Celebrities will do practically anything to keep their names in the news these days. If their album flops or their movie doesn’t do so well at the box office, they turn to the world of expose’ memoir books, VH1 reality shows, trashy clothing lines, and tweeting multiple times per hour. Some of them even go as far as to reveal some disgusting, shock-worthy story about themselves just to gain a page in the tabloids this week (yes, I’m talking to you, Florence Henderson). Even though they seem to try a little too hard to stay relevant, I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t get enough of these people.

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Do you think celebrities share too much about their personal lives, or maybe you think they don’t share quite enough? Who’s your favorite celeb to stalk via Twitter?

We’ve all seen those cheesy commercials promising students who enroll in hassle-free online classes at for-profit institutions a job within the lucrative careers of their choice. What these commercials forget to mention, though, are the incredibly steep tuition costs, the even steeper debt that students should plan to graduate with and the statistics of high dropout and low success rates of graduates from these institutions. The government is pouring millions of federal tax dollars and much of its student aid into these for profits, which results in only 3 things: rich CEOs, grads deep in debt and the rest of us college students (at non-profit schools) losing out on more federal student aid each year.

So what’s the real deal with these for-profit colleges?

Well, here’s how the system works. Recruiters are paid upwards of about $750 to practically harass students to enroll in these institutions, which typically offer online courses. Tuition costs an average of $31,000, which is about double that of non-profit public universities who are also federally funded. Ironically, the for-profits spend on their students only 1/3 of the amount that public universities spend on their students. The reasoning for this may be that the for-profits offer most of their classes online. Bridgepoint Education for example, has a 99% of its enrollment online. Campus Progress provided a statistical breakdown of the scams non-profit professionals are running, and the injustices their students face during enrollment and post graduation from these schools. Here’s a rundown of the stats:

- Non-profits are the fastest growing sector of higher learning. Enrollment has increased drastically by 225% in 10 years, yet students of these colleges still make up only 10% of college students nationally.

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When was the last time you emerged from the depths (all 2 feet) of your closet proclaiming that you simply had nothing to wear? Boring shirts, been-there-done-that dresses, and accessories that…well, don’t even get me started on the accessories! Who ever said huge rhinestones were a good look?? Luckily summer poses a whole bunch of new options for ways to add a splash of color and a shock of pizzazz into your tired wardrobe.

Make a statement with Jockey Person to Person scarves – the perfect accent for any outfit. Featured here is the Silk Scarf that comes in Pinot Noir Link, Black Link, Blue Clay Mosaid or Concentrated Coral Mosaic (retails for $39).Other scarves available from Jockey Person to Person include the Crinkle Scarf (featured in the image) that comes in Bull’s Eye Red or Rich Indigo ($39) – visit jockeypersontoperson.com to learn more.

Drum roll, please. Here’s how you can win a Jockey Person to Person scarf of your own!

1. Tell us your favorite “beat the heat” summer styling tip in the comments below for your chance to win.  That’s it.  Oh, and make sure to use your real e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest closes on June 30th at 11:59 pm

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

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I like words.

That may sound like a strange statement but it’s true. I like words. I like reading them. I like writing them. I like speaking them. I love how words often sound like their meaning. How certain ones flow off the tongue effortlessly and others are succinct little chirps. I love the differing number of syllables and how some are spelled phonetically and others have no rhyme or reason to their spelling whatsoever. I love silent letters and multiple meanings. But mostly I just love words.

I like them all, but I do have my favorites, the ones I use over and over again, the ones I probably use too often. There’s really no explaining why I love these particular words. They’re not the most difficult or the most eloquent sounding. They’re just my favorites. And if you know me in real life, or even if you frequently read my stuff here on CollegeCandy, you’ll know that these words are, in fact, a very big part of my everyday vernacular.

Ooh vernacular, now that’s a good word…

10. Legit. A shorthanded slang for legitimately. Often used by me for statements that are far from legitimate. But using the shortened version, “legit,” instead of “legitimately” makes the hyperbole okay somehow. At least for me.

9. Quip. A witty comeback. A short statement. I think I love using the word quip so much because I like to quip. A lot. So if I refer to other people’s comments as quips than maybe they’ll refer to my comments in the same way. Plus I like the alliteration of “quick quip.”

8. Simultaneously. A very, very pretty word that, let’s face it, sounds a hell of a lot more eloquent than “at the same time.”

7.  Quintessential. Not really a word you hear in everyday language, but I use it all the time. And probably more often than is appropriate. But I can’t help myself. It’s one of those words that just flows off the tongue. The “s” sound makes it sound so pretty.

6. Touché. This is a favorite of mine mostly because it allows you to still sound like you have the upper-hand even when admitting that your opponent actually has a point. Like, sure, you may have won the argument, but do you know how to bow out gracefully with words that require an accent? I do.

5. Repartee. More often than not when I used this word it’s preceded by the word witty. Because really, what’s the point of having a repartee if it’s not a witty repartee?

