{"id":979,"date":"2026-10-18T20:31:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T01:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/wellbeing\/?p=979"},"modified":"2026-10-18T20:31:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T01:31:31","slug":"progress-over-perfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/wellbeing\/2026\/10\/18\/progress-over-perfection\/","title":{"rendered":"Progress Over Perfection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Oluchukwu Okeke, Francis College of Engineering Well-Being Leader<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a computer engineering student, one thing I\u2019ve figured out is that I don\u2019t learn much when things come easily. I learn when I\u2019m staring at a problem that makes no sense, trying a fourth approach, or going back to a concept I was sure I understood. Engineering has made me a lot more patient with myself. It\u2019s also taught me that struggling with something doesn\u2019t mean I can\u2019t learn it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of this major is breaking problems into pieces, testing ideas, and learning from whatever goes wrong. Sometimes I spend hours on something and still don\u2019t get the result I expected, which is frustrating. But I\u2019ve started to treat those hours differently. Instead of hunting for the fastest answer, I try to slow down and figure out why my approach isn\u2019t working. That usually teaches me more than getting it right the first time would have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has also made me think about intellectual wellness, which is about staying curious, developing new skills, and remaining open to different ways of thinking. You don\u2019t need to know everything or get every answer right. You just have to be willing to keep learning, even when it feels uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can we make room for intellectual wellness while balancing the demands of college? Here are a few things that have helped me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n