In so many ways, we really had it good as kids. We had awesome cartoons, excellent (read: awful) fashion, and most of all, really great candy. Am I right? There are so many candies that used to be all over the place that I never see anymore. Of course, there are always the classic candy bars that stick around forever. The weirder stuff might not last as long, but it sure does bring back memories. Here are a few candies (including some disgusting ones) that remind us of being kids.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

[Lead image via Gyorgy Barna/Shutterstock]

Do you ever look back at old photos of yourself as a kid and think, what was I wearing? Luckily, we grew up in the 90s, which is an excellent excuse for horrible fashion choices. So many awful things were happening in fashion then. Plus, when you were little, your parents dressed you. So you can blame it on them.

One thing in particular that little kids get away with is ugly shoes. You know, like how Crocs are horrific on adults but kind of cute on toddlers? So many of the shoes we wore as kids seemed awesome at the time, but were really atrocious. Click through the gallery for pictures of shoes that we think should stay in your past. Meaning that you really should get rid of them if you still have a pair.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

President Obama is a better singer than Mitt Romney.

Why you should get dressed everyday.

Celebrity kids are always the cutest.

These three actors are so pretty together.

So what is happening over at “the X Factor”?

Box clutches: Cute… or not?

Amber Rose got a face tattoo.

Neil Patrick Harris is un-Punk-able.

Let’s all get ready for the Superbowl food.

Remember when you were a little kid, and you’d actually wake up on time for school… just so you could huddle next to the radio and listen for your school to be called on the list of snow days? With winter’s doom impending and temperatures dropping faster than The Situation’s pants, we can’t help but cross our fingers and pray.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Are snow days something you never grow out of? Or, in college, do they prove that miracles really can happen? Here’s how our anticipation of snow days has evolved since grammar school.

Then: A snow day meant a day off from times tables.
Now: We don’t have to finish copying someone else’s MiniTabs before Stats lab.

Then: We would make a beeline to the street and get all the neighborhood kids together for a snowball fight.
Now: We don’t have to brave arctic winds to walk to class and sit through lecture with snotsicles hanging from our frostbitten faces.

Then: Since we were already up at the crack of dawn, we could take advantage of the snow day and start building a snow man as soon as we got “the word.”
Now: We can go back to sleep for about six hours, and wake up just in time for happy hour.

Then: Snow days meant putting on snow pants and trekking to the biggest hill in town for a full day of sledding.
Now: Snow days mean putting on our beer coat and trekking to the bar for a full day of boozing.

(Note: I love how college students use a blizzard as an excuse to go to the bar, yet even when school isn’t canceled, we deem it too treacherous to walk to class.)

Then: For some unfortunate children, snow days meant driveway-shoveling duty before the parents got home.
Now: After the storm passes, we have to shovel our cars out from behind the snow banks the university plows have inevitably created throughout the parking lot.

Then: We could spend a whole extra day working on our vocabulary exercises!
Now: We could start that research paper that was due three days ago… but who are we kidding? Those episodes of Law and Order SVU aren’t going to watch themselves!

Then: We had an excuse to drink hot chocolate for breakfast.
Now: We have an excuse to drink a thirty-pack for breakfast.

I think it’s clear that snow days are one of mankind’s greatest inventions. Honestly, snow delays and cancellations are one of the top reasons to attend a university in a colder climate. I feel bad for those of you who are earning degrees in Hawaii, Florida, California, or any other season-less state. You will never experience the joys of the world’s most beautiful Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card: the beloved snow day!

Want mas? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.]

I, on the other hand, find myself lacking in every aspect of domestic maturity. I dread doing laundry, I get extra excited on the rare occasion that my pasta comes off the stovetop instead of out of the microwave, and I gotta be honest, kids kind of piss me off.

For a long time, I’ve embraced this about myself. I was convinced I could just get by on take-out and who really needs children anyway? But as I approach my senior year of college, it’s beginning to hit me just how close I am to living life in the real world. In a very short while, it’ll be frowned upon to live like I do – laundry piling up, cabinets stocked with Easy Mac, dishes (read: shot glasses) sitting in the sink.

