My DISAPPOINTING first year at Yale University + LIFE LESSONS it taught me

[@mosihc]

Your video very much solidified for me that it’s not about the institution but what is right for you. For me it was between Tufts and Yale and I applied ED for fall 2022 to Tufts and got in with a full scholarship and I was so sure that I wanted to go to Tufts but after getting in I was secondguessing myself and imagining if I had gotten into Yale. Yet after watching this video I now know that every college experience is DIFFERENT and college is what you make of it. Yeah the institution matters but for one person Yale is the right fit and for another Tufts or community college is better. I guess I was just overthinking it bc of the toxic culture surrounding ivy and ivy-like schools and name recognition. So thank you for the video truly ❤️✨

[@victorialim]

your comment makes me so happy because this is exactly what I wanted to people watching to take away from the video!! all the best at Tufts & congratulations both for getting in and for coming to a sense of peace over your concerns

[@rachel2210]

Yeahh I want to hear more of your second and third year experience at Yale :) You inspired me to be better by the way sending love from Singapore and I love your videos. Keep doing what you do :)

[@victorialim]

Thank you for being here ☺️ people like you inspire me to keep creating x

[@davidpauker]

hi and loved your video.I did finally manage to graduate from Yale after taking a leave of absence.The biggest problem I felt at Yale from an academic standpoint was that if I was doing poorly in a subject area,I never felt that there was anybody to encourage or to help me do better. I was always being told by professors that if I was having difficulty with the subject,then maybe the course was not for you and that it would be better to drop the course.Never the opposite...never... I can help you with this,or help you understand that better.I always felt that.I always felt that if you go to a school,especially like Yale,that you would find professors willing to help you out more...not tell you that maybe this course isn't for you. I remember when I was a sophomore starting to shop for my major.So I thought about possibly majoring in "History ,The Art and Letters" combined major. So I went to see the head of the department or the advisor for that major to take my interview to get into the program.So the first thing she asked me was...have you ever read the Bible? And I said,no,not really...and she said to me,that I wasn't ready for the program,or that I wasn't cut-out for that major.No encouragement at all...just rejection and I felt that I was just being weeded out!!!There are a few other negative things that I don't want to mention here.I didn't like my dean, and I had more friends in other residential colleges than in my own.So yeah...my expectations were high...but my feelings upon graduation left me with an icy cold feeling about this school!! I hope you have a better time of it than I did.!!! The worst thing was that when you went back home for the holidays you couldn't hang with your college friends because Yale students come from all over the country and the world,so I found holiday times to be extremely lonely.These are just some of the costs of going to my #1 top dream IVY college!! My biggest regret is not having thanked my parents,not nearly enough for the financial sacrifices they had to make to get me through one of the most expensive colleges in the nation...and I came from a very poor family!! God bless them...they have both passed away since I graduated.Good luck to you!!!

[@tanyaken2365]

This is easily the best college experience video I've seen. Thank you so much!

[@victorialim]

Thank you for watching!

[@donniedarko6413]

So happy to have stumble upon your channel and this video is healing. I graduated five years ago and still not happy of what I'm doing everyday. I tend to look down on myself and not seeing my accomplishments. As what you have said, "seek" and I will, to find the things that will definitely define me as a person. Sending you a virtual hug from your ASEAN neighbor.

[@victorialim]

I’m so happy that this video helped you. It’s a journey for all of us! All the best pal ☺️ I’m rooting for you x

[@hay_bail1]

0:45 that shot was so pretty!! 7:42 too 🤩 scratch that, this whole video is so beautiful! I love your photography!!!

