As much as I’d like to say I’m a selfless person, I’m not. It’s not that I don’t care for my family or friends, but as I continue my college career I’m finding out that this time is specifically for me, so I’m allowed to be selfish.
These four years (maybe five) are the most fulfilling yet confusing times in our lives, and putting yourself first is the best thing you can do. With no family of our own, or bills to pay, this is the time to live solely for ourselves without much getting in our way. Academically, we’re studying subjects we find completely fascinating, reading articles, going to class for a few hours and writing a few papers with the end goal of using our degrees for the next 50 years. This is although what we’re studying doesn’t necessarily determine our futures. We’re cursed with the thought that what we do now will weigh heavy consequences on our future lives, raising our stress level. I’m not saying we should be completely careless, but we should be willing to know that our future jobs aren’t going to care if we failed that one test or forgot to turn in a homework assignment.
Beyond the textbook, our college education is the time to think about new ideas, the world and the life we want to lead–so why not focus on the now within ourselves? In a society where we’re programmed to think that focusing on ourselves is a bad thing, it might take awhile to grasp being selfish but self-development is work.
Though clubs, sororities and internships serve us by making connections, they also may make us overwhelmed that we forget who we are. We are defined solely by those things. They are just a part of our lives. So go on adventures, eat lunch alone, shut off your phone for an hour and, most importantly, care less about others’ opinions.
We’re responsible for ourselves, so why not do the best job we can and make sure we only have the best. If we continue to put others first we will only end up burnt out and unfulfilled. You’re exploring your adult self and that’s exactly what this time is for. Selfishness is only a bad thing if you let yourself think it is.
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