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.

But, on the downside, the odds of that cuddly little nerd ever turning into the gorgeous hunk of man-candy you drool over at the beach (you know you do) is pretty low. And there’s a reason we aren’t inherently attracted to the scrawny, pale types – biologically we are programmed to respond to physical fitness as a trait of an ideal mate. Also, dating a geek generally entails spending a fair amount of time immersed in whatever his particular brand of nerdom is (did I mention my BF is still looking up Batman?) and if his special obsession doesn’t appeal to you, well… I’ve known guys who broke up with girls for favoring Star Trek over Star Wars.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that most of the things I’ve mentioned above are part of the stereotypical geek, and no one will perfectly match up to it. Most of us have our own little nerdy things going on – I have read a certain Hobbit-oriented book no less than seven times - so it’s probably not fair to judge based solely on the geek-factor. But with everyone from movie studios to women’s mags clamoring after these guys, there’s no question we’re living in the age of the geek.

So what do you think, ladies? Are you down with dating the kid in the Chewbacca t-shirt? Are you totally over the geek craze? Would you put up with his love of comics/sci-fi/online gaming? Or do you prefer your men a little more traditional?

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?

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.

If you ever have to ask this kid for class help, he will look at you disapprovingly and make a remark about how class attendance is so important. He won’t miss a class, period. He aces every test and ruins the curve for the rest of you. He has his assignments in early, and they’re way better than yours. He was probably stuffed into lockers in middle school.

If there’s no one else to get notes from, it’s almost worth being out of the loop to avoid having to deal with this guy. Even if his notes are neatly written. And probably in sheet protectors. Just be good and try not to be too hung over for class time. Or, if the call of the Amberbock is too strong for you, make friends with the other kids. You know, the regular good students.

Do you know this kid?

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.

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!

Cute guys - I saw more cute guys on the first day of class than I did my whole first year at State. And not only are some of these guys hot, most of then can actually carry on an intelligent conversation… and still look hot doing it.

The Price - Year of tuition at State = $16,800. Semester at CC (14 credits) = $1,480, and that’s without financial aid.

Awesome Teachers/Lax Classes - Community College has some of the most laid back professors I’ve ever seen. In my Sociology class, my professor talks about how circumcision affects a guy’s sex life (he even quoted Sex and the City!), and my Public Speaking class is filled with debates about government corruption and interracial dating. I’ve actually started to enjoy going to class.

The Bad/Ugly

The People - Between the immature post-high schoolers who try to look cool by skipping class and sitting in the hallway/lounge, to the overabundance of soccer moms who always try to assert themselves as top dog in class, going to school here can be a bit of a drag.

No Sporting Events/Homecoming – I jealously watched State’s homecoming game on TV this year, and even more jealously saw my friend’s pictures from the NERD/Common homecoming concert. Did I mention CC has intramural sports?

Even with the few minor downsides, community college really is a win/win. If you’re thinking about transferring schools or coming home for the summer, I would definitely recommend looking into community college. You could end up in an cool Bio Lab with a hot lab partner like myself (without taking out a billion dollars in student loans!).

So if you want to hear about why Halloween rocks you should go somewhere else because I f*cking hate it and I’m about to make you hate it too by listing some reasons why it’s terrible and should be canceled.

Costumes: Yah, I said it. F*ck costumes. I have never trusted motherf*ckers in costumes. Why are you wearing that? People in costumes can do anything they want, and often do on Halloween, because it’s basically the official Holiday for burglary and assault.  That’s really what I want, a day where it’s impossible to spot criminals because everyone is wearing a godd*mn mask.

I don’t even like people at Disneyland and sh*t wearing costumes. Ask any nerd which day was the worst in high school and I guarantee you that Halloween is up near the top of the list. “I sure wish I knew who was beating the sh*t of out me right now, beyond ‘guy in gas mask’ and ‘guy in hockey mask!’”

Additionally, wearing costumes is probably the most uncomfortable thing ever. It’s hot and you can’t hear sh*t and you can’t run away from other people in costume without making a ridiculous shuffling noise. F*ck costumes. Unless you’re on a stage or in a movie, no costumes ever. Street performers shouldn’t be allowed to wear costumes. No one. EVER.

Candy: Yah, that is exactly what we need, an excuse to shovel more diabetes-inducing sugar into our insatiable legion of fat children. Candy on Halloween teaches people two things, how to gorge yourself, and how to beg. Why not call a spade a spade, call it ‘Insulin Day,’ and just chop everyones’ foot off right now.

TV Programming: On Halloween, every channel on the dial shows whatever scary movie they have in the vault, all night. As someone who’s imagination is more then enough to literally make me sh*t when alone in a dark room, the last thing I want is every Friday the 13^th, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street playing all at once.

Haunted Houses: I don’t really feel the need to elaborate on this. Haunted Houses, hay rides, and other various haunted locales go from boring (high school) to grotesque (every haunted house run for profit) with no middle ground to actually enjoy yourself. F*ck haunted houses.

“CLEVERNESS”: It’s in quotes and caps for a reason. That’s about as subtle as people are on Halloween. LOOK HOW FUNNY/SEXY/EDGY I AM.

People dress either in lingerie (I’M A SEXY CAT/BUNNY/CONSTRUCTION WORKER/COP/DENTIST/CHEF/PERSON WHO WORKS AT HOME DEPOT), go ‘edgy’ and do something so tasteless they know it’s gonna start a fight once everyone is drunk enough (‘dude are you seriously going as someone who’s HIV positive?’), or ‘clever’ — which usually amounts to going as a hotdog or a tampon or a giant sperm. Also, anything phallic that comes with its own retarded catchphrase. Everyone has crap ideas on Halloween. The night literally destroys creativity and feeds off tacky bullsh*t.