[@melodygebremedhin3492]

You're so articulate :')

[@victorialim]

thank you 😊 !! x

[@jasmine__2880]

Thank you soooo much!!! I’m from Hong Kong and I was super stressed before watching this while trying to decide whether I should apply to Yale and other US colleges or study in Hong Kong and focus on my schoolwork in my high school senior year. Because of the COVID-19 and the social movements going on this year in Hong Kong, all of my ECAs got disrupted and cancelled. I also didn’t want to force myself to join whatever there was just to put something on the application. Even though I’ve been though a lot mentally and had inner growth, I felt like I didn’t actually do anything in real life to develop my passions or to realise my ideas. I knew it’s definitely hard to present my thoughts and my inner growth to the admission officers through the essays with no actual proofs, and my chance of getting into these colleges would be really small. Together with the financial burden and the uncertainties going around right now, I really struggled to make a decision. But thank you for sharing your thoughts that it doesn’t matter that much where I’m going as long as I’m taking advantage of every opportunity inside/outside of the classroom in the future, and I can still have a great experience staying here in Hong Kong. Thank you so much!!!

[@victorialim]

Hi Jasmine!! I’m so happy to hear that you arrived at that conclusion yourself and you feel happy about it. It is indeed a bad time to be applying to Yale (especially for international students because of visa issues) and even if you did apply, I can assure you the experience would not have been the same. I’m so happy that you came to peace with your decision and I think “It’s A Great one - there are indeed many amazing ways to grow and learn even if you stay in HK! :) also, there are some HK universities with exchange programs to Yale, so you can look into going to those schools!

[@emiliawright4559]

Thank you so much for this video! I’m applying this year to Yale as my first-choice, and I really needed this to form realistic opinions and expectations.

[@CheerfullyCynical829]

Can I ask what you majored in, and what your plans are after graduation from said major?

[@Cat5Cool]

Awww Victoria!! I’m so glad to have met you during that Californian summer! it’s so wonderful to see how you’ve grown and what you’ve accomplished, I hope you’re doing well ❤️ - Catalina

[@victorialim]

Catalinaa how’ve you been! Thank you for being part of my journey :) I’ll always always look back on our red jeep adventures with such fond feels haha. Hope our paths cross again, please reach out if you’re ever anywhere I am! x vic

[@Cat5Cool]

Victoria Lim I’m doing great actually!! it looks like you are as well :) I will let you know if i’m ever near you, I would love to say hi

[@hayleygrace7351]

This was a wonderful video, I love your eloquence and editing style. I also really appreciate your transparency :)

[@aditidas2862]

Yes, we wud luv to hear your sophomore journey!

[@kysontaylor3927]

this video is so inspiring; your perspective on college life combined with your various experiences and ambition truly motivate me to be better, work harder, and challenge myself!

[@victorialim]

I’m so glad to hear that!! 💪🏻

[@borahaegurl]

I’m so happy that ur happy; that you’ve found urself!! please continue to live for yourself !!

[@jasonlou2013S]

Hi, Victoria. I understand, when I was in community College, I had no friends too. When I moved to California state university and Pepperdine university, I got a few friends and fell in love once time. It depends on the environment.

[@kristenkee3782]

hi vic, i really enjoy your authentic content :) would love to hear your personal take as an asian student in a american-majority school: culture shock? fitting in? elitist school culture? i'm a singaporean too and i'd like to study overseas but those are some of my concerns haha

[@victorialim]

Kristen Kee hey Kristen, great question! Unfortunately there’s no one clear cut answer - every school is different, as is every student. If you’re from an international school you might find it easier to fit in, and similarly if you go to a school like the Ivies/UCs you will like find more Singaporeans there than somewhere remote (like U Winsconsin or St Louis) or a small liberal arts college. From personal experience, I would say that Singaporeans always feel the most comfortable and at home w other Singaporeans. most of the Singaporeans from my year took a while to find good American/non SGean friends, and it was the same w me (about a year or so). My closest friends are a mix now but many are Singaporeans still. Fitting in really depends on your school, as mentioned above. Even at Yale where there a quite a lot of internationals, im usually the only person who isn’t American in most my classes (cos I always take seminars, which are 10-20 people). This is just something you get used to! It’s not that hard, just don’t be self conscious, find confidence in yourself and you’ll be fine :) I didn’t really experience culture shock cos I don’t partake in parties etc lol. I would say it’s harder for me to connect w non Singaporeans cos diff sense of humor/way of communicating for some reason..? But I’m sure you’ll find people you’ll get along w! I did, it just took a while to find them :) and also took being okay with the fact that not everyone I met was going to becoming a friend or even an acquaintance. Elitist school culture, not sure what you mean? Are you referring to if people at Yale are snobbish? In my case I haven’t really experienced that! I think people at Yale are really nice generally speaking :) which is a big reason why I chose the school in the first place. Hope this helped!

