[Life after college is hard. Like really hard. But it's not so hard that you should curl up in a ball and watch E! marathons all day long. Not only are we covering the experience from a first-hand perspective, but we're now covering it from a how-to-survive-it perspective. Every week, we're going to bringing the best advice to getting through your first post-grad year. Because sometimes, your grandmother's "just go to law school" advice just doesn't cut it.]

Ladies, let’s be real: finding a job is tough stuff. Before you get to sending those resumes out, before you worry about which job-related websites to start checking religiously, make sure you’ve got your basics covered. After all, what’s that they say about a good foundation being the key to a solid…something or other? It’s not just a nice platitude that encourages you to order an extra basket of nachos before a night of heavy drinking. This common sense can also be applied to…wait for it…matters of the Real World.

So what, you ask, are the key ingredients to kick of a successful job hunt? As someone who has been in and out of job interviews at the same rate that LiLo checks in and out of rehab, trust me when I say preparation is everything. And to ensure that you are prepped like none other, I present to you the ultimate job search checklist:

The Outfit
You want to come off confident and capable, but not overtly sexy or worse — dowdy. Try not to over think this one, as you might easily find yourself standing naked in front of your closet, tossing outfit after outfit on the floor. Remember it’s best to stick to the timeless elements of a successful casual-but-not-too-casual/dressy-but-not-too-dressy ensemble.

Grab some well-fitting black pants (nothing wide-leg, nothing wool, nothing pinstripe) like these hip-yet-professional skinny pants from The Gap, pair them with a bright silky top, toss a cardigan on top and add in an edited selection of accessories. Easy as pie! And don’t be afraid to drop a little extra cash on your interview look– you’ll get plenty of wear of out it, and you can later translate the various pieces into different office-ready outfits when the time comes. (For more in-depth advice, check out which color is best to wear at an interview)

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So there’s a lot of things that come to my mind when I think about graduation. There’s the week of senior festivities that takes place before, and the long, relaxing summer that takes place after. There’s caps and gowns and diplomas and awards and speeches. Lots of speeches.

From the president of your college to your valedictorian there will be a lot of people giving your advice on graduation day, but none more important than the allusive commencement speaker. For some schools, this is just another really long, really boring speech. But for a special few  the commencement speech, and the commencement speaker, is actually pretty great. I know if I went to one of these schools I’d actually be listening to my commencement speaker, not falling asleep in my chair.

Uh, not that I plan on doing that anyway…

Okay, ladies, so here’s the deal.

On Friday, Facebook will become owner of the publishing rights of all your private photos, which means they could do whatever they want with them. Use them in ads. (Imagine a picture of you partying with your peeps on a billboard.) Show them to the world when you become famous. Send them to your boss when you complain about Facebook while on Facebook…

You get the idea. If Facebook owned the rights to your photos it would be bad. Really bad. But you can prevent this. And it will only take a few moments of you time. Just follow the simple instructions below and then pass the information on to all of your friends that have pictures of you. Especially pictures of you from Spring Break. Or tailgates. Or Halloween. Or, well, just everyone, OK?

1. Go to account on the upper right corner of your Facebook.

2. Then click on account settings.

3. Then go to Facebook Ads, the last tab along the top.

4. Then choose edit third party ad settings.

5. Select no one from the drop down.

Then just save and you’re done. You and your Facebook photos are safe. Phew. That was a close one.

Every girl needs a good purse (or 12). Whether you’re going for groceries or running from class to class, they are simply essential for holding all your, uh, essentials. Each week, I’m going to show you a fashionable, yet functional purse for the college crowd and let you know why you absolutely need it! I apologize ahead of time to your bank account.

Since the weather has been less than ideal this week (read: rain and/or snow at ALL TIMES), I decided I need to find a bag that truly channeled spring. Even if the weather outside is frightful, a happy purse will help improve my mood and keep my chin up. Last week I featured bags that were summery because they were bold and bright and I thought (stupid me) that summer was actually coming, but this week I went for something a little more subdued. Like my mood.

