The summer after I graduated from high school I was excited to finally be free from compulsory family vacays to celebrate the 4^th of July. So to celebrate both America’s and my own newfound independence, I went big, I went all out – I went to a house party.

It was the kind of party I look back fondly on in remembrance of high school days. There was cheap vodka, a backup keg, and plenty of top shelf liquor plucked from the generous hostesses’ parents liquor cabinet. The night started out innocently enough, with keg stands, red and blue shots (white didn’t work out the way we’d planned), and plenty of high schoolers bragging about just how wasted they were.

As a mature, soon-to-be-freshman, I was so over the same un-graduated attendees that had been plaguing house parties for the last 4 years of my life. As I lamented the lack of “real men” with my equally sophisticated best friends, the college guys showed up. Read More »

Ahh summer time. The heat is blistering, the Natty Lite is chilled and the pool beckons. For those of us not taking summer classes, these three months are a glorious break from homework, studying and fluorescent lighting. Yes, the whole summer yawns out blue skies and cut-offs until late August and it’s hard to imagine ever going back to school.

Except, I do imagine it. I catch myself worrying about non-existent assignments and responsibilities that won’t resume until September. But even more, I constantly find myself spacing out at work, reminiscing about all the good stuff that comes along with college. Mostly the whole not-bored-at-work-9-to-5 thing.

And I miss it!

Meal Plans: While I’m lucky enough not to be taking classes this summer, I do have to work — which means I’m stuck in a college town all summer long without the benefit of visiting home, and therefore the benefit of home cookin’. My freshman year, I ate dining hall food. My sophomore year, my sorority dues included a meal plan. This summer, with my sorority house closed and the dining halls freshmen-infested, I’m armed only with my apartment’s kitchen and whatever the hell I find when I Google “easy, cheap, healthy recipes” and pudding. Do I enjoy learning to cook? Absolutely. Would I prefer a cook to prepare my meals? Uh, hell yes. Plus, there’s no clean up if you’re not the one using all the dishes… Read More »

Summer time is here and romance is in the air.  Beachy hair, tan skin, and cute boys are the perfect combo getting everyone in the mood for some love and lust.  So what better way to take advantage of the good weather, spice up the sex life, and get down and dirty (literally) than to take it outside?

Gettin’ naughty a pool, hot tub, or on the beach has been a popular fantasy since Adam gave it to Eve in the Garden of Eden. But maybe it’s not such a good idea. Studies show that this seemingly adventurous act may not be worth the risks, after all.

Condoms + Water = Bad
Thanks to the chemicals used in swimming pools and hot tubs, condoms can be totally ineffective. They can rupture and deteriorate from the heat and chlorine, not to mention slip right off because of the water.  And yes, your chances of getting pregnant in the water are the same, so don’t think you can just skip using the latex this time.

Beach + Sex = Badder
A study published in the Environmental Science and Technology Journal found that there are some dangerous microbes in that luxurious beach sand.  Also, 91% of the beaches in the study had detectable levels of enterococco (bacteria that can cause UTI’s, endocarditis, diverictulitis and meningitis).  I don’t even know what half of those are, but they sure don’t sound good.

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Helloooo, Memorial Day Weekend!

Are you ready for the big family BBQ? Oscar Mayer will supply the hot dogs and we’ll provide the fun. And fun is what you need, especially if you’re dealing with post-grad depression. Bet you thought you’d be able to survive the summer on all that money you got from selling your books.

Wrong.

But have no fear, all you need is one little book and you’re set for navigating life on this side of the college diploma. Well, that and the knowledge that you don’t need to have it all. In fact, it’s bad for you to even try. Just sit back, watch some Chelsea Lately and enjoy the long weekend.

We know we will. After a long-ass week dealing with a Facebook breakup, old people doing gross things, and a whole lot of debating about gay marriage and Plan B, we’re ready to take a few days off.  With a margarita. And a giant cheeseburger. By the pool (slathered in sunscreen, of course).

Happy Memorial Day!

While browsing around on the internet (hey, it’s the the only way to spend the day when you’ve still got the spins from the night before), I stumbled across this little tidbit from CNN.com:  apparently peeing in the pool grosses people out AND can be detrimental to your health. Oh, and 17% of people polled still do it.

After countless summers as an essentially aquatic creature in my childhood, I know my way around a pool.  You can always tell which kid has the potential to use your watery paradise as their personal toilet.  And by “which kid,” I mean all kids.  Hell, I’ll admit, I’ve raised the temperature in a pool or two (I was young, okay??).  What I didn’t do was go swimming with diarrhea (grossgrossgrossgross), or drink the pool water (hey, I was peeing in it, why would I drink it??), or do any of the other things that health officials warn against.

