[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 Grooveshark, Ebates and Keep Me Out) 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.]

My desk is cluttered with post-it notes of things I don’t want to forget about, magazine clippings, receipts, class notes, and more.  The mess, plus being occasionally scatter-brained, drives me crazy and sometimes (OK, more than I’d like to admit) even causes me to forget about important events or due dates. I used to try to figure how I could keep it all organized in a way that would make it all easy to access and find what I need – but now Evernote does all that for me!

Evernote will help you remember anything – whether it’s the due date of an assignment, a random thought, the name of that awesome beer you had at your friend’s party, or anything else – and it’ll help keep it organized!  It’s so easy: simply create an account on the site and start adding notes!

There are about a zillion different ways you can submit something to Evernote.  The most basic way is to simply log on to the website and type in a note manually, but you can also send an e-mail to your account (an e-mail address is created for each account, and can be found on the account settings page of the site), send a text or picture from your cell phone (to your account e-mail address), enter it through one of the smart phone or computer desktop apps, clip something directly from a webpage through their browser add-on, or even send a tweet.  Plus, there are tons of websites, products, and mobile apps that you can connect to Evernote with, and more are being added all the time!

And if helping you remember everything wasn’t cool enough, Evernote gets even cooler: it also helps you stay organized!  Once you submit something, Evernote automatically saves it for you in a “notebook.”  You can create as many notebooks as you want (one for food, one for school, one for shoes….), and can organize everything you submit accordingly.

Some ideas: a digital shopping list with pictures of cute clothes you see in stores and online that you want to buy, a to-do list with tasks and assignments you don’t want to forget about, or web clippings of research for your upcoming term paper.  The uses for Evernote are endless!

All your Evernote notes are also searchable by the note’s title or keywords in it.  Evernote can even recognize text and handwriting in images!  You can also add tags to notes to make searching even faster and easier.

Evernote is going to put an end to the post-it wall over my desk (thus saving many innocent trees)and the hundreds of poorly organized bookmarks on my browser.  I never thought I’d say this, but I think I’m finally going to get organized.

God, the Internet is such a wonderful thing.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Zappos…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Party School Texts, Daily Burn and Musicovery) 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.]

Life can be pretty overwhelming sometimes: balancing classes, a job, and social life can sometimes be too much for one person. I know it gets hard for me to remember all that I have to do—especially schoolwork.  I have a regular planner that I carry around in my purse to help keep me organized, but I don’t always remember to look at it every day when I get home, which means sometimes I forget about a reading assignment or worse, a test… which doesn’t really help my G.P.A.  I know I need a better way to organize my schoolwork, but I haven’t found a way that works for me yet.

A few years ago, Andrew Schaper was a high school student with the same organization problems I have.  In order to solve these problems, he created Soshiku, a website that helps you manage and keep track of all your school assignments.

It couldn’t be any simpler to start getting organized.  First, register for a free account on the site.  Once you do that, you can log in, set up all the courses you’re currently taking and add assignments for each.  Every time you log in, you’ll be directed to your personalized homepage that displays all the assignments you have due that day, the next day, and in the coming week, as well as a calendar highlighting the days you have projects due.  You can add notes or upload files to each assignment as well, which helps you stay organized by keeping all your work in one place.

Soshiku’s most useful feature, however, is the option to set up e-mail or text message reminders of the projects you have due at the particular intervals you set (such as the day it’s due or a few days before).  How awesome is that? I mean, you may not check your planner every day, but I can guarantee you’ll check your phone.

You can also upload projects to your account via text message or e-mail so you can add them as soon as your professors assign them, which means less chance of forgetting about them.  There’s also an option to share an assignment with other users and assign tasks, which makes organizing group projects a breeze.

Thanks to Soshiku, it’s now practically impossible to forget you have a test or project due (unless for some reason you decide to ignore your texts and e-mails).  Using Soshiku will help even the most organizationally challenged change their ways!

This month, Cosmo’s Guy Report includes some of the usual brilliant suggestions from staffers, as well as expert opinion (read: random dudes interns found on the street) on everything from tatted up ladies to the little signals he’s allegedly sending us.

3 Things He Says That Seem Innocent But Aren’t…

Cosmo Says: “I still love you” translates into “I love you a lot less now that we just had this fight.” “Whatever” is no longer a fun word to abbreviate, but rather a sign that your guy is about to tune you out, and “Oh, Great” is not a demonstration of his sarcastic side, but an omen that your relationship will end.

