Recently for a class I'm taking this semester I read a very interesting article about mindsets. In this article I learned about two different types of mindsets: fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. A fixed mindset is basically when someone has a mindset where they think they cannot improve if they do bad or that you are born intelligent or you cannot change anything about yourself. A growth mindset believes things can change if you try hard enough. While reading this article I learned that I used to be a fixed mindset person, but I am now trying to be a growth mindset person.
Mindsets play an important part in a college student's life. College students are very susceptible to a fixed mindset. Students can begin to think something is too hard if they fail a test or a quiz early on in the semester, but the truth is, it is only one bad grade and you have the entire semester to bring your grade up. The article that I read used the example of giving preschoolers puzzles to solve and they could tell which ones had a fixed mindset already and which ones had a growth mindset already. It is crazy to think that as a toddler, when you first start walking and talking, you have a growth mindset but before you even turn five years old, your mindset can change into a fixed mindset.
Basically, a growth mindset causes a person to step out of their comfort zone and try harder at new things. I'm not saying it's okay to get bad grades and say"oh, I have time to fix it," but if you get a bad grade do not give up there is time, try harder the next time you have a test or a quiz. People with fixed mindsets can struggle with this type of mindset. It is a lot easier to get down in the dumps when you get a bad grade than to stay motivated.
Mindsets matter as to how someone perceives the world. If people always have a fixed mindset, they will not see any change in the world, whereas people with a growth mindset will see a change in the world. As we grow up and become adults we need to start changing out perspectives on things. Mindsets are everything in college- do not let anything control you. Do what you think is best for you and step out of your comfort zone.
