I freakin’ love fall. I actually don’t think I can communicate in coherent sentences how I feel about the season. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach just thinking of the crisp air, the cozy sweaters, whip cream melting into mug of hot chocolate….I think I might have just wet myself.

It is impossible for me to pick just one fall thing as my favorite. And, believe me, I have tried on more than one occasion to pinpoint what it is that has forged this intense love affair.

So perhaps I can’t make a neat little list, but I can rant about it for a while. If you love fall too, you might want to prepare yourself. This little listicle may send you running towards your nearest Starbucks in leather boots and all the scarves you own in search of a latte and a scrumptious baked good.

Read More »

Going to college is so much more than hauling your butt out of bed before noon on a Friday to sit in the back of a lecture hall and attempt the daily Sudoku. In order to even be considered for a job in this economy, students are expected to pull great grades, take on multiple leadership roles on campus and still manage to avoid going completely broke (not to mention swing awesome summer internships).

Whew. Just thinking about it makes me sweat.
And then thinking of all those craptastic jobs out there makes me ill. I don’t want to waste my precious free time flipping burgers or folding clothes at The Gap.

If you’re looking to inch ahead of your classmates and line your pockets with a little beer money, we’ve got your back. Below is our guide to the best on-campus jobs. Whether they pay big bucks, offer flexible hours that don’t conflict with your social life, or give you plenty of free time to do your homework, these are the gigs worth fighting (and giving up your afternoons) for. Read More »

See you in January, boys.

Imagine something you would miss your best friend’s birthday for.  Something so worth doing you’d pass up seeing your family or ignore your boyfriend for.  Something, perhaps, you’d even stay up all night waiting for with intense anticipation.  As intelligent CollegeCandy readers, you’re probably thinking that only an intimate date with Brad Pitt or a shopping trip with Tim Gunn is worth such steep sacrifices.  Well, as I said, that’s because you’re intelligent CollegeCandy readers.

Now, if you will, enter the male mind.  I know, scary prospect, but just for a moment.  If you’re back on campus, you’re well aware college football season has started with a bang (or a keg stand, depending).  What you might not know is that fantasy football season is also about to kick off.  And no, fantasy football isn’t an entire team of Mark Sanchez look-alikes playing without their shirts.  Psh, I wish.

The actual fantasy process is long and involved and, truthfully, absolutely pointless if you ask me.  From my limited understanding, it’s basically guys sitting in a room arguing over who “gets” what NFL player for their fake dream team. Read More »

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, TFLN…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Unhear It, ReQall, and Regretsy) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

College football season is officially under way, and whether or not you actually know anything about the sport, the fact is watching the games and rooting for your school is part of the college experience and a great way to socialize. Plus, what else is there to do on a Saturday?

But what about you recent grads out there?  Unless you still live in your college town (jealous!), you probably won’t get a chance to go to any games.  You could always head to a sports bar to watch the game, but that could get really awkward and/or dangerous if you’re the only one in the bar rooting for your team. (Editor’s Note: True story – poured a beer on a rival’s head once…then was swiftly escorted out.)

Unless you know which bar to go to.

College Bar Finder will help you find a bar that’s friendly to your team in any city, regardless of how far away it is from your college town.

Simply choose your city from a drop-down menu and type in the name of your school in the search bar located on the top of the page, and voila, College Bar Finder will find any and all bars in the selected city that cater to your college team.

There are currently over 1,000 bars in College Bar Finder‘s database, and you can help add more by suggesting any bars you know about that are affiliated with a specific team.

Seriously, how awesome is this site? Now, fans everywhere can come together to root for their favorite team….over drinks….. no matter where they are!

Ever feel like you’re the only one sitting on the couch, mindlessly staring at the TV with no idea what’s going on? Are phrases like “point conversion”, “fumble” and “fourth down” completely foreign to you? Well have no fear, here are a few simple things to keep in mind so that you can keep your head afloat during College Football Saturdays. Grab the chips and dip, and prep yourself for kickoff!

To start off, here are some fun facts about football. The field is measured in yards, 100 yards long, but 120 including both end-zones. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won more Super Bowls than another other team in the history of the NFL. The ’72 Miami Dolphins are the only team to achieve a “perfect season” (meaning no losses throughout the entire time), though the New England Patriots had a perfect regular season (their only game loss was in the Super Bowl itself) in 2007. It began based on the rules of rugby and soccer combined, but the first real football game (the way we know football now in the USA) was played between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869 (Rutgers has since commemorated the game field by making it a big, beautiful… parking lot). I could go on and on with boring stats and scores that are floating in my head, but I promise that I’ll spare you.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any technology to translate exactly what John Madden is muttering about while he comments on the game, but if you’re lucky enough that he lets someone else get a word in edgewise, here are some basic terms that can help you navigate the game like a pro.

Read More »

I spent all my cold winter nights dreaming of beaches and sunshine and the perfectly bronzed skin I’d have come the end of summer.

