At the time, I took high school way too seriously. If I could visit my 16-year-old self in a time machine, I would promptly slap her and tell her to calm down. Now I wish I could reverse the clock and have a million times more fun. Needless to say, I miss quite a few things from high school.

1. Minimal homework. Remember back in the day when 10 algebra problems was the perfect way for your teacher to ruin your weekend? Now remember that ridiculous lab report you have due in two days and cry a little.

2. No bills. Okay, maybe your parents asked for you to pay the extra $15 for unlimited texting, or maybe even your car insurance… But with no rent, no utilities, and no groceries to buy every weekend, life was so easy.

3. The school cafeteria. If you think I’m talking about the food, you are kidding yourself. Cafeteria food is, universally, bad cafeteria food. I’m talking about the tables: it didn’t matter if they were divided by clique, all that mattered was that all your friends were found collectively in one place.

4. Lockers. I can’t be the only girl who wrapped her locker door in wrapping paper as a seasonal decoration. I miss these little faux-cubbies.

5. Goofing off during class. Maybe it was just my school, but it always seemed like every class had about 10-30 minutes of down time every single day. This was the perfect opportunity to draw cutesy graffiti on the desks, trade mix CDs with my BFF, or secretly text my friends in other classes underneath the desk. And, ok, those things happen in college too.

6. Rebelling against dress codes. I went to a Catholic school and while we didn’t have a uniform, we did have a pretty strict code of what we could and could not wear. It was always a splendid moment to make it through the day breaking dress code and not get a detention.

7. Working a part-time weekend job and feeling rich. Getting a $200-300 paycheck every month was like angels showering me with gold coins.

8. Myspace. Say what you will, I miss my days as a carefree 16-year-old. Myspace bulletin surveys and emo-tastic pictures. Those were the days.

9. the High School parking lot. At my school, there was a part that the seniors always claimed as “Seniors Only” and any Junior or Sophomore who dared park there was immediately taught a lesson. Also, parking lots are prime hang-out locations for wannabe hoodlums. We felt so tough.

10. Football games. Football games in college are massive affairs. In high school, there was always something a little hokey and retro about the football games, from the 1970s-era stands to the band. So quaint.

Ever have that moment where you’re out shopping somewhere, looking like a hot mess, and you randomly glance over and from out of the blue you see your ex walking toward you? If you’re awkward like me, you look away, pretend not to see them and high tail it the hell out of there.

For many of us who are going back to our hometowns for Thanksgiving break, the possibility of seeing your ex boyfriend or girlfriend is very likely. This can be especially awkward if you broke it off just because you two were going to different schools. While this may not be the highlight of your break, you can follow some Do’s and Don’ts to make it as painless as possible.

Do be friendly. Take the weird, pretending to not notice each other but in reality staring each other down element out of the equation and just say hi first. Smile, ask how school’s going and how the family is, and you can end it there. This shows that you have moved on, are doing fine without him and still care about him as a friend (even If you don’t!).

Don’t talk about all the wild parties you go to at school and how many guys you have hooked up with since you got there. This just makes you look like you’re trying to make him jealous and gives off the impression that you are easy. You want your ex to respect you. Besides, the mystery of what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with at school will keep him interested…in a good way.

Do act normal and have fun! If he’s in your friend group, it will be hard to avoid him. You want to be able to see all your friends over break and be drama free (just because they’re your high school friends doesn’t mean you still need to have high school drama!).  Avoid any drama and even if he tries to pick a fight with you about the past, let it go. Bringing up old issues will only make both of you more confused and angry with each other. Keep it low key and at least be civil.

Don’t jump into the friends with benefits category right away. It might be tempting, but consider the consequences first. Did it take you a long time to get over him? Do either of you have jealousy issues? Can you manage a carefree hookup without bringing back old feelings? Because in a week your ex will be back at school, free to do whatever and whoever they want. If re-igniting the spark is going to make you jealous or paranoid, lay off. If you had a dramatic break up, save yourself the repeat and keep your distance.

While it is great to see your old friends and even the ex’s, remember that Thanksgiving is about family, being thankful and, most importantly in my book, the food! Don’t complicate it with relationship drama.

