Every college library is similar – always too hot or too cold, smells kind of bad but you aren’t sure why, phrases etched into the tables, and a mixed population of students either writing on each others’ Facebook walls or writing 20 page term papers in a single night.

Good times!

I used to be very anti-library (who isn’t), but this semester I have found ways to make it more comfortable, enjoyable and conducive to a productive day/evening/month of work-doing. It’s all about being prepared (for anything) and as long as you have these essentials in that backpack of yours, you can be successful too.

Water bottle: This seems obvious but you’d be surprised. I once pulled an all-nighter without bringing a water bottle and because I was so into the work I was doing, I never felt like going to get water. Stupid mistake! I got tired and sick, and spent my night drooling on my laptop instead of researching on it. The next time I filled that sucker up a few times per hour, got everything done, and felt great the next day. Also, drinking only coffee, tea or Red Bull (or Bawls...) will almost definitely dehydrate you, cause you to crash sooner than without caffeine and probably give you a terrible stomachache (which may explain that weird smell in the libs….).

Personal hygiene products: I’ll admit that I’m a little weird when it comes to hygiene – I carry toothbrushes with me wherever I go – but I highly suggest anyone going to the library for an extended period of time should have at least a toothbrush thrown in their backpack. Some other products that always come in handy for me are hand sanitizer, lotion, tissues, chapstick, and deodorant. Trust me, it’s better for everyone if you smell like a “Satin Pear” (whatever that is) than whatever 10 hours in a dirty library smells like for a 9:35 Italian class! Read More »

Now that you’re in college, people are no doubt bombarding you with their own lists of things you just HAVE to have to survive in the Narnia they call dorm-land. Some people are right on the mark with their suggestions, while grandma is entirely mistaken with her devotion to the fly swatter. Take whatever tips you want, but here are some items that definitely did save my life in college.

1. A TAPESTRY

I know it sounds silly, but when my boyfriend and I needed privacy in my bunk, that little tapestry I’d brought was such a life saver. We just hung it up over some yarn and had our own little curtain for the bed. And then we made out in between talks of our future — that never happened — in privacy.

2. BROWNIE MIX

Smoking weed at college, should you be so illegally inclined, is a little harder than it should be. Sure, sure, it’s easy enough outside of the dorms. But when you’re in the dorms, it can be a pain in the butt. From dismantling fire alarms to trying to carefully smoke out the window while lighting incense, it’s hardly worth it. In fact, one of my besties got arrested for it her freshman year!

Instead, just learn to bake. If you need your weed fix, throw it in a brownie mix and surprise your hallmates with something awesome…and you’ll totally get away with it, too. Read More »

I’ll be honest; there’s nothing I enjoy more than just lounging in my room with my playlist eternally on shuffle, nodding along to Red Hot Chili Peppers while doing whatever else happens to only have half my attention.

But at home, I can’t exactly play “Suck My Kiss” with my mom right downstairs, and my roommate doesn’t exactly always wanna hear “The Mean Kitty Song”. Thankfully, someone out there sympathized with the plight of music lovers who wanted to keep music to themselves and gave the public headphones starting way back in the 1930′s.

Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of options when it comes to headphones. You want something good, but you may not necessarily want to pay a lot – and even if you do, you don’t want to give away a hundred bucks for headphones that aren’t worth it. I’ve gone through my fair share, and I’m gonna recommend four models, all of which I’ve owned or at least used. I promise one of them are just the pair for you, and all of them are infinitely better than the crap you got with your iPod. Read More »

Oh, technology! You know us ladies so well! We love hearts! We love diamonds! (…and horseshoes and blue moons!). And we’re totes obsessed with putting sparkly crap in our ears. But now, we can have ear jewelry without any of that bothersome puncturing!

No, seriously, it’s amazing that it took them so long to come up with these new AudioCube headphones – the earbuds we already use, now fanced up for us lay-dies! It’s like killing two birds with one rhinestone. Sure, they keep noise out and keep music in, but they also splay outward-facing Swarovski-crystal hearts for when your boyfriend is gazing lovingly into your aural canals.

Thank god for versatility. I will now patiently await diamond-embedded contacts.