[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. This month we're following Ariel as she, GASP, quits Facebook. She made it through her first week, despiter her body shutting down (no, for real). She was fine during week numero dos, even feeling a sense of freedom. And now? Not so much.]

I have a confession to make.

Week 3 has been extremely rough. I was preparing to move back into my apartment and start my senior year of college, avoiding the dreaded g-word that happens at the end of the best four years of a person’s life. I wanted to know who was coming back when. Even more importantly, I wanted to know who would be throwing down the hardest during Syllabus week.

So I caved.

I convinced one of my friends at home to conveniently leave her page open on her laptop when I was over. (What a good friend, feeding my addiction.) I was like a drug-addict who had busted out of rehab after only 13 days. The Lindsay Lohan of Facebook if you will.

And it was a total let down. Read More »

You won't see me doin' this anymore.

[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. This month we followed Christie on her quest to stop gossiping. The first few days were rough, but she made it through and learned a lot along the way.]

This week was the final week of my month long challenge to not gossip. At first, I had to make a conscious effort to resist the temptation, but it became easier and easier to not gossip. I am currently getting ready to move into my apartment, attend a wedding, and go on job interviews out the ying so there has been plenty that has kept me busy and not gossiping.

This past month has taught me that gossiping is a complete waste of energy. My confidence began to improve greatly, because I felt good being nice. I also gained a lot of respect from my friends and family. I got lots of supportive texts, and messages on Facebook. Cutting gossip out of my life also got rid of a lot of drama and anxiety. Instead of wasting time and energy fretting about things that never even come to pass, I was all smiles and enjoying myself. Most importantly, though, I have had time to focus on more important things, like filling out applications instead of using that time to talk for hours about who is dating who.

A lot of you guys commented on my first article saying that you have wanted to stop gossiping for some time. Now I hope you guys see it isn’t an unattainable goal. If I can do it, so can you. I’ve made it a whole week without gossiping (except for the occasional vent, but as I said in the beginning, I reserve the right to be a cantankerous bitch sometimes) and it wasn’t even hard. Read More »

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 we followed Lauren from University of Michigan as she successfully went 100% sober. This month we’re following Norah on her quest to bring exercise into her life.

I am quite possibly the least athletic person you will ever meet.

When I was 12, my mother asked me not to run in public. “It’s embarrassing,” she said. “There’s something about the way you run that’s just…weird.”

Once I started college, my friends quickly diagnosed my problem: I run like a dinosaur.

Here’s why: When I was 4, I started taking Irish dancing lessons. Yes, like Riverdance. And in Irish dancing, you’re not allowed to move your arms—they have to stay straight at your sides. So when it came time to run, I didn’t know what to do with my arms. With no better ideas, I just pulled them up by my armpits and “took flight.”

Add in some exercise-induced asthma and a fear of flying sports equipment and it’s clear that I was never meant to be an athlete.

I’ve been accused of being lazy, of not really trying, of not being committed enough to get in shape. But I know that’s not it. In elementary school, when the rest of the class couldn’t play on the playground until the last person was done running the mile, I remember trying so hard to finish so my classmates wouldn’t hate me (fourth graders are fickle, fickle creatures). If the anger of my peers wasn’t enough to push me to physical fitness, I don’t know what is.

Read More »

So, after what seems like 1,000 years without a little Heidi and Tim in my life, Project Runway made its return last night. For 4.5 hours. And I was in heaven.

Of course, before we got to meet the new designers in the main event, we had a little taste of some of our favorite designers from previous seasons in the Project Runway All-Star Challenge. I was more than happy to spend two hours with Chris March, Santino Rice, Daniel Vosovic, among others, but after seeing the snooze-fest of a cast that is season six, I wish I hadn’t been teased with such greatness.

Yeah, I said it. I think this season’s cast is bo-to-the-ring. But we’ll get to that in a moment.

The All-Star challenge was star studded (Nicole Kidman, what?!), suspenseful (“Project Runway on steroids,” according to Uli), and fun to watch (except for Jeffrey’s new ‘stache – what the eff was up with that?). And it had a fantastic ending for my favorite designer in PR history, which I won’t share here in case some of you missed it. (It was Daniel! Sorry, I can’t keep it to myself. I just love him so much and he should have one the first time around!!)

Once King Daniel was crowned, it was time for the real deal: the Project Runway Season 6 premiere. I ran to the bathroom quickly (turning the TV up loud enough so I wouldn’t miss a moment), then grabbed a snack and settled in for amazingness.

And I waited.
And waited.

