Here come the bad decisions!

As 2009 was coming to a close I vowed that I’d make some big changes for the year to come, namely to act like the adult that I am and not like the rockstar college girl I once was. I told myself I’d drink more responsibly, that I didn’t need to get drunk to have fun, and that I might finally be at the age when dancing on stages is no longer socially acceptable.

And then I found myself making out with my really close guy friend a mere 45 minutes into the new year.

(Well, there’s always next year I guess!)

After we both came to our senses and realized what was going on (aided by another friend walking in, laughing, and taking pictures) we went our separate ways. And by “separate ways,” I mean “to get more booze.”  Word spread that we had gotten a little gropey on his bed and my girlfriends started accosting me. “I’m drunk!” I explained. “It’s not a big deal.”

And they totally understood.

The truth is, we all do dumb things when we’re drinking. It’s part of what makes drinking so much fun! No? Just me? Well, at least the dumb things we do are more understandable. Just ask Jamie Fox. So instead of hiding that ish and pretending you can’t remember it (we’re onto you) why not share it with your friends here at CollegeCandy? Below, the CC writers share their fondest (if not haziest) dumb-drunk moments. Share your own (you know you’ve got plenty!) in the comments section below. Read More »

Is her stylist on ecstasy?

Who’s the biggest ass of 2009?

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Jay Leno’s goin’ home….to 11:30 pm.

Got a pimple? Don’t pop it!

So this is how Tila Tequila mourns.

Grad school or no grad school - that is the question.

[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 (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), 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 taking him home for the holidays!) 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!]

The New Year is here, and for those of you graduating in May, it’s time to start thinking about the future (insert groan here). Probably the biggest question you face down as graduation approaches is, what next? You could go out and get a job, bum around your parents’ place for a while, or you could keep the education train rolling with grad school. Applications to Masters programs have gone way up in the last few years (and they’re starting soon) - should you be joining them?

On the “pro” side of the argument, there are a lot of reasons it could be worth it to go to grad. There’s a lot more freedom in graduate study than in undergrad, which means that you get to make your own rules a bit more and you can really immerse yourself in one area of interest instead of taking all those required classes you’re never going to use again. Also, the job market still pretty much sucks (depending on your field, of course) and studies have shown that people who start jobs now (at lower pay) will continue to be paid lower even 10 years down the road – WTF? So in that respect, grad school is a really good way to buy yourself a little time and maybe a better pay check in the future. And ultimately, the truth is that a Masters degree is going to become increasingly the standard for our generation and the ones following us. For our grandparents it was a high school diploma, for our parents, a college degree and for our generation, where soooo many go to college, standing out is going to mean a Masters at least. Consider it an investment in your future.

But there are some distinct “cons” here too. To start with, you finally managed to graduate, the day you’ve been working toward since you were five, and now you’ve got to go in for at least 2 more years?! And while many grad schools are less expensive than undergrad, it’s still not exactly cheap. If you already have student loans or debt piling up, grad school may not be such a helping hand, particularly since there aren’t nearly as many scholarships or grants for grad. And while you don’t have to take those crappy required classes, grad school doesn’t allow for a lot of blow off courses either, which means an awful lot of stress. Speaking of stress, let’s not forget that most grad programs require you to take the GREs - yep, it’s like the SATs all over again. Joy! Oh, and BTW, when I mentioned up there that applications to grad school were way up, some schools have seen jumps of over 30%, so just getting in could be an issue.

Do you see yourself in grad school? Or would you rather eat your backpack than add on more school years? Will you be applying? Have you? Or do you think the whole idea of a Masters degree is just silly? Duke it out!

CollegeNews.cm ranks the best credit cards for college kids.

So what’s the real story behind Miley’s tat?

Who wears that much makeup to work out?

So this is what happens when Tiger runs out of women….

Mmm. Chris Pine looks good in a suit.

What’s up with the spanking?

Back when Matt and I were first dating freshman year, it came time for us to register for our next semester’s classes. He and I both wanted to take Japanese as our foreign language, but agreed that it’d be better off if we took it at different times. He thought I’d be a distraction, and I didn’t want to compete with him over grades.

