The South Korean singer IU admitted that she was one of the stars who decided that college was not for her. On a recent episode of "Healing Camp" IU spoke out about sacrificing her teen
years to become a pop star.
In a frank interview on the show, she revealed that a great strain
was put on her at an early age when financial pressures resulted in
tough times for her family.
She said, “My father’s business project failed, and it meant that
various members of my family ended up living in different places.”
The singer recalled her reaction to a traumatic occasion when her mother
asked her if she would prefer to live with her, or to go to stay with
her father.
I told her I’d rather live alone than live
with her,” said IU. “And it’s something I regret saying to this very
day.”
IU’s musical debut came at the age of 15, when she released the mini
album “Growing Up.” The star has recently featured on a track for
g.o.d’s comeback album, “Chapter 8.”
"My mentor told me that it is very easy to get into Seoul
National University but there were no colleges available for someone
with my grades," she said.
"I thought there would be no more school for me once I graduated from high school, but then I realized there was a place called college," she said.
The singer, who starred in "you're The Best Lee Soon Shin," "Dream High" and "Pretty Man," did not think her below-average grades would get her into college.
She was not terribly disappointed. Since she did not like school that much, she was eager to have her freedom. And she was already singing while she was in high school. Her career has not suffered for the lack of a degree.
IU is not the only k-celeb to have skipped college. Many k-drama and k-pop stars are discovered in high school. Some go back to school once their careers are established but a few opt to skip out altogether.
The 21-year-old singer, who released her debut EP "Growing Up" when she was 15, described a feeling of missing out.
The chart-topping solo artist described feeling disconnected from her emotions as she coped with the pressures of her blossoming career.
But seemingly now more comfortable in her skin, with even a hit song she wrote for another artist, the new boy band HIGH4 entitled "Not Spring, Love Or Cherry Blossoms" topping the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 back in April, IU claims to be experiencing a secong coming of age.
You can check out footage of IU on “Healing Camp” in the video below..