If you had a nerdy childhood like me, you may remember a toy known as the “balancing bird.” A physics toy of a bird with the center of gravity on its nose, it always fascinated me. It seemed to balance 100% of its weight on 1% of its body in some mysterious way that definitely defied the laws of gravity.
And then I went to college, and after trying to balance a crazy busy life, I totally understand how that bird feels. It’s okay, little guy. I’ll bring you some Starbucks lattes and pizza. Don’t stress.
In my younger teenage years before I had to perform this balancing act, I thought I had life all figured out. I thought my key to success was choosing the right major for me, and then everything else would fall into place. I threw myself into the work component of my life, while letting the rest fall to the wayside.
Yes, your major is important, and will set the path of your career. Take it seriously and choose wisely. But your academics are only one part of the equation; they’re only one wing of the bird. There’s no way you can precariously balance a busy life on your nose with an off-center weight distribution.
Most people encapsulate this struggle with the term “work-life balance.” But this term sets up a dichotomy; it suggests that your life consists of two separate orbs of work and life which must be balanced at either end of a teetering scale. In reality, your work is your life, and should be treated as such.
Your career path should be treated as a healthy and integral component of your personal identity and happiness. But I am here to advocate that before choosing your major, you must know how you balance your hypothetical bird on its nose. Prioritize knowing how you function best as a person, and your major and career will be much easier to choose.
Everyone’s center of gravity is different. Some people need more work while others need more leisure. For some people, their work-life balance can only stand perfectly on its nose when they have more time with their family; for others, they might feel more fulfilled with continual academic pursuit. Some might be their most productive self when they have time to go camping over the weekend, while others might be their best self when they are able to throw themselves into their studies for 48 hours straight.
One of the most prominent deciding factors for college students is how much money they can make in their future career. While financial stability is important, it’s important to remember that an excess of money might come at the sacrifice of other aspects of your life. There are people who may make hundreds of thousands a year, but might be ten times happier if they took a little time off and made 90k a year. Money doesn’t dictate your happiness, and working 70-80 hours a week might just make you miserable if you value devoting a lot of time to your personal relationships and hobbies.
So, to all college freshmen about to start a new chapter of their lives – and to everyone else who needs to make a change – I advocate that you think about what kind of life you want first, and then choose a career that fits your desired lifestyle. You don’t have to be a lawyer to help the environment, nor do you have to be a doctor to help sick people.
Before coming to college, I tried to choose a career and then force myself to be happy with the work-life balance that came attached to it. After two years of college, I finally realized I am my own best self, with my balance nearly perfectly where it should be, when I have more time to devote to side hobbies, friends, and family.
When you go to college, there will be professors to teach you about the intricacies of global politics. There will be classes to force you to memorize the amino acids. But only you can learn for yourself what your ideal work-life balance is, and how you can live your life in a way that best suits you.
