Question about failed opportunities

[abcSoup]

Hello,

So i'm not sure if this question has been asked, but should you put down activities that you attempted in good faith but utterly failed at?

For example, during my senior year, I wanted to get involved with research and decided to join a neurologist's research group who was studying apathy in patients. I told them that I had a background in FORTRAN programming and that I would be willing to learn another computer language to help them. Unfortunately, despite putting over 100+ hours into trying to learn C++ to develop a program for diagnostic results, I really couldn't be of any use and withdrew from the group.

I believe there's a strong story for not reaching beyond your limits in this case. I also learned a decent amount about neurology and the clinic concept of apathy vs depression.

Thanks for the feedback

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[gyngyn]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Crayola227]

you don't need to tell this story as a failure, unless you need to

and if you do that doesn't need to be the bent to it

 

[Law2Doc]

Hello,

So i'm not sure if this question has been asked, but should you put down activities that you attempted in good faith but utterly failed at?

For example, during my senior year, I wanted to get involved with research and decided to join a neurologist's research group who was studying apathy in patients. I told them that I had a background in FORTRAN programming and that I would be willing to learn another computer language to help them. Unfortunately, despite putting over 100+ hours into trying to learn C++ to develop a program for diagnostic results, I really couldn't be of any use and withdrew from the group.

I believe there's a strong story for not reaching beyond your limits in this case. I also learned a decent amount about neurology and the clinic concept of apathy vs depression.

Thanks for the feedback

Joining a neurology research group and the stuff you learned sounds good, especially if it influenced you in some way. Writing about how you couldn't teach yourself C++ programming isn't as good and I would probably leave that out unless you need it, and even then ultimately giving up and leaving the group probably isn't the conclusion that scores you any points, so I'd be really careful how you use this. You are writing to people who are about to throw academic challenges at you and they don't want to hear that when the going gets tough you walk away saying "guess I bit off more than I can chew". Adcoms want people who achieve goals or problem solve.

 

[HopefulDoc94]

Just talk about how you've contributed and what you've learned from that experience. Don't bring it up unless you get asked in an interview.