[It's a new year (which I am having trouble remembering when I have to write the date on anything), meaning it's the perfect time to wipe that slate clean and start anew. And we're gonna help you out. Every Thursday in January we're bringing you advice from experts on ways to improve yourself and your life. From mental health to making the most of your workspace, we'll all work together to get our lives, health and GPAs back on track. First up, Mary Mihaly, a feng shui expert is going to show us how to make our living spaces work for us.]

You know when your room needs an “energy boost.”  It feels tired in there…it isn’t the haven you want and need it to be.  There’s something about it lately – it doesn’t welcome you, and your friends don’t love hanging out there.

What you need is some good feng shui (pronounced, “fung shway”), the ancient Chinese practice of arranging a space to produce the best possible energy in that room!  It’s a great way to ramp up the positive energy in a space, and the most important feng shui “cures” are easy, affordable—and fun!

Below are 9 of my favorite feng shui fixes. Incorporate some or all of these into your living space and you’ll feel the energy shift instantly. (And yes, these even work in those teeny, tiny dorm rooms many of you call home!) Read More »

You’re in a sweaty basement playing beer pong. You and your partner – who you happened to pick up next to the keg – have finally been taken down. You chug the final four beers from the other side of the table and let the next team take their spots.

For the rest of the evening, you and cutie partner boy tell the tales of an awesome game…while rubbing each other’s backs and making flirty/inappropriate comments between beers. Before you know it, you’re outside on the driveway eating his face like he’s a giant slice of late night pizza. (Mmm, pizza.)

“Wanna go somewhere?” He asks.

“Obvi,” you answer as he’s grabbing your hand and leading you back to his place. You stumble down the street, making out at every stop sign and red light you encounter.  Soon you are back at his dorm which, thankfully, is a single. Also a single? His bed.

As you are setting your stuff on the floor, he grabs you and you make your way to the bed. There’s kissing, groping and a nearly unsuccessful go at your bra hooks. Things are going fine (great, even) until he attempts to get on top of you. You roll on your back when – SMACK – you hit the wall. You try to shimmy to your right a little bit but there’s nowhere to go. If you move another inch you’ll send him flying onto the floor. Read More »

[Note: We're not taking any more entries, but head on over and vote for who you think is the best roommate out there!]

Has anyone ever stared up at you from their bed, mascara smeared across their eyes from crying over that boy, and insisted that you’re the best roommate ever?  Whether you cook a mean tray of celebratory A+ brownies or generously hand over the remote to indulge the roomie’s Project Runway addiction, we know you’ve got some stellar credentials.  Want a little payback for being the best, most coolest, absolute funniest person to live with?  Well, here’s your chance to shine…and win some amazing prizes while you’re at it!  Simply tell something you did for your roommate (or that she did for you!) that went above and beyond the call of roomie duty.

Up for grabs is a fabulously chic set of dorm decor from the new line of designer merchandise available at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, which will be awarded to our first place winner.  The wonderful stylists over at T.J. Maxx have selected luxurious sheets, lamps, and room accessories to ensure you’ve got the most fashionable room on your hall.   Read More »

Can you imagine hearing the incessant whimpering of a dog while trying to study in your dorm room? Well, it might not be too unrealistic of a nightmare/dream (depending on your take). An increasing amount of colleges are now permitting dogs in dorm rooms. Although they’re incredibly cute, how gross?! Like we really need something else to have to clean up or worry about. Aren’t moldy Ramen noodles and midterms enough? Not to mention the smell. We already have to deal with the smell of mildew wafting over from the guys’ floor, do we really need to throw in some wet dog too?

There’s a reason dogs aren’t allowed in dorms, so let’s just keep it that way, K? And while we’re at it, perhaps we should ban a few other things as well:

1. Microwave popcorn
Because no one seems to know how to make it without burning it.

2. Hair (in general)
OK, so I don’t think everyone should have to pull a Britney before unpacking in their 10X10 cells, but hair is gross. And somehow my shower flip-flops, carpet, and backpack are always covered in clumps of it….most of which does not belong to me. Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Thinking about dabbling in Adderall? (Don’t!) Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
Alright, I know this is coming really late (there’s only like 2 weeks left of school) but my roommate is driving me crazy. It’s like all the annoying things she did all year that I ignored are bubbling over and I want to punch her. She’s messy, she’s loud. Did I mention she’s messy? Like, underwear on the floor messy. I didn’t want to say anything to her because we don’t have any time left but with finals and everything I am really stressed and my room just isnt the sanctuary that I need it to be. Is it worth it to start a fight or should I just let it go? I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s not worth some big blow up (which I anticipate it being), but it’s my room too and I’m so annoyed with her I barely want to be in there. Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Don’t know what the eff to do with your life? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
I was approved to have a single in the dorms next year. Yay! I was really excited about having my own space (and it’s so, so, so hard to get a single on my campus) with my friends down the hall. But then a few of my friends decided to get an apartment together off campus. They asked me if I wanted to live with them and I’m just not sure. On the one hand, I’d have to share a room and wouldn’t really have any privacy. But on the other, if they are all living together I’ll be alone in the dorms.