Unless you live in an internet-less cave, or are one of those “I don’t have a Facebook” weirdos, then you have to already know that Facebook is going to change A LOT in the next few weeks. The new Facebook Timeline profile is a stalkers dream. The Timeline highlights events in your life (because we all want to re-live that bad break-up), and Facebook is teaming up with other websites, like Hulu, so you can watch shows with your friends over Facebook. There wont be any need to get together for Girl’s Night and watch Glee, you can just sit at your own apartment and never have to be social again.

If this sounds good, there are ways for you to get the Timeline early. Are you a Facebook developer? Me neither, but you can still pretend to be one to get the new profile. If that sounds too tech-y for you. You can also go here and sign up for a beta notification. This option is way easier, but you won’t get the Timeline immediately. I hope after Timeline is released, Facebook will be done changing for a while. I need time to use the Timeline to see the really awkward high school pictures of all the people I’m jealous of.

Not even Carrie herself wants to go back!

Carrie Bradshaw is an icon. Her lifestyle is completely unattainable (you show me a columnist for a New York paper who has a closet full of Manolos, and I’ll shave my eyebrows). She’s the most fashionable woman in New York, and she’s not even real. Don’t tell me you have never looked at a wacky dress and thought, “That’s SO Carrie.”

She’s an aspiration. You know you’ll never have her closet or her men or her friends who always seem to always have time to grab lunch with her despite their real jobs. She’s pure fiction, but I still love her. And let me be clear, I know she’s self-centered. I know she only talks about herself when Miranda’s mom dies or when Charlotte learns that she can’t get pregnant, but her whole aura is still fabulous.

And now she’s going to be ruined.

The CW is as close to closing a deal to create The Carrie Diaries as Carrie was to marrying Aiden. The Carrie Diaries is Candace Bushnell’s prequel to Sex and the City and follows Carrie through her senior year of high school.

Being a huge Sex and the City fan, I read The Carrie Diaires when it came out, and it made Carrie a normal high school girl saving her virginity for the right man. WHAT? I don’t want to see Carrie on the small screen as a NORMAL, VIRGINAL girl. I want fabulous Carrie. Flawless Carrie, who seems like she never had an awkward phase. Glamorous Carrie who simply shot out of the womb wearing Manolos!

I don’t want to see her with pimples on her face wearing a Hollister hoodie. That makes her just like me. Just like everyone else. The Carrie that we know is a sexpert, not a high school senior wondering why everyone else is having sex but her. I don’t want her living in a town that isn’t New York City. It was bad enough when she went to Paris (I don’t even want to talk about Abu Dhabi).

How am I supposed to want to change lives with Carrie when she’s cramming for a Bio test? I don’t want that. I want my Fendi-toting, Big-dating, sex-writing Carrie; the one I’ll never be.

What do you guys think? Would you potentially tune in to see Carrie as a teen, or do you want to preserve the truly great Carrie HBO gave us so long ago?

High school, that little local bubble of a world (unless you’re in an out of state school for one reason or another). A lot of couples are practically tied to the hip when graduation comes and then there’s the decision that has to be made: “Do I take the relationship to college with me?”

The answer to this question is no…I think? Usually? It depends, right? I mean if you’re…but on the hand if you’re…Damn you, game of life! How dare you be so on the fence?

There are some key questions to confront (separately and together) when deciding whether to “take a break” from each other to explore the college frontier. For instance, is he going to the same college as you? If the answer is yes, then, well, that makes things…yeah. On the other hand, if you’re going to be on different continents and there’s no possibility of seeing each other for months on end then, well, yeah! You see? Circumstances!

There are a million and a half variables to consider. How long have you been together? Have you dropped the L bomb yet? How far apart will you be? Are you only together because the dating pool at your high school was less ripe than after each year at Sunnydale High (you know, cause all the monsters and vampires would kill off so many students that there must have only been a few options…yeah…GILES!).

Plenty of couples decide to give it the ol’ college try. I can’t think of one that worked out. But that’s just me. I’m sure it must have for someone. However, all my experiences and observations seem to indicate that the high school sweethearts who make it all the way to the college graduation stage-without having broken up at some point-is the BIG exception, not the rule.

I’ve known people who got engaged to keep the relationship together. By junior year, the wedding was off. On the other hand, I’ve known couples who’ve given each other space with the full intent of seeing where things stood a year later. When the time came to reconnect they were both standing on different ground.

