First of all, setbacks are those unexpected challenges, obstacles, or difficulties that slow us down or try to stop us from reaching our goals. Whether it’s something as simple as a delay in plans or something bigger like a failure or disappointment, we’ve all had moments where life didn’t go the way we expected. Honestly, those moments can be really discouraging.
I believe everyone, at one point or another, has had experiences that made them feel like giving up or questioning whether things will ever work out. I’ve been there too.
For me, one moment that still sticks with me happened in my second year at the university. I didn’t resume school on time, so I had to write my exams during the summer period. Normally, summer exams are meant for students who failed a course and needed a second chance to pass. But in my case, it was actually my first semester exams I was sitting for during that period. I felt confident. I believed I wouldn’t fail anything. I mean, I did JUPEB and used that result to gain admission directly into 200 level. So, technically, these were the first set of university exams I was writing, and failure wasn’t even something I imagined.
But reality hit. When the results came out, I saw that I had failed a course.
I can’t lie—it broke me. I was really sad. I felt like I had let myself down and also disappointed my mum, who had gone through so much just to make sure I got into that school. The thought of failing something so important, especially after all the sacrifices, left me devastated.
But even in the middle of all that sadness, something in me just refused to stay down. I reminded myself of how far I had come, and I knew I couldn’t give up now. I decided to carry the course over and take it the next year with a fresh mindset—one that was determined to pass no matter what. And thankfully, I did.
That experience taught me something valuable: setbacks aren’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, they are life’s way of slowing us down to teach us something we need to learn. In my case, it humbled me, made me more serious, and helped me understand the importance of being prepared. Eversince that time, i have actually never failed a course, and i have, in fact, improved in terms of my total grades as well as my Cgpa.
One of the best ways to overcome setbacks, in my opinion, is to have a positive mindset. It’s completely normal to fall in life, but what matters most is what you tell yourself while you’re down. Instead of saying, “It’s over for me,” try telling yourself, “This is just temporary, and things will get better.” That kind of thinking can be hard—especially when you’re in pain—but it’s also one of the strongest tools you can use to fight through tough times.
Also another strategy would be to remind yourself of your “why.” Why did you start that journey in the first place? Why does it matter to you? I believe when you hold onto that, it becomes easier to rise again after a fall.
Thanks for reading.