It is happening again. I am totally disoriented at a social gathering. I don’t recognize the music that is playing. I am lost. The only thing I know is that I don’t understand what the people around me are saying and they don’t understand me.

Am I studying abroad? Negative. This culture clash is of the domestic sort.

Maybe you wouldn’t know it by looking at me, contrary to the stereotype, I take care of my appearance. My nails are manicured, my brows are perfectly groomed. I am wearing what you could consider fashionable attire. But make no mistake about it, I’m a nerd.

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Hello I’m Sammie and I’m a nerd.

I may not have a love of Star Trek or Star Wars or Starbursts that includes costumes and fan fiction, but I am a nerd, nonetheless.  I am a pop culture and politics nerd.  My versions of insane celebrities are Glenn O’Brien and Jim Himes.  If I meet these people, I’m reduced to a shell-shocked super loser who can’t stop smiling like Jack Nicholson from “The Shining” while my blank mind tries to come up with something witty (it never does).  I recently saw Graydon Carter exit an elevator, and it took every sane bone in my body to not be Creepy McCreepstein and follow him to his destination.

I have a desperate love for all things politics and pop culture, with knowledge of things so obscure, even my closest friends have to reel me in sometimes (“GUYS this is just like in that episode of Four Kings when-”  “Sammie.  Shut up.  No one gets that reference.”).  But I will say this, I am proud of my nerdness.

Historically, nerds have always been given a bad rap (Urkel, Screech, Carlton from Fresh Prince, every Star Trek superfan on the planet, that creepy blogger kid from Glee), but recently, it has become the cool thing (the other Glee kids, Ugly Betty, Dwight Schrute, and Carlton…I love him).  Because, let’s face it, everyone’s got a little nerd in them. Even those “jocks” that were responsible for Glee-style dumpster flingings.  Have you ever seen one of them meet a sports idol or rattle off statistics of the Giants from their 1973 post-season?  Because I have, and I have to say, that “bro” crap melts away when they’re giving the same creepy look to the members of State Radio that you were giving that Lucky editor that one time you recognized her in the street.

What I’m saying here is there is no better time to be a nerd!  Embrace your inner geek!  The feeling of joy I get when I find something like the Sam Adams remix of “Heads Will Roll” is comparable to what I imagine seeing your child for the first time is like.  I love all things music, movies and sports, so why do I have to be ashamed of my geekiness?  Honestly, if everyone just embraced their little quirks that they think are so embarrassing, the world would be a much happier place.  Trust.

After all, being passionate about something (no matter how geeky) is way more fun and interesting than just sitting there trying to fit in.

So bring on the suspenders and the huge glasses (but in a non-ironic sense.  I’m a nerd, not a hipster), and live long and prosper, fellow nerds.

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman, so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like over-the-knee boots!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

The fan orgy that is Comic-Con has finally ended and as I watch my BF pour over the web coverage hoping to find some hidden tidbit about the next Batman movie, I have to wonder, have geeks replaced jocks as the guys we want to be with?

It seems like in the last few years I’ve read a lot of things encouraging the nerd love. There are dating sites dedicated solely to men of this ilk and enough Google hits for “date a geek” to boggle this writer’s mind. Geek culture is out in the open and everyone’s flying their freak flag (even us at College Candy!). And the nerd-set definitely has a few aces in the hole; by nature they prove themselves to be passionately dedicated to their obsession of choice, they tend to be smart, well-read, and (in my experience) they often have a touch of that hopeless romantic we’ve all pined after in rom-coms. Read More »

I guess that would be a nice place to rest your wrist, but seriously? WTF? Computer nerds really need to get out more.

A Wesleyan student recently put this handy chart together showing the percentage of students in each major who are virgins. Looks like those artists find their inspiration in the bedroom (or maybe they sold it for art supplies?), while the nerdier of students can’t catch a break.

Where do you fall on this chart?

Everybody makes friends in college. Sometimes it’s through a group, sometimes it’s by a chance encounter, sometimes it’s just because you were too hungover for class last Monday and you need the notes to catch up. When you’re scanning the lecture hall for help, there is one person you need to be aware of.

That would be the completely anal, extremely irritating, absolutely crazy Overachiever.

This one is easy to recognize. Watch for it on the first day of class. They’re right there, in the front row (no matter what kind of class it is). They might wear glasses. Though they’ll be dressed neatly (no pjs for them!), it probably won’t be stylish; look for business attire, like suit jackets and pencil skirts. Unlike the rest of the class fighting to stay awake, they will sit up straight.

