Remember when you were a little kid, and you’d actually wake up on time for school… just so you could huddle next to the radio and listen for your school to be called on the list of snow days? With winter’s doom impending and temperatures dropping faster than The Situation’s pants, we can’t help but cross our fingers and pray.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Are snow days something you never grow out of? Or, in college, do they prove that miracles really can happen? Here’s how our anticipation of snow days has evolved since grammar school.

Then: A snow day meant a day off from times tables.
Now: We don’t have to finish copying someone else’s MiniTabs before Stats lab.

Then: We would make a beeline to the street and get all the neighborhood kids together for a snowball fight.
Now: We don’t have to brave arctic winds to walk to class and sit through lecture with snotsicles hanging from our frostbitten faces.

Then: Since we were already up at the crack of dawn, we could take advantage of the snow day and start building a snow man as soon as we got “the word.”
Now: We can go back to sleep for about six hours, and wake up just in time for happy hour.

Then: Snow days meant putting on snow pants and trekking to the biggest hill in town for a full day of sledding.
Now: Snow days mean putting on our beer coat and trekking to the bar for a full day of boozing.

(Note: I love how college students use a blizzard as an excuse to go to the bar, yet even when school isn’t canceled, we deem it too treacherous to walk to class.)

Then: For some unfortunate children, snow days meant driveway-shoveling duty before the parents got home.
Now: After the storm passes, we have to shovel our cars out from behind the snow banks the university plows have inevitably created throughout the parking lot.

Then: We could spend a whole extra day working on our vocabulary exercises!
Now: We could start that research paper that was due three days ago… but who are we kidding? Those episodes of Law and Order SVU aren’t going to watch themselves!

Then: We had an excuse to drink hot chocolate for breakfast.
Now: We have an excuse to drink a thirty-pack for breakfast.

I think it’s clear that snow days are one of mankind’s greatest inventions. Honestly, snow delays and cancellations are one of the top reasons to attend a university in a colder climate. I feel bad for those of you who are earning degrees in Hawaii, Florida, California, or any other season-less state. You will never experience the joys of the world’s most beautiful Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card: the beloved snow day!

Want mas? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.]

[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 free birth control! ) 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!]

From Stanford to Florida State there are certain traditions that hold true in college across the country - homecoming, welcome week craziness, wearing flip flops in the shower, and getting up close and personal with your toilet after way too many shots on Friday night. College drinking has been a hot button issue for a long time, and there’s always been the question of who should step up and be responsible for it. Some recent reports have said that schools aren’t doing enough to curb excessive drinking – but should it be up to the schools?

On one side, colleges do have a responsibility toward their students’ health and that should at least include doing their best to distribute information and make policies that help keep students from chugging down the booze until it’s stomach-pump time. Also since many colleges are a major epicenter for the towns they’re in, often the school’s policies spill over into the surrounding communities, which in turn helps to curb the bingeing overall. And whether it’s fair or not, colleges are the only ones who really have jurisdiction in these kind of situations since it’s not a legal issue, so it has to be up to the schools to try and keep students (at least reasonably, sorta) sober.

But doesn’t the fact that it’s not a legal issue say something? As long as the students doing the power hours are of age, they are legally entitled to make their own decisions, even if those decisions might totally suck in the morning….or afternoon. There are also some pretty serious questions of how much schools can really do. Sure they can make policies about what students are allowed to do on school property, but they can’t control what happens off campus, and for colleges in bigger cities, they really can’t affect the way their community at large deals with alcohol. There’s also the really basic fact that a lot of schools depend on the social aspect of college life to attract students – that’s why every college list ever has a “party schools” section. If students choose to drink, it’s their business, and should we really expect colleges to jump in and try and force decisions on people who are supposed to be adults?

What do you think? Are schools falling down on the job of keeping their students safe? Or should they accept that drinking is just one of the time honored college traditions? What can really be done to keep drinking under control? And who should be in charge of it? Duke it out!

