College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Need to save some dough? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
I’m just about to transfer to a much larger school for the spring semester, after commuting to school for two and a half years (I’m a junior now) and I’m REALLY scared about making friends. I’ve always had some difficulty with making them, since I’m pretty shy and socially awkward. Having friends isn’t impossible, but now that I’m going away to a huge school of 44,000 students, it’s a bit intimidating. Do you have any advice on making new friends mid-year? I’m sorta freaking out.

Busy Bee:
First things first, have no fear – you WILL make friends! I know what it’s like to be the ‘new kid’, but it’s also a different story when you’re the new kid in a school of 44,000. The fact that you’re going to a school with so many people, you won’t have any problems fitting in. I’ve noticed that college is different from high school in that there really are no cliques or pressures to be a part of a certain group. You can be whoever you want and hang out with as many or few people as you want.

Now that you’ve realized this, go ahead and try something new. Take this opportunity to join a new club (some clubs recruit at the beginning of each semester) or find an on-campus job (this will allow you to befriend the cute regulars!). If you’re not up for busy-ing yourself just yet, try talking to the people sitting around you before classes. Even if you don’t end up as BFF’s, it’ll break you out of your shell. Plus, you gotta start buddying up for notes on days that you may sleep through class! Be open to group study sessions, random hangouts, and last-minute party invitations. I know you’re shy, but this could be your break-through semester.

Party Girl:
No matter how outgoing or introverted a person may be, they all have had that nauseating fear that they won’t make friends in a new place. However, they are not in the golden position in which you now find yourself! You’re jumping in the middle of a social jackpot – 44,000 potential new friends. And you can never underestimate the ultimate social lubricant that flows freely through any college campus (except those weird dry ones): alcohol. Alcohol is the ultimate handshake! Through mojitos and games of beer pong, you’ll find yourself bonding with people of all sorts. Not to mention those people in your classes with whom you commiserate over mountains of homework. Trust me, “socially awkward” doesn’t exist in college. You just need a couple more drinks.

GPA Girl:
It’s so funny how we pretend as if making friends is only a problem elementary schoolers could ever have. In reality, it’s something most people have to deal with for their whole lives! Especially the shy. I hear you there, sister. Here are a few tips I’ve put to use over the years to make friends with new people in new places:

1) Join activities and clubs, even if they cost a little bit of money. Go to events that really interest you. These things are all automatic ins for finding like-minded people who have interests that mirror yours. Don’t worry about going to these things mid-year – the people there will probably be thrilled to have some new blood. Above all, do NOT talk yourself out of going to these things.
2) Boost your confidence by reminding yourself that you are a wonderful and interesting person. Yes, I’m serious. Every time you’re tempted to approach somebody new, take a deep breath first. In your head, say, “I’m interesting and I’m cool, and people want me as their friend.” Then say something. Even if it just ends at hi, force yourself to say something. If nothing clicks with that person, so what? Do it again tomorrow.
3) Find a couple of haunts that really appeal to you, and park there often. These places might be the on-campus coffee shop or the study lounge at the library or the malt shop just off campus -it doesn’t matter where – they are all good places to meet other people. Make sure you like them, because you’ll want to spend a lot of time in them so you can feel really comfortable there. Once you feel as if you belong, it’ll be easier to approach other people who end up there, since it will be like approaching them on “your” territory.
4) Be yourself. Sounds stupid, but it’s true. There are a zillion quirky things about you that your current friends and family love, and even though those are exactly the things you’d be tempted to hide from new people, they are really the things you should go out of your way to project. Those traits make you unique and attractive. Show them off!

Alright people, let’s get two things straight. 1) I love (loooove) drinking and 2) I am pretty damn serious about my GPA. A paradox, I know, but one that has contributed greatly to my collegiate success (both in and out of the bars). Unfortunately these two qualities clash in a major way when my morning lectures (ok and sometimes afternoon classes if I’ve been hitting the Franz a little too hard) and hangovers coincide.

Naturally, my first reaction is to stumble out of bed, put on the first item of clothing that most nearly resembles sweatpants and yank a gym shirt over my head as I groan “ughhhhh” on the way out the door.