[@ryanjaybaluyot7412]

Thanks for your words if wisdom ❤️. more powers and You need to continue what you are doing ! Inspire more people .

[@sheikhtashfeahtabassum903]

Can't wait!!!❤️ I hope you answer if gap years affect our admission process at Yale❤️

[@victorialim]

Hey dear I answer that question here! docs.google.com/document/d/1OZC5f2uhlCoVdLyx2rdfPbnYkqayINdSE2jIO849BbE/edit?usp=sharing

[@sheikhtashfeahtabassum903]

@@victorialim sis, I didn't even apply last year. I was so caught up with other stuffs in my country, I didn't take the sat this year but I was supposed to be at university this year. Also, the academic calendar is a bit different. I am planning to apply for the first time with a gap year in 2021. Does this change anything?

[@victorialim]

Sheikh Tashfeah Tabassum As I said in that document - no, a gap year doesn’t matter to Yale!

[@sheikhtashfeahtabassum903]

@@victorialim you are the best❤️❤️

[@31spring]

Great video, full of wisdom. Thank you for sharing

[@punchieeiy]

💛💛💛 all the best to me!!!!!! Thanks for all those videos on yale becz everything there is from Harvard and standford

[@angelam8719]

love the message in this video! also which residential college were you in? and did you ever think about transfering?

[@victorialim]

Saybrook! I didn’t because my closest friends were all from different colleges haha. I didn’t have a community in any other college either

[@afonaf9411]

Hi! loved the video!!✨could u explain more by what you meant as to your classes being lacklustre and how would you describe the academic challenge and workload??? thank you !!

[@victorialim]

When I say lacklustre, I meant that the classes I picked were underwhelming and not that interesting (mostly vos they were intro level classes or they were just topics I weren’t interested in). However after the first semester I got better at picking classes I was interested in! Academic challenge and workload is really up to you to craft. There are some really easy classes (both workload + content), but also really challenging ones. whether it’s challenging also depends on your high school background and what you studied previously, so it’s diff for every person :) hope this helps!

[@afonaf9411]

Victoria Lim thank you so much!✨

[@melianawijaya9245]

How come I just discovered your channel in 2021, I should've stopped by years and years ago😭💖

[@victorialim]

thank you for stopping by

[@shujayethossain6554]

Hi Any idea if the Eli Whitney Program is the same as and as well regarded as Yale College? Thank you!

[@victorialim]

Hmm never heard of that program so can’t comment!

[@aidancostella3854]

So inspiring!

[@sheikhtashfeahtabassum903]

You're the best Vic❤️ Inspiration❤️🥰

[@giulianaayleenfernandezarc4751]

can you tell me please the colleges with more good and kind communities and alumni, where i can make more friends?

[@jovanal3217]

I loved the whole video and your life lessons. But my only question is what can I do if I have repeatedly tried to start my own clubs at my school and done all the work needed, but been rejected each and every time? (About 4 or 5 times by now). My only clubs and extracurriculars are those the school already has offered and that dont even interest me... I have also tried to look into outside of school activities but they are either too expensive or I am not able to access them for other reasons like transportation, time, et cetera. I just feel really frustrated right now and not sure how to go ahead... sorry for the rant but if you have any advice i would really appreciate it

[@victorialim]