Think about the last time you got your buzz on.  Was it last night?  The night before?  This morning? I’d venture to say it probably was in the not-too-distant past.  While some scientists might be scratching their heads over this significant drinking gap, I can think up a few explanations for this post-university bender we find ourselves on.

Duh, the economy’s got us all depressed.
A lot of us are unemployed.  You may have a job working at Baby Gap, but that’s not a career.  The general lack of a 9 to 5 schedule means we’ve got more room for late nights out and hungover mornings.  And when you’re a twenty-something folding shirts or scooping ice cream all day, you often need a drink to soften the blow of “Is this my life?” moments.

Sometimes the booze is free.
If you’re living with your parents to save on rent, chances are you don’t have much money to spend on alcohol either.  You’ll never get those student loans paid off if you bankroll your friends at the bar, but invite them home and drink the good stuff courtesy of Dad’s liquor cabinet. When it’s just sitting there, how can you say no?

We miss frat parties and house parties and any other type of party you can think of.
Fact: The Center for Science in the Public interest says that 44% of college students are binge drinkers.  There’s a pretty good chance you were one, too.  But gone are the days of stumbling down the quad, vodka-filled Nalgene bottle in hand, as you struggled to keep your impromptu toga from showing too much boob.  In an effort to remember the good ol’ days, we continue the debauched tradition when we can (because dancing to “Tainted Love” is not the same when done sober).

We simply won’t be able to drink heavily for that much longer.
Fingers crossed, soon that college degree is going to land you on a sparkly career path that has you bringing in the big bucks.  Problem is, when you’re a responsible and driven employee, you can’t be hungover during conference calls and business lunches.  Might as well fit in as much partying as you can while you’re still able!

Now that you’ve graduated from fake IDs and sweet talking bouncers in college bars, I say go out there and mainline those Ketel and club sodas. Clearly liver abuse isn’t solely reserved for those still sleeping in extra-long twin beds.

Over the past few months, I’ve written a lot about how nervous I am to graduate, to leave college for good, and enter the real world. I’ve felt scared, nervous, anxious, and every other emotion that comes naturally to a graduating senior.

I’ve stressed about my lack of job, the economy, and how the heck I am going to figure out things like insurance, paying bills, and not drinking on Sunday nights. But despite all my reservations about leaving the wonderful world of college behind, I’m also really, really, fantastically excited to graduate.

Like many of you, I’ve had the best time over the past four years. I literally cannot imagine my life any differently. When I was a senior in high school, leaving my comfort zone for a college over 2,000 miles across the country was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. But it was also the best decision I’ve ever made. I knew no one and had no friends. But four years later, I’ve found a network of teachers, mentors, and peers that have helped me grow into the person I want to be. Who knows what my life would be like without the people I’ve met or the experiences I’ve had here in college?

Now college is almost over and I’m right back to how I felt in May of my high school senior year. I don’t exactly know what the next step is, but I think I’m finally ready for it.

Yes, I’m still scared and nervous, but I’m surprised at how excited I am starting to feel. And yes, a small part of me still wants to crawl up in the fetal position, turn on Norah Jones, and weep irrationally. But a bigger part of me wants to dance my face off to the Vitamin C graduation song, Jay Z’s legit version of Forever Young or Asher Roth’s I love College.

Not feeling the same way? Well with the help of my amazing and incredibly attractive friends, I’ve compiled a list of reasons why I’m excited to graduate. Read them and maybe (or maybe not) you’ll be a fraction more excited than you currently are about graduation day and that mysterious time they call life after college.

TOP 10 REASONS I’M EXCITED TO GRADUATE

10. No more shower shoes. Enough said.

9. Money – I want and need to start making it. I thrive in a work environment more than an academic one, so please someone hire me. But seriously, do it. I want to start a career already, instead of working on problem sets and papers. No more lectures!

