Like any typical college student, I can get overly stressed about an exam, paper, or group project…. which means basically anything with a substantially weighted grade will probably get me anxious. Plus, due dates really tend to “sneak up” on me, and can often make these last few weeks of the semester a serious scramble.
If you’re anything like me when it comes to this kind of stuff, you may need a bit of a reminder that the fate of your life doesn’t rest upon a single test or paper (or even an entire final grade, for that matter). So before you start to get seriously stressed, take a deep breath and check out this list of famously successful people who experienced some significant failures and/or setbacks in their lives. Hopefully this will ease your fears of getting any less-than-ideal grades during this upcoming season of exams and papers!
1. Suze Orman(photo courtesy of www.glamour.com)
Suze Orman is a financial adviser who is best known for her television appearances on The Suze Orman Show, as well as for her best-selling financial planning books.
While she is hugely successful now, this wasn’t always the case. She spent most of her twenties as a waitress and was basically bankrupted after a failed attempt to open her own restaurant. Interestingly, this failure actually led her to pursue her financial career!
2. Sylvester Stallone (photo courtesy of www.indiewire.com)
During the time when Sylvester Stallone was trying to get his famous film Rocky produced in Hollywood, he was in a great deal financial distress. In fact, he was so poor during this period that he had to sell his own dog (named Butkus) for $25!
Thankfully, once Rocky was purchased he was able to buy Butkus back!
3. Lucille Ball (photo courtesy of www.biography.com)
Before she gained fame starring in the television show I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball was actually known as the “Queen of the ‘B’s” because she appeared in so many B-level movies. Her agent supposedly told her to find a new career entirely. It wasn’t until she reached age 40 that she finally landed her famous role on I Love Lucy.
4. Tim Allen (photo courtesy of www.biography.com)
When he was in his twenties, the famous American actor and comedian Tim Allen actually spent over two years in federal prison for selling cocaine. After this, he really turned his life around. Case in point: He went on to make The Santa Clause movies that defined the holiday entertainment of my childhood.
5. J.K. Rowling
(photo courtesy of www.biography.com)
Lastly, if anyone can prove that failures won’t ruin your life it’s J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was famously rejected by a grand total of eight publishers before finally being published.
Keep in mind that this list only consists of five people, and never forget that the actual list of successful people who have failed is incredibly long!
So hang in there Hoos, and good luck with all of your final exams, papers, and projects!