When it comes to preparing for college dorm life, there are a lot of essentials.  From twin XL sheets and comforters, to college seating and shower totes, you’ve either got it or it’s already on your checklist.  You’re a savvy shopper and you have all the necessary dorm stuff covered…or do you?

initiating the gallery...

Dear Residents,

Now that your boxes are unpacked and you’ve begun sneakily drinking and smoking illegal substances in your rooms, I feel it is time we had a little chat. There are a few things that we need to get clear right now so that we can all happily coexist for the remainder of the year.

I’d discuss all this in a hall meeting but it seems damn near impossible to find a time that works for everyone (even though we all agreed to that one time and then only 9 of you showed…awesome), so I’ll do it here instead. Lord knows you spend most of your day reading online anyway….

So here goes:

1.  I am NOT out to get you in trouble. In fact, I do everything I can to help you not get in trouble, because it makes my life easier. Every single time that I have to write somebody up for quiet hours violations, drinking in the dorms, or whatever stupid rule is being broken, that instantly translates to extra paperwork that I have to do. Plus, let’s face it (for the most part) I like my residents, and I don’t want to make your life any harder either. Not to mention that I don’t agree with these rules any more than you do. Seriously, why in the world should someone be sent to judicial for playing their music a little too loudly at night?! That’s bulls**t in my opinion, but I’m not the one who made the rules – I just got stuck enforcing them as part of my job.

2. I am not stupid. When I see you with a huge group of girlfriends, all wearing sequined tops & heels and walking out of the building at 11pm on a Saturday night, I know that you’re not going to the library or for a late night snack. Girl, please.

3. I am not your mom. I love you. Really, I do. But I am not your mom. Cut me a little bit of slack and realize that there are a lot more things in my life than (all 70 of) you. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you, it just means that I don’t have time to tell you how to get a sangria stain out of your shirt or help you find your cell phone.

4. I am not going to date you. Come on, boys. Regardless of how adorable and funny you are (and trust me, it seems like there are somehow more attractive new men in this freshman class than in the rest of our university as a whole), you’re still not worth me losing my job (and housing!). If you’re REALLY that in love with me, Facebook me next year.

5. Even though I sometimes wish I could, I am not going to party with you. Even if you have a bottle of Grey Goose hidden in your closet.

Look, at the end of the day I am here for you. I am happy to be your resource, whether you need someone to vent to about your roommate who doesn’t shower (I REALLY wish that that wasn’t a real life situation I’ve dealt with), if you need help with your Humanities homework, or you just need some chocolate and a shoulder to cry on when your boyfriend decides that long distance isn’t working anymore. That’s why I’m here, so use me. Just don’t abuse me.

XOXO,
You R.A.

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.

Res Life Security / Mail Desk Clerk:
These are great jobs for any budding social butterfly. Your friends can stop by to say hello, keep you company as you sign guests in an out of the dorms and even bring you a delicious cheesy calzone from downtown (these are the best kinds of friends, in my opinion). Even better, if you work the mail desk, you know exactly who is receiving the best care packages from Mom or Grandma… and you know where they live. Both are great jobs because you are constantly interacting with new people… and scoping out the adorable male specimens living in your dorm!

Tutoring: English major? Consider editing papers for a few bucks. Or helping someone reword cover letters and resumes. Are you a closeted calculus connoisseur? Pimp your skills out on the bulletin boards in your dorm hallways. You can make your own schedule, set your own prices and improve your own grades. (It’s proven that teaching someone class material increases your own knowledge of the subject. Sweet!)

Desk Job at the Library, Campus Museum, or in the Computer Labs: What do all of these jobs have in common? Incredible amounts of down-time. If you can snag one of these jobs, you will be envied by ALL of your friends. Basically you are getting paid to do your homework. Bring your textbook and your laptop (if allowed, obviously) and get cracking on your studies!

Bartender/Cocktail Waitress: You may have to sacrifice a few nights out with your friends, but you will make TONS of money. And, let’s be honest, most of your friends will opt to spend their evenings at your “office” in hopes of scoring some free shots. You will be the gatekeeper of the Long Island Ice Teas, the Redbull and Vodkas, the Dollar Pitchers. Talk about holding a lot of power. There are plenty of bars willing to train their own staff, but you can use any breaks to get certified and perfect your craft. (And with two or three weeks left of summer, you’ve got plenty of time to sign up for a bartending class!)