You’re probably wondering if I go out at all. I do. I dress as a Pokemon and throw bricks through car windshields.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

Save your money and forget Lasik! Glasses are now so chic that those who originally considered themselves “blessed” with perfect vision drool over their blind companions’ stylish eyewear. If you want to embrace this trend but unfortunately have no prescription for glasses, don’t worry! You can destroy your eyesight simply by staring directly at the sun for ten minutes each day.

Ok, so I’m just kidding. But if you wish you could wear glasses, wish no more. This fall, fake reading glasses are all the rage. The Michael Kors fall 2008 runway collection featured several faux eyeglass wearing models who looked HOT (as in sexy librarian hot). Glasses were also spotted in several other runway shows, including Betsey Johnson and Carmen Marc Valvo.

If you’re going to purchase a pair of glasses (fake or prescription), it is important to find the right shape and color for your face. Generally, you should buy glasses with a shape in contrast to that of your face. If you don’t know what your face shape is, or what shape glasses would flatter your face, click here for a simple guide.

After you’ve figured out what shapes work for you, here are the top five eyeglass trends for fall. Hurry up and buy them before classes start. You want to look smart and studious when you meet your new professors!

1. Thick, plastic, 70′s inspired rims – the ultimate geek chic look. This pair is Versace.

2. Fun colors! – buy several frames, coordinate them with your outfits! My Jill Stuart glasses are pink and actually look amazing when I’m wearing something pink with them. Red frames, as seen on this pair of D&G glasses, are going to be huge this year.

3. Fun and crazy shapes – try angular shapes or go really wacky with heart shaped glasses if you really want to make a statement like Nicole Richie in this picture.

4. Completely round frames – also known as “John Lennon glasses” are particularly trendy this fall. Betsey Johnson has a pretty good selection of round sunglasses, but for regular eyeglass frames Ralph Lauren is a good choice.

5. Cute details – like rhinestones or metal shapes can add a unique and stylish touch to otherwise plain glasses. For something more subtle, find glasses with a design on the inside lining (the part touching the sides of your head). No one can see it while they’re on, but when you take them off the pattern will be revealed. My pink glasses have white hearts on them, and these, which are Jill Stuart, have a cute stripey pattern.

If you aren’t lucky enough to be legally blind at night like me and don’t actually have a prescription for glasses, the fake frames can be a little tricky to find. You’re best bet would be to try Claire’s or other cheap accessories stores. You could also find them at local costume shops or iParty. Or just pop the lenses out of a cheap pair of sunglasses.

While you’re at it, why not go all out and buy a stylish case for your new glasses? Check out the huge selection of adorable eyeglass luggage at MyEyeglassCase.com and you won’t be able to resist.

\

And they’re surprisingly date-able.

I sat down the other night with two of my geekiest friends, Patrick and Jeff (not their real names), to discuss geek love. I asked them why a girl should date a geeky guy, and they gave me an intricate look at the geek lifestyle and how it translates into relationships.

First, we lay down the definition of a geek. They explain to me the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork. In their opinion, dorks and nerds are both socially awkward beings –– dorks because they’re too dumb and nerds because they’re too smart. A geek, on the other hand, is the perfect specimen.

“How do you approach a girl you have a crush on?” I ask.

“I do that?” Patrick asks back. Jeff explains to me that geeky guys don’t approach girls they like in order to ask them out. Out of a fear of rejection, they try to be friends first. I ask the guys how well this works out, they agree: not well.

Patrick tells me: “In high school [Jeff] pitched to me the idea of Dungeons & Dragons because he said girls would be there.” I ask Patrick if this worked out and he just gives me a what-do-you-think? look.

According to Patrick and Jeff, geeks are the perfect boyfriends for three main reasons: they are sweet, loyal and smart. It only makes sense that the same guy who memorizes a hundred Star War’s alien species will remember every last detail about his girlfriend and her love for all things Gossip Girl. And the imaginative guy that plays games like D & D (Dungeons and Dragons, for all you non-geeks out there) will also be the guy who comes up with adorable date/gift ideas…and maybe some awesome role-playing in the bedroom. Rar.

“God doesn’t give with both hands,” the old cliché goes. I firmly believe this. In my ten-odd years of dating, I’ve learned that the prettier and more charming the boy, the more vapid the boy’s brain. Those of us not blessed with fashion model looks or disarming charm had to develop (gasp!) personalities to compensate.

Geeks have personality in droves, and the coping mechanisms they developed in high school help them considerably in relationships. They weren’t the most popular kids in school (duh), and their after-school activities weren’t considered cool (audio visual club, etc.), so they formed tight cliques with like-minded friends, thus developing their loyalty. Geeky boys also had to rely on humor to survive; who could make fun of them when they were making fun of themselves first?

All the qualities that make a geek a geek also make a geek a good boyfriend. What girl doesn’t want a sweet, loyal, imaginative, romantic, funny guy who can also fix her computer and explain how a supernova forms? So, while you might have been glued to the football field bleachers in high school searching for the perfect boyfriend, now that you’re out of school it’s time to move away from the jocks and towards the geeks.

The relationship will be far more rewarding.

[Photo courtesy of hollywoodjesus.com]