We all have habits. Sometimes people hail them as being good — like rescuing orphans or helping old ladies across the street — while others…well, they’re less good. I feel like people (parents, grandparents, best friends, etc.) are always telling me “that’s a bad habit, you should stop!” And while I’ve had some un-stellar habits (like nail biting) that were admittedly probably not very good for me, I still have quite a few that I don’t believe I need to kick.

These are the “bad” habits that, according to some people, I should kick…but, please. I’m keepin’ ‘em.

Do you have any “bad” habits you refuse to give up?

initiating the gallery...

Ashley is a freshman at George Washington University and she’s majoring in Overanalyzing Situations and International Affairs. Follow her on twitter @ashleybrooks25.

Researchers at University of Montreal set out to compare frequent viewers of pornography with those who have never seen porn and were UNABLE TO FIND A SINGLE MAN WHO HADN’T WATCHED PORN.

Now, if you’ll come to terms with that news, consider these five facts taken directly from the study:

1) Most men started watching porn around 10 years of age.

2) 90% of pornographic viewing consumption is online and 10% is purchased from stores.

3) Although single men watch more porn than men in relationships, their spoken-for counterparts still yield to this activity weekly.

4) Single men watch an average of 40 minutes 3 times a week, whereas taken men indulge for an average 20 minutes 1.7 times a week.

5) Men are found to prefer “conventional” sexual practices and tend to avoid anything they deemed offensive. Researchers found that “pornography hasn’t changed their perception of women.”

So go ahead and appreciate how cultured and sophisticated your boyfriend is, but we all know the truth. As annoying as pornography is, it may be something that as girlfriends, we all need to learn how to accept …and who knows, maybe it is something that we can enjoy for 40 minutes 3 times a week as well.

[Everyone's got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can't do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month Michelle gave up stress eating. This month, Charlotte's going to try to stop biting her nails. Can she do it!? Could you?]

Stuff I learned this week:

1. Shit happens. Nails break, and
2. Having nails is weird

First of all, yes, nails break. Sometimes they snag on something, or sometimes I’m chewing them BUT NOT BITING THEM, and I accidentally break an edge. And then I’m in a panic. WHERE IS MY NAIL FILE GODDAMNIT? However, this bit of advice, to always have a nail file on my person, has definitely helped. Now, instead of thinking “oh god, one nail gone,” I can file it up real nice and yeah, it won’t be quite as long, but it won’t be quite as short either. Breaking nails sucks though. One day my nails are all looking quite good, and then I break my “best” nail and they all look crappy again. But I am getting somewhere and I’m so proud. They’ve gotten to a point now where I don’t even want to bite them. Sure, I want to chew. But the idea of biting off that much nail is really weird. While I definitely haven’t completely kicked the habit, I’m definitely getting there, and that is something I never thought I’d be able to do.

Another thing I found out this week, the chili thing does work. I hadn’t tried it intentionally, but I made a curry last night and chopped a red chili. I absent-mindedly starting nibbling and what the heck is that in my mouth?! Chili. Yep. Genius. The nail biting stuff is working well (however, I am a little paranoid that whenever I prepare food you can taste it a little bit on everything I touch. I’m kinda immune to it now, but I think my mum’s salad a few days ago had a distinctively chemical aftertaste), but it’s definitely most repellent as soon as it’s applied. Then it’s so bad that it’s all I can taste for hours.

But having nails is weird. Scratching is much more painful than before, which is always a shock. But on the other side of the coin, they are so useful!! I can pick things off and pick things up with them. It’s awesome. I am so proud of the way they look too. Okay, too an untrained eye they look like gross little bitten down nails, but to me and people I know, they look amazing. A few days ago at dinner my Mum looked at my curiously and said “pass me your hand”, so I did. And then “pass me your other one.” Then she said, clearly impressed, “You’re started to get some sort of a nail there, aren’t you?”