Hi Jovanna - That sounds really tough, and I salute you for trying so hard to start your own clubs! What are the reasons for having your clubs rejected? Are those challenges surmountable? What can you do to get over those reasons? Eg if you don’t have enough club members, can you advertise more to get more students interested? Etc Also, what exactly are you interested in? Even if you can’t start a club in school, Is there anyway just to further your skills on your own / participate in free events (online if transportation is difficult) and do something to show your expertise (start a KZbin channel or blog, start teaching other people for free etc)? Try your best to keep it and stay Creative. Maybe there are also organizations doing work in your area that you can volunteer with and contribute your skills? It is difficult for me to say exactly what you can do because I don’t know what you’re interested in. Also when you’re applying, I would say to emphasize to Yale in your application (additional info section) your struggles, that you tried and things didn’t work out. All the best! Don’t give up!!

[@jovanal3217]

@@victorialim Thank you! My interests involve psychology and international studies. I've tried various different clubs and got all the paperwork and a large amount of students but administrators are completely uninterested and either ignore my pleas or just reject them with no explanation. I'll try to somehow use your tips instead because I've given up on my high school helping me

[@victorialim]

Something you can try is attending virtual conferences, networking with other professionals in your area of interest where you live on issues you care about (you can find a lot of videos online on how to network, but the main gist of it is that you want to hear their stories and ask them if they're aware of places you can find opportunities)!

[@cristinabaily7918]

What program did you go to the Arctic with?!? I am in the Yale School of the Environment and I would LOVE to go!!!

[@victorialim]

Students on Ice!

[@peterfagbemi]

Hi, i am applying to YSE too,lets connect ,your email

[@alorayj]

hello ! i love your videos and im also a fellow singaporean. if i were to want to apply to harvard from jc, when do i have to submit all my application essays and apply? where can i find all the information? thank you !

[@victorialim]

You can check out the Harvard application page for that, just Google your question and the Harvard website should have all the deadlines for you!

[@alorayj]

@@victorialim thank you so much ! look forward to watching more of your videos !!

[@rheasamel238]

hi may i know if you’re on a scholarship? i want to attend an overseas college and i would love to know if you’re on a scholarship and how you got it etc. everyone’s super overachieving in my school (i’ll be going to acsi from mgs in 2022) and i’m really afraid i won’t be able to like get into these colleges, and thank you so much for your help!

[@victorialim]

Dm me @vic.torialim on Instagram! We can chat there :)

[@rc660]

Hello victoria May I know if the arctic expedition part of the opportunities offered by Yale? If I happen to remind in sg for uni, how may I go about sourcing these type of opportunities beyond uni?:0 thank u!

[@victorialim]

No it wasn’t! It was separate! I got it before I went to Yale actually. It’s really just doing research, networking, attending events/joining Facebook groups with like minded people etc that will help you find these opportunities:)

[@bobthebuilder545]

Thank you

[@nooriyaaa]

Can I ask you a question? What job do you want to have?

[@victorialim]

That's a great question -- I don't know myself! I want to do something environmentally related, and will go into government work for a while but might not stay there forever :)

[@nadias8817]

Thank u

[@isheetaborah2160]

Yasssss 👑Queen

[@scottjackson163]

If I could go back in time (pre-high school) and make different decisions, I would focus on getting into Yale. To me, Yale represents the pinnacle of what an undergraduate experience can be. I ended up earning a graduate degree from Stanford, but I woke up too late to my academic potential to attend an Ivy League university straight out of high school.

[@StainlessTIG2]

Here’s a Yale lesson. Who was Yale named after? And what did this person own and trade?

[@victorialim]

Yes I am aware of Elihu Yale's problematic historical involvement with slaves! Thank you for being aware + raising awareness of it! For those unaware: "from 1687 to 1699, Yale served as governor of the East India Company’s settlement at Fort St. George, Madras (now Chennai). During that time, he oversaw the company’s slave trading activities, records of which survive in archives in Chennai." (collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:107)

[@kbkesq]

Did you protest the vaccine mandate at Yale or just let them insist on experimental meds for young people who have zero risk? What sort of critical thinking skills did you and your professors demonstrate?