In a recent survey done by The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, “whatever” was voted as the most annoying word of 2011, followed by “like” and “y’know.”  I understand why these words irritate many adults, but I was surprised that there weren’t more words and phrases chosen that surpassed the irritation levels of “whatever.” Where is “OH EM GEE” or “LOL”? I wish that annoying phrases were also a part of this survey because I can think of a few dumb ones that I wouldn’t lost sleep over never hearing again in 2012.

“Whatever” is really the best we can do? No way. So I’ve compiled a list of words and phrases that are way more annoying than “whatever.” Enjoy!

initiating the gallery...

Any annoying words/phrases that I missed? Disagree with the ones I chose? Let me know!

Katie is finishing up her undergrad at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. She enjoys wasting hours on Facebook and tweeting things no one cares about. When asked the question, “Do you do marathons?” She promptly responds, “Of course! Which show?” Follow her @KatieGarrity!

Your cell phone alarm is going off in your ear to the tune off She Bangs by Ricky Martin, inducing the hangover you worked so hard for last night (note to self: change to something MJ immediately). Your body pillow is the most obliging (and loyal) bed partner you’ve had in months, and the monsoon outside is actually starting to lull you back to sleep. So what’s going to keep you from repeatedly hitting the snooze button and subsequently infuriating your roommates and failing out of school?

The oh so delicious piece of man meat awaiting you at that 9 am roll call.

Now, there’s not going to be a prince charming lurking behind every door, but we came up with a class schedule that is sure to make the grade.

The Dude: Frat Boy
The Class: Bio 150 – Introduction To Geology, aka “Rocks for Jocks”

An introduction to the physical processes operating on the earth and the history of the earth.  This course will introduce topics including the formation and physical properties of rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, geologic time, weathering and erosion, and global climate change.

Now, if you’re looking for some denser material (other than the barrel chested buffoons surrounding you, oh and the, um, rocks) this is not where you want to start your hoghunt. However, if you’re just looking for a good time (think Animal House meets Van Wilder) and a tenacious, albeit, physically destructive flip cup partner, this is where you will find your Manweiser. King of Beers anyone?

The Dude: Wallstreet
The Class: Fnce 911 – Financial Economics

The objective of this course is to undertake a rigorous study of the theoretical foundations of modern financial economics. The course will cover the central themes of modern finance including individual investment decisions under uncertainty, mean variance theory, capital market equilibrium, arbitrage pricing theory, option pricing, and the potential application of these themes.

For all of you gold-diggers who get off on a stiff one in a power suit (and by gold-diggers I mean savvy bitches, and by savvy bitches I mean f**king geniuses), strut your assets into an upper-level business class and invest in a certified money market badass. (Ya, ya, we’re in a recession… so was John Rockefeller at one point.) Just take a seat next to most dapper dude you can find, stroke his flaccid ego, and ask him if he still has the balls to pop your…collar. Yeah, I said it.

The Dude: The Cultured Connoisseur
The Class: Intl 160 – Comparative Development

An exploration of the economic, political, and social changes that constitute development. Both the historical experience of Europe and the contemporary Third World are considered.

Attention sophistikids: Thirsty Thursday rolls around, and you would rather indulge in a full-bodied red (or blonde or brunette) than sling back buttery nipple shots with marginally articulate acquaintances. Well bring your passport and permission slip to class, young lady, because there awaits your cosmopolitan travel mate. He will woo you with stories of international adventure and serenade you under the stars in three romance languages all while planning what culinary delicacy to tantalize your senses with next. Welcome to School Year Abroad – Paradise, my friend. Pack your sunglasses, ‘cause the future’s bright.

The Dude: The Not So Struggling Artist
The Class: Art 203 Figure Drawing

Figure Drawing focuses on drawing issues related to working from the nude model while emphasizing proportion, foreshortening, and planar structures of the figure. Students will work from very short poses to extended poses. Students aim to develop sensitivity to the structure, anatomy and expressive qualities of the human form.

Calling all exhibitionists, Kama Sutra goddesses, ­­Venus de Milo look-alikes and/or any single chick with an hour of down time and healthy dose of self possession: Pose Nude And Get the Dude! Get Naked And Bring Home the Bacon!  Ok, so maybe this is a little forward/overzealous, some might even say tacky (if not for art’s sake), but I dare you to think of a sexier “how we met” story. “Well your father truly had an artist’s vision, and I used to take my clothes off for beer money.”

