The Fall Semester 2006! has ceased to consume me. After my last final exam Wednesday morning, I slowly let out a sigh that had begun accumulating since this past Spring semester. It wasn’t as relaxing a moment as I had hoped, but I plan to truly wind down over the course of this winter break.
This semester, far more than ever, I have witnessed the poles of motivation that my peers saddle up with. Due to my co-op and other odd scheduling factors, some of my classes are with seniors in Mechanical Engineering and other classes may even have some sophomores. The ME seniors, those pursuing only an undergraduate degree, are easily pointed out by their lack of caring or diligence to their studies. Yes, that’s a generalization, but the Bell curve sports a hefty number of seniors who are antsy to walk, donning a gown.
But walk to what? A degree? A degree is worth nothing until you are trained at your job - even then, the degree is only the entrance exam-equivalent to find yourself in that position. So, are they walking to a career? I think so. Many of my senior peers are ready to make serious money, rent a townhouse in the bustling Northern Virginia sprawl, and buy cars that will require $600 monthly payments. I cannot complain; to each his own. There’s nothing wrong with making lots of money. Though, in my mind, it seems boring considering the grueling type of engineering labor they are submitting themselves to. Again - to each his own.
Then, others I have met or maintain friendships with are excited about the work they do. I hear stories of research studies that fascinate them so as to bug their eyes out when I get the run down. Friends of mine will sacrifice for less-than-exciting housing in order to grab that internship at a design firm of their choice. Recently, someone told me of how they were enthralled by research they were doing to come up with better prosthetic limbs; that enthusiasm was contagious.
The spread of motivation that surrounds me is expansive. In my eyes, motivation is an pivotal factor for success. Those motivated by money will likely find it; those seeking fulfillment in their work will certainly find it. I see motivation as something that compromises your values and ambitions; a weighted average of how important your goals are alongside your responsibilities. The collegiate atmosphere is swarming with aspirations; blinding yourself with endless aims may not be the best approach.
However, I remind myself, particularly right now in one of these culminating moments, that a passionate pursuit is undoubtedly more precious than consumer culture delusions. Average Joe, Plain Jane, were long ago left in the dust of a slew of individuals who decided to change design approaches, engineering endeavors, Internet systems and ideas, medical feats. Today, the gap continues to increase between those who are apathetic and those garnering excellence.
With that, this semester has given me a final period to put in its place. Dr. Torgersen finished his last lecture with a quote from James March of Stanford University: “In the end, you know, we are very minor blips in a cosmic story. Aspirations for importance or significance are the illusions of the ignorant. All our hopes are minor, except to us; but some things matter because we choose to make them matter. What might make a difference to us, I think, is whether in our tiny roles, in our brief time, we inhabit life gently and add more beauty than ugliness.”