Chinese philosopher Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Well I believe if you choose a major you love, you will never have to study a day in your life.
If you’re anything like me, schoolwork has kept you up all night more times than partying has.
Twenty-four-hour Library West and overcaffeinated beverages are, at times, your two best friends. Your eyes are bloodshot from watching lectures, not from late-night drinking. And all you want to do is sleep — but you don’t. You do what you need to do to get the work done.
Gradually, the unmet requirements section on your degree audit will disappear, and your complete degree audit will be filled with those sight-for-sore-eyes green check marks that signify fulfilled requirements. You will get to walk across the stage a UF graduate.The hours and hours of studying, sleepless nights, and thousands of dollars of your parents’ money will finally be worth it when you get that degree. But will it truly be worth it if the degree you earned places you in a career field that you don’t enjoy?
As an impressionable 18 year old, I convinced myself I was going to be a doctor, so I decided to become a biology major. I wanted the $150,000—or more—yearly salary. I wanted the word doctor in front of my name. I envisioned my nonexistent children proudly telling classmates their dad was a doctor. But after barely passing my first biology class and hating every minute of it, I began to consider a change.
I decided to think about what I enjoyed doing the most. I love to read, and I love to write, so why not become an English major? I chose my new major based on what I enjoy doing, and here I am four years later doing what I love — and couldn’t be happier.
Most college students believe they are chasing happiness by choosing a major that would allow them to attain high-paying careers. But I would argue that the main reason most people are so determined to attain monetary wealth is because they believe it will result in happiness.
Success in the United States has become practically synonymous with the word rich. If someone says that a person is successful, the next question is likely an inquiry into his or her profession.
But are the most successful people truly the people who have climbed the ladder the highest in his or her career field or built a business from the ground up? I say no. While financial stability is surely a key component to success, happiness should be people’s main objective in life.
You likely have your own definition of happiness, and rightfully so. Individual contentment varies from person to person. However, I personally subscribe to Aristotle’s universal definition of happiness. The philosopher stated, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” Notice that there is no mention of money in Aristotle’s definition of happiness.
If every career paid the same amount, which career would you choose? Are you pursuing the societal notion of success or are you pursuing your own individual happiness?
Patrick Ryan is a UF English senior. His columns appear Thursdays.
