Guide/02 The Essay Course
Challenge, Failure & Growth Essays
How to write about a setback, a failure, a disagreement, or a time you changed your mind — with the focus on what you did, not what happened to you.
Chapter 15 of 384 min readUpdated September 25, 2026 Preview
"Tell us about a challenge you've faced." "Describe a time you failed." "Tell us about a time you disagreed with someone." These prompts make many students nervous — as if they need a tragedy to answer them.
They don't. What these prompts actually measure is how you respond when things go wrong...
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What’s in this chapter
- 1You don't need a tragedy
- 2The four versions of this prompt
- 3The structure: problem → response → reflection → growth
- 4Writing a failure essay
- 5Writing a disagreement essay
- 6Writing a "changed your mind" essay
- 7Tone: humor is allowed
- 8Exercise: the before-and-after table