8. To expand my network – I love the people I’ve met during college, but I’m ready to meet new people, have new conversations, and have new experiences!

7. A change of scene – I’ve been here for four years. I’m getting a little bit of cabin fever. I don’t want to end up like that creepy man from The Shining before graduation. And although I know I’ll miss this place incredibly, I can’t wait to move to a city!

6. To cook for myself – No more dining hall food or limited dinner options. If I want baked tofu for dinner, I can have it and no one can stop me!

5. Reading for pleasure – I miss reading books that aren’t required reading. I also miss a good beach read that is simple entertainment, rather than a brain challenger. Give me some Danielle Steel please, instead of an epic novel filled with symbols and metaphors that I have to struggle to understand.

4. To not feel pressure to party -…or drink on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night… or any other day that ends in Y.

3. To get healthy – My body needs to recover from four years of late night eating, copious amounts of booze, and all-nighters. I have to remind myself that beer is not a food group despite my current diet.

2. To have my own space – Don’t get me wrong, I love my roomie…but I can’t wait to have my own space and my own room again. (Honestly, I just want to walk around naked whenever I want…). Also, I really don’t want to hear that girl down the hall having sexy time for the third time today.

1. No more frat boys! – I can’t wait to meet guys who are outside of the college mentality. No more popped collars! Also, totes looking forward to guys who understand that going to the dining hall for dinner does not count as a date.

What are some of the reasons why you’re excited to graduate?

Mother Earth Says: No balloons!

As 2009 winds down and 2010 looms ahead, we all begin thinking about the important things in life.  I think most of us can agree that at the top of our list would be one of the most important things of all – throwing an epic NYE bash!

As always, I will be the one to 1) ruin your fun by saying that your party is killing the earth and 2) make it even better by replacing your old faves with your soon-to-be new ones.  Here are some of the most crucial aspects to throwing an eco-friendly, yet equally bitchin’ New Year’s shindig.

1) Choose eco-friendly champagnes.  This article on TreeHugger.com has a great list of organic sparkling wines at all price ranges.   If you’re like me and still too poor to afford a bottle of anything over $7.99 then you can still opt for the favorites as long as they’re grown and bottled as close to you as possible.  For example, if you’re a California girl, such as myself, you have the pleasure of sippin’ on BevMo’s finest.  That’s right, I’m talking about Cook’s and Andre.  You’re welcome.

2)  Use real champagne glasses. I know you are all classy ladies out there, so kick the red cup habit and get something real stylish.  If you can’t afford the cost and the injuries that result from broken glass, opt for acrylic or plastic champagne flutes.  Just be sure to recollect them at the end of the night so you can use them for your party next year (or next week).

3)  Skip the streamers and confetti. Seriously, who decorates their party with streamers past the age of 6 anyway?  If your party is not complete without the midnight confetti toss and next day incessant vacuuming, then be my guest.  But please, please, please don’t waste your money and our precious resources at an overpriced party goods store.  All you have to do is look in your recycle bin, dig out that old newspaper and start ripping it to shreds.

4)  Ditch the Fritos and get your a** in the kitchen! By whipping something up on your own, your food will be yummier, cheaper, and healthier for you than those nasty processed foods.  Plus, there’s really no way to know exactly how much the Earth died (tiny overstatement) just to get you your frozen spinach dip.  If you’re ready to get your hands dirty but you don’t know how, just follow the recipe of your favorite party foods and then substitute the ingredients for organic, fresher, and less processed alternatives.  Eat up!

5)  Spend your money on booze. And not on your NYE party dress.  Get real, you know you’re only going to wear it once anyways!  Be resourceful and utilize all your resources before heading to the mall.  Borrow clothes from your friends and match them with those shoes that you haven’t worn in a year.  (I promise, nobody will notice.)  If absolutely cannot live without a new party ‘fit, hit your local thrift and consignment stores today!  Not only will you spare the earth’s resources, but you also have a higher chance of buying a designer label that’s actually within your price range.

