Didn’t really know what to expect when clicking on this video, but just really glad for an update. Thank you for sharing with us your little moments and thoughts that eventually lead to this meaningful decision to focus on yourself. I’ll be honest and say I don’t have the guts to take this big step myself, but it’s comforting to know someone who acknowledges the need to discover more about themselves and the rest of the world. Wishing you an amazing gap year and keep us posted!
Thank you Anson! This decision definitely wasn't an easy one but it was done out of necessity. Even though I've learned a lot about myself and the world throughout the past 2 years at college, I think I still have a lot of room for growth and generally just being a better person to myself and the people around me. I'm so appreciative of all the support I've seen and I'm so glad I've been able to provide even just a little bit of comfort to you and anyone else who's seen this video. Thank you and I'll definitely keep you guys updated throughout this next year :)
"I hated waking up cause I knew I was going to have a bad day"... dude you have no idea how much i relate to this. College life is hard... Enjoy your gap year Justin
I agree with the fact that most students don't know who they are or they only identify themselves as students. Taking time to find your path/ who you are is essential to be in a better mental state. Hope you are feeling better now Justin. Being burnt out is not normal and having a break will help you immensely. Know that taking a break is not a form of laziness and that sometimes is the most productive thing you can do. Best wishes to you and your family. Stay safe :)
burn out happens a lot when you're a working adult too, a lot of Asian Americans are so focused on going to good schools and then onto prestige jobs, been there all
Thank you Aaron! I'm already feeling so much better being away from school for a few weeks now so I think I definitely made the right choice. Appreciate the support :)
"I didn't know who I can be mad at." This hits me like damn, im so glad you decided to take a break. The break i took was the best time i had while studying in uni. I hope you'll have a great time and thank you for sharing your experience!
I've been having the same difficulty as you, in realizing that I don't really know who I am aside from school and academics. It's really nice to hear that someone has the same sentiments. I wish you the best in this time that you're devoting to your health and self-discovery!
It takes a lot of courage to actually take the step to take a gap year and even post it on online. I’m a student as well and I’ve been burnt out so many times especially with the pandemic. But good luck to you and hope you enjoy this well deserved break
Thank you so much for this, Justin. As a college students, I often feel like I am the only one who feels burnt out, who longs for a life beyond the stress of academia. I compare myself to others and assume that everyone is doing better than me. This video helped me a lot. Thank you, and I wish you all the best
I have so much respect for you sharing this. As a nursing student I can second this. The constant studying and still not being able to do your best. And spending every single day just trying play catch up and devote your entire time to studying is overwhelming and Exhausting. Again thank you for being transparent.
I feel the very same way last semester too, overwhelmed and stressed out. I know exactly how it feels in your shoes. I'd say it was a good decision for you to take a little break. Your mental health and physical health is worth more than anything, good for you!
Gonna just admit this video made me cry because I remember those exact same feelings when I was in college. I took a gap year as well and it was great for my mental health. This is such a mature video and decision making process. Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to your next videos!
Man, I just want to say your skin looks great. As someone who struggled with acne and still does at times, I know how much hearing that can mean. Best of luck on the gap year. I know a few people who made that decision during Covid and they have no regrets. Enjoy yourself and your journey during that time. Much love!
I didn't know others felt that way. I'm a first year student at this ivy league university in my country and i don't like it that much. It has become my identity but somehow it is justified by society because you go to well known college. Its so bad. I see people throwing up after or before exams, crying during exams, biting their nails that it ruined their hands, sacrificing sleep. If i knew this all took to finish this university, i wouldn't even applied for it. Student life is no joke. I'm glad you took a break from university. You have been doing this for such a long time. You deserve a break. Thank you for posting this video.
A much deserved gap year justin! I can totally relate on the part where about identifying your self as student. Im in final year of uni, and im scared thinking of what kind of person i am outside the premises of school.
I feel you, literally im having the same trouble right now. Take it easy, everything will be okay. Enjoy the rest of the year, feel free to be YOURSELF❤
I took a gap year and ended up transferring to a college closer to home. Most difficult decision of my life but, in retrospect, I thrived in a new setting and was more successful academically. I felt like a failure making this decision, but the gap year helped me solidify what I wanted to do after college. I spent the gap year working and volunteering in my community and abroad. I hope you also use this time to reflect, rest, and make experiences that are worthwhile and meaningful to you. Good luck!