Kari  Says: I guess my boyfriend should have broken up with me years ago, because these non-innocent quips pop up from time to time. Maybe it’s just me, but if I screw up royally and we get into a shouting match, I want nothing more than reassurance that my boyfriend still loves me. And as for “whatever”-ing, it’s usually more of a response to my daily “What should I make for dinner?” text. And the sarcasm? I def would prefer sincerity but I don’t think a few eye rolls are grounds for an impending break up…

Guypinion: Chicks With Lots of Tats

Cosmo(‘s poll guys) says: Back tattoos would screw up Jon’s “rhythm” during doggie style.  Chris, 35, would prefer no ink—however “great boobs and a great butt” might make up for it, and Matt, 27, thinks all tattoos are stupid unless they are an exact replica of your dog’s paw print.

Kari Says: Ink-free is the way to be for me, but I personally think that all my girls with body art are bangin’. They all put a lot of thought and time planning out their tattoos, and none of the guys they’ve hooked up with had ever had a problem with…distractions (sorry, Jon). Where are all the guys who think tattoos are sexy? They had to be out there somewhere, Cosmo; more diversity on the polls please!

Why You Should Check His E-Mail

Cosmo Says: It’s totes not OK to read his e-mail, but every Cosmo Girl should obviously read over his shoulder to check out his inbox maintenance. Someone with a “tidy inbox probably manages his life well,” someone with a ton of e-mail can’t get their sh*t together and someone who saves every e-mail they’ve ever gotten is sentimental.

Kari Says: Perfect! I needed a quick, creepy way to categorize my boyfriend’s personality type based on something totally random. Way better than the article I was planning on writing about “What his eyebrow shape says about his financial future.” Seriously, Cosmo? I guess I can understand the tidy inbox/ Type A  example, but someone who gets a ton of e-mail might just be really popular (or friends with too many promoters on FB). And someone who saves every e-mail they’ve ever gotten is effing weird, not sentimental.

How To Cure A Football Addict

Cosmo Says: “Whenever possible, convince him to DVR games for later.” Also, give him an ultimatum and make sure he always at least gets to watch the 4^th quarter. Tell him how much you LOVE football so he knows it’s important when you tell him he can’t watch. If all else fails, threaten to go out with your crazy single ladies any given Sunday.

Kari Says: Once you can convince him to give up his pesky football habit, you’ll have a much easier time persuading him to let you keep his balls in a jar on your desk. Football can be really special to guys, and if he loves it that much, who am I to force him to give it up? I mean, homeboy will never understand my sick obsession with the Real Housewives of New Jersey, but he doesn’t demand I give up my Danielle fix. A better way to deal with a football freak is to learn the basic rules, and a few impressive stats to impress him with in casual conversation (I like to name the positions. “Left Defensive End” is my favorite one to throw around.) Then, put on his favorite team’s jersey and watch a game with him. You might actually enjoy it, and if you don’t, guys usually watch football while drinking copious amounts of beer and eating great fattening food, so you really can’t go wrong.

What do you guys think about this particular Man Manual? Did you ever feel the need to stalk your guy’s inbox or cure a football addict? Gentlemen who LIKE body art, I know you’re out there—what do you think about a girl with tats?

College cards are often a necessity (ranking right up there with tequila shots and coffee) during your four years, unless you have a big fat trust fund or a wealthy eccentric uncle. A multitude of costly expenses fall outside your tuition bill. Some are necessary, like food, books and transportation, while others are luxuries, like clothes, alcohol, trips and concerts. Here are some tips to avoid the debt trap that so many students fall into.

Compare offers

Be as choosy with what you put in your wallet as you are about which boys you let sleep in your bed (Editor’s Note: When alcohol isn’t involved). There are tons of credit card offers out there – don’t just take the first one you stumble upon.

Do your research: check out the finance charge, annual fee, cash advance fees and late payment fees. The finance charge can be as high as 25 percent on the unpaid part of your bill, and the annual fee can suck up a hundred bucks each year. For cash advances, most cards charge a scary amount and high interest. Read the fine print, and look at what a late payment can do to your rate (hint: just one late payment increases your interest rate). Try sites like credit.com or bankrate.com) to compare cards and score the best deal.

Screw the free-t-shirt

Forget the free-t-shirt/ water bottle/ random-crappy-thing-that-you’ll-never-use-again. Don’t apply just to score free gear. With every application, an inquiry is made into your credit history. This can pull down your credit quicker than a drunken frat guy drops his pants (or yours). Push through the crowd of over-eager credit card pushers – its okay to say no.

Timeliness is next to Godliness

The due date for payment is not a ‘suggestion’. Be religious about your payments and mark them in your planner, iCal, e-mail calendar or PDA. Use programs like Mint.com to keep all your spending and bills in one easy to access dashboard. Mint sends helpful reminders when bills are due and keeps track of your balances. Set up online payment for easy access, and do your best to make timely payments.