Sadly, professors and attractive classmates do not take kindly to my arrival in class looking like Britney circa February 2008–and chances are yours don’t either. So instead of being shunned for your dedication to class attendance (I mean, you’re making the effort right?!) I’ve thrown together a handy list of fashion saviors for even the most hungover of mornings.

You’ll look as put together as one possibly can after a night of hollering 80′s classics and harassing the bartender, and no one will be the wiser (except for the person sitting next to you enjoying your Eau de Skol…)

1. Headbands.

Last night’s silky tresses are now leaning more towards the dreadlock side, so sweep them into a low pony (or a messy bun if the case is severe enough to warrant it). Add a cute, skinny headband to add polish. Avoid thick or cloth headbands, which tend to emphasize your lack of coiffing. The pony will tighten the skin on your forehead and around your droopy eyes to make you look more alert. A headband sweeps the hair off of your face, giving you instant perk. Bonus: if your headband is metallic (think strands of silver, bronze or gold) the sparkle will add life to dull post-party skin and hair.

2. A nice jacket.

This staple can save you in the most extreme cases of morning after syndrome (even shacking!) If you have a cute bomber/blazer/ jean jacket handy you can salvage your look from the evening before. As long as your dress isn’t sequined, beaded or glittered (but I truly hope that glitter is not an issue unless you were at a 90′s themed party), throw your jacket over your dress, swap your stilettos for sandals (or steal a pair of his flip flops) and rock your dressed down cocktail attire with confidence. Disclaimer: DO NOT attempt if you don’t have access to necessary toiletries, make-up essentials and a hairbrush. Without those you will look like you’re Walk of Shame-ing it…straight to class.

3.Scarves.

If you go to school in a chillier climate, you probably are starting to have them handy. Luckily, even if you live in a warmer locale, scarves happen to be the biggest trend since trucker hats at the moment. Tie one on (tee hee) and revel in your fashionista look. Little do those jealous passers-by know that you are merely masking multiple hickeys and a hint of humiliation. Pair with a casual fitted shirt (weather permitting) and simple earrings. Layer on the bangles (both wrists girl!) to accessorize your cute look and throw on some sweet flats and no one will be the wiser that your casual chic is the result of a hangover.

4. F**king Fabulous Jeans.

You may want to buy them one size up to account for beer bloat (the ,Chuggin’ Queen of the Universe” comes with a price,babygirl), but any pair of denim that does wonders for your derrier, lengthens your legs and slims your thighs will lend you enough swagger to hide any remorse for your actions last light (although you should still apologize to that DJ you acosted for not playing the Hanson song you requested…5 times). It doesn’t even matter what you rock up top (but probably stay away from an extra large team hoodie…it screams hangover), just pair with some killer boots and sashay your cute butt into class.

5. Juicy Sweats.

It kills me to count them as even mildly fashion-savvy (because they’re not.) But I’ll be damned if they aren’t the most comfortable, annoyingly overpriced item I own (many times over). These suits are like chicken soup for my arms and hot fudge sundaes for my legs. Think of this outfit as a “break glass in case of emergency” ensemble. Only use it in the most extreme cases and DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT wear with Uggs, for God’s sake.

So there you have it. Looking cute hungover is not impossible, and it barely takes any forethought (a good thing, because I need all the snooze button repeats I can get when I’m hungover). Just don’t settle for the usual baggy/soft/dark qualities; throw open your closet doors and get creative–as creative as your headache will permit, at least. Don’t forget your extra-large sunglasses, a pop of blush and a Red Bull and you are on.your.way.

Adderall is many things. A relief for people with ADD and ADHD. A gift from Heaven (or that sketchy guy in your Bio Lab) for people with impending exams. An extremely effective (if not the healthiest) way to drop 5 pounds. An aid for those wishing to rage all night without the use of illegal narcotics. An incredibly un-ethical method of cheating.

Wait, what?