College is a time for self-discovery. You try new things, meet a lot of new people, and need to be emotionally open to help develop into the next phase of your life.  You really don’t know what’s going to happen. A lifetime of experiences is going to engulf you every, single, year. It’s tough to imagine that’s true but stretch your creative faculties. And still, you don’t know what you’re in for or how much college will affect you.

Being committed when you arrive can be a great source of self-protection and comfort for the adjustment period. But to make the relationship last will take A LOT of work. And I mean WORK! You can’t just go over to each other’s house after school or know you’ll see each other every day in/between/after classes. Are you ready to give your commitment that kind of commitment? It’ll mean sacrificing some of the college experience. Although, one could argue a valid college experience is trying to hold onto a high school relationship…stupid, twisty-turny, timey-wimey life *kicks can down the street*

The best you can do is weigh the pros with the cons. What will the relationship give you and what will it take away from the next step? There’s no question that your high school boyfriend can be a major drain on your college social life. And believe me, developing a college social life is a major part of the experience and contributes to your evolution into adulthood. And the lack thereof will too.

If all’s well and you both want to give it a go, then, hey, why not? You’ll find out soon enough if it won’t hold up. Just beware: the break up will be messier.

On the other hand, if you’re just having a good time right now then a clean break before you start earning credits might be the best possible thing for both of you. Sure, it’ll hurt, but it’ll hurt worse later.

Who knows though, maybe, just maybe, you and your beau could be the one in a million that lasts.

The choice is yours and it’s circumstantial. Take a look around and see where you both are and how deep you’re in.

I’ve given you all the warnings from every perspective I could while not closing the door on any of the possible choices one can make. Now comes my opinion: Take a break. Doesn’t have to be permanent, but you’ll be surprised to find that it might be necessary…

Your orientation leader,

The Dude

Now, as excited as I am to immerse myself in a completely new part of the country and whore my friendship out to anyone who seems halfway genuine, I’m also (understandably) somewhat apprehensive. While I embrace the fact that my classmates will be in the same awkward, n00bish and painfully freshman situation that I will be drowning in, to no degree does knowing this dull my nerves. It’s common knowledge that first impressions carry weight in relationships of any sort.

So here is my proposition to my fellow freshmen-to-be: take these last few months to become the younger version of the person you see yourself being as an adult. Let go, free your mind, go crazy (within reasonable, mostly-legal, bounds) and enjoy the summer. Immerse yourself in culture, as well; attending exhibits (recommended: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Met), securing an occupation in a new environment (jobs are hard to come by right now, but internships and volunteer positions are perfect for bulking up your resume! Don’t be afraid to work for free, for now), and going to music festivals are all great potential conversation topics. And personally, I know I’ll be needing a lot of those.

Summer is also the opportune time to switch things up looks-wise, so experiment freely with your hair/makeup/clothes. Unleash your inner beauty by tweaking your outer beauty, while keeping in mind that your aesthetic is one of the first things your new classmates will notice about you. Let it out, and come away with a unique, finished product by August. And don’t forget to take advantage of the broiling sun and awesome beach weather!

No longer a ______ , but not yet a _______. Fill in your own blanks this summer. Take some time, figure it out (or don’t) and make the most of this pre-college pause without labels.

There are a lot of inconsistencies between real high school and the way high school is portrayed on TV shows. For example, the fact that TV high schools let students chill aimlessly in the hall every 10 minutes or how they obviously never have any homework since their fictional lives are way too action-packed to have time for anything like that.

But, regardless of the unrealistic differences, we watch and try to relate to these shows… although, it’s pretty hard to relate to a certain class of fictional high school students when none of them ever seem to graduate.

When Ryan Murphy, the producer of Glee, announced that he would be graduating the cast of the show and bringing in new people, I was a bit surprised, but definitely relieved. Yes, the characters we’ve all come to know and love will be missed, but would you really want them to be 3-year super-seniors?

Check out some of the other shows that decided to make their students stay back over and over again for the sake of high ratings.

Do you think it’s okay for shows to “graduate” and replace their original cast, or would you rather see the cast of your favorite show stay in high school forever? Do you remember any other shows whose cast members never seemed to grow up?