Concert Venue / Sports Staff: Didn’t get football tickets this season? Blasphemy, I know. You don’t have to completely miss out on kick-off, half-time and the atmosphere of a college football Saturday. Work the concessions stand during a game or sign up to be an usher. You may miss tailgating and the pay probably isn’t great, but you won’t develop a severe case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). And on the same note, if you can’t afford to pay to see whatever band is swinging into your college town this fall, work during the concert. The amount of work you have to do is a bare minimum and you get to see the show for free. Cha-ching!

Freshman year is an incredible experience. For many, it’s the first taste of Keystone freedom, the first foray into frat parties out into the world. You‘ll drink with meet people from all walks of life. You’ll quickly wonder how you ever survived without your newfound friends.

But be warned: for every awesome new friend that you make, you’ll find yourself face to face with an enemy. Not a “sleep with one eye open” enemy; more like a “OMG I want to gouge out my eyes whenever you come near me” type.

Here are my personal picks for people to avoid:

The “Busy” Roommate- The first parent-free weekend, I was woken up by the rhythmic creaking of my roommate’s lofted bed. The second week of classes, I was woken up on Thursday night by a guy pounding on the door looking for her around 3 A.M, and she came in the following morning trailing a (different) guy from my English class. If you’re really lucky, you won’t be woken up like I was – you’ll be permanently sexiled. It’s not like you need to get into your room or anything, right?

The Bad RA- A good RA should have a balance of helpfulness and friendliness. She’s not supposed to be your best friend, but she’s also not supposed to be so aloof that you can’t relate to her either. Some RAs are overzealous, which can be more than a little annoying; like the RA who refused to start the floor meeting until all forty girls were present, even though the missing person had a legitimate reason for her absence. Even worse, though, was the RA who was so high he didn’t notice that there was an orgy going on in my friend’s room, nor did he realize my friend was out in the hall with a pillow at 4 A.M because he was trying to figure out where he could get some sleep.

The Sporadic Professor- This professor is out to prove you’re no longer in high school by giving you regular and difficult assignments. But, in order to make sure you do them, he’ll only grade them sporadically. It doesn’t sound as bad now, but it will be when you finally decide to skip on the ONE day he decides to check.

The Neighbor With the Subwoofer- Okay, I love music as much as the next person, and I love blasting it whenever I can. However, when you’re living in a building with other people, there are certain courtesies to be paid. Like not blasting your music on a crazy bass system that shakes surrounding walls, floors, and ceilings….at 11pm…during finals. This is grounds for justifiable homicide.

The Extremely Messy/Neat Roommate- Either extreme can be deadly, depending on what you’re like. I’ve seen these two paired together before and and it was the closest I’ve ever seen to an in-your-face war. If your roommate falls into one of these two categories, you will definitely have a problem. You’ll either want to strangle her for those passive-aggressive comments about how neat and tidy her side of the room is, or you’ll want to strangle her anytime her crap (read: dirty undies) creeps over to your side..

The Peter Pan Queen Bee- This girl has somehow managed to establish herself as the Queen Bee of the group/hall/floor. She chooses who’s worthy of hanging out with her and her followers, and is fickle about who she keeps around. Essentially, she hasn’t gotten the memo that high school is over. As a result, your grown-up college life will be fraught with the exact same drama you thought you’d left behind – petty gossip, rules about who you can and can’t socialize with, backstabbing, and other not-so-fun pastimes.

Crazy Drunk Naked Guy- Okay, so this one may not drive you crazy in the same way, but I do promise it will scar you for life. This guy is the reason you are warned repeatedly to double and triple-check your locks at night. The one night my roomie and I didn’t, a drunk, high, naked guy showed up in our room after relieving himself in the hallway, then refused to leave. Variations of the Crazy Drunk Naked Guy include 2 A.M streakers, the frat boy who peed in the fridge, and the guy who stood in the doorway watching the girls sleep.

"No, dad, I do not want the desk in the middle of the room."

It’s the start of a new school year and to honor that, we at CollegeCandy are bringing back our favorite series “We’ve All Been There.” Every week, Lauren – University of Michigan will comment on the common experiences all college women share, including some new ones thrown into the mix.

