Class all year? FML.

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman, so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like what is cheating!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

There’s been some debate recently about increasing the number of days public school kids have to spend in class, and while you may be thinking “man, I’m glad I’m not in high school anymore,” think again. Colleges, especially public ones, generally follow the patterns set up by lower levels of schooling, which means that if they cut back on summer, you could kiss it goodbye too.

I’ll give you a moment to go find a paper bag to breathe into.

Proponents of adding school days to the calendar – including President Obama and the Education Secretary – note that American kids go to school fewer days than other countries, the same countries that tend to do better in math and science than we do. And, they claim, adding days has proven effective in some places in the U.S.  Loathe though I am to say it, they do have a point. Test scores do rise in schools that have longer school days and years. Read More »

Jon Gosselin puts TLC in their place.

So a couple of cows wander into a 7-11….

Wait, K-Fed is getting fatter?

How did this guy become a judge?

Rihanna’s letting it all hang out.

Bring a toy into the bedroom. Here’s how.

Last Friday night, I decided to have a girl’s night because, let’s face it, living in a one bedroom apartment with a guy can take a toll on one’s femininity. It was so much fun, and it was a great ending to a really crappy week. But after living with my boyfriend I noticed that even girls night has changed.

First of all, sometimes I feel boring and old. All of my friends are sitting there, sipping on beers sharing stories about their latest crushes, their crazy hook ups from last weekend, or the hot guy who bought them a drink at the bar. And me? I’m sitting there thinking, “The most exciting thing to happen to me this week was that Matt found five dollars and bought me a Dr. Pepper with it.” I feel like the mom of the group! It’s lame being the one who talks about the same guy all the time when all your friends are talking about the flavor of the month (or week, in some girls’ cases). Sometimes I feel like my friends think I’m no fun anymore, and while I know I shouldn’t care about what other people think of me as long as I’m happy, deep down it bothers me. Read More »

School is in full swing, which means you’ve got classes, student groups, long hours in the library, late night binges after a long night of drinking….

And you gotta fit the gym in there somewhere.

I know, it’s always the first thing to go when things start getting busy, but it shouldn’t be! Working out regularly will keep you fit (obvi), and also help ease the stress and give you that much needed energy to get through those 16 credits, rush meetings, group projects and everything else you need to get through before Friday.

If that’s not enough to motivate you, perhaps some cute clothes will do? It’s obviously not easy to pull yourself out of bed and trek to the gym when you look (and therefore feel) like crap. Those baggy sweats and dirty t-shirts aren’t doing anyone any favors, especially you. And with all the super cute workout-wear that’s out there right now (in every. single. price point), there’s no reason to look drab for the gym. If you’re super busy, you can pile this stuff on before class and sneak in a workout during lunch; the clothes are so cute, no one would ever know. And if you’re just lazy, having cute and trendy pieces around will make you feel better and motivate you to get your butt moving. (It really works!)

If you need a kick in the (yoga) pants to get back to the gym, I’ve got 16 right here for ya. Enjoy. Read More »

"Are you saying you disagree with my theory as outlined on page 182 of my book?"

So class isn’t always our first priority at school. Okay, maybe it never is. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy some of them. Once you get past that pain-in-the-ass core requirement list, you can actually take classes that interest you.

But whether the class is right up your alley, or you can’t wait for it to be over, there are always those professors who are going to make that 3 hours a week a living hell.

Rate My Professor may help weed out which specific professors suck a fatty, but there are so many that slip through the cracks. And they’re everywhere. On every campus. In every major. And with the stress of midterms coming up, we need to vent. These professor characters are really starting to get on our nerves! Read More »

I have never really liked meat. The idea of a bloody (or even well-done) steak with neatly criss-crossed grill marks on my plate has never been appealing to me, and I have basically limited my carnivorous intake to the occasional chicken breast. My boyfriend is a vegetarian, and I can go for long stretches of time without eating any meat at all. So why am I not a vegetarian, too, already?

Here are the reasons I’ve come up with (while sitting over a bowl of my mom’s famous beef stew):

- It still doesn’t seem to be quite accepted. If you’re invited to dinner at someone’s house or invited to a wedding or some other bash, it’s assumed that you eat meat. If you don’t, you either have to make everyone feel bad by arranging for a special plate or you have to forage for roots and berries among the side dishes.

- Some of my favorite dishes from childhood have meat in them. Sure, I don’t eat them now, but when I go home and my mom makes them, it’s sweet (and they’re still delicious). Knowing I couldn’t eat those anymore would kind of depress me. Wait, who am I kidding? It would totally depress me.

- One of my goals is to travel around the world, and I don’t want to have to limit myself in any way when I do that. Especially when it comes to eating local fare that may or may not come from an animal.

- BACON. Need I say more? Read More »

My abs are tight. My legs are toned. But what about my lady parts?!

We thought we’d help and every Thursday our friend Dr. Lissa Rankin will be answering your questions. The ones you couldn’t ask your doctor in person. Just leave your questions in the comments, or send em over to us. (We’ll keep it all anonymous for you.) Dr. Lissa will answer anything – really, anything – about sex and other lady things. Don’t be shy; she’s waiting for ya!

