Back-to-school is right around the corner, and for many of you, the inevitable final year of college is looming.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
It’s going to be OK.

Heading into your senior year well-prepared (and well-hydrated) makes all the difference, so here’s 9 things to keep in mind before you embark on the beginning of the end:

1. Check on Everything:
First things first, make a meeting with your academic advisor (yes, you have one) and make sure you have all the classes you need to graduate. If not – sign up for them immediately. Don’t wait to take your second required P.E. class until the last semester  — the classes could fill up and leave the only option available something that doesn’t fit with your academic schedule. (Or worse, it could be at 8am on a Friday.) Figure out if you have departmental requirements to fulfill. Find out when deadlines are and what the expectations are. Be aware of every step required towards you wearing your cap and gown and grabbing that diploma at the end of the year.

2. Senior Participation:
If your school has any special senior traditions or rights-of-passages, prepare for them. Do you need to decorate a special gown to wear for on-campus events? If so, get busy and decorate! Plan to participate in everything. Your hard work over the last three years has earned you this upperclassmen status, so bask in its glory!

3. Prep:
If you are planning to attend any kind of graduate school or professional program after college, set up a schedule for what needs to get done. If you are taking an exam such as the LSAT or GRE, and you haven’t started studying – figure out what you’re doing. If you’re ready to start applying to schools, ask for your letters of recommendation (while your professors still remember you/have time to write one!) and set a date to send your personal statement out. Make sure you have a schedule to stick to because once school gets going, things get crazy.

4. Leave the past behind:
If you had a huge fight with your best friend over the summer, either make-up or go your separate ways. Don’t hold onto grudges and drama from previous years – it won’t add anything to your senior year. This is your last hoorah so enjoy yourself, not the drama of college life around you.

5. Figure out what means the most to you:
For a minute, think about what makes you happy when it comes to your social life. What do you want more of during your senior year? More Thirsty Thursday parties? Plan ahead. Want to go climb that local mountain one last time with your boyfriend? Do it. Want to streak across campus? Just strip and do it. Don’t put it off – it’s the last year, so you won’t get another chance use “Whatever, I was in college” as an excuse. Create some kind of College Bucket List and hold yourself to it.

6. Expect a rollercoaster of emotions:
Senior year will be emotional, there’s no doubt about it. You will always have your ups and downs in college, but not having a safety net of returning to school next year really stirs up a lot of uncomfortable nervousness. Know that you will feel anxious and upset sometimes while you’re trying to figure things out, but don’t let it get to you too much. Cry about it if you must, but don’t dwell on it. And don’t hold it in! Be honest with your friends and family, and yourself. Everyone in your graduating class is in the same boat as you, so you won’t be alone.

7. Student Loans:
Get your crap together when it comes to student loans. If you have them, get real and realize you will have to pay them back – so keep that in mind when thinking about post-college plans. Find out how much you owe and what you need to do with your school’s financial aid department before the end of the year (you probably will need to go through an exit counseling session). Although you may want to freak out (and dive head first into a bowl of brownie batter), don’t necessarily let that get to you. Be smart. Understand your options and stay up on current student loan news. This will be something that could impact your entire life, so take it seriously.

8. Get Passionate:
Think about your passions. You may be an economics major, but if painting is what makes you happy – think about how you can carry that into your life beyond college. Explore all your interests. If you always wanted to take a yoga class, do it. Open yourself up because you definitely won’t be the same person at the end of your senior year as you were at the beginning.  This will make looking for jobs, internships, and planning for graduate school all the better. Even though you may be a journalism major, maybe you’re really into marketing – so applying to a marketing company instead of pursing a journalism graduate degree may be better for what you want in the long run. Step outside of every day plans and veer off your original course if necessary.

9. Take Advantage of All Options:
Just because your parents tell you that you must go to graduate school doesn’t mean it’s your only option. Maybe traveling for a year after college is what will suit you best, so consider it before you jump into another few years of school. Think about different places you want to live. Consider programs such as Teach for America or Ameri Corps. If college has taught you anything, it should be that you should try everything – so go into your senior year knowing the world is out there for you to figure it out, but it doesn’t have to all happen in a perfectly planned out way, so take advantage of what you can!

With all this in mind, you will surely start your year off on the right foot — leaving you lots of time to enjoy the remaining months of college to come!