Scratch that. What you could do, however, is take the more subtle (and sanitary) approach and join him in the observation wing. Indulge in discourse about the beauty of the female form (finally, a guy who knows that real boobs shouldn’t double as a chin rest), marvel at his attention to detail down to the very last freckle, and slowly but surely secure yourself as this Boticelli’s next muse. (For those of you with less time and a shorter attention span, partner up for that full frontal homework assignment and find out just how deeply this guy’s creative juices run.)

The Dude: The Social Martyr
The Class: Soc 150 – Economic Development and Social Change

Emphasis on understanding the interrelations among economic, political, and cultural aspects of change in developing countries. The experience of currently developing nations is contrasted to that of nations which industrialized in the 19th century. Compares the different development strategies which have been adopted by currently developing nations and their consequences for social change.

You know your classmate in middle school who used to personally escort insects outside to spare them the judgment of your sneaker? Who befriended the new kid in town when no one else would? And who brought in his family’s entire pantry stock for the canned food drive? Well if his charitable ways made you blush back then, this is where you can find him now, and this time he’s the one who will be red in the face (over the injustices of the American education system, that is). He will melt your heart with his crusade to empower the impoverished, and bring tears to your eyes with his commitment to the Clean Water Act. But make sure you come to class prepared to discuss your most impassioned causes, missy, because he will ask, and he will care. Oh, and you might want to make a list of the preferred locations for your first Peace Corps assignment, keeping in mind that these should not overlap with your spring break destinations. Remember, the dirtier, the better. Wink.

[This post was originally posted by Lexi C. - Brown]

Sorry, people of the bar, for forgetting to put on undies....

Dear Friends/Family/That Random Taxi Driver That Picked Me Up and Took Me Home After Finding Me Face First On The Sidewalk,

Sometimes I like to drink. A lot. And on those occasions I may or may not (okay, always) do stupid things. It is not me, you see; it is the alcohol. In fact, it is not until the morning after when I am chugging Gatorade and trying to get my bed to stop spinning that I even realize exactly what went down. And I feel bad – really, I do. So, I want to take this opportunity to apologize for it all.

To The Bartender: I am sorry that I hopped over the bar and drank beer directly from the tap. And attempted to spray my friends with Tonic Water. And knocked over that giant stack of glasses….

To My Best Friend: I am sorry that I bit your hand when you tried to take my falafel away from me. Yes, I know I said we would share. I am also sorry that I stole your shoe…and drank a beer out of it. And that I peed in your garbage can. Oh, wait. That was your sock drawer? My bad.

To My Other Friends: I am sorry that I called your girlfriend “Gorilla”…to her face (but I am more sorry that you are dating such a mess). Sorry that I brought that random dude back to the apartment and accidentally took him to your room. I will wash your sheets…and rug. Oh, and your teddy bear.

To The Cab Driver: I am sorry that I didn’t open the window far enough when I was attempting to puke and, therefore, got a lot on the inside of the door. I am also sorry that I only had $2 and 36 cents in pennies to pay you. And I appreciate you letting me give you my Bed Bath and Beyond gift card to cover the rest.

To The Random Person at Dominos: I am sorry that I ate half of your cheesy bread before you came to pick it up. It just looked so lonely on the counter.

To The Dude I Work With: I am sorry that I made out with you at Happy Hour and made you think that I was interested and then laughed at you (and told everyone about it) when you asked if you could come home with me. That was really insensitive.

To My Grandma: I am sorry that my friends and I thought it would be funny to drunk dial you at 3 am to tell you that I just hooked up in a bathroom. I just hope you don’t know what that means.

To The Guy That Lives Below Me: I am sorry that I was in the mood to tap dance when I got home from the bar at 5am. I am also sorry for that loud thump at around 7am; my bed was rocking and I rolled right off.

To That Dude I Met: I am sorry that things didn’t work quite that well. It is really hard to aim/stay focused with 6 vodka/Red Bulls in my system. I am also sorry that I stole that pair of boxers; I couldn’t find my skivvies in the morning and needed something under my dress. P.S. Let me know if you find those…

To That Dude I Met’s Girlfriend: He didn’t tell me about you until the next morning. And that underwear you may find somewhere in his room are mine. Sorry ’bout those.

To My Liver: I am so, so, so sorry.

I hope that this covers everyone… past, present and future.

Anyone wanna hit up happy hour tonight? Let me know!

–Laur

[This post was originally posted by Lauren - University of Michigan.]

Usually when we need a little LOL here at the CollegeCandy headquarters we just go back through our old posts and marvel at how truly hilarious we all are. (And modest, too!) Or, you know, look through our Facebook photo albums from college. God, those were the days.

