Office Hours (OCNL 220)

Fall 2024

Tuesday 11am-1pm

Thursday 11am-1pm

The Learn by Failure Philosophy

You have probably been told to learn from failure. However, trying to learn only from sporadic mistakes will limit growth. Instead, we must actively seek out where we still need grow and learn by failure.


An athlete does not get stronger by only exercising with weights they can already lift. Instead, they have to continually push themselves to lift heavier weights than they ever have before. Similarly, a software tester must think critically to write tests that they believe are likely to reveal software faults.


Accordingly, learning also requires that we seek out challenges that expand beyond what we are comfortable with. By continually challenging ourselves intellectually, we persistently grow and become life-long learners.