In Wharton, all freshmen need to take a class called Wharton 101. It consists of a 200 person lecture and a 60 person recitation. In the lecture, the heads of departments demonstrate problem-solving in their respective fields, like how the accounting professor led an activity where we used accounting logs to predict a company’s success. In recitation, we learn about our own strengths through surveys and complete a consulting challenge for real-world clients.
During the lecture for finance, the professor mentioned that Wharton alums were behind some of the biggest deals in recent history. He then started to address us directly, saying that some of us would be successful beyond our wildest dreams, others of us would be incredibly successful, and some of us would be successful in the general sense, but nothing exceptional.
It hit me that he was really talking about how much money we could make. The term “successful” was used as a synonym for “having lots of money”, and this simple equation made me uncomfortable.
The times in my life that I view as the most successful are when I find balance in the holistic sense, not in the bank account sense.
These are the times when I’m able to focus on personal goals while building meaningful relationships, finding time for ease and organic growth, and making sure that I’m sleeping, eating, and exercising in a way that keeps me feeling whole, I’m happy. I like having time for leisurely one-hour lunches with friends, going to interesting speaker events, trying out new workout classes, and diving deep into topics covered in class that catch my attention. When I’m on a single-minded grind for one particular goal, I often sacrifice the freedom and flexibility which I value so dearly.
I felt uneasy when hearing about success defined in such black and white terms because to me, it’s when I can juggle all of these tasks and find joy and learn while doing so. Success is when I feel happy and whole-hearted, and I’m not sure if focusing on monetary gains like how the alums the professor told us about is my path to that.
Thinking about these questions also makes me grateful for the breadth I receive in my education. Seeing a definition of success in one class and the exact opposite in another gives me comfort because it shows me that there isn’t a single right journey for anyone. For example, my classics professor finds such delight in discussing the philosophy of history and deconstructing historical narratives. While the finance lecturer may define prosperity in one way, my classics professor has a different outlook. Seeing equally valid but very different philosophies about life is what makes a liberal arts education valuable to me. I can compare wildly different worldviews and decide what I want for myself. All of a sudden, questions like “How do I want to live my life? What do I choose to devote my time to? How do I define success and happiness?” become much more approachable because I have a varied toolbox with which I can tackle them.
College forces you to grapple with these big questions because of how much we’re exposed to. Seeing upperclassmen, professors, guest speakers, and alums do incredible things makes us think about our futures in ways much more tangible than before. Suddenly, the real world seems close, and you realize that it’s up to you to make the most out of your time in the incubator for adulthood that is college.
We may not be able to find the answers to these big questions just yet, but in college, we have the resources to work through the process of questioning itself. It’s empowering, encouraging, and exciting all in one.
P.S. If anyone does have the answer to some of the questions mentioned above, I’d love to hear from you!
