What were you doing in 2001?I was a freshman with bangs, light wash denim and an aversion to beer (I preferred Smirnoff Ice). I had a desk top that was connected to the Ethernet by a long cord that went from under my desk, around the perimeter of my room, up the wall and into a jack under my roommate’s bed.

And I had no freaking clue what Google was.

A lot has changed since 2001 in my life (I got wireless and some dark wash jeans), and in the world. It is hard to realize how different everything is unless you have the ability to go back and look. And thanks to the boys at Google, you can. Those guys saved the entire Google index from ‘01, which means you can travel back in time and Google like it’s 2001.

Isn’t that a Prince song?

Anyways, if you have a break between classes….or are completely bored during class, try Googling your name. Or the World Trade Center. Or Britney Spears.

It is sorta freaking me out.

With everyone heading back to school (yay!), there are so many things going through everyone’s minds. “Will that guy from last year still want to hang out?” “Am I going to survive living in an off campus apartment?” “What the hell do I do about choosing my major?”

And for incoming freshmen…it is only worse. They are entering a scary new world. They will once again be the babies. They are going to experience their first Welcome Week, their first oversized lecture, their first time being sexiled by a wild roommate.

We at CollegeCandy feel it is our duty to steer those college newbies in the right direction; it would be unfair for us to let them make mistakes (and take the same awful photos…) and miss out on great opportunities. After all, college only happens once, so we want to ensure everyone does it right.

This week, we asked our writers to share some advice with the lucky ladies who are still in school and the even luckier ones who are just beginning. We have learned a lot from our time in college, so listen up and heed our advice….

If I knew then what I know now:

Kelly – UMass: I would not have spent my entire 4 years in a relationship. I would have not trusted every single person I met. I would have taken some yoga and art classes and I would have definitely brought some more Lysol.

K – NYU: I’d have gone to office hours. For everything. Even if you hate freshman year calc and your professor says things like “There are going to be lots of flunks on this exam” and routinely asks if he is speaking English, my GPA would’ve been much more promising.

Sara – NYU: I would be less pretentious. I’m almost 24 now, and, looking back to when I was in undergrad, I can’t believe how seriously I took myself. God, loosen up!! Read More »