The Petal Pouf Bag from Deux Lux (and available at Anthropologie) is beyond cute. In fact, it’s so cute that you should expect to see the word “cute” about 37 billion times in this post. It’s made of a lightweight, cotton exterior in a dainty cream color, featuring distressed brown PVC trim and straps. Looking at the bag now, I think I still would have liked it even without the decorations, but it’s those very decorations that make it so darn cute! Instead of the leaving the bag as a plain (albeit nice) tote, the geniuses at Deux Lux spiced it up and made good use of the their extra fabric!

As you can see, the Petal Pouf Bag gets its name from the approximately 12 fabric flowers covering the cotton. Yes, it’s a little bit “granny chic,” but can you imagine how cute (there it is again) this purse would be with a girly sundress or a peasant top and cutoffs? Read More »

Can friends with benefits ever, really work?

And someone just took the wedding mania to a whole new level

Well, this is a weird music collaborations

Guess which Jersey Shore star is preggers

Would you rock hoof shoes?!

MTV kinda chose a random host for the movie awards

What if you lived at Ikea?

Win some awesome grad gear!

Does it even need to be said that Rihanna inspired my column this week? “S&M” is one of my favorite songs of the year. It’s bold. It’s catchy. It’s a booty shaker. And I really appreciate that a mainstream female pop artist is singing lyrics that are unapologetically sexual and straightforward. No metaphors, no coy double entendres, just Rihanna proudly claiming that whips and chains excite her.

I like it, like it.

S&M, more formally known as sadomasochism, is a range of sexual activities that are inspired by getting pleasure from pain. Sadists inflict pain and masochists love to receive it. S&M can be manifested in a lot of different ways – from hardcore bondage and flogging to mild spanking and humiliating wordplay.

I flirt with S&M from time to time because it allows me a certain level of freedom that I can’t access during conventional sex. When my partner and I have regular sex, while it’s totally enjoyable and awesome, it’s too grounded in reality and I find it almost impossible to completely shut off my brain and be completely in the moment. But when I play around with S&M, I’m able to lose myself in the fantasy of it. It allows you to embrace aspects of your sexual being you usually repress, whether it’s your aggressively sexy dominatrix side or your desire to be a super submissive wanton hooker.

Getting Started:
S&M can start off very simply – dirty talk using words that are maybe more vulgar than you may usually use, or introducing spanking during a back massage. Then, once everyone is comfortable, it could lead to integrating props like handcuffs, scarves, paddles, or nipple clamps into the mix, which may eventually lead to more advanced play. Regardless, there are a lot of different levels and ways to engage in S&M, so if it’s your first time, you can ease into things slowly.

The Trust Issue:
Sadomasochism can be absolutely terrifying because it requires a certain level of trust and responsibility. It’s absolutely crucial to set clear, well-defined boundaries that both partners have the utmost respect for. It’s also a good idea to have a “safe word” to use when either partner wants to stop or decrease the intensity. The word should be simple, but not something you’d typically hear during nookie, like “fettuccini” or “xylophone.” Safety is absolutely essential in S&M scenarios. One partner is put in an extremely vulnerable position, and that partner’s well-being should be the top priority at all times.

After:
After an intense session, you may feel a “drop” afterwards. All the endorphins and the adrenaline rush you were feeling during sex may suddenly decrease and you may feel overwhelming sadness or depression. This is completely normal, because your hormones are trying to stabilize themselves. There are a lot of ways you can address it – talking, kissing, and cuddling with your partner are all common strategies. Don’t hesitate to treat your drop like any other time you feel down. Eat your favorite comfort foods, light some candles, take a bubble bath, sleep it off. Do whatever you need to do to lift yourself back up

Ultimately, though, S&M is just as mild or just as rough as you and your partner want it to be. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience as long as you keep everything safe, sane, and consensual, and really, that’s what sex should be like all the time anyway.

