The last few weeks of the semester can get a little stressful. And not because you just can’t seem to find the perfect present for everyone on your list (or in my case because you keep getting distracted by Macy’s shoe department and never get around to buying those other presents), but because of finals. Remember those? Probably not.

If you’re a freshman you have absolutely no idea what horrors await you, and if you’re an upperclassmen you’ve more than likely blocked out this horrific experience. But yet, here you are. Professors are bombarding with you deadlines and dates, final papers and exam study guides and more information than you could possibly handle while you’re still recovering from your Thanksgiving-induced food coma.

Ten-page papers?
Cumulative finals?

You can’t even pronounce half the stuff on you history study guide and those calculus questions might as well be written in morse code for all you can deicer. It’s okay. Take a deep breath. You can get through this.

And I can help.

As a senior taking on her (second to) final finals week, I like to think I have this studying thing down. For a while there I kept getting it confused with napping, but I’ve since cleared things up, and I’m willing to share my infinite wisdom with you. So before you do anything else you need to…

1. Get organized.
You can’t pass your finals if you don’t show up on time, and you can’t hand in your paper if you don’t know when it’s due. So open up your planner and take all of your syllabi ( those things they handed out at the beginning of the semester with a list of reading assignments you haven’t done) and start writing out the deadlines.  Outline your papers, and map out which days you will work on each assignment so you know that nothing will be left to the last minute. By the time all of that is done you’ll have scheduled something for every minute of every day until move out. (Are you panicking yet?)  Normally this is the part where my eyes would start to twitch uncontrollably, and I’d call my friend and we’d rant about how absurd our schedules are for the next few weeks and make all sorts of plans to celebrate once finals are over. Then I’d eat some chocolate and go to bed. But hey, to each her own.

Once that is out of your system you’re ready to actually start studying. But in order to do that you need to…

2. Get rid of all of your distractions.
Turn off your cell phone.  Log out of Facebook (or at least set a timer to limit yourself).  Shut off the TV. Find a quiet corner in the library away from friends and enemies and anyone else you might have the slightest inclination to talk to. Then start working, because you will work, purely because you will have absolutely nothing else to do. Solitary confinement isn’t pretty, but it works.

And that’s why you should…

3. Avoid study groups at all costs.
At least, when it’s time for the heavy duty, serious studying. You want to meet with some people from your class a week before the final? That’s fine. Make outlines, discuss essay topics, quiz each other on stuff neither one of you will know yet and make notes to go over that stuff later on. But when you’re in the home stretch, study by yourself. When you’re with other people you will not study. Trust me, I’ve been there. It starts out innocent enough, someone will make a comment about how your professors says “like” after every other word. This will lead to an in depth analysis of his character which will lead to someone bringing up another professor’s annoying habits which will lead to a discussion on which professors’ classes to take next semester and who to avoid, and what exactly did ratemyprofessor.com say again? Five hours later you’ll be discussing what a great teacher Mr. Feeney was, and reminiscing about the ’90s.

Pretty basic stuff, right? Nothing you haven’t heard before? Well, that’s because it works. Stay organized. Be aware of your deadlines. Don’t leave things to the last minute. Stay away from distractions when crunch time comes, and avoid joining in on a study group that will turn into a social call. Take deep breaths, and try not to panic.

To quote Rory Gilmore, study guru herself, “If all else fails you can always marry rich.”

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I came into college with a well thought-out plan of what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to go to film school, live in Los Angeles, be a writer for television and maybe one day direct movies.

I never figured a boyfriend into my whole equation.

So now that I have one it feels like I have to somehow stick to my plan and ambitions while figuring in someone else’s. It’s MUCH harder than it sounds.

I’m from a medium sized city that was boring as hell growing up. I couldn’t wait to go to a big college in a big city to get away. I like being busy, I like having a lot of people to befriend, and I love being so close to Austin’s famous sixth street and live bands. I’ve always been a city girl and I want to stay a city girl. Matt, on the other hand, is a homebody. He’s from a small city and would much rather go back to live there (or somewhere like it) after college. He hates big cities because the driving is too dangerous, crime is high, and he is very content staying at home every night. Even though we’re in the same major, he wants to work at small town TV stations while I want to work in Hollywood.

