Sigh.

Followed by …

Grrr.

It&#8217s that time of year again &#8217 when every single girl is reminded that she is alone, unloved, lacking any romantic interests whatsoever… We often find ourselves wondering why the hell this stupid holiday exists when about 51 percent of American women are living solo.

But it does. So instead of lying miserable in the fetal position, listening to old school Mariah Carey and demolishing a pint of Ben & Jerry&#8217s, enjoy the fourteenth of February. (It&#8217s totally possible.)

Romance Yourself

If you simply can&#8217t bare the thought of not being sent flowers, chocolates or some cheap stuffed animal, just send yourself a little gift. No one needs to know who it was from except you. Hey, everyone will be curious about a little mystery half-dozen roses, so bask in the attention.

Don&#8217t Be a Hater

We get it; you&#8217re bitter and negative comments just spew naturally from your mouth. But no one likes to be someone who&#8217s constantly bad-mouthing love day &#8217 even the single folk. So turn over a new leaf this year, let go of those nasty tendencies and try to see the brighter side. Valentine&#8217s Day doesn&#8217t have to be about romantic love; it can be a day to celebrate the love you and your friends share (sorry, don&#8217t mean to be really cheesy).

Get Drunk

Speaking of celebrating friendship, what better way to deal with the &#8217couple holiday&#8217 than with lots of cocktails with your girls? Throw on some sweats (there&#8217s no one to impress), grab some vino (or your beverage of choice) and rock out to some bumpin&#8217 &#8217girls rule&#8217 tunes. It may sound like a scene from a terrible chick flit, but it could honestly turn out to be the best Valentine&#8217s Day ever.

Brrrr. It’s getting chilly. Which means you should probably do what your mother always told you to do. Bundle up (or you’ll catch your death of cold)! But you, fashionable you, can’t think of a worse way to ruin your style mojo. No fear, Lulette is here.

Just because you need to layer up doesn’t mean you have to style down. Lulette has the cutest scarves on the planet with fun motifs from skulls to hearts to pears and apples (yum). They also have a bevy of great catch phrase scarves that quip “here kitty, kitty…” , “i love pirates” (arrrr), and “let’s dance”.

They’re a super snuggly wool/acrylic blend and most are long enough to wrap and wrap again for ultimate scarf wearing action. Plus they come in cute contrasting or monochromatic color combinations so they’re perfect for matching with your parka, snow boots and ear muffs of choice.

And if you’re not up for one of Lulette’s quotes or silhouettes on your scarf, you have the choice of designing one of your very own. Simply choose the font that you would like knitted into your Lulette original along with font and scarf colors, provide your message in 20 characters or less and in 4-6 weeks you’ll be geared up in your very own Lulette conversation piece. Literally.

While casually flipping through the many holiday themed evites in your inbox, you were quite moved by the brilliance of one in particular: a private party where no presents were desired — simply a donation of a warm coat or canned good to a campus charity. And with it being a new year and all, you think it might be time you followed their example and did a little good yourself.

So often we get caught up in our own day-to-day business that we rarely schedule time to donate or volunteer. There are so many ways to make a difference while enjoying yourself — unlike the dated candy striper duty of our parent’s generation.

Here are a few of our personal campus faves:

Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Sick of the college-aged folk? Create a lasting relationship with a youngster who could use a positive role model.

Senior prom. The above also applies here but with a different twist. Never learned to waltz? Chances are there are many members of your community who’d love to show off their killer dance moves if only youd organize an event. Check out the local retirement homes and bring some cheer to an elderly person’s day.

Humane society. Miss your parent’s pooch? Spend time finding homes for your local four legged friends who have fallen upon hard times.

Bilingual community centers. Practice that foreign language and learn about different cultures while helping immigrants learn English. You’ll learn about their rights in this country and help them find housing and jobs.

Dance-a-thon. Who doesn’t love to dance? Line up some pledges, pump hot tunes and in no time you can draw a crowd.

Local parks. Get some fresh air while keeping your community’s flora and fauna healthy, clean and fresh.

Soup kitchen. You may have endless points at the dinning hall but there are people out there with empty bellies. Talk to your local homeless shelter about volunteer options and food parties.

Politics. Did we all hear about Hilary last week? Get involved; be part of history.

So go on and visit your campus center for service. And if nothing catches your eye there, remember how endless that pool of campus resources is for you. Get friends together, get the altruistic juices flowing and start your own charity. You’ll create traditions and spice up that resume all while doing some good.

It’s a new year, you’re newly single … and you’d like to keep it that way. After all, there are many-a-man-scape to explore. So the time has come to tap into your black book of booty call potentials (oh, the possibilities).

