College moves fast. One second you’re a freshman wandering around the campus with a lanyard and the next second you’re crossing the stage and collecting a diploma. You vaguely remember meeting your best friend when she held your hair back after your first frat party and you kinda remember that all-nighter you pulled to get 3 term papers done in one night. But the rest is a blur of theme parties, walks of shame, and begging your older sister for her fake ID.

Before you know it, you’re out in the real world, working a real job alongside real people, wondering what happened to no-class Friday and $3 pitchers. And trust me, it ain’t fun.

It gets pretty easy to get caught up in it all and forget to be young and crazy. That’s why, with only a little way’s to go until I hit the big 2-5, I’ve put together the ultimate list of everything we, as fun-loving and fearless women, need to accomplish before we turn 25.

initiating the gallery...

It’s pretty evident that Adderall and other prescription ADD and ADHD medications are everywhere on college campuses. Whether you’re getting it via script from your health center, the frat guy who thinks he’s a dealer, or your best friend, these drugs are abused all over the country. When I was younger there were only a handful of kids my age that had a prescription for Adderall or Ritalin, and now it seems every other person I know has it. Adderall is commonly referred to as “legal speed” because it’s an amphetamine, and without a prescription and correct dosage it can be really dangerous. I see kids in the library popping pills alongside energy drinks and wonder how their hearts don’t explode. I have a serious caffeine addiction, but at least coffee has its health benefits and you don’t need a prescription for it.

If you have a prescription, great. If you don’t, stop annoying your friends with prescriptions because if you really needed it then you would have your own. While it can make you sit down and knock out that ten-page paper or cram for an exam, try these alternatives first… Read More »

Over the years, college kids have developed a universal stereotype as sex-crazed alcoholic party monsters. And while that may be true for some of our classmates, it’s a little bit off to say that this is all you can expect from campus populations. Or is it?

Just kidding, of course it is. How can you say we’re all the same when there are SO many more stereotypes out there that we can place college students into? Extensive research into the subject–aka watching a few Old School-esque campus-based movies–will give you a little insight into the type of people you can expect to meet once you set out to earn your degree.

But how do you know if all of these stereotypes are true? Things may vary from campus to campus, but overall there are a few people you can expect to make and break the stereotypes that have been established by years of party school movies and headlining college scandals. Here’s a little guide to what I’ve learned to be true and false regarding college stereotypes.

Blame it on the M-M-M-M-M-Miley

So apparently drinking and doings drugs is cool again.

At least that’s what our friends over at Jezebel are telling us the stats at Drugfree.org are telling them. 45% of high school students don’t see a “great risk” in heavy drinking. And 68% of those high school students have had their first drink by age 14. Additionally, since 2008 the use of marijuana is up from 32% to 39% and the use of ecstasy is up from 4% to 6%.

But let’s step back from the statistics for a minute an discuss the stuff behind the stats. For the first time in years substance abuse is once again on the rise and the real question on everyone’s mind has to be, why?

The director of strategy at Drugfree.org suggests budget cuts to prevention programs, the legalization of medicinal marijuana or even the stress of difficult economic times. But for me at least, these don’t seem like viable options.  I don’t think medicinal marijuana is behind this increase, nor do I think it’s the hard economic times. I mean, if teens don’t see the risk of binge drinking do you really think they see the ramifications of the stock market crash? And, honestly, I don’t think it’s the loss of prevention programs either. Teens today live in a world without limits. All the information they could ever want is at their fingertips. Pamphlets won’t tell them anything Google can’t. Read More »

It’s no secret that Charlie Sheen is one of Hollywood’s bad boys. And by “bad boys” I mean “has a serious drug problem.” He’s been in and out of the news for years for his addiction to drugs and the things (and prostitutes) he does while on them. Charlie clearly needs help… and a lot of it.

So I have to wonder how and why CBS is sitting idly by as story after horrific story surfaces about their golden child.

Okay, so we all know Charlie Sheen isn’t really the best role model and as a grown man, he shouldn’t have to be. It’s not like little 10-year-old girls are looking up to him. But wait, they are! Charlie stars in the number one family show on a family network. A show that families watch together, children and all. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (or a TV executive) to realize it might be a bit of a problem to have a man who is famous for benders with 5 ‘escorts’ to maintain his starring role.

But CBS isn’t pulling him. In fact, they’ve announced that they will be shooting the show around when Charlie is high on coke and when he isn’t. (Well, not in so many words, but that’s the gist of it.) Way to be flexible, CBS. Read More »

On Friday, pictures of Miley Cyrus hitting a bong circulated the Internet and quickly became the biggest news of 2010. (Seriously, even my mother called to tell me she saw “Miley Cyrus inhaling from a pipe on my AOL.”) No one here in CollegeCandy Headquarters was all that surprised – she is a Disney star, after all. And have you heard the girl talk? She sounds like the kid who made pot brownies in his microwave my freshman year. Plus, what’s the big deal with weed? Even a world famous Disney star needs to take the edge off after performing “Party in the USA” to screaming 7-year-olds (and drunk college boys) 5,000 times in a year.

But upon further inspection, it turned out that Miley wasn’t smoking pot at all. Rather, she was smoking Salvia, a harsher, crazier drug that we’ve been hearing about for quite some time and have been far too scared to ever try. What is Salvia? What does it do? Why are we such pussies that we can’t handle it and Hannah Montana can?

It’s time to get schooled. Below, your guide to Salvia, Miley’s drug of choice.