The hardest thing at the moment is resisting nail polish. I love the stuff, I have probably over 30 different colours, but I know that right now I can’t wear it. Wearing nail varnish means I can’t see all my good work and it’s too easy to start by just biting the polish off the skin where it has spilled, and before I know it my (beautiful) nails are ruined. Working in food though means that even if I paint my nails I have to remove it before my next shift, so I’m sticking with clear for now. After the challenge is over, I might go another couple of weeks without polish to ensure I really have kicked the habit.

This has been an amazing experience and I don’t think I would have been able to do it without you all. I’m hoping to stick at it now and finally have the nails I’ve always wanted.

Check out the other One Month Challenges we’ve taken on. And if you’ve got a challenge you want to tackle (and be held accountable for), email us and we could feature you next month. Come on – it’s good for you!

[Everyone's got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can't do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month Michelle gave up stress eating. This month, Charlotte's going to try to stop biting her nails. Can she do it!? Could you?]

Wow, are we really onto week 3? Well I am definitely noticing progress and I’m learning what works and what doesn’t. What doesn’t is painting my nails, weirdly enough. Not being able to see that glimmer of white means I can happily gnaw away at them long before realising the damage I’ve caused. What also doesn’t work is forgetting to apply my nasty-tasting solution every day. It’s always those in-between days when I find myself nibbling, and the day-old taste is never quite enough to deter me. However, as I mentioned last week, clear nail varnish is a winner. I’m using one that is supposed to make my nails stronger, which is definitely something they need. Even when I’m not biting them, I am constantly sucking on them and they easily get soft and I feel cheated when they are ruined without the satisfaction of biting them.

There were a few problems this week. One is that I definitely think the main culprit of my biting is boredom and distractedness. Any advice on how to break this cycle of “I’m bored, nom nom nom nails”? I also did not heed the advice to always carry a nail file with me, and realised this week why I should have one. I managed to break a little bit of nail, and instead of filing it down, I decided it was more human to rip the nail off. It was my best nail too, so now I’m very annoyed at myself.

But successes!! They are definitely growing and a couple of them look really good now. I actually have white on my thumb nail for the first time in, well, I think ever!! I also managed to successfully pick off a sticker today, which was definitely an achievement. While I know I haven’t been perfect, I’m really proud of the success I’ve had in this challenge and will definitely be keeping it up long after it’s over!!

Check out the other One  Month Challenges we’ve taken on. And if you’ve got a challenge you want to tackle (and be held accountable for), email us and we could feature you next month. Come on – it’s good for you!

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month Michelle gave up stress eating. This month, Charlotte's going to try to stop biting her nails. Can she do it!? Could you?]

Back in January, I completed my first College Candy challenge without any slip-ups or failings. Admittedly, as a British girl and committed tea-drinker, a month without coffee was difficult at times, but not overwhelmingly so. I knew I could definitely complete the challenge without too much difficulty.

But coffee isn’t really my vice. This is different. My real vice doesn’t involve any money, and is completely inescapable — I am a chronic nail biter.

I don’t really remember biting my nails much as a child, and it was only in high school when I realised that everyone else had grown out of a habit I just couldn’t kick. I tried everything;  spending hours painting my nails, nasty tasting solution but none of it worked. I battled through every layer of pretty colours and bitter taste to get my fix.

When I think about it, yes, it really is a disgusting habit, but I’ve never been able to stop. I am orally fixated. I had a pacifier until I was five. I chew pens. I eat out of boredom and my boyfriend doesn’t have any complaints. Nail biting is my number one vice and this is really going to be tough.

The hardest thing is, I’m rarely aware that I’m even doing it. My boyfriend starting saying “stop” whenever he saw my hand at my mouth, and most of the time I wasn’t even conscious that I was nibbling. However, he soon got frustrated when we realised how frequently he had to tell me off and stopped. I pestered him to keep going, but even after he’d given me a stern look I’d be at it again in a couple of minutes. It helped for a while, but we’re now long-distance so he isn’t here to shout at me.