Big difference in opinions…so what do we do about it?

I bet you’re thinking that this is supposed to be the part where I shed my somewhat wise opinion on the matter, but honestly, I don’t know what to do either. I want to be my own woman but if I’m going to stay with Matt the rest of my life (and that’s my plan) there’s going to have to be some sacrifices. It comes with the territory. And these sacrifices aren’t even something I mind. Yeah, when I started out on this journey I had big, lofty goals of Hollywood, but things have changed and now I’ve got something else (something wonderful) to consider in my planning.

I’ve laid the ground rules out and Matt and I have come to a few conclusions. He’s agreed to put my career first because he can pretty much work anywhere with what he wants to do. That means that it’s up to me to choose which city works best for me and he’ll make it work. That being said, I’m not going to force LA down Matt’s throat knowing how he feels about it, so I’m going to look everywhere but LA first.

And that’s where we’re at. He’s making concessions for me and I’m making concessions for him. We’re both holding onto our futures and our plans, they’re both just a little different than how we first imagined them. And I don’t know how this is all going to work, but it’s working for now and that’s all that really matters.

Anyone out there got some advice for people in this sort of situation? Have you given up your future to follow someone else? Has someone done that for you? Share!

We all want to go home for Easter, but sadly, it’s nearing the end of the school year, and so we’re more likely to be munching on terrible dining-hall food than we are on delicious hollow chocolate rabbits. Before you get depressed about all the candy (oh yeah….and love) you’re missing back home, try bringing the Easter spirit into your own home. No, I’m not talking about Jesus.

I’m talking about an Easter bash. I throw one every year and it’s always fun, festive, and almost as good as the stuff my mom makes back home. Plus, it’s super easy. Here are some tips on throwing your own!

• Focus on the food.
Try something a little kitschy, like a brunch or a high tea. That way, the menu will be a snap (omelets and pancakes, say, or little slices of cake and good crackers) and picking up ingredients will be easy. These sweet-potato pancakes are a favorite of mine.

• Deck the place out.
Nothing says “festive” like great decorations. You know your mom would adorn the whole house with bunnies and Easter grass if you were home, so why not go a little crazy and bring that look to the dorm? Plastic eggs (very cheap at drugstores) are always a good bet, or pick up some pastel streamers and wrap them on all your doors and windows.

• Create an egg hunt.
To go truly old school, arrange an Easter egg hunt for your friends. This can be as innocent (mini bars of chocolate in the eggs) or as adult (tiny liquor bottles and pics of half-naked cute guys in the eggs) as you want. If you have the time, it’s great fun to hide eggs all over campus rather than in just one area. Though, you would have to worry about randoms getting their paws on your loot…

(And if you’re feeling incredibly saucy, you could turn the egg hunt into a drinking game. Just put different instructions in each egg: take a shot, shotgun a beer, assign 3 drinks, etc. But you didn’t hear that idea from me…. Sorry, Jesus!)

Don’t let Easter on campus get you down. Throw on those bunny ears, grab your friends and celebrate the holiday college-style.

Fall Break may be over, but those few glorious weeks of winter vacation are so, so tantalizingly close. And while it’s nice to hang out with your family for a little while, let me guess—you want to get away. Far, far away. Preferably somewhere closer to the equator.

Am I right? Yeah, OK.

Even if a vacation isn’t in the cards right now, odds are you’ll be planning some kind of trip in the future. And at first doing all that planning by yourself (or even splitting it up with friends) can seem overwhelming. There are so many logistics to handle… booking, scheduling, packing, etc.

So why do it yourself? Let me help!

