You meet a million people in college. Or so it seems as you go from dorm to class to frat party, seeing thousands of new faces along the way. How’s a busy college student to determine who she’ll like or who she’ll want to avoid?

Well there’s no better instant-indicator than judging someone based on their major. Sure it’s a stereotype and sure it’s not always right, but as most college students can attest it’s usually pretty accurate.  So step into our judgmental world and check out our ultimate major translator. You’ll have your entire campus figured out in no time!

You know those “What I Want to Be When I Grow Up” essays you were assigned in sixth grade? Some kids wrote about wanting to be a rock star, a teacher, a mailman, a professional Sega Genesis player, an Olympic Pog champion…and you sat staring at your blank paper. How the heck are you supposed to know what you want to be at 11 years old?! And how the heck are we supposed to know now that we are in college?!

If you still find yourself lost and confused, don’t stress. Take a breath and open your school’s Courses Catalog. It’s time to pick a major. Having trouble finding your forte? Here are some tips and hints to finding your passion and turning it into a career (sorry, you can’t major in rock star):

Ask yourself: “What’s my favorite thing to do that makes me feel productive?” Could you see yourself doing this for the rest of your life? Would be willing to take a financially rewarding job at the cost of time with family? Or would you prefer a job that isn’t as lucrative, but is more fulfilling?

Make a trip to your Academic Advisor! They are trained to help you narrow down your favorite classes, enjoyable hobbies, and inner passions to pinpoint where you should study.

Don’t feel particularly passionate about just one thing? Choose a broad major that will allow you to find your own niche in that field. Psychology, Communications, and Business are all flexible career fields.

When choosing GE courses, pick ones from a variety of departments. Or pick a class that just seems fun. Knights of the Round Table 1A? Maybe it will spark an interest in the History major! Intro to Cinematography? You may just be a future Film major!

What are you good at? Take advantage of your natural talents and turn them into a career! Does your Myspace page look like it was pimped out by a pro? Take up Graphic Design! Do your friends compliment you on your feng shui abilities? Try Interior Decorating! Do you always succeed in your diet and fitness goals? Major in Nutrition or Exercise science!

Check out career and major fairs at your school! Booths are set up with brochures, professionals in the career, and professors and fellow students who know their stuff! Go to as many as you can find and don’t forget to bring a list of questions (and pick up free pencils and bookmarks. Score!).

Head to your local Barnes and Noble and pick up some helpful books like The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Choosing a College Major by Randall S. Hansen, Major in Success: Make College Easier, Beat the System, and Get a Very Cool Job by Patrick Combs, and The College Board Book of Majors.

We are 11 years old anymore, and now is definitely the time to choose which path we want our lives to take. Although you may not go down the path of mailman (and that’s a good thing! Ever heard of “going postal?” It isn’t pretty), you can take the time to find out exactly where you fit in.

Have you already chosen a major that you love? Tell us about it and help out the former rock star wannabes in need!

In reality, I’d love to take my refund check and spend it in one go at the mall, especially since warm weather means I have to chuck my so-worn-they-belong-in-the-What-Not-to-Wear-dumpster sweater boots, and I don’t have ANY cute flip flops to wear in their place.  But, since I’ve been struggling all winter, I am going to use this money wisely.  And by use “wisely,” I don’t necessarily mean put it back into the bank.  We all deserve to splurge every now and then, and here are some of the best guilty pleasures your tax refund can buy.

1.  Upgrade your phone.

Am I the only campus coed who has never known the joys of an iPhone or Blackberry?  I recently lost my cell in a drunken stupor, and, though I had been waiting for the summer to upgrade, I figured it’s now or never.  Best buy of my life.  I got a refurbished 16-gig iPhone for under $250.  And it’s not just a phone– I can check the weather without getting out of bed or waiting for Weather.com to load on my slow-ass computer, I can check my email for last minute class cancellations while on my way to a lecture, and once I figure out these apps, I’m pretty sure I can load a calorie counter onto my phone to use in the dining hall.  How did I live without this baby?

2.  Buy a new wardrobe.

I don’t mean a new Juicy Couture bikini or strappy Jessica Simpson open-toed heels, but if you’ve got some extra cash coming your way, it’s not a bad idea to spend on some new work attire.  When you’re strapped for cash, it’s hard to shell out on a business suit for an interview you haven’t scheduled yet, but when you get a check for a few hundo in the mail, there’s no time like the present to invest.  That sleek blazer might land you the job interview, and that knee-length pencil skirt will make a great first impression when you start your new job.  Which of course will lead to earning more money, which you can then spend however you see fit.