If this is truly some sort of natural instinct in women, when will it kick in for me? And why hasn’t it already?

After a lot of thought, I think I know what’s holding me back. It’s not that I just suck at these household duties – I am so afraid of what it actually means to perform them: growing up.

I love college and I love my adolescence; I’m not quite sure if I’ll be ready for the cold dose of reality that awaits me in just a few years. Don’t get me wrong, I’m capable of surviving on my own; I’ve done it for three years now. What worries me is whether or not I’ll be able to actually accept the idea of being an adult without the safety net of college to fall back on.

Some of my friends have got it all figured out, and I wonder if I’m behind in a sort of race to the finish. Maybe it’s just a matter of time until my biological clock starts ticking and everything falls into place. But I know the first step is to come to terms with the fact that, ready or not, it’s time to grow up… and use a stove.

Back then I thought that religion should have nothing to do with love, but I may be starting to see her point of view.

I was raised Catholic. My boyfriend Matt was raised mainly by his Presbyterian mother, but his dad was Catholic and so Matt was baptized as an infant. In all reality, neither of us are very religious now. Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve considered myself Christian, but have never been a big fan of organized religion. My beliefs are my own and I don’t like other people forcing their beliefs on to me.

None of that really means much now, religion doesn’t really come up much in our college relationship, but with Matt and I planning our future together, the topic of kids came up which begged the question: Do we raise them in the church, and if so, which one?

Matt’s been to church with me and my family when we go home to visit my parents, and he’s told me that he likes the tradition of it all (Matt’s never been a fan of change). While I do feel at home at Catholic mass, there are reasons that I refused to get Confirmed back when I was 16. There are just some things about Catholicism that I don’t agree with. We went to his home a few months ago and went to a nondenominational church that his mom had just started going to and, well, it was a little weird. Neither of us were really comfortable there.

We’ve been thinking about trying to find our own church here in Austin that we can call our own, but we have no idea where to start; it’s all a little intimidating and a bit confusing. There are parts of Catholicism I find comforting because it was what I grew up with, and part of me is afraid to go to a church where I have no idea what is going on. Matt doesn’t really like talking about religion with other people, so he’s not a fan of the idea of going to churches where people want to know his every waking thought on God. At this point we don’t know what we’re going to do, but fortunately we have a lot of time before we have to decide about what ideology to raise our children with.

But this whole thing has got me thinking: what about couples who fall in love that are both religious people of two different religions? Matt and I have some things in common when it comes to our faith, but what about two people who have completely opposite sets of beliefs? Religion may not be an issue now, but it’s definitely going to pop up down the road. Is it worth it to get involved with someone with opposing beliefs? Is this something you can get over?

Like I said, I’m starting to see what my friend’s mom was saying when she said it’d be easier to date someone of the same religion. What do you think?

And sometimes amidst classes and internships and jobs and scrounging around our kitchens for something to eat before our 6-hour library run we all have a pang of longing for that time in our lives. The days when we could sleep all day and not feel guilty that we missed a lecture, a study group and a day’s worth of quality homework progress. And then wake up, have mom make us a snack and drive us to the movies (where she’ll buy the ticket).

But while we do have a ton of responsibility now that we are “grown ups,” we also have a ton of new privileges now that the parentals aren’t breathing down our necks. And let me tell you – I’d trade in my Barbie Jeep for my curfew-less existence any day.

We can eat ice cream for breakfast
Far gone are the days of mom force-feeding us spinach and carrots, taunting us with the fact that we aren’t going to get that scrumptious brownie if we don’t finish all of our dinner. If I want to eat a bag of chips and chocolate cake for lunch, then I’m going to and there’s no one to stop me. Major plus for the grown ups.

We can live in a pigsty
When you played with your toys your mom would inevitably come in screaming that it looked like a tornado had ran through the room. Then she counted down from ten as you jumped into action picking up all of our Barbies and Beanie Babies. Not anymore. Want to toss your jeans over there? Done. That empty cereal bowl on the couch? Totally fine. (That is…until she comes to visit.)