There is always that one friend that is the sparkler at every party. And I mean every party, because she never misses one. Infamous for dancing on tables and singing louder than the rest when Miley’s “Party in the USA” comes on, she’s a party animal and you love her just the way she is. She’s the one you call to find out the best pregame, party and after-party for the night. So really, you owe her.

If you need help finding the perfect present for the party animal in your life, here are some helpful gift ideas for the girl who loves life… and loves it a lot more when there’s booze involved.

Do-it-yourself ice luge: For my 21st birthday, my mom bought me an ice luge mold. Little did she know just how big of hit it was when broken out at my birthday party. Nothing better than pouring cheap vodka down a icy slide. Your friend will love having a personal ice luge at her disposal, and it will only make her parties that much more fun for the rest of you. And if she’s a little saucy, try this one.

Personalized Flask: Every party animal needs their own flask. And this one from Urban Outfitters may be perfect for the party whore in your life. It holds her sauce and gets her home at the end of the night. Because who wants some ugly ID bracelet wreckin’ her style?

Beer Can Wraps: We all know the dangers of drinking in public. Pesky law enforcement. Because you don’t want to see your friend in jail anytime soon, get her these handy beer can wraps so she can drink her beer in peace. “Skunkpiss” and “Mountain Spew” are my favorites.

Shot Glass Checkerboard Set: Checkers has never been more thrilling. It will quickly become your friend’s favorite pregame activity. Be warned, however. Strategy flies right out the window after your first few jumps.

Martini Mixer: Bed, Bath & Beyond will surprise you with the amount of gifts they have aimed at having a good and boozy weekend. (They should change their name to Bed, Bath and Boozehound.) Let your friend get her 007 on with this Electric Martini Mixer. Shaken, stirred or right from the mixer, she’ll thank you for this new-found toy.

The Ultimate Beer Bong: Because no party animal likes to drink alone, the Octobong is the perfect present. Drinking beer from a funnel at a very fast pace is truly a bonding experience, believe me. Nothing says friendship more than an eight-person beer bong.

Power Hour Program: Being friends with a party animal is sure to drain your bank account; nights out on the town aren’t free, ya know. So if you’re looking for something cheap and easy to get your friend, download this awesome power hour program on her computer. Using her favorite songs from her iTunes, you two can host a rockin’ power hour pregame for next to nothing, excluding the price of beer, of course.

How to Cure a Hangover: I’ve never met a person who was immune to hangovers. While your party animal friend may have their own homemade-hangover cure, I think it’s best to leave it to the people who know best. How to Cure a Hangover: The Best Remedies from the World’s Greatest Bartenders by Andrew Irving is sure to help your friend through some of her worst hangover woes.

Asahi Beerbot: If you’re going in on this gift with friends, or if you’ve got the money to spend and you REALLY like this friend, the Asahi Beerbot is perhaps the coolest gadget I’ve ever seen. First of all, it’s a robot. A robot that you can program with a voice. And he will store and keep your beer cold until you decide to crack one open. But it doesn’t stop there! The Beerbot will pour it in a glass mug for you! Dying. I think I’d be tempted to buy this for myself before giving it away.

And the one thing that all party animals should have in their back pocket..

Portable breathalyzer: It’s better they test themselves than have an officer of the law do it for them, if you know what I’m saying.

[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, 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 losing our summers!) 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!]

Let’s be honest – no one (at least no one who wants hot, dirty sex) waits until they’re 21 to try an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol is so ubiquitous at high school and college parties that the red plastic cup is practically the official symbol of underage consumption. And yet, even in the face of this almost universal fact, the legal drinking age in America continues to be 21 (as if we didn’t have enough problems getting our hooch!).

Now that the Amethyst Initiative - a group of over 135 US college and university presidents who want the drinking age lowered - is making the rounds, the debate has gotten even hotter – and since we’re the ones it really effects, it seems like it’s time we weighed in!

