We’ve all been there. You’re waiting to hear back about a great opportunity, such as an internship, a job, or an engaging role on your campus ...and you don’t get what you’ve been hoping for. When we are faced with rejection, it can be easy to assume it’s because of us. Maybe you’d think, “What’s wrong with me? Why didn’t I get it?”

Being confronted by rejection may be one of the hardest things to face in college.

You enter into the world of your campus believing that all of these amazing possibilities exist, but then you discover that you aren’t going to get the chance to participate in these opportunities. Getting a letter or an email not knowing whether you have been accepted or rejected can seem daunting. Something as small as one email could seemingly ruin your whole day.

Although rejection can definitely be tough to face, it doesn’t determine the value or worth that you have as a student, a child, an employee, or a member of the community. It could simply mean that the other contestants have better credentials or seemed to fit more into the role, but rejection does not result because of who you are as a person.

I have had my fair share of rejection emails, especially in college. I check my email again and again, and I am constantly refreshing the page because of one email. This waiting seems to have consumed all of my time for a short bit. When that email FINALLY comes, I can be excited to open it, only to have this excitement crushed by the rejection that I have just been faced with.

When this happens, it can seem easy to be upset, and maybe even to cry. Letting out your emotions and allowing yourself to feel is an important part of the human experience that can often be looked over because we always want to “keep our cool.” To this, I say that you’re allowed to be upset. You’re allowed to feel crushed or heartbroken.You’re allowed to be human.

When the initial feelings have passed, think about what has just happened to you. You may have just gotten rejected from only one of the opportunities that exist…when there’s so many more! You are more than just a rejection letter; don’t let one answer bring you down for good. Keep applying, and keep getting your name out there!

Being rejected doesn’t always have to solely be a negative experience; it can also be one where people are able to learn and further their personal growth. When you are rejected, you do not lose value. You are still worthy of all that is good, and you are allowed to feel as a result of your experience.

Rejection does not equal your value.

You may be disappointed at the moment, but there are good things in store for you in the future. Don't ever give up on yourself.