Rejection Doesn’t Mean It’s Over

I didn’t get in to nursing school on my first try. I didn’t get in on my second try either. That whole “third time’s a charm thing” really came in clutch for me and now I can’t imagine being in a different program! 

But what if I gave up after the first rejection or the second? What if I had let one school’s decision define my purpose and determine my future? I wouldn’t be here to show you that not giving up should always be your first option. I was a highly competitive applicant watching others with lower statistics get into the school I had been applying too. I felt like all my hard work meant nothing and I wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t until I took a step back and realized that nursing school admissions are NOT in my hands. My high GPA and test scores are enough and do show my determination and commitment to a program. When school’s get 1000+ applications and only offer ~120 spots, it seems they start to just randomly pick qualified candidates, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t qualified or good enough. I had to stop being fixated on one school and research other’s, because when does putting all of your eggs in one basket usually ever work out?

After weekends upon weekends of research I decided to apply to five different school’s for the spring semester instead of just one. And after all my researching, a different school became my first choice, so I worked extra hard on that TEAS test, retook an old course that I had a C in, and prayed H A R D y’all! I’m a huge believer in everything happening for a reason. If I had not been rejected twice, I wouldn’t have stopped to research other (some better rated/reputation) programs and found the one that was truly meant for me. Looking back now, I don’t even want to go to the original school I applied to. Their program truly didn’t align with my lifestyle or my expectations. It wouldn’t have been a good fit at all. That rejection that had me feeling defeated and angry turned into something better. It was necessary and I am so thankful for it now because I can’t imagine being in a different program. When life doesn’t go the way we expect it to, we can let it ruin our plans or we can turn it into positive energy. What will you choose?