Painting my nails doesn’t help, in fact they are almost always painted. It always starts with freshly painted nails and I think “oh they really do look pretty, I really shouldn’t bite them”, but then I start nibbling at the varnish to neaten up the edges when the colour spills over onto the skin around my tiny nails. Then I chip them. Then I think “oh what they hell” and I end up with chewed, half-painted nails that just look ugly.

I really, really want to stop. I am hyper-aware of people’s hands because I am so insecure about mine. I can meet someone for two seconds and tell you their nail colour. And when I found out a lecturer of mine at University had bitten down stubs like mine, I quickly lost respect for her and felt an overwhelming sense of dread that people felt the same way about me.

I am envious of my friends with long, gorgeous nails. I have enough nail polishes to sink a battleship and I want to be able to show my nails off. I am hoping to become more aware of when I bite my nails and what causes it — boredom, frustration, mindlessness and while I don’t doubt that I will slip up during this challenge, I hope it will be the beginning of the end of my nail biting.

I would love any tips and advice from people who have kicked this habit. Every new year’s resolution and birthday goal has focused around stopping biting my nails for as long as I can remember and I’d really like to do it this time. I know that I am hopelessly addicted,  I bite them until they bleed and hurt for days. But I’m after any excuse to well and truly stop, and I hope this is it.

Wish me luck, I’m going to need it.

[Check out the other One Month Challenges we've taken on. And if you've got a challenge you want to tackle (and be held accountable for), email us and we could feature you next month. Come on - it's good for you!]

Get fit with this 15 minutes workout

How to get rid of your toxic ex

This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

5 bad habits to break this year

Is it sad how much we care about this couple?!

The best celebrity casual outfits

James Van Der Memes are hilarious!

Bonjour, mon amis!

Sorry, couldn’t help it. I’ve just taken up French and I’m getting so obsessed! The language is so gorgeous (especially when it’s coming from the lips of a sexy Parisian man) and a nice change from Spanish, which I’ve studied all my life. Plus, every French class I sit through takes me back to my days in Paris this past summer. I loved everything about it: the food, the people, the fashion, the scenery.

Well, everything except for all the smoking. It seemed like everywhere I went there was a cloud of smoke around me. Call me crazy (a lot of people do), but all that smoke just made me super paranoid. I couldn’t shake the vision of my lungs getting just a little bit blacker and my skin getting clogged with wrinkle-causing smoke particles. Not that I know if smoke particles exist, but my imagination usually doesn’t adhere to scientific fact, so whatev.

This made me imagine what it would be like to actually be a smoker, which led me to wondering:

Would You Rather be forced to pick up an unhealthy habit you hate (smoking, eating fast food for every meal, etc.) OR give up your absolute favorite activity?

Things to Consider: Disease, feeling gross, not getting to watch Jersey Shore anymore (hey, don’t judge).

Think about it. Think about it some more. Vote. Then tell everyone why below.

Lindsay Lohan’s getting sued.

So what causes the beer belly, anyway?

Chase Crawford and Zac Efron say goodbye to man-bangs.

Just how bad are your health vices?

10 crimes committed against women by reality TV.

But, surprisingly, sometimes what we think is horrible for our health can have some benefits.  However, just like anything, these things should probably be done in moderation anyway.  Most benefits are demolished when you overdose on the activity (except sex…I maintain that you cannot overdose on that).

Stress – Yes, stress can be helpful (short of pulling out your hair because you haven’t started that art project that’s due in two hours).  Stress can benefit the immune system, preparing the body to withstand things like surgery and infections, and also pushes us to be most effective at the tasks at hand. Bring on the triple-bypass surgery, because I’ve had enough stress to boost my immune system to super human levels.

