Yesterday, Mrs. Elliott told us about college acceptances and rejections. She said that these acceptances do not define our value as a person. The same goes as our rejections. Now, some of you may think "psh, it's just a cheer-up thing to say." However, I agree with Mrs. Elliott with my view: college acceptances are just another open path on a journey to a dream. After pondering about the worth of rejections for a while, I came to think rejections as, well, closed paths, meaning that these colleges are not meant for you because your path to your dream lies in some other path (hence college).
However, I'd like all of us to know that during college, it is our chance to excel and prove our worth in the world. How? I'd say by working hard based on your dream. After all, as philosopher Nietzsche noted, it is we as a person who determines our value.
--A. Chang
(ps, C. Tagge likes to call me by this)
I definitely agree with you zen master chang! Acceptances and Rejections are doors that either open or close... we put no value on who walks in and out of these doors, but just put a price tag on the type of doors we walk through. If we walk through a beautiful majestic door, then we recognize it as it is. But if we walk through an ordinary bedroom door, we don't think twice about the architecture. At some point, where we end up does put worth on ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAlireza Behbahani
Team South Beach
Zen Master Chang I agree with you one hundred percent. My whole high school career I worked towards getting into my dream school, and when I got rejected i was devastated. I didn't understand how or why, and it took me a lot of thinking to figure out that it was all going to be alright and that it was not the end of the world even though it felt like it. The amount of work you put into college matters a lot more than just getting into a prestigious university, and regardless of where a person goes he can be successful if he truly works hard.
ReplyDeleteJehan T.
I agree, who is to stop us from going where we want too? However, the rejections or acceptances are what guides us into our future that has already been planned out. When one door closes another door opens, and thats one way of saying we probably weren't meant to go down that path, but there is another one for us we should follow.
ReplyDeleteWith our college acceptance and rejections pretty much being notified by now it is time to decide our future. As we look at colleges we are also looking at different possible futures for ourselves. Simply choosing one college over another will change the path we will be taking in the future. It is a frightening thought at first, but at least we have full control in choosing which one to take.
ReplyDeleteI agree when you say that rejections just show that the particular college isn't meant for you. People also need to realize that just because a school isn't super prestigious doesn't mean it isn't a really great school and that you won't enjoy the change in paths.
ReplyDeleteZach Y.
The college acceptance method is far from perfect, but we are so insignificant that there is no way for us to change anything. This is why all of us and the people who love us come up with coping mechanisms. There is truth to what you say, but I sense that this is, at least partially, a way of hiding disappointment instead of embracing it. Not that that's a bad thing, I do this too.
ReplyDeleteDavid Mao
Alex, I totally agree with the fact that "acceptance does not define our value as a person." When I received my first rejection I though, was I not good enough? But thats not it at all. Its just that specifically at that time, I was not what they were looking for. I have to come to appreciate and embrace the places I have been accepted to and just try to forget those i have not!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you there alex ! i also got rejected and accepted to some colleges. we all should consider even rejections to evaluate ourselves again and make them as another foundation of our succesful future. - Matt L
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Mrs. Elliot has said, I didn't get accepted right away to Westmont, I was placed on a waiting list. And I was so frustrated with my self, I thought it was a refelction of my character, but it really had nothing to do with who I was. To them I was a name on a piece of paper with some of the things they wanted from me. To tell you the truth my self confidence dropped tremendusly. I didn't think I would get into the other school I appplied to, but I did. And then thats when I realized it wasn't a bash on my character these schools did not know me. I was a name on a file with a few numbers representing how "smart" I was and a few letters showing my school grades.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was REALLLLY bummed when I recieved my first rejection letter, I now understand. God alreaddy has our lives planned out for us and some things were just not meant to be. And I can totally relate to Plain Jane's post above, I was completely mortified at the act of getting rejected. But those administrators don't have the slightest clue who I am, all they know is a few of my academic capabilities.
ReplyDeleteErin
I totally agree with you Alex. College acceptances and rejections are so erratic it sees like that they're not a final gauge as to who you are as a person and the capabilities you have. Rather, they're an evaluation of a person based on a limited amount of information that you just happened to give to colleges. College is just another journey of life where a person has to pursue what he wants to do with his life. Whether you got rejected or accepted to a certain college, one should take these decisions with the understanding that your true goals are always in view as long as you work hard to reach them.
ReplyDelete-Conrad Shiao
Also, after college when we start working it the college we go to won't define us. Four years sounds like a lot of time(like high school), but after it is said and done I'm sure we will be happy wherever we decide to attend.
ReplyDelete-Erica W.
I agree with erin God does have our lives in his hands. Thank you Erin.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I think it is very brave of you to put up your rejection letter for everyone to see, so kudos. And although it may sound cliché, if you were rejected from a college you probably weren't the right fit for them and you probably would do better somewhere else. Going to college is exciting wherever you choose to go and although rejections are a bummer, acceptances are great rewards for hard work.
ReplyDelete~Bobby R.
This is so true. The whole college process is bittersweet; more bitter than sweet if you get rejected. It takes guts to openly tell the public about your college rejection. At first when I was rejected from my dream school, I cried for four days and went into serious depression. Then my mom asked why I was crying since I already got into a better school. Even though we may not always get what we want, just remember that there is more than one way to reach success!
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