Edited By Priyal Mittal
Some things in life just won’t go away— like the smell of instant noodles in the dorm kitchen, the endless emails from clubs and societies, and the classic one-liners people throw out whenever life gets tough. “Follow your passion”, “be yourself”, “never give up” and “live with no regrets”— the holy grail of advice that sounds amazing on paper but hits different when, say, you’re three cups into coffee trying to decide if you even have a “passion” to follow.
It’s not that these little mantras are bad, per se. It’s more like, in the chaos of actual life, they feel… kind of empty? Or at least a bit misleading. So let’s just unpack these clichés the way any curious college student would—by questioning, ranting a bit, and hopefully, making some sense of them.
“Follow Your Passion”
“Follow your passion” sounds like the magic answer to life. It promises this moment of clarity, where one day you wake up and just know what you’re meant to do and everything else falls into place. But real life, especially for most of us trudging through college doesn’t quite work like that. Not everyone has a burning and life-defining passion that can lead to a career, or if we do, it’s something like “making ramen” or “watching true-crime documentaries.” Thrilling, yes. A clear life path? Maybe not so much. The idea of “following your passion” makes it sound like there’s this golden path just waiting for us to discover it, as if life is a treasure hunt with our purpose glittering at the end. It’s an idea so romantic that it feels almost cinematic. But the truth is, finding something fulfilling to do with our lives usually doesn’t happen as a lightning bolt moment. It’s often a slow burn, a process of discovering interests and letting them develop over time, sometimes in unexpected ways—like stumbling into a hobby that turns into a career or realizing that a side project brings you more joy than your main job. College, where “finding yourself” supposedly happens, is more of a puzzle with a few missing pieces than it is a treasure map.
There’s also this unspoken pressure in “follow your passion” that implies everything about our work should feel exhilarating. But sometimes, the things we love don’t translate perfectly into a nine-to-five job or a single career. Finding something you enjoy doing is important, but life might not hand you a perfect match in a neat little gift box. Sometimes it’s less about following a passion and more about exploring interests, taking random electives and trying out clubs until something clicks. It could be about finding overlaps between things we enjoy and things we’re good at and maybe compromising a little along the way.
When we think about passion as something flexible rather than a single goal, it takes on a whole new meaning. Sometimes passion doesn’t come fully formed and has to be built over time, from the small steps we take and the things we learn to appreciate. In a way, it could be less like finding a soulmate and more like meeting a roommate— something that works for now, maybe even something that you could grow to love. Passion can evolve with us, changing as we change.
“Be Yourself”
“Be yourself” sounds so liberating, like someone handed you a golden ticket to just…exist with zero apologies. It’s the advice we all cling to when we’re feeling a little lost, like a reminder that we don’t have to squeeze into someone else’s expectations. But then, you realize that “yourself” is complicated, messy and constantly shifting. You’re not a finished product, you’re more like a work-in-progress trying to look like one complete person. Being “yourself” sounds great until you realize that some parts of “yourself” might not fit every situation—or that “just being me” can sometimes be an excuse not to grow, change or try something new.
Think about it: what even is “yourself” in college? It’s a time when everyone’s trying on different hats and seeing what sticks and often experimenting with personalities like outfits from a thrift store. Sometimes “being yourself” might look like the studious, library-hiding introvert and other times, it’s dancing like nobody’s watching at 2 a.m. with friends. College gives everyone a chance to discover what parts of themselves they want to keep and what they’re perfectly fine leaving behind. And thank goodness for that—life would be so boring if we all stuck to one version of ourselves forever.
In fact, life becomes fascinating because none of us truly know everything about ourselves. If we did have it all figured out from the start, life might actually be…a little boring, right? The real excitement comes from discovering new parts of ourselves along the way, those hidden layers and traits we didn’t know existed. Maybe the real advice should be “get to know yourself” or even “be open to different versions of you”. “Yourself” is allowed to grow, evolve and reinvent itself as much as you need. In fact, growing and changing is probably the most authentic way to “be yourself”. So, if you’re still figuring out who that is, that’s exactly what you should be doing. The best version of you is always a work-in-progress.
