The Power of Rejection

A few days a go I receive a letter from Germany. My first rejection letter. Few months back I was applying to one master program in TU Ilmenau Germany. The program is so interesting. Research in Computer and System Engineering. Actually I will do anything (in positive way) to be accepted in that program. But unfortunately I was rejected this time. The announcement first come through email. The detail of rejection is coming by post few days back. I am not sure whether I will have another chance if reapply again. But I learn some important things from this experience.

First, rejection is bit. Second, rejection is sweet. The first reason is so tangible. Everyone doesn't like rejection at first moment, for any reason. But somehow, rejection at the moment later will give some useful advantage. New enthusiasm to be not rejected anymore. There three steps that I have identified to react to rejection.

• Accept
• Evaluate
• Retry

The first one is most difficult. Every time I got a rejection, I will lose my mood for couple of days. It has been proven by several time fail in scholarship application. I feel so hate to myself which is not competitive enough to be admitted  The feeling will become worst if not handled properly. The best way to handle it is by accepting the rejection. Sometime when we were rejected is not only because we are not competitive enough. But probably there are some required criteria that is not matched with our profile. This the thing that I learnt form the letter that I receive. My score is not enough to be accepted in Research in Computer and System Engineering mostly because my previous degree is not too similar.

After accepting rejection next is to evaluate. Why is we were rejected? Then do evaluation and prepare strategy adjustment or improvement. Don't be insane! Albert Einstein said: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result. Adjustment will avoid us to be a donkey that trapped to the same hole. For every evaluation we have done, we will learn enormous experiences.

The last step is retry. With proper evaluation and strategy enhancement we should get different result. In case applying scholarship for example, we supposed to have better application and more prepare for any selection process like interview. We will also more prepared to be rejected again. But whose know if the next time we retry maybe we will success.