Do the math

If you’re spending $600 a month, and your income is damn near zero, you’re heading for debt disaster. Work out a budget and determine how much you can really afford to spend each month. Evaluate where your yet-to-be-earned dollars are actually going – is it beer, books or boots? Try and separate your needs from your wants: eating is a need, new going-out pants is not. Even cutting out one bar visit a month – I know, how very tragic – will bring down your bottom line. As boring as budgeting may be, it will help you understand where your money is going and where you need to cut back.

Look at the alternatives

If you’re spending like a wild woman, but not pulling in any actual income, its time to consider the alternatives. At the risk of sounding like your fiscally focused father, it might be time to get a job. If you’re not currently working, consider slinging plates of food at the local diner to fund your living expenses. (Please avoid the pole.) While you might have to defer to the plastic occasionally, a paycheck can take a big bite out of your monthly bill.

Be future-focused

Sure, skipping payments for a few months might not seem like a big deal now, but it will bite you in your metaphorical ass later. When you get out of school, virtually every potential employer will be eyeing your credit report right along with your resume. A shady credit history will turn off employers and prevent you from getting that dream job. Just like you want to woo that fine-looking boy with a swimmer’s build in your economics class, you should want to woo future employers as well. (And the benefits will last much longer than a hook-up with swimmer boy). To boot, applying for an apartment or financing a car will be hindered by your crappy credit – and who wants to live in a cardboard box under the freeway? These negative marks will stay on your credit report for a whopping seven years. So, you’ll be missing out on great opportunities long after you’ve worn out the soles on those Visa-funded gladiator sandals.

Two-thirds of college students have at least one credit card, and 55 percent of students received their first card during their freshman year of college, according the Institute for Higher Education. Of those college students with credit cards, 20 percent have four or more. While carrying a card can seem inevitable to get by during your four years, making irresponsible decisions and building hefty debt isn’t. Be smart and don’t make decisions you’ll regret later.

Bad credit stays with you a lot longer than a jagermeister hangover. And feels a whole lot worse.

Whether you are a serial LDD-er (long distance dater, obvs) or this is your first case of separation anxiety, remember that a summer break is not a relationship death sentence, but more of a Paris-esque mini lockdown with time off for good behavior!

The most important aspect of a long distance relationship (as in any other healthy one) is communication. Beyond the obvious (calling, texting, IMing), it’s important to create an open channel of expression that allows you both to clearly explain your thoughts, feelings and, most importantly, expectations throughout this relationship vacation (not the Speidi version).

Before you two lovebirds separate, talk about the impending geographical issue. Discuss how you’re feeling about it (nervous? anxious? scared?) and why. Bring up your thoughts on the social scene and parties. I’m not a believer in strict rules governing your right to party (thank you, Beastie Boys) but your definition of a good time might be quite different from his (Is it ok to flirt shamelessly but innocently for free drinks? Are you cool with a night at the strip club with his boys?). By talking about problems like wandering eyes or drifting apart before they happen, you can easily avoid them. And by establishing a sitch where you can freely talk about stuff like that will help you stay secure in your union.

Now that you two have gotten all the paperwork out of the way, enjoy your last night together and prepare to start a new chapter in your relationship that will only strengthen it, if done correctly.

An easy way to feel close without physicality it to try to maintain a routine. Designate phone time during breaks at work. Text each other during boring lectures (not that I’m encouraging you to neglect your schoolwork or anything.) Watch Jeopardy together and race each other to IM the answers. Winner gets paid in sexual favors (keep tally for the reunion!). Remember that, yea you guys are apart and that sucks, but some of your favorite things to do together can still be done at a distance.

That said, shake it up a little bit and surprise each other. If you know he’s hanging out around his apartment with nothing to do, order his favorite pizza and have it delivered to him, all expenses paid. Get your guy friends or brother to challenge him at Halo and talk smack to him through their head piece until he figures out it’s you.

For a more timeless surprise, never underestimate the power of snail mail. He gets calls and e-mails from everyone. You know who he gets mail from? Bill collectors. And his Grandma on his birthday. Imagine his surprise when he gets a legit, full blown love letter from his favorite person in the whole wide world.* Does he have a hobby? Get him a subscription to a cool guy mag. Are you an Iron Chef? Bake him his favorite recipe à vous and ship that deliciousness his way. (Or try any of these to remind him jusssst how much he misses you.)