Q: Everyone is always talking about Kegel exercises. Do those things really help? And do we really need to do them? I’ve had a boyfriend for 3 years (and we’ve been having regular sex for the entire time), so is it possible that I’m not as “toned” down there as I could be? Is that something I need to worry about?

A: Do the rest of you know what a Kegel exercise is?  It’s an exercise to strengthen the pelvic floor. To do Kegel exercises, contract and release the muscles surrounding the vaginal opening. If you’re not sure what I mean, run to the restroom, pee, and try to stop your urine mid-stream. Those are the muscles we’re talking about here.

How can Kegels help you? Let’s break it down into three ways- sexual enhancement, prevention, and treatment.  Because these muscles tone the vagina, they can be used to enhance intercourse. By contracting these muscles, you may offer additional pleasure for you and your lover, especially if you’ve had a few babies and things have become a bit loosely goosey down there.

What about prevention? As we age, our tissue gets weaker and our risk of pelvic prolapse and urinary incontinence increases.  What’s pelvic prolapse? Well, believe it or not, your uterus, bladder, vagina, and rectum can all sort of fall out. I’ve seen uteruses hanging between people’s legs and herniations of the bladder and rectum into the vagina. This looseness in the vagina can lead to incontinence, pelvic pressure, difficulty with urinating and having bowel movements, and a whole host of other unpleasant symptoms. Kegel exercises help prevent pelvic prolapse and incontinence.  By toning these muscles, you help keep things tucked up inside, where they belong. Read More »

You know that really annoying friend of yours who feels the incessant need to point out that they were the first to know about a now really popular band every. single. time. it comes on the radio?

As annoying as they are, there is something exciting about the knowing of a new band, new clothing brand, great sale, awesome book or recipe, and sharing it with the ones you love. And by ones you love, I mean the ones you go back and forth with right here on the CollegeCandy message boards.

So here’s the deal: every week, we will feature things that YOU think other CollegeCandy readers just have to know about. Anything at all. Nothing is off limits.

Guffly.com
We all are trying to be green: wear more green, eat more green, recycle more green, earn more green. But sometimes it’s hard because we don’t know where to look for the best products. And let’s face it – some of those eco-friendly fashions have been hit with the ugly stick one too many times. Not to mention the sometimes way-out-there price tags – I mean I could buy some Jimmy Choo’s for the price of some of these reusable forks, frocks and eco-friendly gym bags! But thankfully, Guffly has come to our rescue. Guffly is a one-product-per-day online store (perfect for those of us who get overwhelmed by too many fabu products at once!). They feature eco-friendly products and fair trade lifestyle goods like home, pet, clothing, office and personal accessories. They have made it their jobs (literally!) to find only the most stylish eco-friendly and fair trade products out there.  Now you can actually do something good for the environment, feel good about yourself AND still look cute. Sign me up.  Read More »

There are some things in life I will just never understand. Harem pants, 2nd floor elevator riders, and notes on the inside of a bathroom stall in places where alcohol was definitely not an influencing factor.

But perhaps the most disturbing and ridiculous thing that comes to mind is this Hello Kitty obsession that seems to be sweeping the nation.

Hey, the cat’s cute; I’m all for buying my little cousin a stuffed version or some hair accessories with the creature sewed on. But when grown women are walking about sporting this stuff like its haute couture, that’s where I draw a very large, thick line.

It just isn’t acceptable.

I still remember rich girls in high school sporting the jewelry with their Juicy zip-ups, like it was a status symbol of their daddy’s plush job. If excessive amounts of money severely impacts your taste to the point that you are convinced a Hello Kitty diamond watch is appropriate for an 18-year-old (or anyone who is not Suri Cruise), then perhaps I am okay with being the struggling college student scrapping together my pennies to afford a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Don’t think this is that big of a deal? Perhaps some of the latest merchandise from the little feline will convince you that she is brain washing people all over the world, and needs to be stopped. Read More »

It’s always hard to dump someone.  There are hurt feelings and harsh words, maybe a few tears, definitely some cocktails and desserts smothered in chocolate, caramel, and Oreo cookie crumbles.

Well get out the Edy’s, Sephora.

Everyone knows that Sephora and I (and Sephora.com) have been going steady since I was 15, but we’re currently on the rocks.   There’s a new makeup store in my life, and it’s name is BeautyTicket.com. Yup, although Sephora was the love of my life, I just can’t control my feelings for this much better beauty stop that recently rocked my world.

But it wasn’t just a one night fling; this is serious. I’m falling in love.

This amazing website carries super great brands like YSL, Smashbox, Stila, Tarte, Urban Decay, and Pop, for up to 85% off.  Wow.  I’ll give you a minute to think about how freakin’ amazing that is.  I’m talkin’ Smashbox wooden 4-shadow/blush pallet, originally $45, now $19.00.

These are a few of my favorite current finds, but the merchandise changes so check em’ out quickly:

Smashbox Muse Artist Eye Shadow Pallete: $48 down to $29.99: 10 different colored shadows with a brush!

Yves Saint Laurent “Love Collection” Blush: Was $60, down to $29.99.  This blush is embedded in a foundation so you can use one or the other, or both.  Oh, and its shaped like an adorable pink heart. Read More »