Sometimes, the school you picked isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe the culture just doesn’t mesh with you, or maybe you realize after a few months that you want to be studying something completely different.

The thought of transferring crosses your mind. And then the thoughts of all you’d have to do -  paperwork, credit juggling, and the process of making new friends all over again – flood your brain. My expert advice (I’m a self-proclaimed expert, of course)  is to give your school a fighting chance before you go through the grueling process of transferring. But if you’re really unhappy, a change can be well worth it.

There are many different options when it comes to your education, some of which you might never knew existed. Here are a few different routes you can take on your path to academic success and happiness:

• Four-Year College
It might be a public university or it might be a private school, but places are handing out bachelor’s degrees like candy these days (well, if you do the work, anyway). This is probably the type of school most of you are in and the type to which most of you would consider transferring. There are zillions of them, so do your research and really know what you want—don’t just transfer because your boyfriend goes there.

• Career College
If you know exactly what you want to do and you’re on the fast track to doing it, consider a career college. Some of them can be just as pricey as liberal-arts colleges, but they may not keep you there for the full four years, and when you’re done, you’re basically set to get a job or apprenticeship in your field. A quick way to check out your options is to visit a site like CollegeSurfing.com, which lets you search for schools by career interest. Read More »

You don't need their big bucks to live like a rock star.

Maybe you’re a fresh college grad shooting resumes into the black hole that employers call an “inbox,” or maybe you’ve been working for a few years but haven’t quite given up your milk crate bookshelf and neighbors’ house party keggers.

Don’t let these economic times tempt you into sticking to the starving college student lifestyle – you can still live like a rock star without obliterating your savings account.

1. Happy hours can be classy affairs. And a good place for dinner, too. McCormick and Schmick’s dinner menu may boast the pricey surf and turf, but go during their happy hour and you can get Kobe beef sliders or salmon cakes for less than $5 (and a cheeseburger and fries for only $2.95). Swanky restaurants of all stripes are embracing happy hours now, often with heavily discounted entrees and half-off drinks.

2. Two words: Free. Samples. There are free samples for everything. EVERYTHING. Not least of all, cosmetics. While most people can’t afford to stock their makeup drawer with goodies solely from Lush or Sephora, the sales representatives there will gladly dole out samples of Love Lettuce Face Mask or Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, if you ask nicely. (The generous sample portions will last a while, too.) The best part: when you’re done paying off student loans and have enough disposable income to buy out the entire Macy’s cosmetics counter, you’ll know exactly what you want. Read More »

If someone were to ask me what was the worst day of my life to date, I would have to take them back to freshman year.  I was young and naive and spent the better part of that fateful day being scammed by a nice man on the telephone who told me I had won a diamond watch and a trip to Hawaii. Thankfully, my roommate walked in just as I was reciting my credit card and social security numbers into the phone. She promptly snatched the phone away from me, called the guy a few choice names, and saved me from a world of shame.

After that poor display of gullibility, I decided to stay in that Friday night to work on my studies and perhaps regain a little pride in myself. It figures that the one night I decide to stay in, my roommate comes back to the room at 3 a.m. and tries to sexile me. Woken from a sound sleep, I had no desire to relocate. So I did what any other good roommate would do: I broke out the trusty iPod, cranked up the jams, and let them have their fun. Read More »

Sometimes, when I’m really bored, I mentally prepare my last meal.

It’s a weird habit of mine, but being Italian, I tend to think of food more than it’s probably recommended, and going through all my favorite dishes in my head is pure heaven—especially when I exist mostly on sandwiches and coffee in real life.

One of the things that will most definitely appear at my last meal are caramel apples.

Now that it’s fall, I walk past the (ridiculously expensive) Farmer’s Market and see them all the time, glistening in their plastic wrapped and ribboned packages.

If you enjoy turning something healthy into something deliriously sugar-packed as much as I do and you’re looking for a fun activity for a dreary Fall day, here’s a fool proof recipe guaranteed to make you the most popular kid on your hall.

The Goodies:
12 Granny Smith (or Macintosh) apples
12 lollipop sticks
1 pound Caramel
Saran Wrap
Melted dark, white or milk chocolate
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup M&M’s or favorite candy topping (or more if you’re like me and can never have too much chocolate)
Waxed paper

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Finding jeans that fit and look great can be nearly impossible, so when you find a brand to trust it’s a good idea to stick with it. But these up-and-coming brands are a good reason to hit the dressing rooms again:

1. Genetic – These jeans are soft and will fit your body like a glove. They are also a good length, so unless you are very short you probably won’t have to get them hemmed. Just a tip – Genetic jeans run a little big and stretch out, so order a size smaller if you are unsure.

Read More »

For a few weeks, I was in a rut – a big, blah rut that I couldn’t seem to find my way out of. I was grouchy, apathetic, and basically bored with everything. My self-esteem was not at its usual high-point, and I had no idea what the heck was wrong with me.

I know I lead a charmed life by any standards. I’m single during my senior year, I love my family, I have the most amazing friends, I go to a great school, and I live within five blocks of the most scrumptious fro-yo in the world. Life is great. So why the heck didn’t I feel as great as I should?

Well, even now, a few weeks later and finally back in Happyville, I don’t have an answer to that question. Something was just off, and I can’t really explain what it was. All I know is it’s over now thanks to a few things I did for myself. If you’re feeling funkadelic (and not the good kind) – whether caused by boys, school, or an unsolved perpetrator – maybe a few of these activities will help you claw your way out.

Outdoor Activities: Exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy (and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, as Elle Woods would say). So get out and go for a hike, or play tennis, or take a dance class! Go solo or with friends, either way, take some time for yourself!
Set a short-term goal for yourself; reaching goals will give you a sense of accomplishment, which generally makes people feel happy and productive. Setting an attainable, short term goal will force you to be proactive and get you motivated. Read More »

Texting a breakup? Not OK.