After a long drive and an even longer wait to get a prime spot by the curb, you get out of the car (where you were pressed between the door and a chest of plastic drawers for the past three hours) and start unloading your life onto the sidewalk. Sweaty students circle you, maneuvering their university-supplied dolly around your growing pile of stuff, while “Move-in Makers” (or older students who were clearly roped into this by their student organization) rush towards you and offer to help.

You pile your first load onto the flat bed, load your mom up with the lighter stuff (like your laptop and backpack) and make your first trip into the dorm while your dad sits outside to “watch your stuff”/take a moment to breathe and work off the road rage.

You check in, get your keys, then follow one of the helpers to the elevator. When an empty one finally arrives, you elbow your way in, rolling over yours/everyone else’s toes in the process. You push the button for your floor and stand awkwardly close to a complete stranger holding a microwave until the door opens on your floor.

You eventually make it to your room and, oh my god – it’s so tiny. You wonder how the hell all of the stuff in your first load will fit, let alone the giant pile still on the street. But before you have time to freak out, your mom starts unloading everything onto the floor, eager to empty out the car before the 30 minute limit is up and your dad needs to move it for the next round of students.

Three trips (plus one to the vending machine for a much needed Diet Coke) and one minor fight with your parents later (“No, dad, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay out of mine and mom’s way and go watch TV at a bar!”), your entire life is in a pile in the middle of your new room. Or rather, taking up every inch of your new room. Your roommate doesn’t arrive until tomorrow, thank god, so you pick your side of the room and get to business.

The next few hours are a whirlwind of tearing open boxes, refolding clothes, giving your parents stern instructions on where to hang your shoe rack, and trying to figure out the wireless network for the dorm so you can update your Facebook status while your mom yells at you to help her make your bed.

Finally, what seems like 10 hours and 8 gallons of sweat later, your clothes are all put away (or stuffed into every possible nook and cranny you can find), your desk is set up and your dad is hauling all the empty boxes to the garbage dump outside. There’s still a lot of decorating to do (like finding the perfect place to hang that collage your BFFs from high school made you), but you’re so wiped out (and sick of your parents’ urging to take you to the bookstore to get all your textbooks) that all you want to do is send your parents home and lay down on your brand new bedding to take a nap.

But not before you get them to buy you one last meal. And maybe give you a little “Goodbye, we’ll miss you” cash.

Yeah, we’ve all been there….and it’s only the first of many experiences every college girl will share.

THIS CONTEST IS OVER. Tear.

As we speak (type? read?), freshmen across the country are moving into dorms for the very first time. Woooo! (Don’t forget your flip flops!) We wanted to help them out by providing some basic rules to dorm life (that won’t be covered in the first floor meeting). In order to reach as many freshmen possible, we not only posted this very blog, but we also sent our writers out on foot to flier dorms from coast to coast and help spread the word. That is, assuming they didn’t get caught and assaulted by an R.A. first….

So what are the 5 unofficial rules to dorm living?

We’ve got 4 right here and we’re looking at you (yeah, you!) to tell us #5. Why would you do that? Well, besides just being a generally nice person and doing something out of the goodness of your heart, how about doing it for $200 worth of textbooks at CampusBookRentals.com?

Yeah, we’re pretty nice, right?. So read (and adhere to) our 4 rules and then add your own. We’ll randomly select a winner September 10, 2010 and announce the results on Twitter and Facebook.

1. Make BFF with the R.A
Just because you’re hundreds of miles away from your parents doesn’t mean there are no rules (yeah…the movies kinda lied).  Be nice to your R.A and she’ll be much more likely to look the other way when you roll a keg down the hallway wearing nothing but a sexy dinosaur costume. Ignore her and she’s likely to knock on your door at 3 A.M when you’re hooking up with a stranger claiming that there are “noise complaints” from your neighbor.

2. Give Poopers Privacy
It doesn’t matter how badly you need to shower or how much you want to check out your post walk-of-shame look under the unforgiving fluorescent lights. If you walk into the bathroom and smell/hear something coming from the corner stall, be polite, take your caddy, and leave. You’ll be thankful for this rule on the one day you take a risk and try the dining hall’s lamb tacos.

3. Prepare for Sexiling
There will come a time when you’re out playing flip-cup-turned-beer-pong-turned-binge-drinking when you’ll get a text from your roommate telling you to please, please find somewhere else to sleep that night. Prepare for this night in advance by making sure that you find a friend who doesn’t mind sharing her single bed and/or has a futon. Because there’s truly nothing worse than falling asleep to groaning, moaning, and “that feels so good…what’s your name again?”

