Going into the second semester of my freshman year at the University of Michigan, I was overwhelmed with motivation. Imposter syndrome overtook my life during my first semester, as I believed that everyone was so passionate about various things and that they were doing so much with their life, while I was partying my weekends away. I became steadfast on becoming the most intellectual, driven version of myself, and I thought the way to discover myself was to give in to the Ross culture. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Ross School of Business at Michigan, let me just say that there is a reason that we call them Ross-Holes. The elitist mindsets definitely DO exist, and it creates a cutthroat environment when competing for admission into Ross clubs. However, I have always thrived in a competitive world, as being challenged is what motivates my everyday actions.
I applied to eight different business clubs/frats with the expectation that I would get into at least one of them. I felt confident in my own academic and social abilities, and I knew I was smart enough to be apart of the exclusive Ross clubs. During the business fraternity rush events, my confidence only grew, as I pride myself in my ability to engage in small talk. I love meeting people and learning about their lives, and I honestly really enjoyed the entire process. So you can imagine my utter shock and devastation when I found out that I went 0 for 8. I've been working on building my self-image and confidence for the last couple of years, but within two weeks it all crumbled. I kept reflecting on all of my social interactions and professional interviews, wondering what I had said to make a bad impression. It was such a negative spiral in my life. One of my best friend's even said to me, "Megan, you are becoming a toxic Ross personality, and I don't like it." I think that sentence is definitely up there for the most offensive thing that anyone had ever said to me, and it really grounded me to reality. I never cared about what other people thought of me, so why should a handful of rejection change that?
I had yet another wave of inspiration, much like the one I had before second semester started except this time I didn't care much for the clout of doing a lot of extracurriculars. I slowly accepted the fact that I wasn't going to be in any business clubs, and even embraced all the free time I now had. There were so many books that I wanted to read that I never had time to in the past. I finally was able to start this very blog I had talked about starting since junior year of high school. I even was able to watch an episode of Netflix on a Tuesday.
To clarify: I have absolutely nothing against Ross clubs. I'm probably even going to rush business frats again next semester. However, I do wish there is not as great of an emphasis on their importance to one's professional and social success. I did not get into any of these clubs, but I know I am intellectually and socially capable of discussing any topic, learning every subject, and creating my own ideas. There is so much out there in the world to experience and discover, and I am honestly thankful that I now have the time and opportunity to do it. Rejection is redirection, and Ross has led me to the next and brighter chapter of my life.
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