Believe it or not, there is an argument for keeping the drinking age where it is, and it’s even annoyingly legit. One of the biggest points is safety – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that setting the drinking age at 21 has saved more than 25,000 lives since 1975 (about 900 underage drivers a year). Admittedly an impressive statistic, and since no one I know of is pro-car accident, it’s hard to argue against that point. I’ll also give them the fact that in the ’70s, when some states lowered drinking ages, car accidents went up dramatically.

Proponents of the current law also say that students of campuses or states that more forcefully restrict alcohol are less prone to binge drinking, one of the serious problems with underage consumption. And studies have shown that the younger you start drinking, the more likely you are to develop long term health problems like brain damage and substance abuse issues (which explains why I can never remember where I put my keys).

The truth is, most of the arguments against lowering the drinking age are based on the principal that younger people make poorer choices – and I’m not saying we don’t make bad decisions (like my hair, circa 2005 ) – most drinkers do their heaviest, most irresponsible drinking when they’re underage.

However, this is where we come to the big crux of the problem for many: in the US, we’re considered adults at 18 – we can buy tobacco products, own guns, get married, make all our own legal decisions and even choose to die for our country if it comes down to it. We are guaranteed these rights by our country, and yet this same government tells us we aren’t good enough at making decisions to handle alcohol. It’s a back assward stance, any way you slice it. But beyond my general annoyance at being told my decisions are crappy, there are also good reasons for lowering the drinking age beyond the legal mixed-messages.

Remember how those in favor of the current 21 law were saying that binge drinking is lower because of the law? Well according to studies, “among college-age males, binge drinking is unchanged from its levels of 1979; that among non-college women it has increased by 20 percent; and that among college women it has increased by 40 percent.” And while the number of accidents went up in the ’70s when the drinking age was lowered, this was also a time before airbags and mandatory seat-belts and the after school specials that drilled “don’t drink and drive” into our brains – all things that just weren’t there almost forty years ago. And many say that real problem today is not road safety anyway: it’s binge drinking - something that can only be solved by education.

Do you think that lowering the drinking age would help? Or would it just make things worse? Are we just to debaucherously into our booze? Or should it be a question of something other than age, like alcohol education?

Mmmm beer cake.

I love drinking alcohol, but weekend after weekend of beer pong and vodka shots can get old. So I got to thinking…how can I spice up my weekly binge drinking sesh?

I hit the web in search of some “unique,” “fun” alcohol ideas, and out of these keywords came the most glorious idea I have ever heard.

Cake-tails.

It seemed so simple. Why had I never thought of this before? Why drink my calories when I can kill two birds with one stone? Gobble down baked goods from the snack table while still getting my drink on?

Within minutes I had an entire list of cocktail inspired recipes and alcohol based desserts that I knew my friends would be all over. (No seriously, if they tackled my kitchen table I wouldn’t be surprised).

So here are some of my favorites. Try them out for your next girls’ night or bring it to the house party on Saturday. (If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, make 20 mini bunt cakes for a delicious Beer Pong game.) You will most definitely be everyone’s favorite guest. Let’s be real, who is going to say no to alcohol-and-dessert-in-one? That’s right, absolutely no one.

Plus, our favorite girly cocktails can continue to live on despite the fact that the cutest thing we can drink in a beer-soaked-frat-house is a jello shot – and even that’s a luxury.

Oh and forget the milk. If you still haven’t reached your desired blood alcohol level, nothing goes better with these desserts than an ice cold glass of vodka.

"I shouldn't have eaten that 2nd hot dog..."

It’s College Game Day. Do you know what that means?

For most college guys out there, it means it’s the best day of the week and college football has arrived! It means tailgating, day drinking, cheerleaders, phenomenal food, and most importantly: field goals, sacks, tackles, and touchdowns.

