Dealing with Rejection

Rejection hurts no matter where it comes from. When you get rejected from a boy or girl you like it feels as if nobody will ever love you and you’ll spend the rest of your life alone. When you never hear back from the employer of a company you eagerly wanted to work for it’s like you’ll spend the rest of life on the streets without any hope of employment.

When your first choice dream-school sends you a letter that doesn’t start with the word “congratulations,” your heart drops to your stomach and endless thoughts about your life being over flood your mind. But it’s not the end of the world, so don’t go on and grab your gallon of ice cream and tissues just yet.

Most students apply to multiple schools, so for the most part, there are many options to choose from. And for the majority of students, at least one rejection is likely to come. However, it could be a blessing in disguise. For example, if the financial aid is right, then attending your second, third, or even fourth choice may even be better. College is an experience that I have heard no attendee ever complain of, so why let one school strip you away from such a such an amazing opportunity?

Perhaps the one thing worse than being rejected is discovering that you cannot afford going to college. I fell into what was referred to as “financial aid hell” meaning that my parents’ income was hovering just over what the government considers too much to give me significant aid. And even though I live in relatively the same conditions as that of my lower-income peers, FAFSA gives me the cold shoulder.

So, regardless of my acceptances, my first two years are going to be spent at a community college, which is what I recommend a lot of you to do. It sounds very unappealing especially when compared to your peers that are attending their dream schools, but it holds its own advantages. The most obvious reason is how much cheaper it is and how much less debt you accumulate. As long as your units are transferable, the classes you take at a community college are identical to those of a UC or a CSU. You’ll also be able to continue to freeload off of your parents for food and shelter for another two years.

Rejection letters should be nothing more than a minor nuisance. Where you go to college shouldn’t define you. They’re all great in their own unique ways; if you search “best colleges” you’ll be sure to get a different list every time. So work with what you got. Hopefully you can transfer, and most importantly, stay in school.