[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 it was Samantha and her valiant attempt at going man-free. This month, we're hanging out with Jill as she faces her greatest fears head on.]

When I thought about what I wanted to do for my one-month challenge, so many things came to mind: I could go on a social media diet, I could go on a vegan diet, a debt diet… and on and on it went until I decided I wanted to do something out of the box (and not including the word diet). My birthday is coming up this month (ten days! Woop!) and for the past year, I realized not much has changed. I’m sort of in a rut; in a routine of sorts. I wake up with the intention of working out but hit snooze, go to work, work out, watch bad reality TV, spend too much time on Facebook, go to bed, repeat. It’s boring, yes, but it’s comfortable. And like that sweatshirt I have from freshman year that I still won’t part with, comfortable is sometimes a lot easier and more convenient than the other option.

So to shake things up a bit, I decided this month would be all about living outside my box, confronting my fears and living outside of my comfort zone. I have a list a mile long of things I want to be bold and daring enough to do – some big and some not so big – and I’m sure as the month goes on, things will just pop up forcing me to be uncomfortable for a bit but happier in the long run. I’m hoping facing my fears will get me out of this sticky spot I’m in and force me to embrace the world with some new gusto.

And this week I started small. Very, very small. To you this may not sound scary or uncomfortable at all, but to me it was one large step for mankind. Well for me-kind, and I’ll take it. Read More »

For college seniors, the fear is setting in right about….. now. Finals are coming to an end, graduation is looming (or already happened), and with nothing else to do, you’ve got a lot of time on your hands to think. And wonder. And freak the f**k out.

I remember when I was finishing my senior year. I developed a paralyzing fear that would wake me up in the middle of the night (even after wine pong night when NOTHING should wake you up). For the first time in my life I had no idea what was coming next, where I’d be, what I’d be doing, or who I’d be doing it with. And if that isn’t enough to make you crap your pants, well, you’ve got nerves of steel.

Of course, now different things scare me. Like Guidos, my parents finding my “list,” and people with tracheotomy holes (OMG I just Googled that for spell-checking purposes and nearly barfed), but thinking back to that point in my life still, to this day, gives me pangs of anxiety. Some CollegeCandy writers are at that point, so in an effort to get everyone thinking of something besides the bleak economy and leaving the best 4 years of their life behind, I asked everyone to share their biggest fears this week. And – BONUS! – I got some dedicated CollegeCandy readers to share too!

Ricki – University of Michigan: My biggest fear is spiders.  I always have to check the ceilings before I go to bed, just in case.

Rachael – University of Miami: My biggest fears are losing people I love, truly being alone, failure (aka living in my home town forever). Oh, and snakes – I can’t stand snakes. *Shudder*

Andi – Drake University: Getting a paper cut on my eyeball, and having someone throw-up on me. [A CC reader! Submitted via Twitter]

Brittany – University of Saint Thomas: Rejection and hydroplaning. Read More »

I know what I’m asking for this Christmas! Lord knows I need some practice before my real cat lady days set in. Sigh.

Whenever a boy that we like doesn’t call, or does call and says something like, “Your early morning beer bongs are really not attractive,” the same thought crosses our minds:

Must buy cats.

And then fear washes over us as we realize that we might one day become this woman. God save us.