1. Booking. If you’re traveling by car or bus or train (or hitchhiking), you can count on prices for gas or tickets to stay nearly constant. Look out for special student deals or travel packages, but you shouldn’t otherwise have to worry about fluctuating fees. If you’re going by air, though, make friends with FareCast, a sweet site that compiles data on changing air prices and will make predictions for you about when are the best times to buy. And triple-check your arrival and departure dates to make SURE you don’t double-book yourself with any other activities.

2. Scheduling. Personality plays into this to a certain degree. Do you like to go with the flow and take things as they come, or are you the type of person who needs to have every hour of your trip planned out? (Hint: If you’re 100% one or the other, don’t travel with someone who’s the opposite.) Even if you’re a more casual traveler, there are still a few things you really should plan in advance of getting your tickets:

- Accommodations. It will suck if you have to spend the night in a park because your friends in the destination city are all on vacation as well and you don’t have enough cash for a hotel.

- Logistics. How are you going to get to and from the airport/station? Do you have a map? Will you need to rent a car? About how expensive is the place you’re going?

- Emergency. If you get lost, who can you call for help? If a sketchy guy starts to follow you around and tries to strike up a looong conversation, do you know someone nearby who can bail you out if needed? If your wallet gets stolen, do you have a backup form of currency?

3. Packing. There are many things you can go without, so try to stay light—you’ll be happy you did. But don’t forget clothes. Plan your outfits so you don’t overpack, and try to reuse key items. Remember the underwear and bras. Pack pads or tampons if you might need them. And medications. And SHOES. No matter where you’re going, pack at least one very comfortable pair. Even if you think you know the weather ahead of time, include one outfit for cooler weather and one outfit for warmer weather. Bring snacks, too. Finally, don’t rely on your cell phone. Make a paper list (yes, paper) of all the numbers in your address book. That way, you can still get out of a tough situation if you happen to lose your phone.

These tips should get you through the planning stages and get you onto that plane to paradise.

From all of us at CC, happy travels!

[Image courtesy of travelindiasmart.com.]

The process itself requires weeks of planning, stressing, throwing things away, trying to pawn things you can’t justify throwing out off on your friends, scrounging for money to pay for movers, and of course, that whole packing situation. Findind a new place is only the beginning.

Things to bear in mind while you’re moving:

1. Your movers will always cost more than they quote you for. Even if you like them, even if they’re good, you will still be bitter about this. New Yorkers: Take whatever they tell you and keep approximately an extra hundred on-hand just in case. Most movers require cash, some do cash or credit, so be warned.

2. That being said, if you have a friend with a truck of sorts, bribe them with hugs, high-fives, food, alcohol, whatever it takes to trick them into helping you move. This will save you a huge moving company fee.

3. Remember how your parents used to (or still) nag that you had too many clothes? You probably have too many clothes. You probably wear only half of them, and you really need to be honest with yourself about the wardrobe when you’re schlepping it to a new establishment. Weed out what you don’t wear and donate it to an organization like Goodwill or to a shelter/clothing drive in your area.

4. If you have furniture you don’t need to bring with you, or say, a window air conditioner or older TV that’s in good condition, sell it! Put it on Craigslist, offer it to a friend for a lower price than you bought it, whatever. If you know you’re replacing it, a little extra cash can’t hurt.

5. Save on groceries the week before you leave by eating your remaining food supply. Seriously, if you don’t have to take it with you, it’ll make your process much easier.

6. Packing isn’t like writing a paper, where if you pull an all-nighter you’ll be fine. If you’ve got a deadline to move out by, you should give yourself at least a week of doing a little here, a little there. It’s much easier to handle.

7. Don’t be a jerk just because you hate your current landlord. Make sure you leave your space clean and in good condition. Generally the landlord or management company has the right to keep your security deposit if they aren’t happy with how the space looks, so keep that in mind when the screw-that-guy mentality hits you. You may just screw yourself.

8. Make a list of essential purchases as you realize you need them. Maybe your last roommate was a baller who provided all your pots, pans, dishes, and silverware, but you’re going to need all that stuff all over again, along with cleaning supplies and other basics.