We can do whatever we want, when we want to
As a kid you basically have someone telling you what to do at all times of the day. You go to school from 8-3, have a snack while you watch some cartoons, do your homework, have dinner and are in bed by 9 pm, sharp. There is really very little room for negotiation and when you tried, you’d only end up getting yelled at later when your mom came into your room and saw you playing with your stuffed animals on the floor. Now we have the freedom to decide what we want to do and when we want to do it. If we want dinner at midnight, we can. If we want to go to bed at 3 am, we can. Even if it’s at someone else’s house.

We can pick out our own clothes
I will never forget the embarrassment that was picture day when my mom made me wear a Mickey Mouse turtleneck and a pair of overalls. That picture still sits above the TV in my parents’ living room and it is a constant reminder of how good it is to decide on my own fashion fate these days. Oh you think that zebra print v-neck is cute, mom? Get it for yourself. I’m all about this low-cut LBD…and you can’t stop me!

We don’t believe ridiculous lies
Yes, Santa and the Easter bunny are awesome, but it’s also ridiculous that anyone would believe a fat man in a red suit jumps down every chimney in the world in one night. Or that TV rots our brains. Or that bread crust will make our hair curly. As grown ups, we are enlightened on the big joke that all the adults have been playing on us and make up some lies of our own (“Yeah mom, I’m just staying in this weekend to study for the big exam! What? No, that’s just the TV. Yeah, I’m watching ESPN’s National Beer Pong Championship.”)

We can ride shotgun
How much did it suck to always be strapped in the backseat missing all the scenery and stimulating conversation in the front seat? Yeah, waving to those fools behind you from the back of a station wagon was fun, but now you get radio control/to your destination without wanting to barf.

We can swear
When you utter your first forbidden four-letter word, the room becomes silent. Before your parents freak out. They don’t want to be known as the couple that has the kid who curses. You’ll never be invited to play dates with that filthy mouth! Now when you let some profanities slip, it really isn’t that big of a shocker. And even if it is, what can your parents really do about it?

Pretty sure hot dogs are scarier than a zombie.

Elementary school sure has changed since we were kids. Today, recess is getting shorter, cafeterias are getting healthier, and Halloween is getting much, much less fun.

Around the country, teachers and parents are crusading to make sure that kids celebrating Halloween aren’t dressing up in scary costumes in school. As Tom Hernandez of Plainfield, Illinois says in the article, “Some people thought Halloween was a Satanic ritual. Well, let’s not say Satanic — let’s say they were not comfortable with what it represents.”

As a result, students in Plainfield “are being encouraged to dress up as historical characters or delicious food items rather than vampires or zombies.” Because what little kid wouldn’t love dressing up as stalk of asparagus or Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, instead of as a zombie or a bloodsucking fiend?

It’s absolutely ridiculous that scary Halloween costumes have gone the way of snap bracelets and Pogs. The adults behind this silly campaign are probably all the type of buzzkills who hand out toothbrushes and shiny red apples when trick-or-treaters ring their doorbells.

“We established the guidelines of ‘positive costumes’ from the beginning,” says Texas principal Erin Tite, “knowing what we might see if we chose not to establish boundaries.” But what exactly is she referring to? What mother or father would let their child go to school in a costume that’s overtly grotesque or inappropriate and offensive in the first place? Why don’t these administrators have any faith in their pupils or their parents?

Either way, the people quoted in this article have entirely missed the point of Halloween. Scary costumes are to October 31 as turkey, valentines, and poor decisions are to Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and New Year’s Eve, respectively. I think someone needs to TP all of their houses to teach them a lesson about having proper respect for a holiday.

Unlike many of my friends, I didn’t spend my summer working my butt off at some incredible internship, or traveling around the globe checking out exotic places. I put my seven years of competitive swimming to use and decided to teach people how to swim at a nearby university. Not only did I get to enjoy the gorgeous Miami weather on a daily basis (when we weren’t having torrential downpours) and get to look at the even more gorgeous guys, I learned some very interesting things.

For example, even the cutest little girl’s vomit will be vile when you are covered with it. And, even though the adorable boy you teach can’t be more than 40 pounds, his “accidental” kicks to your lady parts will make you see stars. Every. single. time.

