@uThuthukaShandu True. I had to learn all of these on my own lol. Saw someone say computer science ≠ software engineering, and thats just a sad fact we only realise after graduating in SA
I failed the exam that was supposed to change my life. I missed the passing mark by a few points... close enough to taste it, far enough to lose it.
I remember staring at the score, refreshing the page like it might correct itself. It didn’t. People kept saying, “You can retake it,” like it was nothing. Like it didn’t feel like something inside me had cracked.
For days, I avoided conversations. I avoided the question, “How did it go?” I avoided admitting that I wasn’t as prepared as I thought.
What hurt most wasn’t the grade. It was what it whispered to me... that maybe I wasn’t capable.
But after the embarrassment faded, something steadier took its place.
I studied differently the second time. I stopped pretending I understood things I didn’t. I asked questions. I let myself be a beginner again.
When I finally passed, it wasn’t dramatic. No applause. No grand celebration. Just a quiet breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding for months.
And I understood something I hadn’t before:
the first failure didn’t mean I wasn’t good enough. It meant I wasn’t done learning yet.
Survival isn’t always about pushing through storms. Sometimes it’s about sitting with the bruise, letting it teach you, and coming back stronger... not louder, just wiser.