I seriously relate to your saying about the 12 years and then 4 years of being a student straight away. Seriously we don't get a single minute to realize and create our identities. We are bound to this education system which only believes in our qualifications on the paper. Thank you so much for sharing and being completely honest. It takes a lot to share stuff that we are struggling with. I hope you heal well and find best out of yourself. So proud of you Justin.
I was in the exact same situation a year ago when I took a semester off and it was the best decision I made, it allowed me to rest and heal mentally, to realise there’s another way to live and really question why I was stressing out so much about school. It also let me find passions that really motivate me and I have grown so much from this past year, I can’t wait for you to embark on this gap year journey, all the best!
Justin! You should be really proud of yourself for recognizing that you needed time off and taking a gap year despite the fact that it's not a common thing to do. I took a gap year last academic year before starting college this academic year, and the thing I regret the most about my gap year is being too hard on myself for not doing anything. I had the same mindset as you going into the year- I didn't want to do internships or try to get ahead in any way because I was burned out and needed a break, but part of me was always upset at myself for not doing anything or even not knowing what to do with my time. I should have just let myself heal and recover without putting pressure on myself. I hope you're able to spend this year the way you want and fully recover the way you deserve. Thank you so much for this video and for your advice- I'm definitely learning your point about just doing your best through my own experiences as well :)
Hey Shruti, thank you so much for this. Tbh, this is probably one of the biggest things I've been struggling with since I've begun this gap year. Anytime that I have "free time", I always feel guilty that I'm not "being productive" and doing something just for the sake of doing something. I have to keep reminding myself the main reasons why I took this time off so that way I'm not too hard on myself all the time. Thank you for your words of advice!
Hey Justin! Sorry for the late reply! Of course- I'm really glad I could help! I was giving this a thought and I realized that if I had traveled over my gap year, I probably wouldn't have been so hard on myself the way I was because I would have been both resting but also learning and growing at the same time, so if you're up for it, maybe travel somewhere you've always wanted to go! I wish you the best with the rest of your gap year and I hope you feel well-rested and ready to take on the world by the time it ends!
Very relatable!! I took two years’ gap after my first semester at Berkeley because I was not mentally capable of doing anything more. Super relatable and thank you for sharing!
As a highschooler this is very eye opening. With covid and everything my whole highschool experience has been a mess. I can not even imagine how it must be for college students! You absolutely deserve the break that stuff is not easy and not healthy at all. Good luck and thank you for the advice!
I very rarely comment on videos, but this hit really close to home so I felt the need. Allow me to throw my life story out there... I was in your exact shoes 6 years ago. When I was also 20 years old, I had studied chemical engineering for 2 years, had awesome grades, was super motivated and involved, etc. One semester, I was super confused about who I was and where I really saw my life going (a lot like you struggling to find your identity outside of being a student), and I just stopped caring or trying in school. I dropped out 2 weeks before finals, my grades were all failing so it didn't matter anyway. When I was dropping out, one of my professors said something along the lines of "you'll never amount to anything in life, all you will ever be is a loser and a failure". Over the next year, I worked minimum wage to pay off all my student loan/personal debt and lived with my mom. I lost all of my friends and hobbies by dropping out. To fill the void, I traveled for the first time in years, and discovered a passion for photography, hiking, and mountaineering. A year and a half after dropping out, I joined the Navy. I went to school for 2 years studying nuclear physics, mechanical and electrical theory, thermodynamics, etc. and went on to be a mechanic and chemist for a nuclear reactor on a submarine. I got to travel the world, live in an amazing place I had only seen on TV, work on multimillion dollar equipment, and made lifelong friends. I will be out of the Navy soon, and I have a couple of excellent job offers. But I will be applying to colleges instead, because a long time ago I promised myself and my mom I would finish my degree. This time around, I think being a student will be a breeze and I will have more focus and determination after all that's happened. I couldn't have possibly imagined my life being what it is now when I was dropping out of school. And I now truly understand the old cliche: "sometimes these things happen for a reason." All of this just to say: you're not alone brother. I felt exactly how you feel and went through the same thing. There are many others out there struggling with the same thing to. We live in a world that's changing exponentially, and it's so easy to get overwhelmed in this life. You're clearly an intelligent and very insightful guy, otherwise you wouldn't be an engineering student at Princeton. No matter what the future holds, I'm confident you will be okay. Take this time off to travel, experience new things, explore the world, and explore your passions. You'll be very glad you did, and will be surprised at just how much your perspective can change in such a short amount of time. I look forward to your future videos. Much love.
