by Kyle Nguyen, Staff Writer
Let me take a guess: You may or may not have just gotten rejected from your dream college. If that was a yes, then don’t be discouraged! It’s clear that most, if not all of us, are constantly striving to be the best that we can be in school (which is a good thing!) but at times, this can be our weakest point in the sense that we can’t handle rejection. Yep, rejection. That dreaded r-word that you never want to hear in the same sentence as college. Although I’m only a junior and haven’t really began to think about applying to colleges let alone understand how it truly feels to be rejected from a dream school, I can confidently say that it’s discouraging to see many seniors on campus with that sad, tired look when they break the bad news. And you shouldn’t be one of those people! Everyone here on campus has the potential to do great things with their lives and a college rejection shouldn’t be the one thing that makes us forget that. If you’re one of those seniors who’s feeling a little down in the dumps recently, follow this guide to help you get back on your feet.
1. Take a weekend to sit back and relax.
Getting back bad news is always hard for everybody. Now’s the perfect time to just de-stress and get back in the groove. Go to one of your favorite places. Hang out with friends (and preferably not talk about college for a few hours). Do something that you enjoy to clear your head before you bounce back to college mode.
2. Accept that rejection is a new beginning, not an end.
No, that rejection letter is not the end of your life. You will still be successful in life regardless of whether or not you attend your dream school. What you should see rejection as is that light at the end of the tunnel. If you’ve been applying yourself this much throughout high school, I’m positive that with hard work and determination, you will manage to get into another college and have a career that you’re actually passionate about.
3. Consider your other options.
You probably heard it from many other people already, but community college is an option! There is such a large stigma behind going to a community college straight out of high school and not a four-year college, but this negative connotation is baseless and has no real value. Your diploma won’t say “Graduated from UCLA by way of OCC.” It will just say “Graduated from UCLA.” Not only that, you’ll save lots of money by doing a transfer instead.
All in all, college should not be viewed as some highly prestigious enigma that only the best of the best are able to ge into. You’ll only be hurting your self-esteem if you think that way. Think of it as a gateway to what you really want to do in the future. And if you happen to not make it to the “best” gateway, there’s always a different path for you to take. After all, life will always guide you wherever you’re destined to go.
