Oh April Fools’ Day. What other day makes it acceptable to fake a pregnancy or tell your parents you dropped out of college without being considered completely psychotic? It’s the calendar’s way of telling you not to take life so seriously. April Fools’ has been around for ages. In fact, the origins hail from the Roman festival of Hilaria and the Medieval Feast of Fools. Probably the most solid origin of April Fools’ can be found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales from 1392. According to Wikipedia, his “Nun’s Priest Tale” is “set Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two. Modern scholars believe that there is a copying error in the extant manuscripts and that Chaucer actually wrote, Syn March was gon. Thus the passage originally meant 32 days after April, i.e. May 2, the anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, which took place in 1381. Readers apparently misunderstood this line to mean “March 32″, i.e. April 1.”

Although April Fools’ isn’t really a national holiday (as in we would still have class if it were tomorrow), it’s widely celebrated throughout the world. In France and Italy, it’s common to stick a paper fish on someone’s back and yell “April fish!” The internet is known to get creative on April Fools’ Day so I’ve rounded up some of my favorite pranks from today, which Google totally owned by the way… Read More »

“Oops she did it again,” Britney Spears skyrockets to the top gaining more than 1 million users following her on Google+, making her account the social network’s first to break the seven-figure record. Even though Google+ is only six months old, Spears’ die-hard fans did not waste any time on the new site, which allows them to keep up with the latest happenings on Spears’ life. She now has the title of “the most followed person” on Google+, outnumbering Google’s own CEO, Larry Page.

She graced the entertainment industry with her beautiful voice back in 1999 when she came out with her hit album Baby One More Time. She quickly became every young girl’s idol, including mine. Her first two albums became international hits, crediting Spears as a “pop icon” breaking all records. Her prominent stance in pop culture and music soon became a roller-coaster ride for her. From her number one hit songs and her countless awards to her drug addiction and court battles, Spears has maintained a fan base that will never leave her side. Throughouther tumultuous journey, Spears still remains on top.

Is Spears our generation’s Madonna? No matter how many times she fails she’s still loved by millions. Her highly publicized life has been in the limelight since the very beginning. She has proven to all that no matter how much fame, money and influence you have in the world, not everyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. Her mistakes have just been publicized for the whole world to see. Yet she always redeems herself. No matter how low she gets, Spears seems to bounce right back.

Her international fan base proves she has touched the lives of millions…someway, somehow. Her music will always be remembered. Just as Madonna left her mark on her generation, Spears is leaving hers on ours. The unconditional love Spears has from millions proves her legacy will always live on. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide, she has been credited as the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States, she is recognized as the best-selling female artist of the 21st century and the fifth overall. She is not only our generation’s Madonna, but also an icon, to say the least.

Let’s just admit it, the love for this legendary pop artist will never die. It’s official, she is no longer a girl, she IS a woman.

Want a reminder on why we love her? Just check out this gallery! Read More »

Do you drag your MacBook from class to class and need a new way to get through your two-hour lecture on Ancient Civilizations of the Byzantine Empire? Or do you nonchalantly sneak your iPhone out of your sweatshirt every four minutes to refresh your Facebook mini-feed? Looking for another way to follow us throughout your day? Okay, good, you’re in luck! We’re on Google+!

Well… before you reread Cindy Lou-Who’s most recent where she asks the age old question: Where are You Christmas? (How many times is she going to ask that, anyway?) Or before you press snooze on your professor as he starts rambling on about the correct linguistic spelling of Byzantine that has been argued by Greek, Roman and Russian linguists over the centuries… it’s about time CollegeCandy stepped in to smooth things over. After all, you’re paying for your education, might as well learn something, right?

Follow us here and be mystified by the most breaking in Hollywood, fashion, sex, love and Ryan Gosling news the web has to offer!

College made life so easy. Seriously. I was effortlessly plopped onto a large mass of land with tons of people my age who had the same goals (AKA make it to class and survive finals week sober). Then, college provided all of us with a giant room to eat (cafeteria), a giant room to nurse a hangover and take naps on tables (library) and a giant neighborhood to spend our weekends guzzling weird combinations of booze and Juicy Juice (off campus housing).

College was a large Biodome for easy mistakes, debauchery, learning and living. And now that I’ve been out of college for a while, a few things have become irresistibly harder to accomplish without this grand ol’ biodome of easy living. I’ve dealt with the following combo platter of difficulties in the real world, and in every situation I contemplated ripping my hair out. They get harder to cope with, people! And I’m going to make up this silly excuse that it’s because I’m growing up. Read More »

Famous singers who can act as well

According to Kim and Khloe, their makeup addiction is because of…their father?

Is a post-toothbrush oral session safe?

Could this actor be the next James Bond?

The best mean ladies from TV and movies

Google makes beer?!

Celebrate October with some Halloween macaroons

When “I’m sorry” just doesn’t cut it

Pairing a fur vest with a polka dot blouse

Facebook and Twitter have just about taken over the world at this point. Almost every company in the world wants you to “like” them and I’ve yet to find any blog that isn’t covered in “tweet this” buttons. With this social media monopoly in full swing, it seems strange as to why anyone would try to challenge the virtual throne.

…Unless that someone is Google. In 2004 when Facebook was just starting to quietly kill a few Myspace accounts, Google offered to buy it, but was turned down. Their first social networking site, Google Wave, was basically a fail. Fast forward to 2007 when Google decided to try to convince Mark that selling out was the way to go. This rejection was the birth of Google +: the social networking site no one ever saw coming.

