Normalizing Rejection for College Students
The University of California, Santa Cruz, invited students to share their stories of rejection or failure to normalize the experience and create community.
By Ashley Mowreader, students at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shared instances of rejection or failure.
A "wall of rejection" was created, where students could anonymously share stories of rejection on a "Got Rejected?" board in the campus libraries.
This initiative aimed to create connection among peers over similar experiences, making rejection a more normalized experience.
A "wall of rejection" is often a metaphorical barrier to success, but at the University of California, Santa Cruz, students were encouraged to literally share their failures on the wall.
Rejection walls are also used in high schools during college admissions season, where students share their college rejection letters.
Author summary: University invites students to share rejection stories.