Yup. A full 60 mins went by and I got nothing. Sure, some of the new designers proved they had the talent to be on the show, and some of them brought the weird, but did any of them have a Christian/Santino/Jay McCaroll personality? One word: nopers. Read More »

Spring break can be a carefree week of fun in the sun…or two days of fun followed by five days of waiting for your flight home. Make sure you make the most of SB 2009. And don’t do some of the stupid shizz I’ve done on March and April vacations past.

1. Don’t book your flight for an hour after your last class of the week ends.

Well, technically, my mistake was agreeing to drive my friend to the airport. Not only were we racing against time, but my car decided to act up as soon as we hit the highway. It started shaking and rattling when I tried to go over 60 mph, and, for fear of our lives, I was forced to drive in the slow lane as the clock ticked on. We made it, barely, thanks to the fact that our local airport takes about five minutes to clear security, but my friend was a bundle of nerves before she even took flight. Yeesh. Read More »

Ok, so despite my initial disappointment with this show, I found last night’s episode pretty entertaining.

1. Because Kate’s mannequin was absolutely absurd and a total embarassment. Is she for real? That dress? Those scarves? That noisy combination of accessories? She has not displayed one ounce of fashion talent, not to mention her inability to act like an adult. When I look at her I think of a 12 year old.

2. Because of the foreshadowing of the full on battle that will most likely continue between Ashlie and Megan. My prediction is that Major-Issues-Megan will obviously play dirty and probably go for Ashlie’s jugular. While Ashlie will probably stay strong despite the “Satan’s little hand-foot maid” attempts to knock her down. The bitch fights between them will only get more intense, which will make me want to watch. I’m such a sucker for the drama. Read More »

I thought, like most people, that I did well freshman year. I made it through, I managed to get decent grades, I didn’t fail or anything bad like that. So I went home pretty confidant that sophomore year would be the same…

Boy was I wrong.

I’ve been back for about 5 weeks, and I feel like my head is about to explode! My classes seem like they’re a million times harder than last year. Last year, 15 hours left me bored with way too much free time. This year 17 hours feels like it’s going to kill me!

Now don’t get me wrong, I most likely brought this on myself. I’m in the middle of trying to switch majors (my application is almost due, yet another thing on my to-do list) and I’m trying to make sure that my freshman year in the school of fine arts wasn’t a total waste. But I can’t be the only one, can I?

Maybe it’s just my school, but it seems like they go too easy on freshman, and then go way too hard on everyone else. It leaves too much of a gap that no one can make up in one summer. Read More »

Everyone has a goal. Everyone has that one thing that they are dying to change, but have never found the courage/motivation to actually get up offa that thing and just do it, Nike-style.

Well, put down that Hershey’s bar, open up that French textbook or get to organizing that closet – it’s time for iCiNG’s Transformation Challenge!

I’ve blogged about iCiNG before, but this time I’m here to encourage – no, challenge – you to take part in this month-long effort to transform your life.

Basically, what you do is pick something (or a few somethings) that you want to change within the next month. It can be something as vague as “Get organized” or as specific as “Get an A on my Art History Final.” Then, head on over to this page to get the basic “rules” and join the discussion.

What’s so great about this challenge? Well, the best part is knowing that there are hundreds of others participating – and encouraging – you to get your life together, in whatever that means to you. You can also sign up for iCiNG’s Transformation Challenge e-mails that give you little doses of inspiration to help keep you strong throughout the month.

So no more excuses, gals. Can’t wait to hear about all your fabulous transformations over the next 25 days!

Last time: mud bowl, Bret kept everyone around for this episode and – God, I don’t care, just cut to eliminations now please.

Episode 6 starts bright and early in the morning. Bret wakes up the girls and Big John, who I find to be more and more intriguing with each episode, hands Pey-ton a Bret-O-Gram (what the hell are they calling these?) to read aloud outlining the challenge for the day.

Where is Bret from, like, Pittsburgh? Any Pittsburgh girls want to come out and tell me if there are any cowboys out where you are?

I ask because the challenge is broken down into three events involving greased pigs, lassoing and horses. Anyway, Rodeo and her “hellish laugh” come out on a horse to help with the Rocker Rodeo Relay and I hate the people who named this challenge. Just like the Mud Bowl, there will be two teams and the MVP will win a solo date while the remaining winning team members get a group date.

Team captains again get to choose their teammates. Catherine and her beehive lead the blue team (Inna, Peyton, Daisy and Megan) and Ambre leads the red team (Destiney, KJ and Jesssica).

Stupid Megan thinks that the girls are jealous of her hotness and that’s why no one picks her. No, stupid, it’s because you probably don’t understand the rules of the games without diagrams and finger paint. Read More »