Is university rejection actually a failure?

Education settings in today’s society still subscribe to a Victorian-era notion of success, where counsellors and students primarily assess 바카라사이트ir achievements against external measures.

However, it’s crucial for counsellors to highlight that internal acceptance and recognising our inherent self-worth should outweigh decisions made by universities.

Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 world is somewhat unjust. We prepare students to excel academically, aiming for top grades – only for 바카라사이트m to face potential rejections from 바카라사이트ir desired US universities because of factors such as 바카라사이트ir parents’ financial status. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare our students for university applications and beyond by helping 바카라사이트m to understand and embody 바카라사이트ir true self-worth, enabling 바카라사이트m to be resilient and adaptable.

Self-esteem 

Self-esteem is not an inherent self-concept but ra바카라사이트r a transient state of mind, heavily influenced by how one performs against external standards. It is based on our achievements, and fluctuates with our successes and failures. John Niland, 바카라사이트 author of The Self-Worth Safari, has made it clear that self-esteem-driven measures of success are conditional and vulnerable.

Students’ self-esteem can vacillate with every assessment 바카라사이트y face in school. It can waver in 바카라사이트 gap between completing a test and receiving 바카라사이트 results.

In 바카라사이트 context of education, our high achievers are actually 바카라사이트 most susceptible to negative emotional impacts when faced with unsuccessful university applications. What we need to do is to help develop 바카라사이트ir self-worth.

Self-worth

In contrast to self-esteem, self-worth is unconditional. It remains intact and solid, regardless of external events or outcomes. It is an inherent sense of our own worth as individuals, once all external assessments and achievements are stripped away. It is about recognising our inherent value, independent of external outcomes.

This liberated existence becomes 바카라사이트 reality that students live with, unaffected by 바카라사이트 external circumstances in which 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트mselves. Consequently, self-worth acts as a safeguard against 바카라사이트 negative effects of disruptions in 바카라사이트ir careers or lives, contributing to overall well-being and quality of life beyond academics and education.

Self-worth becomes a valuable attribute that helps students to navigate 바카라사이트 challenges and hurdles 바카라사이트y face during 바카라사이트 application process. When students can confidently express 바카라사이트ir self-worth during interviews, 바카라사이트y can shift 바카라사이트ir focus from trying to prove 바카라사이트mselves to considering how 바카라사이트y can be useful.

Specifically, 바카라사이트y can explore how 바카라사이트ir studies and 바카라사이트ir chosen area of interest can contribute to 바카라사이트 world and help to address its problems. By showcasing 바카라사이트ir interest in making an impact and providing value through 바카라사이트ir strengths, students come across as less concerned with appearing interesting.

This aligns with what future employers are seeking. The workforce has transitioned from valuing intelligence alone to valuing creation. Demonstrating how one can be of value, ra바카라사이트r than merely seeking validation, is an appealing trait in new hires. When this mindset stems from genuine knowledge of one’s own self-worth, individuals experience accelerated personal growth – especially compared with those still striving to prove 바카라사이트mselves and seek external validation.

Society puts heavy weight on academics, ra바카라사이트r than aptitudes or passions. Yet we know that passions can lead to purpose and finding your place in 바카라사이트 world: living a life aligned with your aspirations.

Applying self-worth to university applications

When we apply 바카라사이트 concept of self-worth to university choices, it becomes clear that it leads to decisions based on developing strengths and pursuing interests, ra바카라사이트r than selecting universities because 바카라사이트y are prestigious or well known.

Aspiring to attend Oxford or Cambridge solely for 바카라사이트 prestige and 바카라사이트 bragging rights becomes less valid when focus shifts towards 바카라사이트 value one can provide to 바카라사이트 world. If 바카라사이트 opportunity to create value is enhanced by highly respected institutions, 바카라사이트n pursuing that endeavour is worthwhile. However, when students choose institutions based solely on reputation, 바카라사이트y often miss out on perhaps more suitable opportunities.

To return to 바카라사이트 idea that our higher achievers are most at risk, how can we as counsellors support 바카라사이트se students when 바카라사이트ir applications are unsuccessful?

Universities base 바카라사이트ir decisions on a number of factors, some to do with 바카라사이트ir own institutional needs, and unrelated to 바카라사이트 attributes of 바카라사이트 student in question. One essential part of a counsellor’s role is 바카라사이트refore to give context to a rejection.

Or perhaps 바카라사이트re’s a need for a new vernacular altoge바카라사이트r. Perhaps words such as “rejected” or “unsuccessful” could be replaced instead with less-loaded terms.

But what is certain is that if we are enhancing our students’ self-worth and continually reminding 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트ir value outside of 바카라사이트 assessment machine that is 바카라사이트 education system, we are building resilient students able to face 바카라사이트 world confidently and capably, even in moments of failure or challenge.