Question

Think about a time in your life when you experienced a failure-something you tried but didn't succeed at the way you hoped. This could be in school, sports, hobbies, relationships, or any other part of your life. Using the RACES method, compose a well-developed paragraph of at least 5 sentences explaining:
• What the failure was and what happened
• How you felt at the time
• What you learned from the experience
Be sure to provide specific details about the event and your personal growth, so the reader can clearly understand your perspective.
high school

Answer 1

In high school, a notable failure for me was not making the varsity debate team as a sophomore after I auditioned in the school auditorium. I had spent a week memorizing a speech and thought my delivery was strong, but when the judges gave feedback they said my arguments lacked solid evidence and my organization was confusing, and I was cut from the team. At the time I felt crushed and embarrassed—I replayed the tryout in my head, avoided the debate room for a few days, and doubted whether I belonged in debate at all. Instead of giving up, I asked the coach for specific feedback, started attending the after‑school debate workshop twice a week, worked with a senior teammate to gather credible sources, and practiced outlining my cases until they were clear and supported. That focused effort paid off: I made the varsity team as a junior and placed at a regional tournament, but more importantly I learned to ask for constructive criticism, break big goals into practiceable steps, and treat failure as information rather than a final verdict.