Of course, the best surprise you can deliver is your wonderful self, but that’s a little cost prohibitive via UPS. Unless they ship humans, cause, um, done. Anyways, if you have the coin to splurge on airline tix (make that money, girl!), get the cheapest tickets known to girl-kind. If not, consider the alternatives. Split the gas with some friends if he’s within driving distance. Grab a few of your girlfriends and get a car on a train (I’m not sure if it’s legal, but a bottle of your preference could make it quite a fun ride). Consider meeting him halfway somewhere that you both would love to visit, like a theme park or cute town, that happens to be inexpensive. Seeing your boyfriend? Sweet. Going on an impromptu vacay with said studmuffin? SWEET!

When it comes down to it though, the hardest part about LDR’s is keeping it hot. Done and done. Embrace your inner sex kitten and fire up that webcam babydoll! If that’s a little too American Pie for your tastes, start out slow with some suggestive texting or phone sex (if you can keep a straight face). Send him sexy pictures (nothing too risque though, you never know where those will end up). If the wonders of modern technology just ain’t your thang, simply assure your boyfriend that the temptress he left behind is ready and eagerly awaiting his (or your) return.

While you are apart, though, revel in your newfound freedom! Not that he kept you tied up or anything– unless you’re into that– but emotionally and time-wise, a boyfriend most definitely occupies the majority of your schedule. This means more time for your long lost girlfriends! Bring on brunch, sleepovers, girl’s night out and chick flick marathons. No matter how much you miss your guy, your girls will more than make up for his absence. Another benefit? Alone time! Enjoy the time you would usually spend with him all. by. yourself. At first it might feel like you’ve just been surgically separated from your Siamese twin, but eventually you’ll crave time to lay around, read a book, or just chill on the lonesome.

Being apart can be hard, but if you make the effort to maintain your already awesome coupledom, this trial will only make you stronger (cheesy, but true). And whenever you get sad or lonely, mentally play your reunion (running hug, big kiss and goofy smile, the works!) and how much more you’ll appreciate each other then.

*Additional benefit: a reciprocated love letter, leading to a Notebook style correspondence that will lead to a torrid reunion and leave you with priceless sentimental scrapbook fodder. Mmm scrapbooking.

Wait a second, though—isn’t that still the way people do it?

What with your iPod in your left hand, your BlackBerry in your right hand, your laptop spread out in front of you, and your cell phone plastered to your ear, it seems a little weird to imagine dating without the technology of today.

But when you think about it, the dating of today is really just the same as the dating of pre-technology. Maybe it’s just because I never have the latest gadgets and I try to avoid logging into my Facebook account whenever possible, but I really don’t think it’s necessary to electronically “poke” my love interest or text “OMG U=SO GR8 LAST NITE!” to my boyfriend’s cell phone. Call me old-fashioned, but I actually find it annoying when my relationship becomes entangled with technology.

There have to be other people out there who feel that way. I mean, yeah, it can be nice to stalk your crush in a nonthreatening way by reading up on the interests they list in an online profile—but wouldn’t it be better to, say, ask that person out for coffee and chat about hobbies over a caramel latté, face to face? Or is that just too much to ask?

Don’t get me wrong—technological advances are definitely great for dating. I feel really good knowing that I can just dial my boyfriend’s cell number whenever I want to talk to him, and it’s very sweet when he sends me e-mails from across the world to let me know that he loves me. But honestly, I’d be just fine without those things, and I have to imagine that everyone else would be, too.

I mean, people still meet in bars and at dances and on public transportation, and not everyone under the sun has a cell phone or even an e-mail address. People are still fundamentally people—with or without the technology, and I’m not going to fall in love with anyone based on romantic text messages.

So, CC readers, I’d like to open it up to you. Technology and dating: a match made in heaven, or just kind of a nuisance?

[Image courtesy of T-ShirtHumor.com.]

The results surprised scientists, who had previously believed that happiness was stable when looking at societies over time. Bucking the conventional knowledge, happiness levels in forty countries “rose substantially.”

Denmark is the happiest nation, Zimbabwe the least, and the US was rated as the 16th happiest country. A similar survey released last week determined one reason America isn’t ranking higher on the list: Baby Boomers are generally miserable compared to other generations.

Is this true? Is our generation happier than our parents’ generation? Its probably true that our lives are busier as a result of being constantly connected through e-mail, blackberries, cell phones and social networks. I’ve often wondered if this adds or detracts from our general happiness — constant connectivity can be both a blessing and a curse.

As women, we certainly are afforded a collection of freedoms our mothers were denied. Our generation has seen increased educational and career opportunities, lessened social stigma of being single or a single mom and a rise in financial and social freedoms, just to name a few.

