Feeling lost? A Columbia MBA student shares how he dealt with uncertainty during his journey

“Do you ever feel like you are feeling lost or falling behind in university, career, or even in life? Joshua Han , a first-year MBA student at Columbia Business School, has something to say. “I know that when you’re going through a hard time, it can feel like you’re failing, but it’s important to reframe failure as a necessary part of the process and realise that experience – both good and bad – will compound into a valuable learning experience,” he says. “Making that simple shift in perspective today can change the outcome of your life” You might wonder why you should listen to him. Well, Han faced rejection from his undergraduate business programme, went through an emotionally turbulent first startup experience, and was laid off from his first job soon after. In his mid-twenties, he had a serious health scare and then faced more rejections during his 2023 MBA applications. Each challenge made it feel as if success were out of reach. Instead of giving up, he focused on learning from every misstep. He kept building toward the future he wanted, even when progress was slow. Over time, his persistence opened doors that once seemed closed. Today, Han studies at Columbia Business School, one of the world’s top business schools, carrying the lessons of each past struggle. So, if there is anyone who knows what it feels like to persevere through setbacks, it’s him. Joshua Han turned every “no” into motivation, using resilience to reshape his future. Source: Joshua Han What to do when life feels uncertain Han remembers a time when everything in his life seemed to be falling apart. He had just been laid off and faced a health scare, which left him feeling mentally overwhelmed. Life was moving too fast, and it was hard to see a way forward. After some reflection, he realised that despite the challenges, he was in a privileged position to make choices about his next steps. Unlike many people, he had the opportunity to pause and think about what he truly wanted to do. “I was very lucky that during most of COVID, I was working remotely, living with family for a while, and saving some money,” he says. “All of these gave me a little runway and space to think without panicking about the more critical things in life, like bills or rent.” He started to see challenges not just as obstacles, but as opportunities to learn and grow. Each small step toward clarity and purpose helped him develop a more positive outlook, which made it easier to navigate uncertainty. Rejection, which once might have been discouraging, now feels different to Han. “Honestly, it just slides right off. I have a very competitive spirit, and I know what I’m capable of when I really care about something,” he says. “Being told ‘no’ or hearing from someone that I can’t do something just makes me think, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll prove you wrong,’ and it adds fuel to the fire.” Although he admits that hearing “no” may still be frustrating, he knows it strengthens his resolve when he truly believes in something. His past experiences, including health scares and sports injuries, also shaped his ability to handle difficult situations. Over time, he learned that a strong desire to lean into challenges often signals that he is on the right path. “To achieve asymmetric returns in life, you have to be willing to put in asymmetric effort,” he says. Instead of avoiding difficulty, the Columbia Business School student chose to lean into it and keep building forward. Source: Joshua Han Taking ownership and facing challenges head-on got him into Columbia Business School Han knows that when someone is feeling lost or going through a hard time, it can feel like they are failing. Once a person starts thinking of themselves that way, it is easy to spiral into feeling stuck and keep playing the victim. For Han, what changed was taking ownership of everything in his life, both successes and setbacks, and realising that while things happen to you, how you respond is always your choice. “There’s a story I heard about the American bison that teaches us a lesson in perseverance,” he says. “When a storm approaches, it doesn’t run away; instead, it moves directly into the storm. Facing it head-on allows the storm to pass faster, instead of wasting energy running away and letting the storm slowly wear you down.” This story shows that it is better to confront failures and challenges directly, emerge stronger, and conserve energy, rather than avoid problems. In life, even after a series of setbacks, it often takes just one success or one person placing their confidence in you to change your trajectory. For Han, that turning point came in the form of being accepted into Columbia Business School. “After getting laid off from my first job out of college, I had applied to hundreds of companies, reached out to friends for work opportunities that didn’t pan out, and applied to business schools twice. However, it only took that one acceptance to get the ball rolling again,” he says. “You’re going to take some falls in life. The key is to stay positive, iterate fast, and keep falling forward.”

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