Email your questions to TuffyLuv@collegecandy.com. You dig?!

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I have a friend who is, like, obsessed with me. I don’t know what to do. She calls me all the time and then just wants to talk and talk and I don’t really feel like listening. I mean how many times can I hear about her ex-boyfriend?

Tuffy, to top it all off, she never even asks about me! I mean she calls me all the time you’d think she’d have the common courtesy to at least say hey “what’s going on with you?” It’s really annoying.

I don’t know what to do. This girl has been my friend since elementary school. But now we’re both in college and we live in different cities. But the cities are nearby so I could hang out with her if I wanted to, but the thing is, I don’t want to. It’s really sad because she always calls me (like every week) and I almost never pick up because she bugs the crap out of me. But the thing is, she doesn’t really have any other friends. She makes new friends sometimes, like at school, but she can never keep them very long. Not because she’s mean or anything – just she only talks about herself and I think it gets on people’s nerves.

She’s really nice and she was my friend for years, but she is driving me crazy. If I could, I would just stop being friends with her completely! But I really don’t want to hurt her feelings. What should I do?

– Feeling Like a Bad Friend

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Questions for Tuffinski can be emailinskied to TuffyLuv@collegecandy.com and shoop.

Dear Tuffy Luv,

My boyfriend has recently gone on a study abroad trip for the rest of the summer.  He’s only been gone a week, and already I’ve noticed how drastically our relationship has changed.  For the first half of the summer, he always called many times a day and we visited each other every few weeks because we live in different states.  But now that he’s overseas, between the time difference and his busy schedule, there is no time for me! The trip he is on is with a huge group of his friends and is very party-oriented and it’s hard for me not to get jealous.

A big problem is that his phone does not work overseas so the only way for us to talk is for him to send me an email saying that he’s available to Skype, which goes to my Blackberry, and then I rush to a computer.  So I’m totally powerless to get in touch with him.  I end up getting really upset all the time just waiting to hear from him… which has only even happened once!! I really love him and when we’re together we never have problems and are very happy. But I don’t know what to do! Please help! Should I just wait it out and be miserable for the next month? I don’t want to send him anymore nagging emails about it because he says it makes him feel guilty and I can tell it’s not helping.

What should I do?

— Abandoned in the Eastern Time Zone Read More »

[It doesn’t matter what school you go to, what state it is in, how big it is, whether it is public or private, all girls or coed…there are experiences that all college students share. No matter how crazy you think your personal situation is, it is not just you.So, let’s bring it all out in the open. Right here. Because you are not alone - we’ve all been there before.]

The (Fake) Phone Call:

You are walking home from class all alone when you think that person walking towards you kinda, sorta looks like the dude you made out with the other night/that girl your sorority rejected who won’t leave you alone/somebody else that you really don’t want to talk to.

You squint. You stare. You verify.

“Sh*t,” you think to yourself. “I really don’t want to talk to him/her.” But what are you supposed to do? You are walking alone (towards the person!); you have no out. You can’ just throw your iPod on – you would look like a total ass if you just walked right past jamming out to your favorite mix. And you can’t duck and cover; you’ve most likely already been spotted and hiding behind a tree is just weird.

There is only one option left: the cell phone fake out. Read More »

[It doesn’t matter what school you go to, what state it is in, how big it is, whether it is public or private, all girls or coed…there are experiences that all college students share. No matter how crazy you think your personal situation is, it is not just you.

So, let’s bring it all out in the open. Right here. Because you are not alone - we’ve all been there before.]

The Awkward Call:

You wake up to the sunlight shining into your eyes. You open them and – whoa – the killer hangover sets in. Headache, nausea and a mouth filled with cotton. And then you roll over to find a man lying next to you.

And the entire evening comes flooding back: the drinks, the sloppy make out sesh in the kitchen of the bar, the striptease in the cab.

You lift the covers; yup, completely naked. Your bedmate stirs, opens his eyes and smiles at you. “Phew,” you think to yourself. “He’s pretty cute.” You begin the usual morning-after conversation – hangovers, “what the hell did I drink last night”s, and other niceties – before he starts rubbing your back.

You know where this is leading, but before things start heading there you need to brush that so-drunk-I-smoked- a-cigarette taste out of your mouth.