We are all rooting for you man! You are exactly right, you are enough. God is watching over you everyday and cares about you. I'll be praying for you and your continued success. You are an inspiration to all of us!🙏🙏🙏
Hey Justin, I'm glad you are taking time for yourself. Like a lot of people here, taking the time for yourself to re-evaluate things and to enjoy what life has to offer is great. I am also a 2023 Mech E. student so I've also been there with the covid mess up and the issues that followed. I ended up coming to the conclusion that college may not be for me, and a month into this fall semester I submitted my withdrawal paperwork. During this time I've been searching for what I want to do with my life and so far not much has changed. I'm constantly being pressured by my mom to go back and finish my degree, but honestly, I was probably at my worst when I was at college. I really don't know what I'm writing now, probably am ranting so I'm gonna stop here. Thank you Justin for keeping us updated and I hope you find what you are looking for during your break.
Good to see you Justin! I hope you take care of yourself during this gap year and prioritize your wellbeing. Much respect for having the courage to make and post this video, and know that all of us are here for you 🙌
im only a junior in highschool but ive been following this account since the beginning of quarantine basically and have found myself to align with you in a lot of ways - in a much more crude way. lately i've been feeling the struggle even though i am *only in highschool* and these next two weeks are going to be some of the worst weeks for me in terms of mental health due to the strain from academic pressure. i can try to justify all this by talking about going to a highly competitive highschool, or whatever bs, but part of this video hit a chord with me and here i am to talk about it. i think we as an audience cannot find any way to blame you, rather respect you more for finding the strength to pull yourself out for a while and give yourself a break. major respect my man.
Appreciate it a lot Pritam. There's nothing wrong with having struggles, everyone's fighting their own battles. You don't need to minimize your problems because you're "only in high school", it's perfectly valid for you to have the same feelings I'm experiencing. I hope that you can follow the same advice that you've given me and that you don't blame yourself and give yourself a break every once in a while. I know that it can seem like there's a huge emphasis on what college you get into, hence why high schoolers are stressing themselves out so much to an unhealthy point, but just keep in mind that you're so much more than your grades and your scores and whatever college/post high school choice you make. Take care of yourself and don't be too hard on my friend Pritam! Seems like a good person :)
I have taken a gap year before my master as well. I am spending the year on identifying where I want to be in later physically and sharpen my hard skills as a preparation. There are many things out there you can try during the gap year. Cheers mate!
Love watching you grow. Your authenticity will keep us watching because after every storm comes a rainbow. When I was in college, I switched majors (and wasted money on classes I didn't need). I also failed a class. I failed an exam MULTIPLE times that I needed in order to receive my license to operate within my field of work. The trick is to never give up. The good thing is you made your memories in college that's unforgettable. Thus, when you come back, it's finally time to buckle down on your main focus for coming to college (getting that degree). You got this. Work, life, balance is essential, but finishing the race is always the end goal.
What I liked about this video is you being honest and brave to say what you were going through. And yes, I agree with you that its better to show who you really are than pretending to be someone else and look like a “tryhard” or a “showoff” just to gain people’s approval; or in this platform, to gain subscribers or views. This video just shows how strong of a person you are man. I hope things will get better for you man. Take care!
Been there. I also took a gap year in my first year in college because I took a program I am not interested in. Anyway, battling against the frustrations, anger, and emptiness was really hard, but everything will be fine soon. Take your time. You're doing great!