“Never Give Up”
“Never give up!” It’s the anthem of every sports game, all-nighter and motivational pep talk you’ve ever heard. The battle cry that basically says, “If you keep going, success is inevitable!” And sometimes, that’s exactly the encouragement you need—when you’re three hours deep in a study marathon or trying to push through the last stretch of a project that’s driving you up the wall. But the flip side of “never give up” can be brutal. Sometimes, it’s the exact advice that keeps you slogging away at something that’s just not working while you cling on because quitting feels too much like failure.
College has this way of showing you that time and energy aren’t infinite. Sometimes, the strongest move isn’t pushing through but stepping back. Dropping a class, switching majors or letting go of a side project that’s draining you doesn’t make you a slacker or a quitter— it just means you’re deciding what actually deserves your time. When something’s more exhausting than fulfilling, it’s okay to walk away to focus on things that bring you closer to who you want to be. Real life isn’t a test of endurance, it’s a balancing act of knowing where to put your energy.
This isn’t to undermine the value of perseverance–it is important, but real perseverance is about finding meaning in what you’re doing, not just pushing through for the sake of finishing. Sticking with something that genuinely matters to you even through tough times, is vastly different from forcing yourself to endure something that’s simply draining. So maybe “never give up” needs a little footnote. Something like, “Never give up, unless it’s holding you back.” Knowing when to walk away isn’t about defeat. It’s about having the self-awareness to say, “I’m putting my time and energy into what actually matters to me”. Quitting isn’t always giving up, sometimes it’s just making room for something better.
“Live With No Regrets”
“Live with no regrets” sounds like an open invitation to a thrill-packed life, right? Go big, chase dreams and leave doubt in the dust. But then somewhere along the way, regret sneaks in. Turns out, even the bravest decisions can bring those little “What if?” moments. Maybe it’s picking a major that seemed so right, only to find out it was more of a “maybe”. Or staying in one night when everyone else partied. Or not getting that last goodbye with high school friends. Suddenly “no regrets” feels like an impossible standard, like a promise no one can actually keep.
But maybe regret isn’t the villain here. It’s more like a helpful GPS rerouting us and gently asking, “Did that add something real? Did it get you closer to who you want to be?” Regret doesn’t mean failure, it means growth. It’s a reminder that we’re trying things, sometimes missing, sometimes learning. Those “what ifs” and “maybe next times” become markers that show us where we’ve been, what matters to us and how much we’ve changed along the way.
Maybe a better motto is “live with learnings” or “live in a way that lets you grow”. Regret will show up because it’s part of what makes us human. And when it does, it’s not a signal to dwell or rewrite the past. It’s a nudge showing us where we’re headed and what to bring along next time. Because regrets aren’t roadblocks—they’re signposts guiding us toward the person we’re still becoming.
Turns out, life advice is less a strict recipe and more like guidelines on the back of a cereal box. A pinch of direction here, a dash of motivation there—but the rest? Totally up to taste. Sure, classics like “follow your passion” and “be yourself” have their moments, but the real magic happens when you remix them into something that feels a bit truer, more flexible and a little messy. These life advice clichés aren’t rules– they’re more like gentle reminders, nudges pointing us in directions we might want to explore. They capture a bit of truth, but they’re not the whole story. Life, especially college life, isn’t this polished and perfectly plated dish. It’s more like a spontaneous stir-fry— a mix of thrill, confusion and the occasional oops.
The beauty is in the imperfection and the freedom to switch things up. College is a time to test new flavors, blend experiences and embrace the occasional burnt corner. And in that unscripted and chaotic mix, we’re figuring out what works for us, shaping our own unique versions of these age-old mantras. Because in the end, it’s all our own to create.