Rat Race

I've noticed that there are two major marathons across college campuses: the rat race of pre-meds and the rat race of business.

To train for the former, one must prove why they want to be doctors. This can be done by 1) volunteering at clincs 2) conducting lab research 3) studying for MCATS or 4) a combination of the aforementioned three. Option 4 generally yields the most favorable results. Yet overtraining has its dangers as well. Aside from the invariable complaining about bio labs, improper training may lead to feeling burnt out and coping out to become a consultant. Which brings me to the second major competition.

The business route is a little less defined, as conditions are unpredictable and underdogs are more likely to sprint ahead. Yet there remain tested methods: 1) Joining the pre-business/pre-consulting/pre-finance/etc club on campus (at least one) 2) jumping abroad a startup 3) preparing for case interviews or 4) a combination of the aforementioned three. Again, option 4 is preferable. And of course, this trail is not without pitfalls. Common dangers include inadvertently writing "$" instead of "s" on papers (exhibit A: Ke$ha. jk, she claims it is for the irony) and believing that 80 hour workweeks "aren't too bad."

Of course, other races exist. For example, I am not denying the validity or treachery of the political science race. Yet I have not had as much experience with those sorts of competitors--perhaps by choice, perhaps not. And as frustrated as I may get at the seemingly never-ending cycle of rat races (we've always been stuck in competition...from cutting the straightest to writing the best cursive to solving arithmetic the fastest, etcetc) part of me questions how motivated I would actually be if people around me weren't striving for the next milestone as well. Though I wish I had an innate drive to learn and/or succeed, I must admit that a lot of it comes from my surroundings, and my self-applied pressure to keep up/stay on top. So as much as I may hate the rate-race nature, I also hate the idea of fat rats lying around waiting to be fed.

Don't get me wrong--there certainly are entities more satisfying and important than getting the best grade, the best job, the best car, the best house, the best retirement home (sorry). God, family, friends, sig others all come into play here. But from a strictly career-oriented standpoint, I can think of scenarios far worse than one inundated with runners in one (well, two) massive rat races.