There are a lot of girls who wake up on Game Day just as excited as the boys for the glory that is college football. These football girls know their team, their key players, their opponents, their weaknesses, and also, most likely, who the hottest players are.

Not one of these girls? Well, you can be. Football fanatic or not, here’s some tips every college girl should know to be prepared for game day.

Wear your team colors: The cardinal rule to football fans everywhere and the first step to supporting your team! Want be a football fashionista? Don’t pick up a cutsie pink version of your college t-shirt; rock your school colors in style. Most school stores carry stickers/face paint of your college letters and now even Victoria’s Secret has a whole college line!

ESPN is like Perez Hilton, But Cooler: Seriously, ESPN online is the home of college football. It’s complete with player bios, schedules, rankings, blogs, videos, and pictures (of all those hot wide receivers). You’ll always know the latest news about your team and impress the boys with your football smarts and stats. Plus, ESPN online has a college football blog that’s awesome (not as addicting and fabulous as CollegeCandy, of course, but close)!

Tailgate, tailgate, tailgate: Game day isn’t the same without traditional tailgate food like burgers, chips and guac (yum!), pre-game radio, and booze. Just a warning: pace yourself wisely. You want to be able to actually watch the game (unlike that one time I passed out before kickoff…).

Scream, Yell, or Yodle but Please Don’t Cheer: There is a cheerleading team for a reason, and unless you’re on it, don’t scream out cutesy rhyming cheers. Yelling at the refs for bad calls? Go for it. Yelling for your team to pick it up? Acceptable. High-fiving and screaming after a 75-yard run for a touchdown. Obviously. But rah-rahing to be aggressive, be be aggressive? No thanks.

Bring The Tailgate Into the Stadium: One of the perks about being a female while entering a college stadium? Security can’t pat down near your goods. Yes, they can check your purse to see if you tried to bring in the booze, but they can’t check a flask taped to your upper thigh or your binoculars, and definitely not your bra. Just sayin…

Wear Sunscreen: All that booze school spirit sometimes makes you forget that you’re spending a good 6 hours in the sun. Slather on the SPF before you leave the house so you don’t end up rocking raccoon eyes for the rest of the week.

If Everyone Else is Cheering…Cheer! Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all the rules of football and that’s OK. Just pay attention, cheer when everyone else cheers and eventually you’ll figure it all out. Oh and if you’re little, be prepared to be tossed in the air.

New Year’s Eve, many moons ago, I spent the end of the evening hugging the toilet at my parents’ house. I recall my mother saying, in that all-too-knowing tone, “See Blair, alcohol is poison.”

“Thanks, Mom. Blahhhhh!”

At that moment, while I agreed completely, I still felt like telling her to shut up. I needed her back there holding my hair, not scolding me for drinking “poison.”

Never would I have imagined – in my wildest dreams! – later reading articles boasting, “Alcohol is Good for You!”

But here we are in 2009 and it’s been proven that wine, and now beer and liquor, provide certain benefits to the body.

As we know, wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, fight aging, and improve lung function. This is due to the flavanoids found in red wine that act as antioxidants, as well as the effects in red grape skin (MSNBC.com). But beer and hard alcohol are now showing their good-for-you colors, too. Beer contains vitamin B6, which prevents the buildup of homocysteine, a chemical linked with heart disease (FitnessMagazine.com). (It’s kind of hard to believe that beer has a vitamin in it, but those people at Fitness Magazine know what they’re talking about…) And drinking hard alcohol will raise your good HDL cholesterol levels, something that is obviously very beneficial to people with high cholesterol.

Ok, so clearly there is a catch: In order to receive these benefits, we must drink our drinks in moderation. Booo, I know. But sipping too much too often will only counter the good effects by increasing the risk of certain cancers and liver disease.

But, still, the next time you choose to just have one or two glasses of wine, or beer, or vodka and club soda, remember that you are doing your body a favor. And be sure to tell your mom that, too.