- I wish I would have known that all the guys I had crushes on would get fat and bald in five years.
- I wish I knew how scary and overwhelming my first year out of college would be.
- I really wish someone would have told me how bad I looked in shirts that showed my belly.

Had I known these things, who knows how my life would have turned out? I know I wouldn’t have spent so much time pining over dumb boys, crying myself to sleep for a year, or hiding my Senior Year photo album (because we had real, tangible photo albums back in 2005) under a pile of old clothes right now.

And that is why I would like to share a few things with you. I am your future (a fabulous, successful, happy, sexy, awesome, etc. girl) and I know what is to come. Allow me to guide you in your choices – based on all I have seen in my 5 years (gasp!) since graduating – to ensure you make the right choices and don’t end up with the same regrets I have.

1. Go Abroad! With only 4 short years on campus I didn’t want to miss out on a full semester by going abroad, so I didn’t join three of my roommates in Australia for 6 months. I ended up having a great time on campus that semester, but after hearing about my friends’ adventures and experiences, I realized what a mistake I’d made. Especially now that I’m in the real world and the opportunity to spend 6 months in another country is no longer available. Studying abroad – even if just for a summer – is truly a once in a lifetime experience and if you have the opportunity and the means, DO IT. I didn’t and that is the biggest regret in my life.

2. Travel! I know this seems absurd – especially considering the economy right now – but everyone should take a backpacking trip through Europe/South America/Southeast Asia/anywhere! at some point during college or right after graduation. Besides not going abroad, this is the biggest mistake I made in my life. I chose spending the summer with my BF over seeing Europe with my BFFs and now I don’t have 3-6 weeks (or any friends who have 3-6 weeks) to take a trip like that. The real world puts a lot of constraints on you (money, time, responsibility); college is the only time you’ll have the time and the crew to do something like that. It is definitely money worth spending.

3. Start Saving Money. Ironic that this comes right after I urge you to blow your money on a trip to Europe, but stay with me. Not only will you need money to take a trip abroad (duh), but real life gets real expensive, real fast. I blew threw my entire savings (which was like $1,000) in my first 2 weeks in NYC. And that was scary. If I had only known how quickly that money would be gone when I was a senior, I probably would have cut back on the Starbucks/Jimmy John’s runs and saved a whole lot more.

4. Take the GRE/GMAT. Senior year is not the time you really want to be bogged down and studying for some dumb test, but DO IT. Even if you have zero plans to go to grad school now, you never know if you’ll want to (or need to) go in the future. Trust me on this one, it’s a lot less painful to study for that test now than to find the time between work and real life later.

5. Live It Up. School should always be your number one priority, but make sure to get out there and enjoy that college lifestyle to its fullest. Don’t let drama or BS ruin your time ; get out there and have fun. Yes, the real world can be a good time too (I am extremely happy!), but it will never be like college again.

It is not hard to tell that we l-o-v-e summer around here. The clothes are so much cuter, the drinks are more refreshing, and the boys are lookin’ goooood. Well, some of em. The rest look the same as the rest of the year, just without the over-sized puffy jacket.We have been spending a lot of time outside lately – drinking, walking, flirting – and have met a lot of males. A lot. And the weird thing is, they all seem to fit into 7 categories. So, we decided to help you out a little and break down the Boys of Summer.

The Preppy Boy: Deck shoes, nautical inspired belt, sun kissed skin under a crisp Polo shirt, this boy is hot and he knows it. And even if he’s not so hot, the look makes him seem that way. Don’t be fooled, though; the closest he’d come to boating was the cruise he took with his parents last Christmas. Despite the false advertisement, this boy is ready, willing and EAGER to buy you drinks at the bar. Cozy up, Captain.

The Lazy Guy: School is out for summer and this kid wants nothing to do with responsibility. He spends his days on Mama’s couch watching Made marathons/playing Halo/poking girls on Facebook and his nights at the bar with his boys from home (scamming drinks/charging the tab to his dad’s credit card). Sometimes, if you’re lucky, he will shower and change his boxers. If you want this guy (more power to you), hang out at the neighborhood Blockbuster/24 hour eatery.

