was I really

@gracenah

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Why it worked

The video resonates with viewers by sharing a relatable personal journey of overcoming challenges and questioning societal expectations, particularly the pressure to pursue STEM fields. The creator's vulnerability and exploration of her identity and passions create an emotional connection.

Summary

The creator reflects on her journey from disliking math and struggling with English to becoming a STEM major, ultimately questioning if her path was driven by genuine interest or necessity. She expresses a desire to reconnect with her childhood love for art and humanities, seeking a more balanced definition of success.

Structure

1Introduction and initial struggles with math and English
2Childhood dreams and upbringing in Korea
3Immigration to the US and academic challenges
4Discovery of STEM and its perceived necessity
5Questioning her passion and desire to return to arts
6Embarking on a journey to redefine success

On-screen text

(physics + math major) I HATED math. (chat...what??) STEAM (not STEM) ep. 3

Original caption

STEAM, not stem (ep. 3) #steamnotstem #stem #college #earlycareer #student

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Transcript

was I really was second was English simply my second language hi my name is Grace (physics + math major) and I'm the STEM girly online but when I was young I HATED math. I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea I had a lot of dreams I wanted to be a painter a fashion designer a comic book artist an art magazine owner and I would spend at least five hours at my local library every day reading but when I immigrated to the US at the ripe age of 9 I stepped into an American classroom without knowing an ounce of English they had cool smart boards and a whole new metric system Yeah, imperial units make a lot of sense I swear when my third grade teacher told us it was 75 degrees that day I nearly jumped out of my chair because the weather is near boiling temperature of water besides that all of a sudden I was a child prodigy of the multiplication table just from moving countries so my career in STEM sprouted thanks to the universal language of math and I put my love for language and literature aside because of the new language barrier I thought I was thriving it felt like I was doing the right thing but at some point my heart wasn't in it writing became my biggest weakness and all standardized tests and I just kept on avoiding it maybe I was just not good enough for this but when I was solving endless problem sets in college it made me wonder.. was STEM truly my strength or was it just the fact that English was simply my second language so I let go of any interest related to humanities and the arts Now what should I do to bring back my childhood love for endless creation and love for art STEAM (not STEM) ep. 3 and follow along my journey as I begin to find the true unique definition of success for myself not anyone else ;)