Like many other college freshmen, I had my college career planned out on the first day of classes. I knew exactly what major I’d pursue, what clubs I wanted to join and what accolades I wanted to graduate with.
Spoiler alert — none of that happened. Almost nothing I thought I was going to be by graduation time came to pass, but looking back as a senior, I am extremely glad it didn’t.
When I came to college, I wanted to be a doctor like my father. I would be the sibling in my family to step up and follow in his footsteps, I was sure of it. That is, until I failed almost every biology exam I took in my first semester, and it was clearly not the path for me.
I pivoted, thinking I’d made a mistake and advertising was the major I needed to pursue. I thought I’d join the Minerva program, just like my brother’s wife, and get an advertising job at an amazing firm like she had.
The program rejected me, and I thought my life was over. It was spring of my sophomore year and I felt clueless as to what to study, and my DegreeWorks degree progress was a constant reminder that I was running out of time to find my fit and fulfill my class requirements.
I felt defeated. I walked around campus aimlessly looking for a sign of what to do next, and there it was — a 5 by 7 cardboard sign propped up in front of a table advertising applications for The Crimson White. I’ve kept a journal since I was in middle school and was in my high school’s writing club, and it hit me all at once that this is what I should pursue. It made me start to wonder why it took me so long to get to this conclusion, why I strayed so far away from something I knew I was good at.
It can be intimidating to change the course of what you had planned originally. It’s human nature to stay hidden in the comfort of familiarity rather than venture into the uneasiness that comes with the unknown and open ourselves up to rejection.
Rejection isn’t only something we face in undergraduate. Applying to jobs as a freshly graduated young adult can become what feels like a revolving door of constant “no.” According to a study from Intelligent, 38% of employers avoid hiring recent college graduates in favor of older applicants with more experience.
However, there is some solace found in knowing that you aren’t the only one facing this dilemma. Studies from the U.S. Department of Education found that 30% of college students change their majors in their first three years. In fact, 1 in 10 students change their major two or more times.
It’s okay to not be on the path we once set for ourselves. Not everything goes perfectly according to plan. Rejection is inevitable, and many students face it everyday. Whether it’s from a loved one, an exam or a job application, it never feels good to feel like you’re not enough.
The Greek philosopher Epictetus once said, “You can’t control life events, but you can control how you react to them.” The rejection you face isn’t what defines you. It’s what is done afterwards that matters. Rejection is simply redirection to a path better fit for you — it’s just a matter of perspective and perseverance.