What is Salvia?
According to the DEA, Salvia is a “Mexican herb that can be smoked to evoke hallucinogenic effects. Psychic effects include perceptions of bright lights, vivid colors and shapes, as well as body movements and body or object distortions.”

Where does it come from?
The plant was traditionally used by indigenous peoples as a healing and divinatory aid due to its unique properties when chewed or smoked. When consumed in this manner, the active ingredient, Salvinorin-A produces psychedelic effects in the body ranging from mild to extreme.

How do you do it?
Rolled into papers and smoked like a cigarette, chewed, or inhaled from a pipe or bong (AKA: Doin’ the Miley). Read More »

I was so excited for The Hangover 2 to come out next year.  So excited.  Like already have my tickets, waiting in line starting now excited.  And then news broke that a certain celebrity was going to be making a cameo in the sequel, much like Mike Tyson did in the original.  Except this celebrity isn’t a boxing legend with a drug problem.  It’s a middle-aged white guy with rage issues.  Mel Gibson.

Is it bad that since reading of this new addition to the cast, my interest in the movie has dropped about 200%?  Mel makes my skin crawl.  Seriously, I know the dude wants to push “restart” on his career, but I can think of a bajillion other celebrities who deserve a second (or third, or fourth) chance to change their image more than a wife-beating, anti-Semitic a-hole.

Amy Winehouse
Not only is she legitimately super-talented, she writes songs with names like “F*ck Me Pumps.”  Talk about someone who deserves a chance to further pursue her art!  Those are bona-fide dance hits, without which our Thirsty Thursdays would be significantly duller.  There are only so many times you can shake your butt to “Apple Bottom Jeans,” but Amy’s “Rehab” is forever.

R.Kelly
When he’s not being gross, Mr. Kelly is actually pretty funny…whether he means to be or not.  “Trapped in the Closet” was an epic musical adventure that had me biting my fingernails with anxiety.  So maybe he touched minors inappropriately.  Give him one of those hot pink molester license plates, keep him away from parks and schools, but let the guy act! Read More »

How can you put Hallie and Annie in Jail?

Well, Lindsay Lohan is at it again… or is she?  Following her DUI in August 2007, Lohan was ordered to attend alcohol education classes weekly.  Now, in violation of her probation, it is reported that she has been attending every 21 days instead.  A court hearing set for May 20 will determine if she will have to serve jail time because of the violation.  The sad part is: this time, she didn’t actually do anything.  Of course failing to adhere to court orders is cause for punishment, but does Lilo really deserve to be put behind bars because of infrequent attendance?  After endless drama with her father and everything headed her way, I actually feel bad for her.  We all remember the adorable little red-head in “The Parent Trap” who was talented enough to play the roles of both Hallie and Annie, imitating an English accent only half of the time.  She really was a talented actress and showed so much potential.  Even in later years, her roles in “Freaky Friday” and “Mean Girls” were well portrayed.  She had proven herself different from other talent-less Hollywood cokeheads; she really had a lot going for her.  Obviously experimentation with drugs and alcohol was her choice, but it is impossible to know the kind of pressure celebrities like Lindsay face while in the spotlight all of the time.  At this point, the media looks for excuses to push her even further down into a whole.  Only the hearing can decide her fate, but hopefully she will be shown some slack and the chance to make positive changes in her life.

Week after week (after week after week…), CollegeCandy and our pal John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, and saddest things he hears on his college campus. And we know he’s not the only one who hears this stuff. Join the Overheard revolution! Listen in on some weirdos’ conversations and share them in the comments or send ‘em over. You know there’s a lot of funny things to be heard on your campus, so get listening.

(Girl, guy at a basketball game.)

Girl: Oh, man, I can almost taste that KFC.

Guy: No. No, do not taste it.

(Girl, two guys at a party.)

Guy 1: Well, I mean, like, I’ve never done … water sports.

Girl: Water sports? What’s water sports?

Guy 2: You know, like, swimming, diving, water-skiing.

Guy 1: Uh, dude. Read More »

Lesson Learned: Bloody hot mess on stage = best career move EVER

Is it just me, or does it seem like almost every celebrity out there had some giant scandal in 2009? I feel like I spent at least 3/4 of the year crouched in front of the TV or refreshing my news on the internet just to keep up. From Michael Jackson’s shocking death, to cheating husbands, to a family sending a silver balloon in the air and forcing their family to lie just to get on TV, the scandals have gone from serious and sad to very WTF worthy.

Seriously, WTF, 2009?

But I guess when it comes down to it, all of this (hot) mess can do some good. I mean, even if Tiger’s marriage doesn’t work out and Carrie Prejean’s sex tapes continue to circulate to the point that her career is really over, at least I learned a few things. And all without having a giant mess on my hands.

So thank you, celebs, for being the anti-role models that I need and teaching me some very important life lessons. Below, the top 10 lessons I learned in 2009:

1. Do Not Send Naked Photos. Just Don’t! You’d think I would know this already, but celebs just keep drilling it into my head. Too bad they still aren’t learning the lesson. Among others, naked pics of Rihanna, Carrie Prejean, Ashley Greene, and Vanessa Hudgens (again) popped up on the Internet this year. And got passed around quicker than the Swine Flu in a college dorm. So the next time that guy you barely know asks for some sexy pictures via text, think about this: there is 90% chance that those images could come back to haunt you. And a 100% chance if you break his heart.

2. Don’t Do Drugs! We’ve heard that message a million times, but it never rang more true than when the world lost Michael Jackson. Of course, we also have a few other people drilling this point home. Like Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, Steven Tyler…. Read More »