In the heart of Berkeley's campus, surrounded by Nobel laureates' names etched in stone and classrooms filled with future changemakers, it's easy to feel the weight of potential pressing down on your shoulders. As a UC Berkeley student, I've learned that the unique pressure here isn't just about academic excellence—it's about existing in an ecosystem where everyone seems to be building the next big thing while simultaneously saving the world.
Berkeley is a special place where passion and ambition collide. On any given day on Sproul, you'll see hundreds of students promoting causes they believe in, research they're conducting, or startups they've launched between midterms. It's inspiring, motivating, and—if we're being honest—sometimes overwhelming.
"I'll sleep when I graduate" becomes a mantra for many. We push ourselves through all-nighters in Stacks, fueled by the promise that our future selves will thank us for the sacrifice. We pack our schedules with classes, clubs, and other extracurriculars, convincing ourselves that any moment not spent building our resume is a moment wasted.
But here's what I've finally learned after 1.875 years as a Golden Bear: our future selves aren't separate entities who will someday cash in on our suffering—they're simply us, continuing on a trajectory we're establishing right now.
A Burnout Cycle
The culture of achievement at Berkeley can create a dangerous pattern. We postpone rest, saying "That's future me's problem." We skip time with friends, proper sleep, hobbies, and moments of joy. We convince ourselves that present discomfort equals future success.
This mindset creates a cycle where we're constantly mortgaging our present wellbeing for promised future returns. But our bodies and minds don't operate on IOUs. The stress accumulates, affecting our sleep, immune systems, and mental health—often undermining the very future we're working toward. I’ve been in urgent care every finals season to date (I’m determined to have my first doctor free last week of school).
Finding Balance in a High-Achievement Environment
Berkeley isn't just a pressure cooker of academic rigor—it's also home to some of the most innovative thinking about wellbeing and human potential. Through both struggles and triumphs, I've learned that your present self matters. Your future self is built on the foundation of how you treat yourself today. Taking care of your basic needs isn't indulgence—it's maintenance of your most valuable resource: you. Yogurt park is a must have, gabbing for the entire allotted cafe study sesh is vital, sun tanning on the glade when the sun rarely comes out is compulsory, and skipping your 8 AM today is excusable.
Excellence doesn't require constant motion. Some of the greatest thinkers emphasize that breakthrough thinking happens during moments of rest and reflection, not just grind.
A New Approach to Time
Instead of seeing time as something to maximize, I found my exhausted self begging to re-evaluate my mindset. I wanted to start looking at moments of joy, connection, and rest as more than bonuses but rather essential facets of my life. Dire nutrients in the cosmic metabolism.
Berkeley offers unparalleled opportunities for growth—academic, professional, and personal. The challenge is embracing these opportunities without losing ourselves in the process. The most valuable skill I've gained here isn't time management or critical thinking (though those are important)—it's learning how to remain whole while being so fractioned. I have time. I don’t need to, nor can I, do everything.
As I go through college, ‘The Bell Jar’ by Slyvia Plath becomes more of a fable than a poem. I wonder how she could clock my tea in such a manner, especially as a long deceased author.
So the next time you catch yourself saying "that's future me's problem," remember that future you is simply present you a bit further down the road. The habits of wellbeing you build now will determine not just how you feel tomorrow, but the kind of life you create in the years to come. Change begins with how we treat ourselves, right now. Future you wants present you to get some sleep—we already have one mascot, we don’t need a raccoon too.