But there are some times where we need someting fresh and new to LOL at. So we turn to the internet.

There are lots of really amazing and hilarious sites out there, but there are 5 that we just can’t get enough of…. and are constantly getting us in trouble.

Editor: Why are you ROTFLing?
Intern: Uh…er….um…. I was reading one of your posts?
Editor: Aw, that’s so sweet. I am funny, aren’t I? I’m glad you recognize tha- Wait! Wha? That’s not CollegeCandy!

Anywho, if you’re depressed about school being over, in the throes of final exams, or just in need of a serious belly laugh, here are CollegeCandy’s picks for the top 5 funniest sites:

1. FMyLife: We’ve talked about this site hundreds of times before, but we still can’t help spending a good hour on here every time we visit. It’s like crack, only you don’t have to go to the shady part of town to get it.

Why We Love It: “Today, I texted my college boyfriend to tell him how terrible I felt about cheating. He replied saying he was so relieved because he had been cheating on me with a girl in his dorm. I was talking about my math exam. FML”

2. Texts From Last Night: You think your friend’s nonsensical drunken text was funny? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Why We Love It: “(402): I used a bag of wine as a pillow last night.”

3. Why the F**k Do You Have a Kid? It’s so simple, yet completely brilliant. Doesn’t it just make you wish we could put a lock on some people’s reproductive organs?

4. This Is Photo Bomb: There is nothing better in this world than a good photo bomb, especially when it’s an accident.

Why We Love It: Because this made it difficult for us to breathe.

5. Best of Craigslist: There has been a bit of CL scandal lately, but so what? It’s still the best place to buy a couch, find a shady dude with a van mover, or meet other people who also have weird diaper fetishes. And the “best of” section might be the best thing since Chelsea Lately. This sh*t really makes us LOREL (laugh out really effing loud).

Why We Love It: Because a personal ad started out like this – “You were at that “retarded vegetables” themed party….”

“Americans for Prosperity” push their  no stimulus petition.

Martha Stewart doesn’t like your family and your clutter.

The science of smooching.

Westminster pups get the LOL effect.

Runway looks for under $100!

Got milk? Chris Brown doesn’t.

Crimped hair is back… I wish I were joking.

The Jolie-Pitt angels terrorize a hotel.

Katherine Heigl, and T.R Knight quit Grey’s. Say it ain’t so!

7 deadly dating sins and how to avoid them.

Who needs vitamins?

It’s pink. The delete key exclaims “Oops!” when pressed, the number keys are musical notes and dollar sign makes a “Cha Ching!” sound when you use it. The space bar is re-named the “I need my space” bar, and there are even keys for “OMG,” and “LOL.” (Because they are so hard to type out!)

Did we mention it’s pink? And that it’s $50? And that it is real!? Yes, you can really buy this for those dumb blondes in your life.

We don’t know who came up with this, but we have one question: WTF?!

Yes, I admit it. I really, really like to text. I do it all the time: under the table at restaurants, during the previews of movies. Sometimes I even stop in transit to send out a text (I don’t have the hand-eye coordination to walk and text at the same time. Not yet, at least). While I try not to be rude with my texting, I can’t help but love this new development in communication.

But before you condemn me to the ring of hell reserved for the intellectually degenerating and socially awkward teenage population, hear me out. As an aspiring writer and self-proclaimed grammar Nazi, there are some lines I refuse to cross when it comes to texting. I never use abbreviations, except for the occasional “lol.” With my old phone, that made writing out one text an all-day affair, but with my handy keyboard, it’s a snap. And that annoying, pointless one-word text that makes you want to reach into your phone and punch the person who sent it? I won’t send it. Ever. I get way too many of them as it is; I won’t subject any of my friends to that type of agony.

My reason for texting is restricted to simple convenience. Sometimes it’s just easier to send a quick message confirming plans or asking a question. It’s especially useful when you’re in town and the hustle-and-bustle makes it nearly impossible to have a conversation. Additionally, report after report keeps coming out detailing the dangers of cell phone radiation. Many experts suggest using Bluetooth-like devices and generally keeping the cell phone as far away from your ear as possible. Texting is an easy way to avoid possible harm from radiation.

I know the typical stereotype of the texting teen. Snapping their gum too loudly, congregating in front of Starbucks or another chic hangout and shrieking, “Oh my God!” every five seconds. It’s getting even worse; in my school, there is an epidemic of using texting and instant messaging abbreviations in daily speech. I can’t help but cringe when I hear “Oh-em-gee” or “Jay-kay” resonating down the hall.