Since I don’t plan on teaching swimming or working with kids in the future, I didn’t anticipate learning anything super important through this job. I figured I’d be in the sun, make some money, and get really pruney fingers now and then. But while I was teaching these little kids how to stay afloat in a large body of water, they were teaching me a much bigger lesson.

The thing is, kids are crazy confident. But it’s not just regular confidence; it’s the type that magazines promise you’ll get if you turn to page 124! It’s the kind that would keep you from caring if you ever fell face first in front of your crush, or even in front of your ex and his new girlfriend.

One of my students, Karl*, basically thought he was the next Olympian. He’d try a new stroke, completely butcher it, and come up gasping for air.”Good, right?!” he’d ask. At the end of the lesson, as a little treat, I would take Karl over to the diving board. He’d climb on up there and throw himself off of it, limbs outstretched, hollering in some language only 8-year-old boys can understand. He didn’t care who was watching or what they thought; he did what he wanted to do.

Then there was me, surveying the scene as I walked around the pool to see who was watching and if they noticed the cellulite on my thighs I was trying to cover with a pair of Soffes. I was conscious about my every move, constantly thinking about who was out there and what they were thinking of me.

Then there was Eloise*, a precious little four-year-old. Kid sank like a rock every time I let go of her. Even if I tried to help her along or bring her closer to the wall she was swimming to, she’d screech “No! I can swim!” while wriggling out of my grasp like a puppy. She had faith that she could do it, even though she kept messing up. Eloise didn’t ever seem scared of failing (or drowning, in this case), she was just excited to try again and see what she could do.

Where does this kind of confidence, this infallible belief in ourselves, go as we get older? Why can’t we just do what we want to do instead of getting bogged down by our fears of rejection, failure, and how other people perceive us? Why can’t we face the world with the “I can do that” attitude of our childhood selves, instead of with the feeling that we’ll never be good enough for everyone around us?

We need to get a hold of that confidence again!

These kids taught me that you can accomplish so much if you just fully, 100% believe that you can. This applies to everything, from getting a date with a hot guy that’s “out of your league” (I hate when people say that!) to scoring an A in econ if you’re not a math person (I could definitely use some confidence in that area). When we believe we will fail, we will. And when we focus more on what other people think, we lose ourselves.

I’m no failure and I’m definitely not ready to give up on being me. I may have taught my students how to swim without their floaties, but they taught my how to live without my baggage. And to consider investing in some protection for my lady parts.

*Names changed to protect the adorable.

I’ve become the one that everyone else comes to for advice or when they have an awkward relationship/sex questions.

Case in point: Last week I was at the gym with my friend who is one of the sweetest, most innocent girls you could meet. We were jogging around the track just doin’ our thing when she asked me if she could ask a bit of an embarrassing question. “Of course,” I huffed, not knowing what to expect. Especially knowing what came next.

“What’s giving a blow job like?”

I couldn’t believe one of my best friends, especially her, was asking me such a blunt question! On the track! But I realized that it took a lot for her to ask me that and that she must really value my opinion (considering I’ve never even heard her use that term before!), so I gave her the best description I could and answered all of her related questions. Quietly, of course, there were other people running around us.

Having a serious relationship has turned me into the go-to girl for my friends with relationship questions. They have told me that they know I’ve been through a lot and they value my advice. And I have to admit, giving out relationship advice is kind of fun! I like being the all-knowing sage and helping people who may not be where I am with Matt. It’s my unique way of contributing to the group when they’re all sharing stories and that I can no longer relate to. It makes me feel wanted and connected to a group that I sometimes worry I’m growing apart from.

And it’s not just the girl’s asking, either; my guy friends have been asking me everything from “I have two girls interested in me, what do I do?” to “what should I get my girlfriend for our anniversary?” I’m not saying that I have all the answers when it comes to dating and relationships (far from it), but it seems like having a serious boyfriend makes me the most qualified adviser of the group and everyone’s stopping by my office for a little insight.

And I love it. Yeah, sometimes it’s hard to deal with the fact that I live a very different life than my single friends, but I’m learning that there are some perks to being the mom of the group.  It’s nice knowing that people think you’re doing something right. It’s nice to be trusted. And it’s really nice to be the first person think of when they need a little help.