Ironically I'm taking a gap year as I'm closing out on my senior year. It is so worth it to take the break and recharge. Kinda wished I did it earlier, but congrats on taking the leap early Justin!
Completely understand this, school has over taken my life and I had to take a break to enjoy life again. I got my start much later so I’m in my 30’s and still trying to figure out my path. Do what you feel is right and live your life, we only have one.
Hi Justin, thank you for posting this video and sharing this side of you with us. I'm currently a sophomore and I understood everything you said in the video. Having all Zoom classes my first year, and being thrown into all these in-person classes and extracurriculars this year has been draining. I really wish I took a gap semester this spring and regret not doing so, so I'm really glad you went through with it. I hope you don't ever feel 'guilty' for not doing this or that, or feel like you could always be doing more - this gap year is a well-deserved break. :)
This video resonated with me so much because I'm currently on a gap semester from university (ty youtube algorithm). I also became so burnt out and cynical because I was just doing work and working towards a career path that I was told would eventually lead me to happiness, but at the same time I literally couldn't even decide something as simple as my major. I thought I had no passions and quite frankly nothing I live for or work towards because everything academic seemed boring. Currently going to pastry school in France right now, and living outside of the college bubble is incredibly rewarding because I've realized that life is more about your career. No one here knows or cares about what school I go to, or the fact that I'm still a college student because none of these people went to university. We're all just here because we genuinely enjoy it. And no you don't have to anything "useful" in the professional sense. I have a classmate who's launching a crypto startup and I'm sitting on my ass baking cookies. Sure I'm going to be "behind" all my friends professionally by a year, but how can you regret having different and new life experiences. In the grand scheme of a life, it's only a year. I hope you don't regret this decision for a second because I'm not, and from everyone else I've spoken to they don't regret it at all. Good luck :)
More power to you!! Wishing you the best for your gap year. I'm currently a 2nd year at uni and I echo similar sentiments as you. I never even considered a gap year, but it might be something I really need.
Hey Justin. I have never watched you before this video. It came up randomly on my feed and so I decided to watch. After watching, I could not help but compare myself to your situation. And so, I looked into it and have made the decision to do the same as you, albeit my school only allows one semester personal leave of abscences, which is really all I need. Funnily enough, I am also a junior right now. Just crazy to think that if I had not watched your video, I would not have even thought of doing something like this that I REALLY need. I want to thank you for your insight and for your input. Have a great day and I hope that your break serves you well and sets you up for success!!!
Hi Justin, I first want to start off by saying that you are doing a good job taking the time to take care of your mental and emotional health. I agree that being a student for 10+ years, sitting in a classroom for hours then doing work for more hours is draining and truly exhausting. I experienced a similar burnout last fall and it also took a toll on me. Getting out of bed was tough and doing basic tasks such as socializing was exhausting. I hope you are able to get good rest and live your life. Figure out what you like to do and just be happy! I also like the way you edit your videos!! Stay strong!
Such a great video! I have been watching you and Nic since you started out and you both have made so much progress and shown a lot of growth. This is going to be one of the best decisions you can make! I did the same in college and just taking some time off and figuring out who you are and what you want will be exactly what you need. Don’t ever feel like you have to keep up with everyone else. Going at your own pace and enjoying life is what matters in the end. College will always be there, but if you burn yourself out you may miss out on so much of life and the people in it. Great decision! Looking forward to seeing what the Chae family does next!