This past semester however, for our third semester of Japanese (seriously, why FOUR semesters of a foreign language? excessive, no?), we both had such weird and limiting schedules that we ended up in the same class. I was prepared for the worst, since less than a year before Matt said he hated the idea of us with a class together. To my surprise, he was actually looking forward to it. We did survive, but now, for our final semester, we are back to different professors at different time. Like most relationship happenings, having class with my significant other was full of ups and downs:

Up:
The convenience factor. We only had to buy one book (which, let’s be honest, saves a giant chunk of change). We also got to ride the bus to school together and if I was home sick (thanks, flu season ’09), Matt could turn in my work for me.

Down:
Distraction. You try not talking to your boyfriend when you’re sitting next to him in class three days a week. Read More »

I rarely keep clothes I get for Christmas – there’s usually something just not quite right with them (read: they’re totally not me). However, this year, I was gifted this gorgeous BCBGeneration blouse (thanks, Mom & Dad!) that is absolute perfection. It’s slate grey, it fits perfectly, and it has ruffles (!!) which are oh-so-hot this season.

Ruffles are my latest obsession and they should be yours, too!  They are not only a soft detail that instantly feminizes a piece, but they are also ultra forgiving when worn in the right place (there’s nothing like a tiered-ruffle top to camouflage your over-indulgence at the end of ’09). And they can be worn just about EVERYWHERE – on your tops, cardigans, dresses, and even bags and shoes! Meaning that there are many, many ways to incorporate ruffles into your everyday outfits.

And why wouldn’t you want to? Soft ruffled details add a romantic feel to the most basic of pieces, while the sculptural ruffles on skirts and dresses make a bold statement. As ruffles have been popular in seasons past, you probably have a few pieces you can bust out again this season. But with all that holiday money burning a hole in your pocket (not to mention the holiday sales that are still going on right now), how could you not afford to pick up a few new ruffles for your winter wardrobe? Read More »

Cha CHING

I promised myself I would not fall head over heels for fist pumping and barber shop outings, but as quickly as you can say “duck phone” I was couldn’t stop watching Pauly D burn coal in a gas grill.  Thus opening the doors for a new guilty pleasure to enter my life, formally known as the Jersey Shore.  I’m as confused as you are. If you asked me a month ago if I would be constructing my Guido name on Facebook, I would have told you to go smush yourself.

I’m not the only one smitten for Jersey Shore.  America has fallen in love with the guidettes and Guidos so deeply that 2.1 million people tuned in for the second episode.   Tanning package well spent, Snooki.  Vinny also just (drunkenly, I’m sure) leaked that the show will be coming back for another season of sweatbands and fist pumping in Seaside Heights, and the original cast members won’t be going anywhere. Except to battle it out on the dance floor, that is. And when they do, they’ll be making bank.

As in $30,000! Read More »

Got a health question? Don’t trust those “Doctors” at the University Health Center? Are you scared of Web M.D. because it always tells you you’re gonna die? Ask a real doctor, like our friend Dr. Lissa Rankin. She’s here every Thursday to answer whatever you throw at her – like why you can’t get any sleep – so ask away. Leave your question in the comments or send it over to us. Don’t be shy; she’s waiting for ya!

Q: I’m not really sure if you’re the right person to ask but I’m really not sure who else to go to with this. Basically, I’ve been with my boyfriend for 4 months now. We just started to have sex but he can never seem to…keep it up. I don’t know if it’s something I’m doing (or not doing…), and I don’t know if this is something we can fix? Is there something I should do? And how do I even talk to him about this? He gets really upset after it happens (or doesn’t happen) and I just don’t know what to do here. This has never happened to me before…

A: Thank you for trusting us with what is, undeniably, a delicate issue. It’s funny.  If women have issues with decreased libido or sexual performance, we tend to discuss these things with our girlfriends, ask questions openly, and put our cards on the table. But men- forget it! You don’t hear men sitting around the coffee shop discussing their erectile dysfunction. But I wish they would. Making it a taboo subject shrouded with embarrassment serves no one.

I don’t know how old your boyfriend is, but the incidence of erectile dysfunction increases with age. If your boyfriend is young, chances are good that his issue may be caused by a medication side effect (anti-depressants are classic erection killers) or alcohol or drug use (alcohol increases the desire but decreases the performance). If he’s older, health conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes could play a role.  Often, the problem is psychological. Perhaps he’s worried that he’s not pleasuring you, and the more he worries, the more he droops.