3.  Embark on a summer journey.

Note that I did not say summer vacay. I’m not writing off putting this moolah towards a cruise–you totally deserve it– but there are other ways to travel this summer.  Use your tax refund to see the world while you build your resume by signing up for a summer abroad course or a volunteer program.  Spending the whole summer abroad will probably still cost a lot of money, but look into a week long intensive program in Europe, or check out programs like Habitat for Humanity or Teach for America.  Usually, these volunteer programs will house you, but you’ll have to foot the travel expenses.  If you can afford to get there, you’ll be rewarded with new friends, memories that last a lifetime, and an fabulous bullet on your resume.

4.  Get active.

Get physically active, socially active, or mentally active, and watch a relatively small investment go a long way.  Get private lessons in an area that you’ve always wanted to excel in, such as art lessons or vocal lessons.  Try out a personal trainer for a month, or get a year-long gym membership.  Buy a set of instructional yoga videos.  Doing something for yourself doesn’t mean you need to feel guilty later.  If you splurge on something you couldn’t otherwise afford, but it reaps a positive outcome, it can create a domino effect in your life.  By losing a few pounds (without really trying), you may double your wardrobe if you’ve kept some of last year’s suddenly-too-small jeans.  By de-stressing, you could add years to your life.  By getting better at something you could add to your appeal in the career field.  Spoil yourself now, and you’ll be doubly rewarded.

5. Eat gourmet.

Don’t go to Chez Expensif and order a $100 entree, but treat yourself to more from the grocery store than just store brand Mac n Cheese and cans of tuna.  Buy the ingredients to try that recipe your grandma passed down– that from-scratch casserole that calls for a pinch of this and a dash of that, stuff you have to buy a whole bottle of because you don’t carry ‘this’ and ‘that’ on the regular.  Buy fresh or organic products that usually make you salivate but that are never on sale.  You shouldn’t have to put a price on eating healthy, but when fresh fruit costs several bucks a pound, it’s easy to veer towards the greasy Dollar Menu when you’re paying with the change you just found in your couch cushions.

These are just a few examples of how spoiling yourself can come with advantages– and why it’s okay to blow through your tax refund.  Of course, depending on your financial situation, you may be opting to pay off your credit card bill, send in your rent check on time, or simply stash the cash in your savings account.  We do all deserve a break from time to time, however, so I hope however you’re spending your extra cash, it makes you happy.  So… what ARE you going to buy with the dough the IRS coughs up to you this spring?

However, if you play your cards right, you can find great success after college. Sure, some of us will spend years after college struggling to pay off student loans and going on interview after interview, sometimes for entry-level jobs we are overqualified for but still can’t seem to nab. But some of us are on the brink of making headlines, like these uber-successful post-grad powerhouses have done in recent years.

1. Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda went to Wesleyan University in Connecticut, a school where tuition runs at over $38 grand a year, plus $10-12,000 for room and board expenses. While attending Wesleyan, Miranda, a native of Inwood, New York City, turned his life experience into a theatrical production that has exploded since his graduation from the University in 2002. Miranda is the composer and lyricist behind the smash hit musical In the Heights, which was produced at Wesleyan, picked up for off-Broadway, and transferred to the Great White Way in 2008. Miranda, an actor-slash-rapper who originated the lead role, Usnavi, in his own show, picked up a Tony award last spring and is currently slated to reprise the role when it hits the silver screen.

2. Mark Zuckerberg

Love Facebook today, hate it tomorrow. Either way, Mark Zuckerberg is rolling in dough. Zuckerberg actually dropped out of Harvard to focus on the social networking site that changed the face of the internet forever (saving over $30,000 a year in tuition). This May, Zuckerberg will celebrate a milestone birthday- the quarter-century mark, and with an estimated networth of about $1.5 billion, it’s bound to be one kick-ass party. Check your mini-feed for event details.

3. Fred De Luca

Fred De Luca didn’t become an entrepreneur in college; he opened his own sandwich shop at 17 to raise money to pay for college. When De Luca graduated from the University of Bridgeport with his Bachelor’s degree, his Subway sandwich shops were already taking over Connecticut, and today the chaine consists of over 30,000 stores worldwide. Today, the University of Bridgeport isn’t too daunting, with the relatively low tuition rate of about $23,000 per year- a mere fraction of the $1.5 billion De Luca has netted through his enterprise.

4. Alice Sebold

Alice Sebold didn’t find financial success as quickly as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Zuckerberg, or Fred De Luca, but after being violently raped at Syracuse University as a freshman, she made several amazing accomplishments that have led her down the path of a bestselling author. Not only did Sebold finish her degree from $45,000-a-year Syracuse, but she faced down her attacker in court and later developed the real-life story into her acclaimed memoir, Lucky. Sebold’s next book, and most well-known work, is The Lovely Bones, a film version of which will be released later this year.

5. Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta

This former student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts now goes by the stage name Lady Gaga. Before she could legally drink, Gaga was working as a songwriter at Interscope Records, penning hits for the Pussycat Dolls. Gaga studied music at Tisch, but showed off her smarts in several classes (hey she was paying like $40 g’s in tuition, might as well take advantage), writing research papers on topics such as art, religion, and socio-political order. Now a mega popstar, Steph is also quite the philanthropist, who has made donations to help raise money for schools in Los Angeles affected by educational budget cuts.

These are just a few major names who hit big before, during, or after college by combining their education and talent to explode into household names. Think you have what it takes to start up your own business? Check out the top most profitable businesses for college entrepreneurs. Relying on your talents to pay the rent? Use your time in college to work on your skills– as Norah Jones did. “In college I had a weekend gig at a restaurant, a solo thing that was the best practice I could have ever had. That’s where I learned to coordinate my singing and my piano playing,” the Grammy-award winning singer has stated.

President Obama lamented on the huge rates of both high school and college dropouts in his speech last night. You’re already winning the battle – you’re enrolled! – SSo take advantage of your higher education and maybe we’ll see you on the cover of Forbes in a few years.

One woman, however, takes the idea so lightly (or is so strapped for money), she’s decided to profit from it.

Natalie Dylan, a 22-year-old college graduate from San Diego, California, has decided to auction off her virginity for tuition money for grad school. She has agreed to make a one-night-only appearance at Nevada’s legal Bunny Ranch brothel with the lucky winner of the auction. When the story was first reported back in September on Howard Stern’s radio show, Dylan received bids of over $243,000. She claims that over 10,000 men have put in bids, recently reaching as high as 3.7 million dollars. (Editor’s Note: WTF? I gave that sh*t away for free!)

Although surprised at how far this has gone, she has said: “It’s shocking that men will pay so much for someone’s virginity, which isn’t even prized so highly anymore.” Or maybe it is. I mean, how many girls in their twenties are still holding onto that prized V-Card?

I just have to wonder why someone would be so willing to spend millions of dollars for a night of sex. Most guys I know are scared about taking a woman’s virginity.

What do you think? Is this entire situation weird, or is this girl one smart business woman?

This series is meant to provide advice for getting the most out of college, rather than just getting through it. So far we've already discussed having a professor as a BFF, checking out what's going on in your college town, and now we're going to talk about extracurriculars - the ones you never thought you'd join!]

This generation of college gals are smart, savvy, and driven. Do you want to be a CEO of your own company one day? You’re probably already president of your college’s Business Leaders of Tomorrow club. Are you an up-and-coming style maven? No doubt you’re involved with your school’s Passion for Fashion group.

Yeah, being involved in career-minded clubs are definitely a must these days if you want to make connections, but what about joining a club…just for fun? It may seem difficult, especially when it’s so hard to manage school, friends, guys, a job, and elusive “me” time. However, if you take the plunge and join a club you never thought you would, a lot of things could happen.

First of all, joining a club for fun might lead you onto a completely different career path. Not that everything you do in college has to be future-oriented, but there are plenty of roads to success that don’t follow a “traditional” educational route. Have you seen Tina Fey’s awesome impersonations of Sarah Palin on SNL lately? She didn’t get a degree in Hilarity Studies to snag that gig. If you’re the “funny one” of your group of friends, or just a big comedy fan, why not stop in on a meeting of your campus’ improv group? You may discover you’re just as good at scoring laughs as Ms. Fey.

By the same token, f you’re always the one busting a move at mixers, or glue yourself to the couch whenever So You Think You Can Dance comes on, look into joining the dance troupe. And if you were always good at Spanish in high school but chose to devote your undergrad years to chem labs, maybe drop in on Foreign Language Club meetings to rediscover an old passion.

Furthermore, joining a new club will get you out of your dorm and into a new social circle. Sure, we all have our core group of friends, but do you ever feel like you’re doing the same old things all the time? If you’re looking for excitement, joining a new club just might jumpstart your social life. Most clubs will not only meet on campus but host or sponsor events in the community. Poetry or literary clubs will often hold open mics throughout the year–something to look into if you’re an inner poet or rapper who wants some exposure. Cultural clubs like Hillel or the Asian Student Union will certainly throw parties on holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Chinese New Year (plus, who doesn’t love free food?). And the pals you make from joining a new club can connect you to other fun things going on around campus you may never have heard about.

And joining a club for fun means there’s no “political” pressure to run for treasurer or president just so it looks good on your resume. You can attend meetings when you like, socialize with who you like, and get involved at your own leisure. Best of all, college is a time when you have an enormous amount of opportunities to try new things at very little cost and without expectations of following up. If you want to take a dance class after graduation it’ll cost you at least $15 a pop. So what do you have to lose? Get out there and break a leg!