By my age, my mom was married with two babies and a mortgage. How times have changed! I’d like to think that my happiness level is higher than it would have been if I grew up in the sixties or seventies. True, I would have loved to hit up Woodstock or rocked a cute peace-sign studded shift dress, but these days I have a world of freedoms and options, unavailable to females my age just a few decades ago.

Whether its extensive travel or making our education or career the focus of our universe, we are truly able to choose our own adventure and need not be tied down to a hubby and rugrats so early in our lives. But does this make us happier? Or were women happier in simple times, when tradition and stability reigned?

I’m not quite sure where the modern, kick-ass, twenty-something female rates on the happiness scale. Some, like the author of What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us, would say our ambition and heightened goals have only lead to more unhappiness, confusion and insecurity. Others would say we are over-stressed, over-worked and overly obsessed with material things, body image and success compared to the Baby Boomer Generation. But I think us girls are doing just fine — we’re more socially conscious, more self-aware, more worldly and more open minded than our gray-haired counterparts. And so, somewhat tentatively, I do believe that we, the free and fearless females of our progressive generation, are happier than past generations.

What do you think?

Now, before you start judging me, hear me out! I too was of the “online dating is kind of weird and creepy” mentality, until a good friend of mine gave it a try and met a really sweet, funny, cute guy. Totally not creepy at all!

Maybe I could give it a try…I mean, I could just create a profile, no obligation to go on any dates at all. I’ve been feeling stuck in a rut lately–I seem to meet the same guy over and over. We like each other, we’re attracted to each other, but he doesn’t want a relationship. The online dating community, I figured, is full of like-minded people, people who are looking to meet someone and really date, instead of just hooking up.

I created a profile and tried to pick out some flattering-but-accurate photos. I listed my interests, what I like to do, and picked out a few criteria for my potential man (non-smoker please!) One click, and I was done.

I got a few messages from guys I wasn’t really interested in. I had decided that, since I was just testing it out, I wouldn’t actually search for anyone, I would just have a look at whoever expressed interest in me. Finally, a few days later, I got a note from a cute guy. He had taken my little “about me” section and modified it so it was about him. Funny! His profile was witty, and we shared a lot of interests. He had a few pictures posted, and he looked totally my type–skinny, tall, glasses.

I figured, what the heck, why not? I responded. We exchanged a few clever e-mails back and forth before finally deciding to hang out. We picked a restaurant, a day, and a time. So far, so good.

That’s when the nerves hit. I have never been so nervous for something in my entire life. I felt like I was about to take the SAT’s, or open up that first letter from a college. I felt like at any moment I would pass out from the pure adrenaline. What if he doesn’t think I’m cute? What if I’m not funny enough? What if, what if, what if!?

The day of the date came along, and I primped and primped. I picked out the best possible outfit (sexy but not too sexy, dressy but not over-the-top), shaved my legs, put on lipstick, dabbed on some perfume, the works. I was so nervous on my way there that I actually considered bailing several times. I called my friend and had her calm me down. Breathe.

I saw him standing outside the restaurant and suddenly, my heart sunk a little. He was much shorter than he seemed in his photos, and, call me superficial, but I like my guys on the tall side. In his photos he was just wearing a plain t-shirt, but now he looked like something out of Revenge of the Nerds–pleated khakis, a short-sleeve buttoned down shirt tucked in, and clunky black shoes.

OK, whatever, I knew he was a temp, so I let it go. We said hello and went inside. We sat down at the table and looked at our menus. And then…the silence.

I don’t know if he was nervous or just shy, but all that witty banter and funny commentary just disappeared. It was like I was sitting next to the dorky twin brother of the boy I had met online–he was socially awkward and painfully quiet. I tried engaging him in conversation by asking him questions about himself, but I kept getting one-word answers. I starting talking about myself, just to fill the silence, until I couldn’t bear hearing my own voice any more. Nothing.

He just sat there and ate his spaghetti (after commenting “hm, I haven’t had spaghetti in a while”. Really? How fascinating) When I tried to reference things we had said in our e-mails, I was met with blank stares.

I have never eaten a salad so fast in my entire life.

He walked me to the subway, and we exchanged a quick goodbye. He didn’t ask to see me again, thank goodness, and I quickly headed over to a friend’s house to unwind with some ice cream. Our “date” lasted less than two hours: two painful, excruciating hours.

I get being shy, or nervous. Heck, I was about to vomit I was so nervous. But it was really like he had created this entire online persona which he couldn’t reproduce in person. I remembered the thrill of seeing someone across the room and locking eyes, or when you find yourself in a great conversation with someone you’ve just met. I decided I wanted to date real people, not online personas.

I guess online dating works for some people, but it’s just not for me.