Dear Tuffy Luv,
I moved for my senior year of high school and at the beginning had a little trouble making friends because it’s a small town, everyone knows everyone, etc. Finally, I did start making some, and one of the first ones was this girl, Peggy. Peggy is one of those people who is overly nice to everyone, so it really wasn’t surprising she was one of the first people to approach me.

So now it’s halfway through the year and I’m still friends with Peggy, except I’ve realized I don’t like her. At all. I found out the reason she’s so nice to everyone is because it’s one of her “Christian Values,” along with being extremely judgmental. She thinks she is a step above everyone else, and it is really getting to me. And now prom is coming up and she’s laid out this whole plan expecting me and whoever I go with to go along with it, and I don’t want to. But at the same time, I don’t want to be completely rude to one of the first friends I had. She isn’t the kind of person I really want in my life, but I put in a lot of time in the friendship earlier on because as a new senior I really wasn’t in a position to turn down friends and she seemed perfectly nice at the time!

So Tuffy, what should I do? Should I confront her or stick it out for the school year? We’re going to different colleges so there wouldn’t be any need to see her again. But if I do stick it out for the year I probably won’t be able to help sending her bad vibes so she might think I’m a jerk either way.

HELP!
Sincerely,
Friends?

Dear Friends?,
Judgmental people are poop, and poop is not to be stepped on.

Look, you’re right. If you don’t do what she wants, she’s gonna think badly of you no matter what. But I like your attitude, girl. You seem like a nice person who wants to clear the toxicity out of her life without hurting anyone’s feelings, and I appreciate that. So let’s get down to the advice.

I wanna say, kiddos, normally we do not run questions about high school. But this is a major problem for us all, yes? Frenemies, after all, has become a really standard part of the popular lexicon. And that’s sad, kiddos. Because we should really only be friends with people we LIKE. At any age, Tuffettes, we must be courteous to others, but REAL and TRUE to ourselves, yes?! STOP BEING FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE YOU DON’T LIKE!! But, if you find yourself in this situation, regardless of your age, here is Tuff’s advice:

First of all, Friends?, you absolutely should NOT do her prom plans. (The rest of you: don’t do her plans, period.) It will totally ruin your time, guaranteed, because you’ll be annoyed at her and resentful that you’re doing things her way and not yours.

Likewise, stop giving her the power to tell you what to do in your everyday life. Next time she tells you what to do (or, as you imply, guilts you into it), explain to her that you totally value your friendship but sometimes you have to do what feels right to you.

If she gives you any of this holier-than-thou shoop, you just tell her you’re sorry but that’s how you feel and she can take it or leave it.

Big mistake. Huge.

So I was flipping through some old Facebook albums the other day (you know the ones people label THROWBACKS! OLDSCHOOL! And OMG WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!! ) when in between fits of hysterical laughter, I started to catch sight of what I actually looked like. And all I can say is, seriously? I mean, seriously? I know I was young and naïve, but I don’t remember being that naïve.

Unstyled hair.
Poorly applied makeup.
And terrible, terrible fashion choices.

But the thing is, I wasn’t alone in these choices. No, they were all the rage once upon a time. Don’t pretend you didn’t think you were so cool with your Victoria’s Secret PINK sweatpants and ponchos (hopefully not worn together). I know you were right there with me, doing the sideways look in the mirror, thinking you looked so good. But really, none of us had any no clue what we were doing. And now years later, as seasoned fashionistas, we can look back on these fashion disasters and laugh.

Or cry. Whichever you prefer, really.

10. The original Ugg Boot. I already know people are going to rage against this one, but Uggs are not attractive. They’re just not. Comfortable? Yes. Warm? Yes. But not attractive. And although they’re still around today, worn on those rainy/snowy/slushy/extra cold days when nothing else seems quite as appropriate, I will forever think of my high school years as the Uggs-with-skirts years. And those are some very bad years.

9. The Messy Bun. Flip your head over. Compile all of your hair into a ball atop your head. Wrap a hair tie around it. Styling complete. It’s still worn today, but at least in college we can admit that it’s not so much attractive as it is convenient…

8. Platform flip flops. They seemed so cool at the time, and added that extra bit of height that we pre-pubescent teens still needed, but really, really, what were we thinking? “God, I really want my leg to look thick and stumpy”? Thank goodness we’ve traded up to four inch stiletto heels that kill our feet, instead.