[Come back to find out the next must-do on my list: Live With Strangers!]

Then high school hit, and you took your own initiative to blow your money on the perfect ensemble to make a statement on day one. Freshman year meant something eye-catching enough to grab the attention of a studly senior, whereas by senior year, your wardrobe had to scream, “I’m a senior. I own this school. And I’m f***ing graduating, bitch!”

Now that college is just around the corner, is it time to retire the tradition of back-to-school clothes, or do you simply need to step it up a notch?

On the first day of college, the campus will be filled with tens of thousands of students, frantically trying to change their schedules, pay their financial aid, and find the right classroom in the right building. It was easy to get noticed in high school, when you were one fashionista among only a few hundred, but in college, the people you meet on the first day are most likely to be a nameless, faceless blur who were kind enough to give you irections to the registrar’s office.

If you are thinking about going all out for a first day of school ensemble, ask yourself what your motivation is. Do you want to look professional to impress the teacher? Give yourself a little extra self-confidence to make it through the day? Find a nice college boy to walk you from one class to another? The following are some broad categories of BTS-wear that I have encountered year after year. You might fall into one of these groups, or you may notice a few hundred students who do on the first day of college.

The Kid Who Peaked in High School

You’ll recognize this student by their colorful t-shirt that boldly reads “Washington High School,” or “BHS Seniors 2007.” This person proudly displays their high school colors in college because, well, maybe it hasn’t sunk in yet that they are in college. High school memorabilia is great to keep for sentimental reasons, and your Grad Night t-shirt is probably great to sleep in, but in college it only pinpoints your age, your freshman naiveté, and not-legal-to-drink status.

The Kid Who is Way Too Excited to Be at College

This person made a beeline for the bookstore immediately after stepping foot on campus with parents and parents’ credit cards in tow. You’ll recognize this person by the ensemble completely embellished with the university insignia. You’re bound to see a plethora of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats from the college collection, but this person will be one foam finger short of an early tailgate party. I’m talking track pants, t-shirt, windbreaker, baseball hat, and official backpack. Everyone walks away from college with a few articles of alma mater apparel, but there’s no need to overdo it. On campus, everyone knows where you go to school because, um… you’re already there.

The Overachiever

It’s great to dress professionally for class, but on the first day, there are some students who feel the need to bring out the full business suit in hopes of making a good first impression on the professor. If school starts in August, however, you’re going to sweat through that blazer before you’ve even made the half-mile trek from your dorm to your first class. Besides, the first day is just as much a blur for teachers as it is for students. They are met with anywhere from twenty to a few hundred students, many of whom are new faces. Even in intimate classes of twenty, it takes the teacher a few class periods to get names straight. You have the whole semester to prove your worth to the professor, and they will be more interested in the work you produce than the diggs you don on Day 1.

The High-Maintenance Student Going for a Low-Maintenance Look

From afar, this girl looks comfortable in jeans, gauchos, or Juicy sweats and simple tanks or t-shirts, but upon closer inspection, you’ll see that she obviously spent hours trying to achieve the “natural” look with five pounds of makeup, and used more product to create “just-rolled-out-of-bed” hair than you used for your senior prom updo. If you’re going for comfy-casual, you negate the ease in which you dressed yourself by spending three hours putting on your face.

The Over-the-Top Trendster

This group is the biggest and most common, because apparently many college students do think the back-to-school tradition should be kept in effect well past the age of eighteen. Since college opens at the tail end of gorgeous summer weather, you’ll find hoards of girls in skimpy skirts, tank/halter/tube tops, and platform sandals or stilleto heels. You’ll also see students proudly showing off the best trends of the summer, no matter how impractical it may be. Case in point: one humid August day, I saw a girl hauling ass across campus in Ugg boots, and immediately patted myself on the back for choosing flip flops that morning. For the first few weeks of school, a large percentage of the student body will put a lot of effort into looking their best in class…until the chilly fall weather sets in, along with midterms, and everyone reverts to jeans, sneakers and hoodies.

By midterms, you’re barely going to have time to eat, sleep, shower, and get trashed, let alone spend hours styling your hair and choosing a cute outfit when you could be studying. By this time, your professors will be aware of your academic prowess, you’ll have an established group of friends, and you’ll realize that you’re far more likely to get hit on at a keg party than a biochem lab. You’ll also discover that books are heavy and campuses are large, so certain clothing is best saved for Saturday night.

Whatever you decide to wear for the first day of college, just remember that the real reason you’re there is to further your education, not turn the student union into a catwalk. So dress for yourself. Whether you want a chic look to boost your own self-confidence, or something practical to get you through a full day of classes in comfort, choose an outfit that is you.