hey justin! i’ve been a silent viewer and never really comment on vids, but i wanted to say that this resonated with me a lot. as a 4th year but 2nd year transfer, i also struggled a looot adjusting to in person classes at a university (last quarter was my first quarter in person bc of covid!), and also dealt with the same problem of over-committing myself not realizing how time consuming it’d be in person. the anger thing you mentioned i could reaalllyy relate to, especially last quarter. i remember feeling so so angry but not being able to pinpoint why or who it was towards. i thought i was alone in these thoughts, so that’s so reassuring you felt similarly. i also vlog my college experience and i’ve come to realize that it’s not always a bad thing to share these raw and authentic parts of ourselves, because we realize how not alone we are through our community, while simultaneously helping others feel less alone. :,) overall i think it’s super respectful that you decided to take a step back to meet your own needs. good luck justin! 😊🍀
Thank you thank you. I think I need to keep reminding myself that "school is always gonna be there" throughout this next year so that way I can really focus on bettering myself
Justin you should be proud of yourself to make such an important decision and I personally I think it’s a good one for you or anyone who needs to stop and gather themselves take a breather and focus on our mental health I know going to college you can lose yourself with everything thing going on ! You’ll be just fine one step at a time ♥️
Such a great insight. I have been dreaming and making my son aim to go to highly competitive school. Your video makes me feel that, going to a highly competitive school by itself is not be all end all. That is the first step to 4 years of grueling time. I am going to tell my son to remember the 2 important lessons you have given: Lessons: 1. Know your limits. Don't overcommit yourself 2. Do the best that you can. You may fall short of other people's standards
Truly a huge difference between the two. I think this time off is gonna provide me a lot of "real world" experience that I've yet to have so I'm really looking forward to it!
This is my first time watching your channel, but I hope the gap year goes well. As a fellow college student I get what you mean about feeling burnt out. You seem very level headed and like a cool dude. Thank you for being vulnerable and courageous enough to post this on the internet and share it with others.
i arrived at penn state in fall of 2020 and dropped out after 2 weeks to get a refund. i worked full time that year and saved up 20,000 dollars. the classes were switched to online and i didn’t want to be there. nice choice. i came back more motivated than ever and got an internship as a freshman because of it.
Proud of you for putting your mental first, Justin. To be honest, I'm glad you made this video because this is something I recently faced myself. I've been away from school for the past year, and it helped me a lot -- I was suffering from burnout and I was trudging through my time at school without a sense of purpose and I wasn't doing great. There are some days where I feel sad and think I'm lagging behind my classmates but I have to remind myself that I'm going on the pace and the path that I need to. I hope your gap year is great Justin, and that you find what makes you happy! For me, it was making beats/music and writing. Whatever it is that inspires you, I'm sure you'll find it. Thank you for making this video, Justin -- I think there's a lot of us college students that may not know that this is what we're going through, but it helps to know we're not the only ones. ✌🏿💙
Much respect to you Justin for deciding to take time off for yourself, especially since I feel that people taking/who took gap years are the minority and that gap years are looked down upon. I resonated with SO MUCH of this video because I also had a rough Fall 2021 semester, so it is really affirming and comforting to know that we're (unfortunately) not alone. I also learned the hard way the exact same lessons/takeaways that you mentioned. Truly wishing you the best ahead. Thank you for continuing to make awesome, interesting, and relatable videos :)
Hey I understand what you are going through. You took the best decision for yourself, and in the larger scheme of life graduating 1 year later makes so difference, but I am sure it will have a great impact on your mental health! You do you, and I wish you the best when it comes to finding your peace, happiness and motivation!
Decision are never right or wrong in the first place to be honest cuz we can't see future , it about making that decision right at end of the day , being proud of that decision so that you can encourage yourself to make more difficult decision in future .I agree with u myan, and I know it's been difficult for u but also believe you will be proud of that decision in future.
Justin, I have been watching your videos (in backwards order -- more of your gap year videos before this) as a prospective graduate student (because I know very little about Princeton), and I've been struck by your skill at chronicling your life, challenges, and aspirations. I think this journey you went on (and are likely still on in some way or another) for self discovery is a very important one -- which will help you evaluate not only your habits, progress towards goals, but also your direction, which will help you in all of the life decisions you have to make across life. I hope you find time to travel (or study abroad), or study different subjects (these are also modalities you can play with to find your way). Thanks for sharing this -- and for helping a lot of us out here in many ways.
It's really hard hearing the struggle you went through this past year with school Justin. I know there have been plenty of times I've questioned taking a leave of absence too. My mental health has been suffering along with my academics. I hope you can make the most of this time off to really give yourself a break from the hustle and craziness of university life. We're all here to support you and wish you the very best in this chapter of your life.