Their desk will have an open, blank notebook on it, ready to go. There may also be a tape recorder, a neat row of pencils, pens, and highlighters, and a planner opened to the current date. They’re totally prepared….for a shortage of school supplies. If their desk doesn’t have these implements, there’s a laptop already open to some note taking program with a title and date at the top. The textbook will be on their desk, even if the rest of the class doesn’t even know what it looks like yet.

Once class begins they will highlight important dates on the class syllabus. They will write everything down. They will ask questions about everything pertaining to the class. Five page research paper? They will ask if it’s okay to go over. Need four sources? They want to know if eight is too many. This is the kid who did the extra credit in high school for “the learning thrill,” not because he needed it. Read More »

We love the internet for 3 main reasons:

1. We can do just about everything (shop, date, job hunt, talk to professors) in our underwear.

2. Talk to people and say things we would never have the balls to say in person (”You are being a bitch,” “I totally heart you.”)

3. We can procrastinate on everything in favor of the endless entertainment the inter-webs provide.

The sheer number of blogs and awesome websites out there is astounding…and nearly impossible to navigate. Which ones are good? Which ones are bad? Which ones will flash giant naked men on our screen? (Editor’s Note: Those are my favorite!) Which ones talk about all the stuff I want to hear?

That’s why we are here.

There are so many great college blogs out there and we want to share them with you. Because, after all, we college kids gotta stick together. So, here are a few of our favorites for this week:

1. Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman: She’s cute, she’s relateable, and she’s a she (which you don’t see much of in the blogosphere).

2. Life As a Hyperbole: Even though he totally hated on the Michigan fight song (errrr), this kid is funny and his lists are the perfect distraction during lecture/paper writing/your friend venting about her boyfriend…again.

3. The Old College Try: Another college lady writing about her life. And we can’t stop reading it!

4. Confessions of a Nerd: Makes you think. Oh, and we love embracing Nerd-dom.

When you think of community college what comes to mind? Cheap, slackers, immature kids with bad grades. These are the first things that popped into my head when I had to make the decision to go there for the semester before I transfer schools. I thought it was going to be pure hell, but instead it’s actually kind of my idea what college should be like, minus a few things. Here’s what to expect if you’re going to community college next semester or summer.

The Good:

Free parking! - I was pumped about this, since parking at my last college (NC State) was about 200 bucks. This is also a bad thing because everyone can afford to park, so I have to leave my house 40 minutes before class (and I live 15 minutes away) to beat traffic and find a spot next to my building

The Fests - Back to School Fest, Fall Fest, Latin Fest, Halloween Fest….there’s always some type of “fest” going on….and they all involve a DJ, a moon bounce and loads of free food!

Online classes with NO extra fees - Most colleges label online classes as Distance Education and slap a few extra fees on the courses so that you’ll actually come to campus and not sit in your dorm/apartment/parent’s house watching your lecture via laptop wearing your your favorite tee and a pair of sweats (heaven!). Well, because so many people go to good ol’ community college (mine has 4 campuses total and is 40,000 strong), they actually prefer if you take a class or two online. But be warned: most online classes don’t have deadlines and it can be tempting to slack off. I’ve been taking Ethics since August and haven’t taken any tests just because I don’t feel like it! Read More »

Sometimes, it’s not enough to make your own fab entrance at a Halloween Party; you and your whole crew need to be noticed. On the other hand, sometimes your crazy costume idea is so unique that nobody will get it… unless your faves are by your side to complete the picture. Want to make the biggest splash this Halloween (and have some killer bonding time with your buds as you shop, create, and play dress up)? Here are just a few ideas for some great group costumes. And most of them can be done on a budget!

Read More »

Ever notice how you always see a hot chick/ugly dude couple, but never see a smokin’ dude with a non-so-smokin’ lady?

There’s a reason, ladies, and it has to do with science.

Researchers at the University of California recently studied the preferences of single women and found that women prefer brains over biceps, something I have been telling people for years. However, this finding doesn’t only apply to long term relationships; when lookin’ for a little late night action (read: one night stand), women also tend to go for the more intelligent men.

When considering evolution, it makes sense that women would want to settle down with a smart man: so they could potentially produce smarter children. But researchers were shocked about the one night stand situation. I am not.

We all know there is that awkward time – usually around 30-60 minutes – between taking the man home for a little fun and actually having said fun. A time that is filled with awkward conversation about your classes, the pictures on your wall and…I don’t know….politics?

And who wants to have conversation with an idiot?

Also, a smarter man is probably more likely to know how to please a woman, as opposed to a moron who can’t tell a va-jay from an elbow.

I’m not sure this study was really necessary (I mean, duh), but it does help me prove to men that women aren’t as concerned with looks as they are. Oh, and it gives hope to those computer engineers out there that they too can get a little late night booty.