By Lindsey Pruitt

It’s easy to get caught up in this crazy rush of success we’re in. We’re college students, and we’re in it to win it. “Go big or go home” is the motto many of us live by.

But even between the parties and social activities, the sports and the clubs, after the hangover wears off or we finish our last game, we know what we came here to do: get the education to get the success.

Why? Because without that degree, there is no sure proof that we did anything with our lives. Without that certificate of knowledge, maybe nobody will see us and we’ll be forgotten in the rush.So what do we do? We stay up late, tweaking that essay over a subject we hope we never hear about again; we apply for every internship we think might get us ahead, even if we know we’ll be miserable; we join every volunteer organization we hear about so we look philanthropic on paper; we suck up to professors who could get us a job; we ace the test; we work hard; we go the extra mile.

And in all of this is satisfaction, because even though our relationships might suffer, or even though we might forget to thank our parents for giving us the opportunity to become educated, honorable human beings, we are still striving for the best, no matter what we sacrifice along the way.

I often find myself exhibiting this robotic behavior, and it removes me from the most important things in life. I get scared and fear that life has become work and that work is valued above all else.

Who does Time Magazine call successful? Success means climbing the corporate ladder or making it to millionaire status, success means finding yourself on the cover of The New York Times or being named the sexiest man alive – but is that really success, in its most raw, real form?

What about great mothers and fathers, people who run shelters, mentors for teens or missionaries?

Though some of them might not have that “certificate of knowledge,” would we not deem them successful?

It’s true, college doesn’t have classes on parenting well, being an admirable citizen or having integrity and respect for others. If it did, we might live in a better place.

But the truth is, all of this focus on money and status has caused us to forget about the heart of life.

That heart of life is different for everyone, whether it means 10 years from now you wish you married him instead of taking that great job, or that you wonder if it hurts your parents that you don’t give them a call now and then.

We are all people, and sometimes we forget to strive for terms better than success: We forget about goodness, benevolence, friendship, family, love, kindness, and the list goes on and on.

This summer, I participated in an internship at a promotional marketing firm. As part of the experience, I decided to interview each of the team members to get a better description of their jobs and receive some insight into what they actually did.

Not only did I ask questions about how they reached their positions and inquired about the business, but I also really wanted to hear some good advice from people who had been in my shoes.

Expecting to hear them coach me on how I could land my next internship or where to apply within the company, I was surprised when most of our conversations headed in a way more down-to-earth direction.

While I was focused on the money, the success and the titles, each one of these people seemed to direct the conversation back to relationships, who inspired them, how they coped with meeting new people in a new job environment, what really left them satisfied at the end of the day, etc.

In my pursuit to acquire some secret information about how I could be the best, I found that they weren’t going to tell me that secret, because there really is no secret. But what they told me – their own personal life lessons – ended up being far more valuable.

One man I interviewed really impressed me. He was the director of the creative department and definitely had some advice I wasn’t expecting.

He told me that in college, faculty set students up with something called the “Cinderella syndrome,” meaning they don’t prepare students for the hardships, don’t give them any tools for dealing with crises.

He said, “Life isn’t easy; the key to being successful is learning from everyone around you because it’s all about relationships with people. Life is just a series of decisions, and the only constant in life is change. But if you stick to your integrity, things will always line up.”

Another young woman who worked on the account side defined success as “always finding a way to do it better, to work harder and to be nobler.”

As I observed these people over the course of the internship, I realized that life doesn’t have to be so cut-throat and mechanical. This team actually cared about each other. They were able to come to their boss with a personal issue and get a day off if need be. There was emotional understanding and an emphasis on a real connection among them. They respected each other.

And it was as if a light turned on in my head. After I finished my interviews, I instantly felt differently about my future and about the world of work out there. It was as if, all of a sudden, everything was going to be OK. As long as I had my family and friends beside me and was prepared to work hard, I was going to be fine.

Money matters, and it is something we will always strive for, but it shouldn’t govern our lives. No one wants to end up rich and alone because they never put emphasis on the important things in life.

So what is success? I guess I’ll leave that one up to you, because even though the dictionary defines success as the attainment of wealth, position, honors or the like, that doesn’t have to mean money, a position as CEO or being named MVP.

So stop and smell the roses, skip class to give your friend a shoulder to cry on, call your parents every once in a while, take a walk on a sunny day, give your time to those less fortunate and count your blessings – because honestly, life’s too short to take the money and run.