Yes. Adderall is our generation’s answer to the cheat sheet. It’s powerful, stealthy and available to only a select few. The exclusivity of this drug lends an unfair advantage to those who take it without being prescribed it. As a drug that was created to level the playing field for people who had trouble concentrating due to a DISORDER, it is now used to gain an edge in academia by people seeking to boost their learning capacity.

People like me.

As a frequent user of Adderall as a study aid (I do not have a prescription), I constantly enjoy the benefits of this unfair little pill. Do I need it to concentrate? No. But it sure helps me re-read entire textbooks and write 10 page papers in one night and feel great the next morning. And judging by the pill’s popularity among my classmates (and among my friends who have nabbed prescriptions and sell their extra pills for spare cash), Adderall is pretty much as commonplace as Starbucks at my campus library.

But how does this affect the structure of a competitive university setting? If the people who actually need Adderall to concentrate have no answer to my magic pill, aren’t they just back where they started–scholastically disadvantaged to those without ADD or ADHD? And what about those who can’t find or afford Adderall (the going rate on my campus is $3-5 a pill for 30 mg time release capsules. That adds up when you need 4 in one week)? They’re screwed over by those of us who have access to the drug; and while their academic performance wouldn’t suffer because of mine, if my grades were superior to theirs simply because I used Adderall to boost my ability, it’s cheating.

Why then, do I continue to use something that– in addition to being illegal and unhealthy– I consider to be thoroughly unethical? Because I know my classmates sure as hell aren’t going to stop using Adderall, and I don’t want my GPA to pale in comparison to theirs. I don’t want to place lower on a skewed curve. I don’t want to lose this unfair advantage.

What would you do?

Let’s face it: We LOVE to gossip. We gossip about friends and we gossip about foes. Such idle talk allows us to convey information quickly, although not always accurately. This being said, it is no surprise that the website Juicy Campus has been increasing in popularity since it was founded on August 1, 2007.

When my friends first introduced me to Juicy Campus, I wrote it off as another place for people to share their college exploits online. But I quickly realized that this site was different; I actually knew the people that were being discussed! Friends, classmates, hookups—no one was free from the wrath of this critical group. Let’s just put it this way, if the “Burn Book” from Mean Girls was published online for all to see and comment on, I would imagine it would look similar to Juicy Campus.

The site was created by Mark Ivester, a Duke University Alum, with “the simple mission of enabling online anonymous free speech on college campuses.” (Editor’s Note: That’s a nice way to refer to sh*t talking!) There are currently 64 colleges listed on the site, including many prestigious institutions such as Harvard, UPenn, and Brown. The topics on the site range from the innocent (“Best Frat on Campus”) to the scandalous (“Sex with Professors”). Each post gets a rating ranging from 0% Juicy to 100% Juicy, so the juicier the gossip, the better the rating.

And because everything posted on Juicy Campus is anonymous, people have no censor when it comes to describing how they truly feel about someone. As a result, degrading, racist, homophobic, and downright hurtful remarks are prevalent throughout the site.

As guilty as I feel reading through the posts, I often find myself deciding to read “just one more.” I mean, who doesn’t want to know if she is considered the hottest girl on campus? But sometimes this curiosity gets people into trouble, as was the case here when a junior at Baylor University found her name not under “Hottest Girl,” but rather under “Biggest Slut.”

The embarrassment doesn’t end here. A couple of my own friends have been named on the site (yes, first and last name) saying they are “easy” or “ugly” when I know that it is simply not true. Furthermore, I have encountered posts where people comment on another person’s genitals (one of which referred to a guy that I had been seeing—kind of sucked) or even post naked pictures of an ex in retaliation. I don’t know about you, but I would be mortified.

The site takes no responsibility for the information posted, claiming that the authors are the ones responsible. In fact, as shown on CNN, people who have been hurt by the website have no way to fight back. Kind of hard to place the blame on Mr. Anonymous, wouldn’t you agree?

So we are left with one question: Is Juicy Campus just a fun place where college students can dish out the dirt on their friends and classmates, or has it become a way for people to tarnish the reputation of others with no repercussions?

[Photo courtesy of NYTimes.com]