7. The poofy prom dress. Or the poofy Sweet 16 dress? The poofy bat mitzvah dress? At some point you wore a dress completely covered in tulle. A dress with sparkles and bows. A dress that you loved at the time. It was THE.PERFECT.DRESS. Now? Well, now you look back and try to even find yourself in all that tulle.

6. Velour Sweatsuits. Granted, these things are also still around, but now they’re associated more with The Real Housewives of New Jersey than they are with impressionable, young high school girls. These probably wouldn’t have looked quite so bad if they didn’t come in the most ridiculous colors ever. Or you know, if they didn’t have the word “juicy” stamped across the butt. Oh yes, which reminds me…

5. Label Whoring. Ed Hardy. Victoria’s Secret. VonDutch. Kangol. Coach. Juicy. Anything with any name that could possibly be placed anywhere. Bedazzled. Bejeweled. Painted on. It didn’t matter where it was, or who it was, as long as people recognized it.

4. Side Swept Bangs. I think I was a junior in high school when the side swept bang craze first hit. Suddenly everywhere I looked, half of a girl’s face was covered by her SUPER CHIC looking bangs. That she cut by herself. Right there in homeroom. With a pair of safety scissors. (True story!) It’s really no surprise that senior year saw the rise of the…

3. Headbands. This was pre-Blair Waldorf. At least, it was for me. Inspired more by the boho chic Mischa Barton, and Nicole Richie, these headbands were super thin little straps of fabric that were really very far from flattering. But that didn’t stop anyone from wearing them.

2. Ponchos. Come on ladies, admit it. Once upon a time you threw on a pair of jeans, your favorite tank top and a brightly colored poncho. Probably something crocheted with lots and lots of fake flowers on it. Think Haley James circa season one of One Tree Hill, which also coincided with my freshman year. Because there’s nothing quite as flattering as a maternity top. Except….

1. Midriff-bearing Tops. No, not the currently popular crop top that flows away from the body (That I really like right now but that will no doubt make it on my list of worst college fashion decisions ever…) but the skin tight baby tee, that was paired with super low rise jeans and sported by Britney and the like.

Ah, memories

Fess up. What were your worst high school fashion mistakes?

Dear Stressed High School Seniors,

There is a song called “sitting here in limbo” that goes, “sitting here in limbo, but I know it won’t be long… Sitting here in limbo, waiting for the dice to roll…”

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? You feel as if that letter, that magical acceptance letter, will end your misery. Yet, I’m here to remind you that you are within the eye of a storm and as soon as that letter comes, your life will change (don’t panic, it’s not an immediate change).

Take this waiting time as a time to relax, bum around the house, and enjoy that last year of high school and that last year of your childhood. While I am of the opinion that high school is to be endured, not enjoyed, remember a lot of things are going to be different, so try your hardest to live in the moment.

I was once exactly where you are now. I remember how you feel.

You  spent hours upon hours completing forms, taking tours, and getting eye-strain from applying online. You’re stressed, your parents are stressed, and you’re pretty sure even your dog is stressed. You’re told that your college decision is the biggest decision you’ll ever make…and yet you’re not really in control of the situation. However, there is nothing to do but wait. Your application has been submitted and the jury is out.

For this reason, I say relish in the suspense of not knowing where you are going to be in a year. It is kind of exciting knowing that you may be in Maine or you may be in Hawaii. You may be dating a music student or you may be assisting a professor in the lab. You may be trying new things for the very first time or discovering that your old interests are shared by many. You may finally find someone to watch classic Degrassi episodes with you or you may find someone who hates Miley Cyrus just as much as you.

The only thing that you can really predict about next year is that you’ll be moving on from high school…even if you’re not moving out of your house. College is an amazing experience and we promise that you’ll be there soon enough.

So remember that it doesn’t matter if you get into your first choice or you last choice. You’re going to get in somewhere. You’re going to go to college. You’re going to learn a lot and live a lot and realize a lot.

In the meantime, I won’t judge you for running down to the mailbox every day as you wait for your letter. Or, like me, chasing the mailman around the neighborhood the day you know those letters went out.

Best wishes,
Christie