And then the phone rings. Your rifle through the pile of jeans and underwear on the floor and flip it open before you realize who it is: your grandma. Read More »

The semester’s off and running, the weather’s getting worse, and next summer feels like an eternity. It’s easy to find your mood plummeting, your motivation waning, and your usually chipper self turning into a snappy betch. Misery has a snowball effect: you’re grumpy, and it rubs off on your roommate; you’re already in a bad mood, and walking into a pop quiz can set you over the edge. Before the blahs take over your body, take time to stop, breathe, recharge and rejuvenate. Here are five quick pick-me-ups to get you out of a funk.

1. Sleep: You’ve been up at the crack of dawn every morning to hit the gym, struggle to stay awake through three back-to-back classes, rush to your part-time job, and finally head home to tackle several hours worth of homework. Of course you’re feeling dreary! Lack of sleep can have adverse psychological effects– take it from a girl who is known to burst into tears at the slightest provocation after pulling an all-nighter or two– so even if you can’t fit in a full eight hours of sleep a night, treat yourself to a long, comatose nap. When you wake up, you’ll be more energetic and alert, so it might even boost your studying stamina later in the week.

2. Treat Yourself: You’ve been running on empty for weeks, neglecting yourself in order to make a good impression on your professors, sorority sisters, friends, coworkers, etc. Do something nice for yourself. If you have some extra cash, buy yourself a new outfit. If you think you look good, you’re bound to feel good, too. Low on cash? Scrape together some change and download a couple of jams on i-Tunes. I mean, they’re only 99 cents most of the time– you deserve it! Get a track that will raise your spirits, like Flo Rida’s “In the Ayer,” DJ Laz’s “Move, Shake, Drop Remix” or, for a bubblegum pop sound, The Orion Experience’s “Obsessed with You.” Then, crank up your speakers and have your own personal dance party for a few minutes. It’ll be worth it. Read More »

Seriously, who gives out their number anymore?

I remember having a drunken bonding moment with a really cool guy in college a few years ago, and he asked for my number. I asked for his screen name instead. I mean, IM-ing someone is so much more casual, and so much less stressful. You don’t have to feel your heart thumping through your chest as the phone rings. Is he going to answer? Is it going to go to voicemail? Is he blocking me? What do I say if he picks up?

With IM, you can see if he’s away or idle, and choose your own adventure from there. You can leave a casual “Just wanted to say I had a great time last night” IM, rather than starting a phone call with the same line and then struggling to make small talk. Likewise, you can make small talk behind the shield of the IM window, where he can’t hear your voice crack, and where you can copy and paste the whole convo to all of your girlfriends and get advice while you try to weed out his intentions.

And then came Facebook. The social network has made quite the mark on the dating scene. There’s the poke, which can be viewed as casual, flirty, or creepy. There’s the “it’s complicated” label for the relationship you’re in (finally- you can be open about having a f*ck buddy without warding off the rest of the male population!); and of course, there’s the wall post, which makes the casual IM seem like the awkward phone call of yesteryear. Read More »

Why the hell would you call your ex?

You just broke up a few weeks ago!

Your friends are saying you broke up for a reason, right?

It’s better left this way.

Right.

Yea, sometimes you do break up for a reason. And sometimes, your gut tells you that you are better off without him, as scary as it may be to force yourself to move on in the scary world of single people.

But sometimes, it doesn’t feel right after a break up. Or you didn’t get that closure you needed to move on. Or, you just want him back, plain and simple, can’t live without him and don’t want to.

But in order to get him back, you gotta reach out.

That’s where the Post Break-up Phone Call comes in. Get ready for some uneasy awkwardness, stuttering and lots and lots of underarm sweating!

And that’s before you even pick up the phone.

I don’t know if it’s the website for desperate people everywhere, or a website for the ultimate romantics, but GetMyExBack.com has some tips and advice for people who are in post break-up limbo. Regarding the phone call, here are the highlights, which I’ll create my own takes on:

“Let the Dust Settle.” DO NOT attempt to win him back, like, seven minutes after you break up. Emotions are still flying. You need to give it time, because you never know – after a week or so, you may not even want him back at all! Maybe you finally talked to that hot guy in your class who always looked over at you and maybe that was enough to help you realize there are more guys out there. Who knows? But calling him too quickly could be baaaad, so don’t risk it. Read More »