• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Life / Academics / Dealing with Rejection in College

Dealing with Rejection in College

January 16, 2015 //  by Nathan Brickman

Shares11FacebookTweet

Almost every college student will endure some form of rejection during his or her four-year experience. Whether it comes in the form of dating, academics or athletics, rejection is bound to find you. As a senior at the University of Michigan, I encountered my fair share of rejection. Most of it has come in the form of academic advancement.

At Michigan, there are various colleges within the university that offer programs specific to your interests. Freshman year, I applied to the coveted Ross School of Business. Securing a spot would mean a tough four years but would guarantee bountiful job prospects at the end of the tunnel.

Admittance is no easy feat and my stress level was at an all-time high. Slaving away perfecting the application essays, trying to prove why I was a compelling candidate was draining. Not to mention late night study sessions and attending hair-pulling lectures so I could ace the required classes. Adding to my hysteria, I joined several clubs to display my well roundedness and create extracurricular appeal.

giphy.com
giphy.com

Proving my worth to someone I will never meet was an exceptionally difficult task, but I felt confident that I had given it my best effort. I knew I was on the edge of acceptance, but I was definitely nervous about the outcome. After waiting several grueling months for an answer, it finally arrived via email: Rejected. While every rejection email strives to let you down easy, being encouraged to apply again gave me no restitution.

I was left completely crushed. Months of hard work and focus left me with nothing but an upset stomach. I felt like an utter failure. I constantly thought about what I could have done differently or how I could have pushed myself harder. But it didn’t matter… it was over.

giphy.com
giphy.com

It was difficult scrolling through Facebook only to see friends excitedly post about their acceptance to the school. Talking about my rejection just made me feel inadequate. Why wasn’t I good enough? Everyone I know assured me that I would have plenty of future opportunities, but nothing could cheer me up.

Going into my next year of school I had to completely reset my ambitions and find a new path (not so easy). I still had that rejection hanging over me like a dark cloud that followed me everywhere. It seemed like I had to settle for some other major because I wasn’t capable of attaining my original intentions.

Despite it all, I was able to move on. Rather than continuing to dwell in the past, I tried hard to focus on finding myself a new goal. Browsing through new majors and discussing options with my advisor gave me a new perspective on the situation. I began to realize that it wasn’t the end of the world and that there actually were plenty of other opportunities for me. I was able to find another major that aligned with my interests, which laid the groundwork to find my new path. I began to forget about the rejection, opening my mind to new experiences and challenges.

giphy.com
giphy.com

As a senior looking back, it turned out to be a great learning experience. I was able to persevere and figure out how to carry on through difficult a situation. This lesson gave me the ability to deal with adversity, which will come in handy in the real world. After graduation, circumstances like this will constantly arise and it is important to know how to handle them. Turn every rejection into an opportunity. You may fail more than once, but college will give you plenty of chances to start over.

Shares11FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Academics Life

About Nathan Brickman

Student, movie buff, writer, Netflix addict and food aficionado. Senior at the University of Michigan studying Political Science.

You May Also Like

pensive

Tackling the Beast After 2020: Applying to Graduate School

CM’s Top 10 Best Pharmacy Schools in the Nation

10 Insanely Hard Classes to Avoid at Penn State

It’s Okay If Your Grades Fall Behind During a Pandemic

student typing on laptop

The Key to Surviving an Online Math Class in 2020

guy online

The Transition to Online Classes: A New Struggle or a Desirable Change? 

College Magazine’s Guide to the Engineering Major

smiling graduate

Redefining Success as a Freshman in College

Top 10 Hermione Granger Approved Colleges for Bookworms

20 Notable UConn Alumni Who Changed the World

10 Most-Loved Professors at the University of Florida

red stoplight

Reflections of a Nervous Post-Graduate

https://unsplash.com/photos/Z-ceDRi9fVU

Is There Such a Thing as Being Too Ambitious in College?

10 Invaluable Skills You Get from Learning and Working Virtually

Virtual Learning

Class Etiquette 101: The Unspoken Rules of Zoom

future teacher

CM’s Ultimate Guide to the English Education Major

How to Study for a Test When Your Roommates are Pregaming

online acting classes

The Show Must Go On: 10 Tips for Success in Online Acting Classes

aesthetic books

15 School Supplies English Majors Literature-lly Need This Fall 

tips for online classes

10 Tips for Acing Your Remote Classes This Semester

girl in graduation cap and gown standing with her back to the camera

Go Grad! 10 Ways to Beat the Graduate School Scaries

From Computer Science to Journalism: Why I Switched Majors

someone studying

To Take or Not To Take Morning Classes: That is the Question

Undergraduate Research 101

Previous Post: « CM’s Top 10 Universities for Drama Kids
Next Post: Freshman Year: Expectations Gone Wild »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

CampusLife_sm
53

CM’s Top 10 Schools Doing Residential Life Right

coffee w heart
14

A Barista’s Guide to Making Delicious Coffee Drinks at Home

7

5 Tips for Getting Your Social Media Ready for the Professional World

tv
6

10 Popular Anime Shows You Need to Binge ASAP

1

Finding Yourself Through Professors and Pandemics 

Featured Chapter: UCLA

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.