrace failure while universities maintain systems that punish it.

To resolve this contradiction, institutions should:

Rethink assessment and progression rules so that small setbacks do not have lasting effects. Expand low-stakes assessments and early feedback, especially in large introductory courses.

Co-ordinate support services so students can find timely help without navigating complex bureaucracies.

Consider how race, gender, disability, family responsibilities and financial pressures shape who can afford to fail.

Create outside-the-classroom learning opportunities that support the academic curriculum where students can mess up safely, without an impact on their grades. For example, Living Learning Communities provide space for like-minded students in residence to experience discipline-specific programming or activities without the in-classroom risks of failure.

Make spaces that support learning accessible through family-friendly scheduling and child care.

Give students more agency through flexible pathways, reflective practices and opportunities to revise and improve.

Failure will always be part of higher education. It can be a powerful teacher, but only when students have the support, time and agency to process it.

With thoughtful design, institutions can help students fail in ways that build confidence rather than fear and ensure that mistakes lead to learning instead of lost opportunity. Mistakes happen. Learning from them should be a requirement for students, not a privilege.

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