There are some things that I know I do well.

I can argue, though that might have more to do with my decidedly obstinate disposition. I can write — or at least someone at The State Press thought so. Last but not least, I can fail. I have the ability to bow down to defeat with minimal wallowing in self-pity. Let me say, that came with practice.

When I was 16 and a sophomore in high school, I decided to start looking for my niche.

The search didn’t go well. I tried chorus and managed to convince a church-choir teacher that “God had not blessed me with the ability to sing” — which is saying something. As I recall, a few of the singers were much older and in the early stages of emphysema.

I tried soccer. After investing nearly $500 in cleats, shin guards and running shorts, I spent most of the game time either sitting on the bench or doubled over with my hands on my knees, catching my breath. Obviously, athleticism was not my forte.

After trying nearly everything under the sun and being utterly horrible at most, I came to my conclusion — sometimes, people just have to fail. I’m OK with that.

Unfortunately, I am in the minority. With a campus teeming with sculpted and statuesque beauties, political up-and-comers with their near perfect LSAT scores and frat guys squandering bloated bank accounts, it’s clear that the notion of “perfection” is, rather, much closer to the standard.

If a student has the GPA, it isn’t enough. They have to have the internships, the work experience and the physical fitness to go along with it. Excelling at one thing doesn’t cut it anymore — students have to have the whole package just to break even.

Resiliency when it comes to failure is put by the wayside — rather, it is expected to succeed from day one. Not to mention, the diving economy puts even more pressure on prospective students.

Needless to say, “perfection” is a pretty heavy burden on freshmen that have hardly memorized their student ID number, much less decided what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

Opportunity is no longer seen as the chance to test the waters. Losing and laughing about it isn’t an option. It’s a do or die, a one-shot deal.

The notion of “the best four years of your life” has come second to “you have got one chance to get it right.” Apparently, failure no longer is the road to fortitude — it’s only screws up the future.

The pressure is on — but why? I believe it’s time to stop focusing on whether we get it right, but that we tried in the first place.

It is time for parents, professors and peers to loosen the noose and give students some slack — we have got enough to worry about. Encourage seizing opportunity and be OK with it when we fail — and we do … a lot.

In the infinite wisdom of South Park, “There is a time and a place for everything, and it’s called college.”

Never be afraid to admit the truth; sometimes, we just fail.

It’s time to be OK with that.

Reach Karen at khewell@asu.edu.