What a dramatic title to start off my fourth article as a content writer for the Odyssey; believe me I know it may seem a bit much but I hope that by the time you get through number 5 you are will think twice about doing the things on this list too.

1. Sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of someone else's.

This point is one that I often struggle with because I am easily one of the biggest people pleasing pushovers in town. But recently, I have realized that the only person who would ever criticize me for skipping a night out or not staying up until 5 a.m. when I was exhausted from a day of work is me. A balance of fun and sleep is something that every 21 year old struggles with but with the real world approaching fast sometimes it is equally as important one day to light a candle, re-watch 'Gossip Girl', and get a full ten hours of sleep as it is the next night to stay out until the lights turn on at 157 and you realize the man who has been buying you drinks all night is getting a fake number.

2. Force relationships into being more than they are meant to be.

A sad but very real fear of everyone in our generation today is the unrealistic notion that we will end up alone if we can't lock it down with Kevin, the crazy attractive nurse that you have been seeing off and on for the past few semesters but who always flakes when a taste of any real commitment comes his way. Chances are if you go to Kent State and you are a female you have probably already been dating down for a while now because lets face it most girls here are stunning and the guys who are lucky enough to date them are just that, lucky. We are all going to hit 25 and all of those guys who went running the second we mentioned meeting our parents or going out to lunch will now be begging us to be their wedding dates and have their children. ( Or at least thats what I'm hoping).

3. Continue friendships that are one sided.

One of my greatest fatal flaws has always been my inability to reach out to friends as often as I should, but I also know myself and this has never impeded my ability to be a good friend. I have had the same best friends all four of my college years with the addition of a few and the reason that each of these friends have been and always will be so precious to me, is because I know that they will always be as equally there for me as I am for them. Never once have any of them ever turned away from me when I needed them or were ever to busy for me. The best friendships are something that should come effortlessly and if it isn't, maybe those people don't deserve to be in that place in your heart.

4. Letting your grades slip, because they "aren't that important int he real world."

I am sure by now we have all been in classes where professors and visiting professionals have said that as long as your grades remain decently contained on the A- C scale then everything will be fine and you'll still get your dream job and whatever other reassuring nuances are mentioned in those types of conversations... but I am calling BS. I will absolutely not slack off and let my grades slip ever again, because if I am going to do something I will do it well. My sophomore year of college I was put on academic suspension by my sorority due to a series of life altering circumstances that were out of my control,but even so I never have felt more humiliated and out of control. I was not working at the time so my one job was to maintain a decent grade point average and I had failed. From that point on I have never not made the Deans or Presidents Lists and I hope that each of you reading this thinks twice before skipping assignments or classes because being good at something you love to do is an indescribable feeling.

5. Not allow yourself to splurge every once and a while.

This last point is one that I think should take precedent above all else because life is hard; some days are messy and exhausting but if you continue to show up through both the good and the bad then you deserve to be treated. This may be metaphorically treated by the good karma you will be receiving from doing your best every day but what I'm referring to are the real tangible, physical treats. Whether this is a scoop of your favorite ice cream at Handel's on a sunny day on your drive home from work or its replacing all of your drug store makeup with a trip to Sephora; you deserve it all. As long as you are not totaling breaking the bank with your splurges than I say live a little and let live.