There’s been a new trend in the advice I’ve received this quarter: it’s all about slowing down. After two years in the hustle and bustle of Northwestern, this should seem like a breath of fresh air. So why doesn’t it?
Most Northwestern students, and probably the majority of college students in the country, are looking for one thing: success. Why else would we pay so much to be educated? We all have goals and ambitions, and we’re here doing everything we can to achieve them.
We’re all looking to fill our resumes with good leadership positions, starring roles, and of course, good grades. With a lack of slackers to balance things out like we had in high school, things get pretty competitive around here, and we all over-commit and crowd our schedules. I figured this out a long time ago and just resigned myself to living with it until I get the degrees I want and settle into my perfect job.
But now, it seems that every meeting I go to, every speaker I hear, every piece of advice I get is about not taking jobs or positions, not studying all the time, and never over-exerting myself. Instead, it’s been all about finding rest, giving up achievement, and making sure my happiness comes first.
Most recently, it was an NU alumna at Panhellenic Association’s Grand Chapter event. The speaker gave up the shiny job she always thought she wanted because it made her miserable. But she clearly didn’t give up success if she’s going around the country life-coaching and speaking to college students.
I can’t help but think that these people are a little hypocritical. Who are you to tell me that my desires to be a professional and make a good living are wrong when you’ve published multiple books? And if you want me to get more rest, bring me to your speech, turn the lights off, and don’t say anything for an hour.
Additionally, I don’t think you can assume that someone is going to be more content if they get more rest. If I were to get more rest and focus less on success, I would have to give up several of my positions and activities. When I’ve thought about trimming down, I can’t begin to choose what’s more important. I’m not doing these things just to fatten up my potential employee appeal, I do them because I want to and I genuinely enjoy them.
Before you readers get upset with me and accuse me of never knowing anything but my achievement addiction, let me say something. I spent my summer doing exactly what I’ve been advised to do this quarter, even though I’d yet to hear these speeches. I didn’t score a sweet internship. I took classes that were entirely too easy for me. I danced until early in the morning. I was spontaneous. I had fun. I learned a tremendous amount. I took many naps. I traveled. I ate a lot of gelato.
But it was just for one summer. I loved it, and yes, I miss it every time I’m writing a paper in the middle of the night a few hours before it’s due. But I know that if my summer became my whole life, I would miss what I have now. I would hate watching as everyone else leads organizations to bring about awesome change, while I was making sure to get my eight hours every night. I would miss skipping on personal indulgences so that I could serve someone else. I would miss working so hard for the reward of an A grade from a hard professor.
So maybe you found happiness when you gave up your life-long ambitions, but please don’t tell me that the things I do don’t make me happy. I wish I got more sleep and play time, but I also know that would come at the expense of things that have become a part of me.
Maybe I’m wrong and my priorities are screwed up, but let me figure that out on my own. Right now I want to be involved and lead. I want to work toward self-fulfillment, and this is how I do it. We wouldn’t have come to Northwestern if we weren’t smart and driven, and at least for me, I know that if I weren’t busy, I’d be bored. So take your rest, I’ll take my busy.
Meredith Wise is a Weinberg junior. She can be reached at [email protected].
