Reality of Rejection

It is that time of the year again. High School Seniors finish up their final college applications and begin to hear back from the ones they applied early to. Unfortunately, we live in such a flawed American education system, one in which these bright young minds let the decisions of others affect the person they are on the inside. An acceptance feels like being on top of the world, a feeling of homeliness for the next four years. But rejection... rejection is an absolute different feeling. A feeling of the world crashing down around you, making you think your hard work over the last four years was useless. A feeling of wondering whether or not you belong, questioning if you'll have a home for the next four years. But nonetheless, it is a feeling of failure, failure out of someone else's judgement. Nearing the end of grade school, these feelings get assembled on a figurative totem pole with the ones who have gotten in, residing at the top, looking down at the ones who have not.

Having been rejected nine times, there were many times I asked myself, what my worth was. Why the person on either side of me was better than I was. I had poured my heart and soul into four years of high school.. for what? To be told, I was not good enough, not once, not twice, not thrice, but nine times over? After much thought, I had come to the conclusion, whatever had happened, happened for a reason. Nearly nine months later, I'm sure glad it did because I am very proud of the person I have grown to become in my first semester at Cal Poly, and am excited to see the person I will become over the ensuing three and a half years. Everybody finds their niche, and all students end up understanding that, but they don't exactly come to the realization until they have started their college education.

The biggest problem in this process occurs in coping with rejection. Talk it out with people you love the most, family, friends, your dog. They are all there for you, to listen. Don't let one decision tell you how good you are, don't let a school tell you you're not good enough, but most of all don't let the process play your mind, becasue in the it is a miniscule part of your life, and a very distant memory just a couple years down the line. The decision takes a couple minutes, the sadness lasts for a week, the frustration maybe for a month, but in just a couple years, all those schools will feel the SADNESS and FRUSTRATION, as a result of their WRONG DECISION.