As a wide-eyed freshman in college, I was eager to do exceptionally well. It was my goal to graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA and hopefully be the valedictorian. Unfortunately, my very first class was an 8 am English class, a time slot that very few wanted, which is why it was on the list of available classes. I felt I was okay at English, but it wasn’t on my list of favorite subjects. Nonetheless, this is where my college studies would begin.
After a few classes, we were given our first assignment, an essay to write on a prescribed topic. This was not only my first college assignment, but it would also be my first graded assignment. When the professor returned my paper, I was mortified and shocked to see a C! I saw red lines and comments scribbled mercilessly all over the paper. This was certainly not how my college education was supposed to begin. After all, I was the valedictorian of my high school. This C felt like an insult; I was humiliated. I eventually gathered myself and read every comment provided by the professor. They were blunt and direct, but I understood exactly what I had done wrong and what I needed to do to improve.
By the time the next assignment was given, I was ready to redeem myself. I applied the advice to my writing and realized how much it had improved in such a short time. I was cautiously optimistic as I waited for the graded assignment to be returned. To my delight, it had a much better grade this time. It was an A! From that point on, every assignment in that class received an A. I even did a bonus, voluntary assignment that I was asked to read in class. It also exempted me from having to do a final exam. But more importantly, I learned some things about writing that I never fully understood before then.
Proverbs 27:6 says ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” There will be times when criticism will come, and it won’t feel good. Yet, there are a few things to consider:
1) Is the criticism being given to help me improve?
2) Even if criticism is given with ill intentions, can I use any of it to improve in some area?
3) Am I letting pride result in my rejection of the criticism?
When we honestly and thoughtfully answer these questions, we will find that we can use criticism to our benefit. Sometimes, criticism must be ignored. However, it is crucial to recognize when we need to accept criticism and apply the necessary corrections to our lives, enabling us to reach our full potential.