Caffeine – There are tons of benefits of drinking caffeine! Increased reaction speed and alertness, decreased evidence of liver damage, weight loss, lower occurrence of diabetes, and increased sex drives in females (it’s only been proven in rats, but I’m gonna make the jump).  Grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria and enjoy the buzz.

Oversleeping – Sleeping too much is really bad for you.  However, how many college students do you know who are getting too much sleep?  Usually, we oversleep because we’ve been running on 3 hours of sleep for five days (finalsss) or because we’ve been killing ourselves with club meetings, classes, work, and assignments during the day.  Sometimes your body just needs some time to catch up and recover.  In fact, while you sleep your mind and body are putting things in order – repairing muscles, organizing memories and new pieces of information gained during the day.  Give yourself a chance to catch up to…yourself.  Sleep in!

Lack of Sleep – If you sleep too much, you’re screwed.  If you don’t sleep enough, you’re equally screwed.  WTF!  But there are still some good things associated with a less-than-satisfying sleep schedule.  Just consider how much extra time you’ll have to play/work with!  You can also get that awesome trippy feeling without the hassle of finding and paying for drugs.  Aside from that…there really isn’t much good that comes from not sleeping.

Alcohol – Although studies are scattered and the opposition is strong, there is some evidence that alcohol does a body good (I always knew it).  In fact, drinking one or two drinks three to four nights a week can decrease your risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and dementia.  Most of these studies were conducted on an older test group (read: 60′s and 70′s), but I say why not get a head start?  This IS your health we’re talking about.

Late-Night Snacking - So you think that bag of Doritos you’re scarfing at 2am is bad for you, right?  Well, it is, but it’s because you’re eating Doritos, not because you’re eating at 2am.  As long as you control portions, watch what you’re eating (perhaps put down the bag of chips and eat that apple instead…), it doesn’t matter when you eat. In fact, you should be eating every 3-4 hours to keep your blood sugar at the optimum level.  That means if you’re staying up late studying or whatnot (emphasis on the whatnot), you should probably eat a little something if dinner is becoming a distant memory.  Yay 2am snacking!

I’ve always appreciated the phrase “no offense but (insert ANYTHING!)” for it’s ability to take away all offense to the next part of the statement. I went through about a thirteen year phrase where I truly believed that saying “no offense, but” before I said the most heinous thing possible would make it impossible for the person to be mad at me.

Needless to say I lost a few (all) friends over this phase.

As the time starts to tick down at school I’m not only getting increasingly nostalgic (remember that hilarious time I fell on the ice and broke my tailbone!??!) but also increasingly eager to dole out some honesty before certain people go out to the real world. Hence I started the first official Honesty Month at Syracuse. It’s an entire month of “no offense but.” I know, fabulous idea right?

And I really don’t mean offense to a lot of the people that are going to experience Honestly Month first-hand. I truly want them to know that their behaviors, habits, and personality quirks are completely unacceptable both on campus and off. For example, if you ever push me the way that you always push me in the bathroom line at the bar in your soon-to-be workplace, you’re not going to last very long. Or if you think that your favorite outfit is truly okay outside of theme party (and you seem to think that) you will find yourself the joke of your hometown. Or, my most long-awaited one: Mrs. [insert loving mother of some guy who treated you like sh*t], are you aware you raised your son to treat woman as if he was a neanderthal?

Now, I suggested that the best way to kick off Honesty Month would be to create a friendship bracket similar to March Madness. I’m not really into basketball and I wasn’t completely aware that Syracuse even had a team until we started winning, so I missed the whole bracket fun. I think it would be a fun and interesting way to find out who we like best and a great jumping off point for who needs some honesty to help improve themselves. I haven’t worked out all the kinks yet – I’m not sure how people would advance or how to convince my friends that this isn’t one of my awkward jokes but rather a legitimate suggestion – but that’s neither here nor there.

I gotta get this thing moving fast; the month has already started and I have friends to offend, lose, and enlighten along the way.