Chains and whips don’t excite you? Here are a few other ways to spice things up between the sheets.

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Meet your new favorite crush

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Is this panda on coke?

Nice to know Nicole remembers her other children

8 stupid questions people ask in obvious situations

Life used to be so easy

Is Blake’s new hair hot or not?

Are you a sexual smarty pants? Take the quiz

Almost every college student suffers from a bad study habit or two (or 1,237….) – something you just can’t seem to break or get over. But fear not, I’m here to help! As a reformed terrible studier, I feel like I’ve got the experience and know-how to lead you all on the road to a better GPA before it’s too late.

Trust me, I know how hard it is to break these habits, especially the ones you’ve been working at for 4 years, but it’s definitely worth it. Keep your eye on the prize and get moving.

Bad Habit: Neverending Facebooking
Ever since this little devil popped up in 2003, vulnerable college students have spent their valuable study time creeping that hot guy down the hall or following the drama currently happening on the quad. Seriously, you might as well just pack up the books and go see for yourself because you will not get anything done when Facebook is on. Now, I have some friends who recommend completely de-activating your account for exam season, but I think that’s a bit extreme, especially when some people (myself included) use Facebook as the sole form of communication between cousins all over the world.

The Fix: I’ve found keeping my laptop on the other side of the room or turning off my internet connection to be useful. By doing that, you make it way more difficult to get your creep on. Seriously, just having to get up or switch on Airport gives you more time to consider if changing your status is really a good idea. However, if you really can’t resist, let yourself “creep” to your heart’s content on 15 minute breaks. This is going to be something you need to wean yourself off of, so set Facebook breaks in between study intervals that get longer and longer each time. Example: Break after half an hour, then 45 minutes, then an hour and so on until you’ve realized that you’re not really missing anything. PS – This goes for any website you seem to addicted to (even CollegeCandy!).

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[Got a Dude itch you just can’t scratch? Sick of trying to come up with a not-totally-crazy-girl way to bring it up to your guy friends and get their take on things? Totally over over-analyzing the cryptic messages he leave on your Facebook Wall?  We got your back, girlfriend. Send your question over to askthedude [at] collegecandy [dot] com. The Dude won’t sugarcoat it, beat around the bush, or any other weird cliche that means lie to you. Like a nice, juicy hot dog, he’ll be 100% real beef, 100% of the time. So bring. it. on.]

Dear Dude,
I have recently found a new guy that I really like and now things are getting exciting in the bedroom department. However, I am very self conscious about my body and I always tend to stop things before they go any further. I would just like to know that if guys pay attention to those things. Like, does he notice my cellulite? The extra weight on my thighs? I know this seems like a ridiculous question, but it’s sorta paralyzing me and I don’t know what to do.

Thank you,
Totally Self Conscious Read More »

Well, it was only a matter of time. A mere 3 weeks after watching our Teen Moms chat it out with Dr. Drew at the end of the first season of Teen Mom 2, teen dad Jo Rivera (who, as you may remember, called ex-girlfriend Kailyn a dumb slut) has officially launched his rap career. And there’s a video to prove it.

Now I’m not going to say it’s a horrible disgrace to the english langauge, or that it offends every sense...I’ll let you be the judge for yourself.

But, just in case you are wondering, here’s a preview:

“Now when you done gettin’ your pretty hair and toes done, I come and get ya, spend a little do’ and time with you.”

And:

“I know you got a lot of dudes tryin’ to wife you.”

Groundbreaking song writing, right?

I got to give homeslice some props, though; I mean at least he’s doing it on his own. It seems like every time another reality show star graces our TVs a hyper-produced single (or cheesy clothing line, ghost-written book, or club appearances) is sure to follow. Jo’s song may not be good, but at least it’s true to who he is. And who knows, if for some reason this is his Rebecca Black moment, well, at least we can rest easy knowing little Isaac will be well taken care of.