how do you deal with rejection in general

I don’t know who enjoys rejection. Likely nobody. So the feelings you have when you feel rejected are natural feelings and you should just allow yourself to feel them so you can process and move on from it. It’s okay to feel that way and yes, it hurts. You’ll get through it quicker if you don’t try to cover up the feelings.

Keeping the expectations low in the beginning is very crucial.. they can be completely opposite of what you imagined them so desiring them desperately is not very good.
I say this because I used to be so obsessed with few of the boys back in college and in hindsight I really see them that they were not very good human beings. Not very kind... Quite sexist and misogynist, boasty ..
Now this brings to the second point .
Why was I with them if them if they were so bad ? Three words.
Low self esteem.

This is the most important point. Love yourself. Infinitely and unconditionally. See all parts of you, your mistakes , your ugly messy anger and jealousy.. love all of them.

You will be alright 😊.

You have to not make it personal because their sex should not have anything to do with it. Because feeling otherwise would imply that you'd be okay if a man did it to you.