We all know how booty calls normally end, somewhere between, “Do I actually want to be with him?” or “What the hell have I done?” Let’s not go there this time; instead of trying to make sense of what’s going on, just accept it for what it is: no-strings-attached ass.

Just to make sure you know what you’re getting into, remember what a booty call is: someone you keep around for sex but don’t want a relationship with. He’s fun. You’re fun. Who doesn’t like fun?

So keep these tidbits in mind and you’ll be on your way to maintaining your beloved singlehood:

Be honest with yourself. If you know you’re gonna fall for this guy no matter what, you can’t have a booty call with him. They’ll be all those mushy feelings, and that’s just disastrous. From the beginning, know what you want out of any booty call and what the limitations are, both emotional and physical. No one gets hurt this way.

Discuss sex now. Whether he’s a friend you think is hot or a guy you just started dating, talk about sex as soon as possible. Make sure you’re both clear about not wanting a relationship and talk about where you both stand concerning sex. Think of this stage as a business deal.

Call him. Not in the crazy stalker way, but call once a week to check up on the comfort factor of your situation. After you’ve ensure that this can last for the long haul, call him at least once or twice a month. After all, no one wants to burn their sex bridges. And do drop hints about how busy you are – he doesn’t know who else is lined up for a fling!

You’re in control. You have the power to start or end these booty calls. This means you still need to treat the boy like a human, listening to his stories or any other details he cares to divulge. For proper insurance, make him think he’s in control (since most guys like to be), and we all know who actually is in charge of this situation: you.

Friends forever. No one should be treating the other person like a piece of meat under these circumstances. You’re friends, which is why you’re able to keep the sex fun and casual. But if he meets someone and wants to be in a relationship with her, you need to let him go, just as he would have to do for you. You can still chat as friends, just no sex. Besides, who knows how long his new relationship will last? At least keep him on speed dial.

Retail is your therapy. There’s nothing like a new pair of slingbacks to remedy a stressful moment. Yet your practically poor student status has really left you stunned – little money to spend and so much to buy, what’s a girl to do?

Budget (a.k.a. not splurging on that designer handbag you’ve been lusting for). And be picky about your purchases.

Shop sales. At the end of every season, stock up on cheap essentials like tank tops and sweaters. Even if you can’t wear them right away, you’ll have a cheap wardrobe come next year, especially if you stick to pieces that aren’t one-time trends. Also try shopping at stores your friends aren’t, like thrift stores, consignment shops and vintage boutiques. You never know what you’ll find on the cheap if you look a little harder.

Clean your closet. Throw out anything you’re not wearing and figure out what you need. You’ll know exactly what to look for when you’re shopping (no, you don’t need an eighth pair of boots). What about those amazing designer jeans you bought on sale but still don’t fit after six months? Invest in clothes that fit your body well, and you’ll no longer be wasting cash but looking perfectly in style.

Browse the internet. Your favorite store most likely has an online site. Many of these shops post sales on the web that you won’t see at the mall.

Buy little extras. Splurge on classics, like black pumps or a nice bag that won’t go out of style but can instantly update your wardrobe. Even a smaller accessory, like a nice piece of jewelry, can be cheap and go a long way to brighten up and old outfit.

Channel your inner thriftiness – being cheap really can go a long way.

There’s something about a chilly Sunday evening that says chicken noodle soup (maybe with a soda on the side). But besides the obvious keeping warm thing, what really makes us crave hot, hearty foods?

Well, our bodies convert natural sunlight to vitamin D, boosting our serotonin (the hormone that helps regulate moods, sleep and appetite) levels. Since winter brings less sunlight, our bodies seek other ways to increase serotonin. So our urges to reach for carbohydrate-rich foods during this time of year may lay in our cravings for more sunlight, or at least a way to warm up our insides.

But overloading yourself with carbs may not be the best way to regulate your diet. Try to keep both your cravings and health in check with these hearty, in-season foods. (And there’s even a hidden beauty bonus!)

Munchie: Sweet Potatoes

Beauty Bonus: Even though you don’t need to worry about smile lines for a while, sweet potatoes contain anti-wrinkling agents.

Tasty Treat: Sprinkle with cinnamon when the urge for sweets comes up.

Munchie: Apples

Beauty Bonus: Loaded with nutrition and antioxidants, this harvest treat also can help with your dentist appointments. When eating the fruit raw, your gums get a healthy massage and the chewing helps clean your teeth.

Tasty Treat: Try coring them and baking them with a little cinnamon inside.

Munchie: Pumpkin Seeds

Beauty Bonus: The large amount of iron in these nutty seeds will help add some shine to your hair.

Tasty Treat: Try sprinkling them in a salad.

Munchie: Carrots

Beauty Bonus: Help maintain the outer layer of your skin with these rooty-veggies.