Shirtless Running Guy: If there could only be one perk to summer, it’s the fact that it is FAR too hot for boys to run with clothes on. So they take off their sweaty shirts. And show off their sweaty bods. And run around town. Sweating. Glistening. This guy is dedicated to staying in shape – at whatever cost. Perhaps it is time to pick up a new hobby? Go for a jog and get to know this dude.

The Exam Guy: He is spending his summer days in Princeton Review classes and at the library working his ass off to ace the LSAT/GMAT/GRE. 9am-5pm, baby. And after that? Passing out on the couch. When he finally breaks down and hits the town, he will go nuts; make out with every girl in the room, buy rounds for everyone in the bar and spew off random facts from his review books. Grab a book and head to the library if you want a piece of this to-be-success story.

The Grill Guy: He doesn’t trust people easily, especially when it comes to making some quality meat. He comes into the party/BBQ, heads straight for the grilling tools and makes himself at home next to the grill. Sure, he will have a few beers and chat it up with the people around him…but only if they are within earshot of the grill (and the fruit…er…meat of his labor). The Grill Guy’s love of marinades and seasonings transfers to the ladies as well; he likes a saucy and spicy girl. If you want this meat master, brush up on your A1 knowledge, turn on the charm…and hang out near the BBQ.

The Sunglasses Guy: In the morning. In the afternoon. In the night. At the bar. At the movies. In bed…. All. The. Time. This guy never takes off his sunglasses. And why should he? They look HOT. This guy also likes to check out his reflection in any and all reflective surfaces (including that second pair of shades he has in his pocket), and talk about how hot he is. What does this guy look like behind the shades? You will never know…

The Hookup Guy: The summer means nothing more to this guy than an opportunity to rack up some numbers to brag to his friends about when he heads back to school. You will most likely find him at the bar – looking goooooood in a button down, jeans and a pair of flip flops – charming all the ladies around him. He is definitely a good catch if you are looking for a little summer fun, but be sure to delete his number the next day. He will do the same.

Got your own Boys o’ Summer? Let us know – we want to meet ‘em.

A difference to the human race…

–Princeton, Avenue Q

Like so many wide-eyed college students, I decided that the ‘practical’ degree was not for me. I had no intentions of going to med school, which is to the benefit of the general public, and I certainly wasn’t about to take any more math than absolutely necessary. No engineering for me, Mom and Dad, even if you do get set up with interviews through the university. I was majoring in English.

I often lament this rebellion when I look at my checking account. Unfortunately, my other rebellious idea was to move to New York, so being young and broke has taken on an entirely new meaning altogether.

As jaded as the most expensive place in the country has made me of late, I like to pause and reflect on what I can do when I feel like my degree is nothing more than a large receipt with a FINAL SALE stamp on it.

1) Write a book. Everyone with a lit degree is urged by their non-bookish friends to write the next great American novel. This is one of few opportunities to boost your ego by using your liberal arts diploma as a foundation, so please, take advantage and modestly say, “Oh, I’m okay” when you’re introduced as a writer at parties. (Said writing does not guarantee getting published, but hey. It’s a start.)

2) Live the life of a human thesaurus. I probably get four emails/phone calls a week asking for a better word than what a friend of mine is using. See? Maybe you know nothing about actuarial math, but at least you can articulate your ignorance beautifully.

3) Join the Grammar Police force, which justifies your anger when you see typos in an email. Or my personal favorite, the emails where you are addressed by your first name, misspelled, when your email address is actually just your name at an address. Are people really not able to read it??

4) Roll your eyes after a movie and sigh, explaining to whoever accompanied you that “the book was so much better.”

5) Bust out your stellar vocabulary in conversation and remind everyone that while you may not make the big bucks, you’re a walking wealth of knowledge.

6) Become a starving artist… by working in media. You have to pay your dues with a salary that’s almost laughable to start, but eventually, in 3-5 years, you may be able to support yourself. Part of the starving artist mentality is taking a second job, like, say, freelancing. Take a breath and remember you’ll survive, at least your work sounds interesting.

7) Get thee to a graduate program. No one wants to crush your hopes and dreams in undergrad, but you’ll realize a year or so after you graduate that passion can’t always pay the bills. You can join all the frat boys you graduated with in taking the LSATs, try and re-learn basic math for the GRE, or throw yourself completely out of your element and go for the GMAT so you can go pursue an MBA and go on to wearing a suit for your 9-to-5.

Any other ideas? Please share with us!