By Katie Kamin, Pi Beta Phi
In the United States, the average life expectancy is 79.8 years of age for males and 82.2 for females.While it may seem like a time span of four years in the grand scheme of these 79-82 years isn’t important, let’s face it, the four years spent in college are some of the most crucial, life-changing and formative years of our entire lives. Yes, I will acknowledge that college is a time for studying, learning, and work, but these four very short years should be a time to be totally, wholeheartedly and unabashedly selfish.We have the rest of our lives to serve others. We’ll have jobs and families and mortgages and a multitude of other important responsibilities. We’ll be forced to tend to bosses and children and spouses and scores of other people before we take a minute to tend to ourselves. We’ll be forced to sacrifice our careers, relationships, money and happiness for the sake of others. Ultimately we’ll be forced to put ourselves last.

Yes, it could be argued that we already have a myriad of responsibilities in college, and that the time to be selfish has long since passed. I don’t intend to share some cliché diatribe that screams YOLO, but I do intend to stress the importance to take these college years to treat yourself and enjoy yourself because, as stereotypical and trite as it sounds, this time passes quickly and regret is not fun.

Be selfish with your time. Do what you want, when you want, and with whom you want. It’s exhausting and frustrating to feign interest and enthusiasm, and quite frankly, it’s just not worth it. 

Be selfish with your emotions. Don’t let anyone suck the joy and energy from your life. Cut out the guy who only texts you at 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday but never acknowledges your existence throughout the rest of the week. Cut out the friend who brings you down with snide comments. Don’t waste your love, compassion, and support on people who are undeserving. 

Be selfish with your goals. It is so easy to let others, whether it’s your family, friends, or someone you’re dating, dictate where you’re going in life. All of these influences can manipulate decisions like majors, internships, and even careers, but you know your true desires, and your happiness depends on discovering these desires and pursuing them. 
Be selfish now in college while you have the chance and before it’s unacceptable to do so. Go out on campus and do whatever makes you happy. During these four years, let others teach you, let others challenge you, let others help you grow, but never, ever let others steal right for happiness. So college students, go out and do what you do best – be selfish.