Tasty Treat: When stirring up that warm bowl of chicken noodle soup, add sliced carrots for a healthy epidermis.

Why not eat foods as nature intended it? By the season!

You’ll calm your carb cravings and make yourself beautiful from the inside out!

No doubt about it: college is a wonderful time of life. Suddenly you have the power to create your own schedule (i.e. sleeping in on occasion), decide what you want to study (human sexuality is a science credit, right?) and study with world-renowned specialists and profs (meet in the student union for a beer).

However, when recent college grads are asked about any regrets they have about those four plus years of heaven, few can honestly claim that they accomplished everything they wanted while on campus. Especially once they enter the job search. For example, many employers will not hire a college grad with zero experience in that specific field. And how does a college student get this much -coveted “experience”? By getting an internship.

Since every minute is another chance to be proactive and gain more valuable skills, take some action! Talk to your professors, your student services center or just local businesses that you like in your area. Intern at a newspaper or magazine, a sports marketing firm, a political campaign, a women’s health center or for a judge or congressman. Businesses will rarely turn down the help and many already have well organized established internship programs. If you go at it and get a prof’s help, chances are you can get yourself some credits as well.

So get involved, gain experience and avoid the dreaded retrospective comment, “I should have taken advantage of more of the opportunities offered to me while on campus.”

Every guy I know — every guy EVER for that matter — loves my best friend. She’s a nice girl, but she’s not even that cute, yet they come right up to her whenever we’re out. What’s up with this?

We all have a different attitude we put off. To pin-point why she comes off the way she does and what it is that seemingly makes guys drawn to that would be to make the unexplained art of relationships a math none of us could solve. There could be any number of reasons guys approach her – from the way she dresses (trendy? slutty?) to her attitude (is she eye molesting every guy in a bar?).

Bottom line is, watch the kind of guys that approach her and how they interact. Where does it go? Chances are the guys that talk to her aren&#8217t talking to her because she has a kind, warm heart. They don’t want to talk because she’s great with kids, helps old people, can explain the history of Van Gogh’s impressionistic paintings, or knows the quadratic equation by heart. In other words, the real things that matter in a relationship can’t be communicated by a flick of the eyelashes, a twist of the hair or a giddy laugh.

Who knows what she does. But is what she has really something you want? Do you want to be mobbed by insincere, unintelligent, superficial guys? Most of us would rather go out with our friends and spend time with them, not countless strangers. Let’s be honest – how many of those random guys will play any significant role in her life? Most likely none. Keep doing what you are – be yourself, go out and have fun. You’re getting looks from guys too, the difference is the ones looking your way care more about just your clothes or your vibe; they care about your heart. And in the end, that’s what we all fall in love with anyway.

One of my guy friends and I flirt all the time. I tend to be flirty, but it’s not like with other guys or other guy friends. This is definitely mutual flirting, but I’m afraid to act on it because I don’t want to lose him as a friend if things go badly. Is it worth the risk?

Nobody can feel out risk like you. But, there’s nothing wrong with exploring your options. Feel free to look around, have fun, flirt with who you want, when you want. If he isn’t smart enough to pick up on the hints you’re dropping, or he’s not confident enough to act on his feelings then ask yourself, “is this really someone I’d want to be my boyfriend?”

Actions speak louder than words. Let yours speak and see if he answers. If he’s too afraid to make a real move then he’s either not interested (but just likes to play the game with you), or isn’t mature enough for a relationship.

Calling it quits is no piece of cake. Quite frankly, it can be the absolute worst part of a being in a relationship. Because knowing you’re about to break the heart of someone you care about feels awful. But it’s January, a brand new year, and you’ve been reevaluating if he’s right for you.

Well, don’t think you’re alone; we’ve officially entered National Break-Up Season and most other couples are thinking about jumping ship too. According to research from Yahoo! Personals, the period between the December holidays and Valentine’s Day is when people are more than twice as likely to think about breaking up than any other time of year. Since January is all about resolutions to improve you&#8217re quality of life, it’s only natural.

If after much thought and consideration, you realize your boyfriend really isn’t Mr. Right, then here are a few tips from Yahoo! Personals to make sure you make the break in the best way possible:

1) Monday is the best day of the week to end things; Sunday comes in a close second.

2) The worst way to break up with someone is by sending an email or delivering the news through a friend (come on people, grow some balls).

3) Get your act together before Valentine’s Day – breaking up with someone right before or on love day is just plain wrong.

4) Above all, stick to your guns, even when he tries to convince you that you’re making a big mistake. Remain true to your feelings and you&#8217ll get through it.

Beginning the New Year with a little emotional turmoil is okay – because you’ll be setting yourself free from something that wasn’t satisfying enough and be able to find something that much better.