4. Pretentious. I’ve described more people than I care to admit using this word. It’s great because it allows you to sound important and intelligent and sure of yourself while making it sound like a bad thing when someone else behaves in the exact same way.

3. Adorable. Perfect for describing a puppy or a pair or shoes. Very few words are as adaptable as the word adorable. So make the most of it, why don’t you.

2. Absurd. A word my brother knows well. Mostly because it’s how I describe every one of his statements/actions/decisions since I was old enough to learn the word.

1. Fabulous.  Blame it on Carrie Bradshaw or Coco Chanel. Or whoever you please, but fabulous will pretty much always be my favorite word in the English dictionary. And you know why? Because it’s fabulous.

I know I’m not the only lover of language out there. What are your favorite words? 

You didn’t leave all your work until Sunday night did you? What!?! You did. That’s okay. No stress. You’ll get it all done. We’re so sure that you’ll get it all done that we’re giving you a few more excuses to procrastinate. This week it’s time to get your giggle on and check out these hilarious videos by The Second City…the same improv group that brought us Tina Fey.

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The Village was alaze with celebration and excitement Sunday as the 42nd Annual Gay Pride Parade took to the streets of mid and lower Manhattan.  The parade comes only two days after the New York Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriages in the State of New York.  NYC Gov. Andrew Cuomo was the obvious hero of the day, leaving the McCords from Real Housewives NYC as the obvious zeros.  Alex and hubby hugged the outer edge of the route in extreme effort to assure camera’s like ours caught it.

Caught it we did, in addition to 100 or so more pics.  So check out these 135 photos from Sunday’s historic Pride Parade.  And give cheers around to NY for having the cajones to recognizing equal rights for all.

(all photos © CollegeCandy.com 2011)

Real Housewives New York’s Alex McCord

The Man of the Hour Governor Andrew Cuomo

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In my accumulated two years as an unpaid intern at a variety of different magazines and websites, I have learned a LOT about the art of interning. I’ve worked with super nice people, but have also had horribly scary bosses who think they’re better than you — and I have spent countless hours trying to impress and suck up to those same people. And, well, I kind of rocked those internships. I worked hard, stayed organized, and tried my hardest to stand out in the crowd. At each different job, I had at least one or two people who told me constantly that there was no way they could get anything done without me.

Everyone knows the whole purpose of working long hours FOR FREE is to make some amazing contacts, get some great references, and most important of all: potentially get hired full-time. Yes, internships can be a total pain in the ass for a practically poor college graduate or student, but if you play your cards right, they can also be MAJORLY beneficial. I got my current full-time job (finally, YAY!) thanks to a former editor I interned for who gave me an amazing recommendation to a friend at the company I now work for. So here are my tips on how to easily be the life-saving intern who makes an impression.

Dress the part. For some internships, there’s a pretty standard dress code that’s easy to follow. For others, not so much. I know journalism jobs can be super casual – employees wear anything from suits and dresses to jeans and Uggs. Go by your office standards, but always make sure you look nice no matter what. You might not have to wear heels, but get a nice pair of flats or cute sandals, and try not to wear flip flops. How you dress is an indication of how seriously you’re taking your job. Walking in wearing the top you wore to the bar the other night or your fave Juicy hoodie is inappropriate and will only make you look inexperienced and young.

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I’ve never liked my summer birthday. It’s June 30^th, smack dab in the middle of summer. In elementary school I never got the chance to bring in cookies or cupcakes to celebrate, nor did I ever get the chance to be “Student of the Day” and wear the special birthday crown.  In elementary school, that’s a BIG deal!  Because of this, my birthday was often forgotten by my classmates. Few could ever attend my birthday parties because usually my birthday fell on the weekend of July 4^th so most families were out of town celebrating Independence Day. It sucked, and mostly because that meant I received fewer presents. Not to sound spoiled, but little kids LOVE presents and I was always jealous of those with birthdays during the school year because they received a ton of gifts. (Mostly the same variation of the coolest Barbie doll, I might add!)

Now that I’m turning the big 2-0 this year and my teen years are behind me, I’ve learned to appreciate my summer birthday.  Not many kids can say that they don’t have to go to school on their birthday…well I never had to. Summer babies are blessed with the greatest gift of all—no school! Although that might mean no special birthday treats and balloons, summer babies never have to sit through hours of grueling lectures and boring teachers. And that may just be the greatest gift of all. Having a summer birthday also lets you escape, meaning those with summer birthdays can treat themselves to a nice vacay! It’s awesome to get the chance to celebrate your birthday in a new environment, somewhere so different and exciting from your hometown.  One year, I was cruising the Caribbean during my birthday, and that my friends is pretty darn cool—cooler than any birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to love my summer birthday. It allows me to do some pretty awesome things on my special day, like stay out late, be carefree with no commitments and maybe even go on a vacation. It’s pretty awesome. My only complaint about my summer birthday—all my friends will be 21 before me. Bummer!