4. Avoid Dormcest
Forget the fact that it’s convenient and forget the fact that it involves a limited walk of shame. The relationship will not last and you’ll be stuck awkwardly waiting for elevators together for the rest of the semester. Trust us. The last thing you want is to bump into him on the way to the shower and have to make an awkward “lol, we should shower together, jk, jk, so over you, not really, lol.”

5. Your Rule
We’re looking at you for rule #5. Submit your own rule and enter to win a $200 gift card from CampusBookRentals.com. (Yeah, that’s free money and free books. We got your back, girls.)

UPDATE: Congrats to our winner Alison who submitted this awesome rule: Another one I can think is to watch what your drinking.  Before you take that next shot or do that next beer bong, ask yourself if it’s a good idea.  If you think you’re already quite drunk, try to refrain from drinking more.  Because if you don’t, then the people in your dorm hall including your roommates will be the ones stuck carrying your drunk ass home and cleaning your puke off of the floor. She’s won TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS from CampusBookRentals.com!

In the coming days, a whole new batch of freshmen will be arriving on campus.  Their rented mini-vans will clog the parking lots, their wide-eyed gazes and slow feet will make getting to class that much more miserable.  Forget drinking during those first weeks if you’re underage.  Police will be waiting in the bushes for these dummies to come outside holding a telltale red solo cup, and you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.

When you devote your walk to class thinking of all the ways you hate the new lanyard-toting campus population, remember that you too were once wondering the difference between north and south campus.    And while all freshmen eventually learn the lay of the land, making your life easier, they’re strapped with a couple problems that are harder to shake.  A couple problems named Mom and Dad.

As an upperclassman, your parents have probably learned the ropes by now.  They call when they know you’re going to be sober, and you call when you need your debit card refilled.  The youngins, on the other hand, have yet to teach their folks these difficult lessons.  Forget that they have to deal with Mom checking in at 7:30 on a hungover Sunday morning.  First they’ve got to get the parentals to actually leave.

Attention freshies, before on-campus family housing becomes a reality for you, make sure your parents get the message loud and clear: after the car is unloaded and you’ve hugged goodbye, it’s time to leave.  Not stick around for the weekend, not take you to brunch the next morning.  Get back in that glorious ten-passenger monstrosity and hit the road.  To help you help them on their way, here’s a list of tried-and-true methods to ditch Mom and Dad:

Plan Ahead
It might not be too late to encourage your family to book a stellar vacation for the day after you move in.  Tell them it’ll ease the pain of leaving you in a cinder-block hell (which, little do they know, you’ll come to call The Vodka Locker).  Whether it’s the white sands of Bermuda, or a dusty bed and breakfast two hours down the highway, a long weekend away might help dry Dad’s tears.

Enlist the Help of Your Siblings
If you’re working with a younger sib, kick ‘em in the shins to make it look like Little Jimmy cut himself on that rusty bit of railing.  Tetanus is no joke and someone’s gotta take this kid to the hospital, stat!

If you’ve got seasoned pros leading the family ranks, have them sit down ahead of time and brief Mom on what is and isn’t polite etiquette for saying goodbye.  Tears are acceptable, fainting spells and bouts of hysteria are not.

Get Them Angry
So does your mother hate it when you make the bed and simply throw a comforter over the one fitted sheet, forgetting the rest of the bed-in-a-bag goodies?  Or maybe Dad can’t stand it when you talk back and “make a comment about everything.”  Well, bring it on. It’s ten times easier to drop the ol’, “You know what guys, this is my room!  Just go.  I’ll call you later,” if everyone’s pissed.

And if all else fails…

Get Your Roommate and Her BF (or Some Rando) to Engage in Serious PDA
It’s a fact: Dads get weirded out by sex.  Especially when it’s happening two feet away.  The second your Roomie’s top falls to the floor, he’ll be covering his eyes and tripping toward the door.  Problem solved!

[Photo courtesy of NYTimes.com.]

Yes, it’s time to be ready for the school year. It’s time to start packing and gaining ultimate pre-college essentials to give you a chance for an easy ride through the first semester.  Alright CollegeCandy chickas, nurse those excited pangs of pain desire in your liver – we (with a little help from our college blogging friends) are going to get you ready for school!