What would you do? Read More »

Library to yourself? Score.

Endless exams and papers, constant guy drama, grad school applications, a dwindling bank account…the day-to-day worries of our college years often weigh us down.  But too often, we stress about the big issues and totally forget about the little things that make our daily routines bearable…or even great!

1. A Cancelled Class
Your alarm goes off bright and early at 8 a.m. and you can barely open your eyes.  You angrily hit the snooze button, roll over in bed and start thinking about what to wear.  Then your mind runs through all the things you have to do today: 3 classes, gym, library, chapter meeting…ugh. You’d rather stay in bed. Then – BUZZ! – your phone vibrates and you wonder who the hell needs to talk to you this early. Lo and behold, it’s your study buddy letting you know that (gasp) CLASS IS CANCELLED! Your professor is sick/at a family function/whatever, and you can barely read the whole text before you reset your alarm, pull the covers back over your head and sleep for a few more (glorious!) hours.

2. Free Stuff!
Let’s face it, in this economy getting anything for free in college is right up there with Christmas and 21st birthdays. Free short stack day at IHOP, free condoms at Student Health, those Victoria’s Secret coupons for free panties that come in the mail, and (a personal favorite at my campus) free iced coffee day at Dunkin Donuts.  And then there’s all those campus club meetings and fundraisers where they give out free food, and sometimes on hot days, free water bottles! It may not seem like much, but it doesn’t get much better than a free, ice cold water bottle. Read More »

Dorm-room sex. It’s undeniably tricky. Besides the tiny twin beds that limit mobility and often result in dangerous topples from the top bunk, you always have to time your romps just right, waiting for your roommate to step out for an undetermined but hopefully lengthy amount of time.

But dorm-room sex is just as challenging for the non-practicing roommate. Allow me to paint you a word mural:

You’re trekking home to your room after an excruciating night in the library. Your bed is calling your name from across campus, and it’s taking all of your energy just to make it back. Just as you are opening the door and can practically feel your blanket’s sweet embrace wrapped around your body, the familiar moans and grunts of your roommate and her ape-like boyfriend ring like fire alarms in your ears. Sexiled again.

You have two choices: Make your presence known and hope they cease and desist or opt for headphones and heavy metal. Or you can face your fate and spend the night tossing and turning on the cardboard-like couch in the lounge.

Well, if you’re a student at Tufts University, the weight of this hefty decision has been taken off your shoulders once and for all. Under a new ResLife policy, students are not allowed to engage in sexual activity while their roommates are in the room. Read More »

So… it’s April of your senior year, and you’re meticulously filling out forms about your sleeping habits (why yes, you do tend to sleep at 2 AM and think 12 PM is ‘early’) and cleanliness habits to send to your future home for the next four years. Or, you’re a college freshman re-applying for housing with your dorm BFF/sorority sister/random classmate from English 101. Come June, you receive that nice envelope or automated email from Residential Life, hoping to get for what you asked for (please no early-bird neat freak!) And in that nice little slot, lies ROOMMATE: NONE. And your address happens to have an S by it.

Yup, you’re in a single. Obviously, a single room isn’t the image most conjure up when thinking about college dorms (and most freshmen aren’t lucky enough to get one), but they’re out there.

Nervous? Excited? Don’t really know what you’re getting into/how you’ll fit all your stuff into a 120 square foot box? Don’t worry; here are the pros and cons of life in a single. Read More »

Yeah, that's right. This cork board makes people want to party.

A dorm isn’t a dorm without the staple brown cork board on the wall. You post reminders of exams, pictures of your friends, phone numbers (of that hottie you just met!), and other important info on your life.

Problem is that the ugly brown cork board is a little bored. I know it doesn’t match the rest of your gorgeous room decor, so here is an easy and creative way to transform that ugly board into an artistic and functional piece of wall decor.

What You’ll Need:
*2 Sets of Cork Tiles: You can find these at Wal-mart, Target, or any office supply store. They usually come in sets of 4. You can make your cork piece as big as you want, but I usually use 8 tiles (so, 2 sets).
*Spray Paint: Use any color you want. The spray paint will be for the background color of your piece.
*Art Paint: Again, choose any colors you want. This paint will add accent colors and design on the cork tiles after they are spray painted. Skip this step if you prefer to have a plain color cork piece!
*Ribbon: Use any color/design you want. Just make sure the color of the ribbon goes well with the paint colors.
*Small paint brushes Read More »