So what sets Google + apart from Facebook and Twitter? Well, just like any social networking site, you set up your profile with pictures and interests, but that’s just about the only thing Google + has in common with any other site.

Read More »

If you Google “life after college” or anything related to being a post-grad, tons of self-help websites and survival guides appear. And even though I write a column about being a post-grad, I can’t help but find this to be incredibly annoying. Apparently, being a post-grad is the new black. Since when has being a post-grad become the new self-help market?

I’ll be the first to say that yes, of course life outside of college “ain’t no crystal stair” (thanks Langston Hughes!), but I don’t think some blueprint manual needs to be force-fed down our once matriculated throats. Even though a lot of these sites claim to be “resources” instead of manuals … I don’t see the resources available. Unless these websites can get us jobs, give us new friends, find us apartments that aren’t infested with termites, and set us on the right path to repay student loans, then those resources … well, they mean nothing.

I guess what bothers me so much about all of these ”how to survive as a post-grad” websites is that it makes us post grads look so collectively lost and confused. And not only does it make us look like we don’t know what we’re doing, but it makes us appear like we aren’t making the right decisions. But what I really think is going on is that due to the lovely economy (please note the sarcasm), post-grads are in the media a lot more than before…so of course, self-help gurus want to turn their attention to each year’s most recent batch of needy meat. Read More »

We live in a social media obsessed world. There’s Facebook, Myspace, (although I wonder if anyone actually still uses it), Twitter, and many blogging platforms such as Tumblr, WordPress, and Blogger. Although we upload our pictures to Flickr and Facebook all the time or write about our weekend experiences in personal blogs, there could be a possible downside to all of this internet exposure: According to the Wall Street Journal, 85% of hiring managers Google a candidate before or after an interview. This fact, which is becoming more and more well-known, brings up the question: To blog or not to blog?

While I’m not saying that anyone who publicly posts pictures of themselves puking into a fraternity bathroom shouldn’t be a cause for concern, I am posing the question of boundaries and what and when a company should base their decision on hiring someone because of what comes up when they use Google. For example, take all the CollegeCandy contributors. Should our future bosses decline an interview with us, even though our resumes may be well qualified, simply because we once wrote an article that mentions sex or highlights the importance of birth control?

Personally, I think keeping a blog of any kind is a worthwhile venture. As a writer, I like to post things I’m interested in, things that drive me crazy, and of course, continuously write about things that matter to me (this includes everything from literary theory criticisms to the correct usage of the Real Housewives of New Jersey’s infamous phrase “prostitution whore”). However, I often worry that if I post liberal-sided articles or a picture of me enjoying a glass of wine that someone may use those things against me and blow them out of proportion one day. Despite more and more social media outlets being introduced to society on a regular basis, it seems like the idea of censorship or hiding oneself (at least the internet brand of oneself) is becoming a constant battle. Read More »

[What you are about to read is going to sound really creepy (which is why the writer asked for her name to be removed - she's got a reputation to uphold!). Once you get past that, though, you'll be thanking us. We guarantee it...because this makes the Facebook Creeper Tracker look like nothing]

This past weekend, Kelly and her girlfriends visited a downtown bar to spice up their usually predictable nighttime routine. As the drinks poured, their vision blurred. Eventually, a group of cute MBA students in the area approached the college seniors.

Kelly began chatting it up with John, a cute but slightly nerdy part of the pack. He had graduated from a prestigious Ivy League university, was absolutely adorable, and seemed perfect in most senses of the term. One thing led to another and three vodka sodas later, Kelly was standing outside the bar making out with John.

The next day, Kelly and her roommate woke up with headaches. These were partially due to the over-sugared cocktails they consumed all night, but also because they had no idea who these MBA-men were. What were their names? What was their deal? Who on earth had Kelly made out with and why did he have the most generic name ever?

Several years ago, these questions would have remained unanswered. And the only way to discover the identities of said men would be to invest in some ski masks and physically stalk them, which is not only creepy but borderline illegal. In 2010, though, stalking is now more socially acceptable and easy. Thanks to the invention of several social media and search engine sites, the girls simply picked up their laptops and got to work. Read More »

It’s the start of a new school year and to honor that, we at CollegeCandy are bringing back a fan-favorite series, “We’ve All Been There.”  (We tried to get another national holiday/long weekend for you guys but it’s way harder than we thought so this will have to do.) Every week, Lauren – University of Michigan will comment on the common experiences all college women share – like the first day of classes or trying to figure out if that boy is crushin’ too. Read, relate, cringe and enjoy.

The boy you love just broke your heart, so your girlfriends decide that drinking is in order. Because nothing numbs the pain quite like a few shots of SoCo. Together with your roommates, you pick out a super hot outfit (consisting of some combination of low cut top/push up bra), take a few pre-gaming shots and head out the door to either “show him what he’s missing,” or “forget about that jerk.”

The night is perfect: you dance, you drink (a lot), and you even find a cute boy to flirt with in the corner.

Then, obvi, the relentless craving for breadsticks and marinara takes over and you and the girls head home for the Late Night Special from your favorite pizza place.

You make your way to your room to change before the food arrives and are suddenly reminded of just how depressed you are. Why doesn’t he love me? you ask yourself. What is wrong with me? Maybe if I just send him an email and tell him how I feel he will change his mind and want to be with me.

You sit down at your desk. Read More »