Try talking to your boyfriend, but make sure not to do it in bed. He’s already feeling fragile and vulnerable when he loses his woodie, so there’s no point adding salt to his wound. Bring up the conversation when you’re both fully dressed. Let him know you care about him and genuinely wish to find solutions so you can both enjoy each other’s bodies. Ask him how he feels and share how you feel in a gentle, nonjudgmental way. Suggest that he see his doctor, who might be able to help him investigate the issue. If drugs or alcohol regularly play a role in your sex life, try skipping it or play around with morning sex, when men tend to be a bit more randy.

Do what you can to make him feel safe. The more he feels pressured to perform, the more likely he is to lose his erection. You may find that it helps to break the cycle by avoiding intercourse for a while. Snuggle.  Kiss.  Fool around. Try oral sex or manual sex if you wish.  But stay around from sexual acts that have an expected outcome.

Keep in mind that your relationship is relatively new, and some things work themselves out in time. Perhaps, he’s just so into you that he gets freaked out. If none of this helps and you’re committed to making this relationship work, consider seeing a sex therapist.  His doctor may even recommend Viagra, if he’s a good candidate for it.  If you really care for each other, you’ll find a way…

Wishing you bliss,
Dr. Lissa

- Dr. Lissa Rankin’s book, What’s Up Down There? Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend, will be published by St. Martin’s Press in Fall 2010. She invites you to join her Pink online community (www.owningpink.com/forum) or read more of her writing at Owning Pink (www.owningpink.com).

Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Sure it may not be a resume builder, but it will earn bragging rights that lil ‘ol you turned thousands of readers on to your latest obsession and, really, who doesn’t want that?

Caribou Coffee Chocolate Drinks
Caribou Coffee is the reason why my new year’s resolution has already gone to hell. “Drink less coffee, spend less money and be healthier” were the words I uttered exactly one week ago today…and then those always-happy baristas introduced me to their latest and greatest mochas. Which explains why those guys behind the counter are always smiling.

These things aren’t just mochas, they are friends. Maybe even better than friends, unless your friends are made with REAL chocolate. Yes, ooey, gooey, sweet and delicious milk, white or dark chocolate is the base of this hot cup of happiness, not that powdered crap you get everywhere else. And OMG, can you taste a difference. It’s like drinking a candy bar. Honestly, besides the ring of dark choco my daily indulgence leaves around my mouth (and the red ring my now-tight jeans leave around my belly), Caribou’s mochas are 100% perfection. In moderation. Which I am still trying to learn. Read More »

The first time I walked into H&M, I blacked out for an hour and lost myself in their full, cheap, and cute racks of clothing.  You mean I can buy this dress, shoes, and a scarf for only that much? Thank you H&M, now I can go buy that strawberry crepe I was willing to sacrifice for a pair of shoes. It seems I had gone to heaven in the form of a clearance rack.

H&M became my go-to for all things trendy. And when I say “go-to” I mean “go-t0-on-a-weekly-basis.” That is, until I heard some interesting and rather disturbing news that has me second guessing my love affair.

Recently, it has been discovered H&M has been slashing unsold clothing items and throwing them in the trash. And not just a few imperfect items; bags upon bags of this stuff were found in a dumpster behind their flagship Manhattan store. Items in the H&M trash bin included gloves with the fingers cut off,  shoes with the instep cut-out, and warm jackets with fiber fill pouring out its slashed sides.

All of these items were in perfect condition (prior to someone taking scissors to them, of course).

The fact that H&M is not donating these valuable items to charity is wasteful and just plain disgusting. Especially for a company that boasts to be “committed to taking responsibility for how our operations affect people and the environment. We donate garments that do not meet our quality requirements to organizations such as UNHCR, Caritas, the Red Cross and Helping Hands. When possible, we also donate faulty garments that have been returned to our stores.” Sounds respectable, H&M, but the last time I checked dumpsters weren’t Red Cross donation bins. And I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter how many sustainable materials you’re incorporating into your designs when you’re just tossing it all into garbage dumps. Read More »