* Before you even pack up the car, make sure that you don’t forget those necessary items that everyone always forgets to pack.

* Ok, I’m going to be the one to put it out there – I wasn’t much of a ‘laundry-pro’ going into college. I’m not kidding, can I say on here that I Googled ‘how to separate colors’ before doing my very first load? Yeah, embarrassing. Allow me to protect your Google history: here are some things you can think about in regards to doin’ the dirty laundry pile.

* Before I went off to college, shoved in between a thick pile of clothes and a dresser in my dad’s truck, I would have paid a fortune to have a 100+ list full of things to know in regards to college. Here’s the dream realized, free of charge.

* Come finals week, this list will be pasted to your forehead.

* Ok enough of this ‘super prepared for college talk.’ It’s time to talk ‘college drinking.’ Looking for some fabulous future drink mixers? Chasers? Or simply a healthy drink to accompany your future study sesh? Turn to these tasties.

* And to be able to afford all these tasties, check out the 45 weirdest scholarships that you can get.

* Since it’s almost time to start getting ready for classes, why not get in gear early?

* Craving a stress-free moving day more than a Lindsay Lohan US Weekly cover story? I thought so. Say it out loud, “stress free move in day, here I come!”

* I bet while college creeps closer and closer to your North Face backpack, your stress level begins to increase.  Margarita nights with your girlfriends will soon be replaced with lots of stressed out evenings thinking about what classes you need to start taking. Well, stress be gone.

* While you will be saying farewell to your very own bathroom at home, a cupboard dedicated to your favorite types of cereals (guilty), and lots of baggage, you will be saying ‘Hello’ to lots of ramen and never a moment to yourself. Take some of these college dorm tips with a grain of salt entire margarita on the rocks.

* Set up your very own Fashion First Aid kit for your dorm room.

* Oh and while you’re at it – set up a Walk of Shame Kit before you go, too.

Are you a college blog who wants to be included on this list? E-Mail us at editor@collegecandy.com with your back to school link.

Remember how shocked your grandmother was when you told her you were living in coed dorms?

Well get ready to give her a heart attack, because at schools like Brandeis, students get to vote on whether they want their hall bathrooms to be single-sex or coed. We’re all for spending as much time with boys as possible, but there are some times (read: when you’re pooping) that you just don’t want the bros around.

So I gotta know:

Would you rather have single-sex bathrooms or coed bathrooms?

Things to consider: Shower “fun,” #2 (you and them), divulging all your “get ready” secrets.

Vote and tell us why below.

College: a time of growing up, trying new things, and, of course, meeting new people. From the bitchy girl in Chem class to the hot guy from a frat party, freshman year brings a slew of different characters. While no two people share quite the same college experience, there are a few archetypal personalities that, without a doubt, can be found on a freshman floor.

The mom
Armed with maturity to boot, the mom is a super-nurturer. Her room is always clean and she looks out for everyone on the floor as if they were, well, her kids. She suggests the healthy foods from the dining hall, has a fully stocked First Aid kit, and is always there to hold hair back when a friend drank a little too much (but how often does that happen in college anyway?)

The study freak
It’s 4.0 or bust for this super studier. Weekends come and go as she is holed up in her room preparing for her next exam, group presentation, you name it. You getting the hall together for a movie night? Count her out – she’s got reading due next Thursday. Want to throw a little pre-party in your room? Keep it down, because this girl’s in bed by 10 p.m. to prepare for the rigorous study day ahead.

The trust fund kid
He’s used to getting everything handed to him on a silver platter, and has no problem letting people know it. This guy’s “subtlety” involves mentioning the trips he’s taken on his yacht and boasting about his entirely Brooks Brothers wardrobe. His sense of entitlement often means his self-presumed right to get with any girl on the floor.

The guy with the guitar
Convinced he’s the next John Mayer, this guy carries his guitar around and is ready to rock anytime. From the common room to a crowded frat party (to alone in his room at 3pm on a Wednesday), he doesn’t see any limitation on when or where to bust out a jam sesh. No, everyone doesn’t always want to hear your Dispatch cover songs, bro.

The party animal
Always up for a good time, this girl has her mini-fridge stocked with cheap vodka and beer at all times. She’s what you’d call the life of the party. That is, until she passes out on a couch, floor, or lawn by 11:30. Even after a rough night, though, no hangover will keep this gal from getting her party on the next night. And the night after that. And the morning after that night.