I see the literacy and eloquence of my generation going down the tubes due to the instant messaging phenomenon, but I take comfort knowing that I, at least, text on my own terms. I’m not going to let texting habits ruin my spelling or my ability to interact with others over the phone or in person. For me, it’s all about convenience. Hopefully, my peers will start to see it that way and begin treating it as a useful tool for communication, not as an excuse to get lazy with language.

What are your thoughts on texting? Is it the best thing since sliced bread, or the brain-rotting plague turning young people illiterate and socially inept?

The picture you have just witnessed is not a reenactment. It’s an actual shot, taken by my equally-disturbed friend, of a comment made by a professor on an assignment of mine.

…Excuse me?

But the trauma doesn’t end there.

I obviously set the picture as my default on Facebook, and then two days later received a friend request from the teacher.

Wait, I’m sorry–WHAT?!

Since this unfortunately isn’t the first time I’ve encountered either problem, it’s subsequently been the last straw. The way I see it, there are two major problems in this situation:

1) If, in my papers, I’m not writing “haha” after a witty comment, or “OMG!” following a shocking statistic, the professor has no right to use Internet jargon in his or her grading. It’s college, and there needs to be some sort of reciprocated academic professionalism.

2) Professors and their current students should not be Facebook friends. Not only does it break down the fourth wall, it seriously messes up the dynamic of the student-teacher relationship. Facebook and MySpace are web sites I will post ramblings about my day and pictures from my weekend–things that have no relation to my class or relevance to my professor.

On the other hand, what if I want to post something about the class or–gulp–teacher? I should have the freedom to do so. Our social networking site profiles serve as our virtual bedrooms, and I certainly wouldn’t have a professor over to hang out while I’m still enrolled in his or her class. Are you kidding me?

I’m all for forming personal relationships with professors in an academic setting–for guidance and those glowing recommendation letters. But if I add my professor on Facebook, I run the risk of opening a door that should be locked forever (or at least the rest of the semester!). She’ll have the opportunity to form an opinion of me based on non-classroom factors she shouldn’t even have access to.

If I don’t add her back, what if she holds it against me when grading? I know it’s against the ol’ legal rules to do that, but the same way that a teacher who likes you personally may grade a tad bit easier, a professor with a personal vengeance against you–who was denied entrance and acceptance into your world–could easily mark off an extra point or two.

If we wanted to communicate with our professors on the Internet, we’d their e-mails.

So to all professors ready to send some friend requests in our direction: stay away from “Our Space” and we’ll stay away from yours, LOL!

[Photo credit Chelsea London Phillips]

Well, maybe it wasn’t so much that he “dumped me” as he “never responded to any of my Craigslist ads.” And maybe he wasn’t so much my “boyfriend” as he is the 4 million or so guys in the Tri-State area who never responded to my post. I mean, one of them could be *the one,* and if he weren’t such a pussy we could be married right now with five boys and five girls.

Hmmm. Maybe I should leave that last sentence out of my next ad.

I shouldn’t be so down on posting a Craigslist ad for a date. You can learn so much by doing so. For example, did you know that guys named Remington still exist and you ONLY meet them through Craigslist?

And then there’s Jared. Sweet, earnest Jared. Jared who started his response to my ad with the philosophical “I don’t know what I want to do with my life …. but I recently discovered who I am.” I sometimes wish I knew what that was, Jared. But I still don’t regret throwing your email in the virtual garbage.

For me, Craigslist dating is the product of months of consistently good — albeit non-controversial — Craigslist experiences. After all, it is through Craigslist that I met the self-described “Big Ed” who sold me his used TV for cheap. And that charming hemp-smoking nurse who delivered and furnished my room with her son’s crappy used furniture.

The only logical next step is to try to find some nice, cheap, barely used love.

The one problem with posting an ad on Craigslist is that you have to be willing to confront your own bigoted tendencies. I used to think that I was all about equality, but there are entire sects of the male species that I dismiss for the smallest reasons.

I now know that I am prejudiced against obsessive “lol“ers, guys who send pictures of themselves with their pet snakes, and anyone who commutes from New Jersey. And anyone named Remington. You know who you are.

There are people who look down upon those who try to find love through Craigslist. Mostly tall, willowy models and Usher. Or other hot bitchy people who have the time and money to go to a New York City bar and “meet someone.” I don’t have time for that. I’m juggling two jobs and an entire season of “Lost” on dvd. It’s called prioritizing.

And until I have finished said season, it’s all about trailblazing for the cause of Craigslist dating. That and finding a used printer. Any leads? Anyone?