Hey man! I was in the same boat - Mechanical Engineering major, reached a low point, and decided to take some time off. Had to revamp myself and reconstruct my identity. College was a whole different ball game. Best of luck and hope you get what you need :)
Going through the same mental path last few months ago since the university graduation. Hope you are strong now Justin! Thanks for you sharing from China. Waiting for your next video bro.❤
Thank you for sharing your journey, reflections, and insight, Justin! Having studied Computing Science and related subjects in tech and engineering, I want to empathize with you on the experience of burnout, spontaneous schedules, poor mental health, and lack of identity and self-acknowledgment. I hope you get to enjoy your gap year and get some good rest, recovery, fulfillment, quality time with friends and family, being grounded on your values. Wishing you well this year! 😄
Thank you so much for sharing this with us Justin. Ive been experiencing many of the same things with burnout this semester and this video came at the perfect time
You are very privileged indeed. Having gone to a mid-tier state school engineering program, I had a similar depression occur to me halfway through the degree. I felt lost and had no direction or identity I could latch to... Was going through the motions and my grades reflected exactly that. Had to take a student job to pay for my rent and food. My parents were not sympathetic and pretty distanced from my struggle, and left me to figure it out for myself both financially, emotionally, and medically (had aggressive, painful cystic acne). In the end, I brute forced my way into graduating with 1 extra year of coursework with 2 repeated courses. Made dean's list for the first time and on my last semester. In a stable engineering job now, and doing much better, but wow...engineering school was something else... When you're coming in cold from your average US public school curriculum and you are not a naturally gifted savant, you are going to get to railed hard if you lack the discipline and perseverance needed to succeed. Anyway, wish you the best of luck and hope you find your way during your year of healing and self-discovery. It's great you have parents that care for you.
11:56 This fourth wall break is what sealed the deal for me, to know that it's not just another generic video on RU-vid talking about the "journey" you'll take after leaving Princeton. I actually took notes of what to expect when applying to colleges such as Princeton and maybe other lower "safe schools" so I give you my gratitude for that. I'm honestly glad you outlined all the struggles that came with being a part of a prestigious school and I'm gonna remember every nanometer of this video. And yeah, I understand how apathetic you can get once that burnout comes into play and that's kind of what gives me a sense of uncertainty regarding the true barrier that colleges don't want undergrads to know about. To continue, I strongly agree that an academic life can really drain the real person you are; it's like what you stated in the video, "at no point do you ever have any time to just exist as not-a-student." As I am writing this, I am currently a high school junior so in honesty, I'm not even sure where I want to apply or what will happen to me in the future. But for one thing, I'll just see where fate takes me in life, as well as you. So once again...thank you.
I've been in a similar position and I understand you. It gets better and I'm glad you're starting to see that. I wish you the best man. May the Lord be with you.
Yea I can understand where ur coming from! I took a gap year after my freshman year, the material wasn’t hard but I ate more than I could chew and was mentally exhausted and depressed. I was stuck in my room all the time in online classes and doing my hw until I just stopped doing it altogether. I’d have assignments due at 12 and still go to nyc w my family bc it felt unfair to have to give those moments up. I felt terrible about it all though! I felt super irresponsible but I realized at that point in my life that school wasn’t a priority and that I needed some time to refocus on what it is I want to do and just enjoy life. Taking a gap year was definitely the best thing I could have done. I went to LA for a week for the bts concert and now I’m going to Pittsburgh w/ some friends and I ended up randomly applying to a school in Spain and will be moving there in 2 months somehow? None of that would have been possible if i didn’t take a break from school when I did. Anywayssss I hope you enjoy your break and get what you were looking for out of it, and then some! Good luck!
Don't worry bro I took like 2 gap years. Graduated highschool in 2011, didn't get my Bachelor's until 2019 lol Take your time. Life's not a race; it's a journey. Figure out what you want to actually do, and come back stronger for it.
Wow, you've the courage to be who you are right now, I think that your true self is you want to be who you want to be, it is your true identity of yourself, unique. Thanks for sharing your life experience, knowledge, and physical self-concept. Hopefully many good times is on your side. Let go, glow; move on, grow! Cheers!
Justin this is the first video I watched of yours and thank you so much for your transparency. I know it is not easy but I also have been going through a hard time currently and I feel like I have been overextending myself.