Then summer came and I was happy (minus a few sunburns and one month-long humidity frizzfest). Then summer came even harder — 95 degrees harder — and as the sweat pooled in that little fold behind my knees I knew it: I was ready for fall. I began to yearn for loosely draped scarves around my neck, crunchy leaves under my leather boots and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING.

While “end of summer” might sound depressing if you’re forty with a real job or 17 with another year of high school coming at ya, fall for the CollegeCandy girl is fa-fa-fabulous. And here are 8 reasons why. Read More »

So, you’ve moved into the dorms, made it through syllabus week in class, and you’re feeling ready to get your day drink on. Tailgating before the big game is a rite of passage every freshman should look forward to. It’s a chance to bleed (insert your school’s colors here) and act like it’s five o’clock somewhere… even if it’s only nine in the morning.

To help you do it right, we’ve got some advice for your first tailgate. So follow the guidelines below and get ready to party hardy.

Stick With a Crew

It’s always a good idea for girls to stay with a group of friends when they go out. When it comes to tailgating, multiply a party’s noise level by 20 and the guest list by 100. Try and keep track of each other so you don’t find yourself alone in a sea of school spirit and booze.

Plan Ahead

While I’m all for spontaneity, a tailgate day is one of those times that calls for a little preparation. Know what time you’re meeting up with your friends and what time you’re heading to the tailgate. And even if you skip breakfast every other day, make an exception on this day because drinking on an empty stomach will really screw you over. If you really want to be a champ and go out at night too, leave some time to nap. Trust me, you’ll need it.

Dress Comfortably

At a tailgate, you’ll be in a huge crowd and on your feet for a few hours, so keep the outfit simple. Denim shorts, a school t-shirt, and flats or sandals are a perfect go-to. Go all out with face paint, ribbons, and beads in your school colors and you’ll be good to go. Read More »

As a student at a Big Ten school, football has become my soul purpose in life. From crackin’ the first beer in the shower at 6am on game day to FB-stalking the quarterback (shhh!), my world revolves around a bunch of dudes in spandex tackling each other on some Astroturf.

Needless to say, the past 6 weeks sans college football has been somewhat difficult. I wander aimlessly around my apartment on Saturdays, unsure what to do with all that time. I fill the void by hunting down the players on campus, but now that they’re not training as much as usual, they’re not so easy to find. And trust me, I’ve tried.

Thank god, then, that Bowl Season is upon us! I finally have a reason to drink before 11am on a Saturday! have some exciting burly-man-on-burly-man action to fill my Saturdays! Yes, ladies, it’s officially time for the best of the best in college football to duke it out in the BCS bowl games.

Confused on how the BCS works? Everyone is. But until the government sorts this shiz out, I’ve got you covered. This guide will give you a look at all of the upcoming BCS games, the teams, and who you (or more importantly, me) think deserves to win. So grab those wings, crack open a beer and get ready for some serious football showdowns. Read More »

Focus on the wrapping and she'll forget to ask about those exams...

The most contact you’ve had with your family over the last four months is the weekly phone call where you tell them your grades are fine, you’re eating well, you need some money and you miss them too.

So now that you’re home for about three weeks, it can be a little hard to get back into the swing of waking up to a “good morning honey!” every day. Especially when that comes before 9 a.m.

All of us have that inner freakout moment when our parents tell us to do the dishes or take out the trash, or when we let a profanity slip the scolding makes us want to rip our hair out. “I live on my own over half the year! How can I be grounded?!”

But no matter how much of an adjustment it is, we’re all happy to be back home, eating mom’s cooking, sleeping in our own beds and, yes, spending a little quality time with the family.

Everyone’s family is different; some of us are super close, others not so much. Either way, we can all avoid awkward conversations about our drunken Facebook photos by getting the whole family involved in some holiday activities. With this being my fourth (and final…yes, I’m freaking out) winter break at home, I’ve developed a handful of traditions that are perfect for reconnecting and spending quality time with your family, without the awkward, “Have you gotten your grades yet?” conversation. Read More »

To my father’s dismay, I was never a football fan growing up. While my dad and brothers would spend their Sundays on the couch watching game after game (after game…), my mother and I would hit the mall, grab lunch, and do other girly things. But then I went to college, a Big Ten college, and it was impossible not to fall madly in love with the sport. Not only did I wake up at 7am to cheer on my team with the other 100,000+ people in attendance every Saturday, but I learned the rules, I followed the players, I even – gasp – watched other games.

Michigan football became the center of my life. When they won, I celebrated. When they lost, I went home, watched the replays in bed and didn’t come out until I had to go to class on Monday.

I totally understand the glory that comes with watching a winning team. And, thanks to the past couple of seasons, I am learning the pain associated with watching a losing one. So I get that coaches and universities would do whatever it takes to build a team that wins. I mean, who doesn’t want to win?

But what I don’t get is the shady and pretty despicable recruiting process I’ve recently learned about known as The Hostess. Read More »