Everyone has different definitions of “happiness.” Whether deciding to chase that euphoric feeling by listening to great music, by playing sports or just by spending a peaceful moment alone, people who report higher levels of satisfaction in their lives correlate with generally higher levels of success. Students at Tech realize this and undertake their pursuit in different ways.
Some, like first-year AE major Andres Garcia, find happiness in everyday life.
“I think that it’s more important to find lasting happiness than joy,” Garcia said. “It’s great when you have those exciting moments, but I try to find happiness in appreciating the small details around me.”
Vivek Ramachandran, a first-year DMTH major, agreed.
“It’s more important to find lasting happiness than joy”
“I think just going out makes me happy. I like to see different things every single day, and I’m able to do that here,” Ramachandran said.
Other students cited spending time with their friends as things that made them happy.
“After a really long day, it feels really good to just hang out with your friends,” said third-year IE major Lisa Wang. “No matter what happens to you in class, it’s nice to come back and talk to people who don’t really judge you.”
Scott Dawson, a fourth-year BA major, said that he gets rid of stress through exercise.
“Not only is working out good for you, but it also is a great way to let everything out,” Dawson said. “It makes you feel more energetic, and it helps you to move on after a hard day.”
“It feels really good to just hang out with your friends”
Others also said that exercise helped them get through hard days.
“I just play outside or at the CRC,” said Jeff Schwartz, a first-year INTA major. “It makes me happy to meet new people playing racquetball or frisbee, and it also helps you to get in shape.”
Apart from working out and spending time with friends, playing or listening to music is a great way to get in a good mood.
“I think that you can always be happy if you listen to the right music,” said Dawson. “Just turning on your favorite song and blasting it can make a day seem so much better.”
Debbie Xing, a fourth-year MGT major, finds joy in discovering new music on campus.
“I like to go to the more underground [venues],” Xing said. “There are smaller places on campus, like classrooms and some small studios, where bands just go to jam. I guess that’s what makes me happy…just finding things that I like.”