We live, breathe and flirt in a world of high-tech, digital romance. And I can’t say with a straight face that I am not a user and abuser of texting/IMing/Facebook chatting when it comes to communicating with members of the opposite sex. But there are some instances where no Tweet can do justice to a face-to-face interaction when you’re wheeling and dealing in the game of love. Talk about bad romance.

The Break Up:
Remember when Berger dumped Carrie via Post-it note on Sex and the City? Well that sucked. But at least he made the effort to find a pen and paper. I’d take a post-it over a break-up text message any day. In my opinion, it is never OK to end relations via a short message service. Since when is a break-up considered a short message? Think about it. (Exception: You’ve only been dating for a week, and he’s already named your unborn child. Take the quickest possible escape route available. NOW.)

TMI on the Internet:
Making plans on each other’s Facebook walls. Really? Did you lose their number? No one wants to read this: “Hey babe, why don’t you come over around 7:30. We’ll watch a movie or something… but we probably won’t see very much. LOL! Ps. my roommate’s in the library for the night… bring condoms! You know my favorite kind.” All of your mutual friends are currently puking on their Newsfeeds right now, and so is your new-to-Facebook and recently friend-request-accepted mother. Read More »

What....a dreamboat

Every once in a while (okay, maybe a little more often than that) I find myself adopting a new guilty pleasure. For a while I watched Hannah Montana on a regular basis, then came my Espresso truffle phase where I down one at Starbucks almost everyday under the pretense that if I finished it in 2 minutes the calories didn’t count. And I never seemed to shake the Spice Girls; if “Wannabe” comes on, an air mic, head bangs and some karaoke rapping will follow.

But recently a new contender has quickly moved to the top of guilty pleasure list.

Move over Miley Cyrus – Justin Beiber is my new tweenstar obsession. And boy am I feelin’ guilty right about now.

The kid is 15, but he looks about 12 and half. He’s got no body hair, he will still be mistaken for a little girl over the phone, and I honestly doubt the boy has even had an erection. But that hasn’t stopped him from releasing a CD full of romantic love songs, as if he has had 15 agonizing years of offering girls rides on his tricycle only to have them run off and play with another kid in he sandbox.

As wrong as it is, I just can’t seem to resist his sweet raspy voice and catchy beats. When his songs come on the radio I have a moment of reason: “You will change the station now, there is no way that belting out ‘One Time’ is socially acceptable.” Then I tell reason to shut-it, turn the volume to max and belt that baby like there’s no tomorrow. Read More »

Even though I live in chilly Northwestern Ontario, the snow has still not fallen! And, yes, I am a little peeved.

Usually the late November snow signals me to bust out the Christmas decorations and movies (can anybody say Elf?!) and indulge in the holiday spirit. But this year I’ve had to create all the spirit myself.

Besides watching Christmas special after special, I’ve turned to cozy holiday books to get myself in the mood, and The Gift, by Cecelia Ahern, is just perfect for the job. Many of you may remember this blockbuster hit from last Christmas season. Well, it was originally a book and I managed to snag myself a bargain copy of the hardcover a couple months ago. I decided to wait for a more appropriate time to bust it out and – seeing the Christmas lights being hung all over time – that time finally arrived!

“The Gift” switches between two seemingly parallel stories. One is of Lou Suffern, an overworked business man who is constantly faced with the conundrum of being in two places at once with his busy life. The other features Raphie, an older policeman (or Garda as they call them in Ireland!) and Turkey Boy, a young boy who threw a turkey through a window and is now at the Garda station. Lou’s story is actually being narrated by Raphie, who is telling Lou’s tale as a warning to Turkey Boy.

Lou’s story essentially begins when he meets Gabe, a homeless man who sits outside Lou’s multi-million dollar office building in Dublin everyday. One day Lou decides to purchase a coffee for Gabe and they end up chatting. Gabe seems very wise and intrigues Lou. Gabe also tips Lou off on a suspicious lunch meeting that Lou’s co-worker and boss had, so Lou decides to get Gabe a job in the mail room of his building. He figures that Gabe will be able to keep his eagle-eyes on Alfred, Lou’s suspicious co-worker and also, that it’s a good deed. Read More »

Is there anything better than a Thanksgiving sandwich? I think not.

As soon as you emerge from your Thanksgiving-induced food coma (What? Doesn’t it take everyone 36 hours?), it’s likely that there’s one major thing you’re going to want to do: eat again.

But navigating Thanksgiving leftovers can be a major pain. Just how many turkey-stuffing-cranberry sauce sandwiches can one girl eat, anyway? That’s why CollegeCandy has scoured the internet to find notable post-Turkey Day recipes. Here are seven dishes that especially grabbed us, for reasons good, bad, or ugly:

Most Idiot-Proof: Black Friday Pie (also works on a Saturday)

This recipe calls for lazy cooks to just layer all of their leftovers in a pan and cook them for 40 minutes. It’s like regular Thanksgiving, except all of your food has been mashed together!

Worst Middle School Cafeteria Flashback: Turkey Tetrazzini

Just look at that picture: a beige mess of pasta, gluey white goop, and sad turkey. The only good use for this stuff would be as a projectile in a massive food fight.

Best Way to Liven Up Dry Poultry: Curried Turkey

Heat up a cold, dreary Saturday with this Indian-inspired dish, which should make even Grandma’s dry white meat palatable.

Most Off-Putting Name: Aunt Wanda’s Turkey Carcass Soup

Okay, so this is basically just a regular recipe for turkey stock soup, which could be the least offensive use for leftovers ever. But I can’t get past the word “carcass,” which might be the most unappetizing term ever. Read More »