In my day, peeing in the pool got you a shrill “ewwwww” from the rest of your playmates, but then you moved on and kept playing Marco Polo or whatevs until the next one of you decided that drying off, running to the bathroom and then trying to pull that wet one-piece back up was far too much work.  Gross? Yes, but apparently not gross enough to keep people from doin’ the in-the-pool-pee-pee.

So, we want do know: do you pee in the pool? Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.

The weather is getting warmer, and I don’t know about you, but my feet are itching to get into some flip flops.  Is it summer yet?

Personally, I just survived one of the harshest winters in years (if you live in a warm climate, I hate you), combined with a crapload of work and stress.  Once summer hits, I’m going to call Benjamin Linus and ask him to freeze time so I can stay in July forever (pardon the Lost reference- I’m kind of obsessed).  I am currently making a To-Do list to make sure I enjoy every possible moment during the upcoming summer months. Read More »

Even if you’re still finishing up finals, there’s no harm in daydreaming about the 4 fabulous months to come. So put down that Econ 101 textbook, grab a towel, and layer on the sunscreen.

Summer’s almost here, and it’s time to celebrate!

To help pump you up, we’ve put together a list of the 35 greatest things about summer. Here are our top picks: Read More »

Okay, so maybe I’m jumping the gun here a little bit, but I am SO effing unbelievably ready for summertime! I am itching to return all my boring, barely cracked textbooks to the book store to receive less than 10% what I paid for them and bubble in the last circle on my Scantron before my brain explodes with information I will probably not remember in a week.

Finals are killer and, really, the only thing keeping me going right now, besides multiple grande caramel frappucinnos, is imagining that in a few weeks I will be dreamily grillin’ poolside while sipping strawberry margaritas and donning sparkly flip flops.

So, even if summer is a miniature blip on your radar right now, I hope this playlist of chill tunes will keep you sane. Seriously ladies, summer is so close I can almost feel the peeling, dry skin on my uber pasty shoulders. Oh summer, you can’t come soon enough.

Summertime..and the livin’s easy at CC. Listen here.

[Life isn’t black and white. As much as we wish we simply loved or hated things, there is often that whole annoying gray area in the middle. Like, we love sales, but we hate how we buy stuff we will never wear. Or how we love the summer, but hate shaving our legs daily. Damn you, gray area; you make decision-making that much more complicated!]

I’ll be the first to admit that I own a ridiculous amount of swimwear for a girl who lives in a state where the temperature reaches 80° for a maximum of three months. We don’t have real beaches, just lakes and pools. I’m not even a swimmer. I just really like bikinis. For the past few summers, however, the monokini has been a fierce alternative to the triangle top and the brazilian cut bottom. But will I actually buy one? Do I even like monokinis? I’m torn.

Love it:
I was first introduced to the concept of a monokini while watching none other than The Simple Life, when a non-emaciated Nicole Richie rocked the look while auditioning to be a mermaid at an amusement park in Florida. (Well, actually Paris was a mermaid; Nic was a turtle, but same difference.) After swimming, she pulled a denim mini over her suit and went clubbing. Swimsuit and sexy club top? Can’t (or at least shouldn’t) be done with a basic bikini. But with a monokini you’re getting two looks in one!

Aside from that, however no one can deny that monokinis are fierce and moderately new summer look. The fact that many girls haven’t tried the trend means that if you rock one, you’ll probably be getting a lot of looks on the beach. Monokinis are fierce because of their peek-a-boo sexiness. When you wear one, you’re not showing your entire body off, but you’re definitely hinting at and highlighting it. That being said, monokinis may be a good alternative for girls wanting more coverage than a classic bikini would provide without wearing a once piece or tankini. Read More »

If you’re at a bad party, you can call it a night, call Saferides, and make it back to your dorm in one piece. Then again, if you’re at a good party, you can live it up, sleep until noon the next day, and then relax your hangover away to get back to the daily grind.

On spring break, however, once you get off the plane at your final destination, you’re in it for the long haul. Though you anticipate your vacay being the highlight of the semester, it can be grueling to go all day, every day, and, being far from home, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Nothing is suckier than getting sick in a foreign place, fighting with your tripmates, or getting into a sticky situation in an unfamiliar place. Make sure you make it back to school in one piece this spring, by taking a few simple precautions.

1. Do your research.

Get some maps before you leave. Ask people you trust if they can recommend a good hotel. Try to brush up on the local rules or laws of the place you’re headed. The last thing you want to do is get lost, check into a lodging that is reminiscent of hostel, or get in trouble for something you didn’t even think was wrong.

2. Pack wisely.

Flip flops might be a necessity, but what about when you take a day trip that requires walking around all day to take in the sights? Pack a comfortable pair of shoes just in case that long night of clubbing wore out your feet. And even if you think you’re going somewhere tropical, it can’t hurt to throw a sweater in your suitcase for when the temperature drops after dark. Read More »