Well that just sucks.

[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 (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), 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 Facebook! ) 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!]

Summer, my favorite time of year. Not because of the weather (yay, swimming!) or the fashion (yay, things that aren’t sweaters!) though those things are great – I love summer for the same reason that pretty much every other kid who went to school in America does; no class! But, even though the sixth grader inside my head chafes at the idea, summer classes are becoming more and more common, so the question is, are they worth it?

Alright, the pros of summer classes (words I never thought I would write). One perk of taking summer classes is that you’re getting your credits but you can mix up the usual class experience – you can take classes at an affiliated college or do a program in another city or country (hot foreign boys). Plus you don’t have all of the distractions that come with the rest of the school year (football games, school newspaper, frat row parties…). Getting some classes done over the summer also means more credits you don’t have to take later, so maybe cutting down your college career (and the amount of time you’re footing those tuition bills). Summer classes also usually take about half the time that classes do during the school year (how does that work??) and a lot of the time you can catch a break on the price with special summer scholarships and financial aid.

So yeah, maybe taking summer classes isn’t such a bad idea… or is it?

Taking summer classes isn’t all bright and sunny (like the weather you’ll be missing indoors); there are cons too. Aside from the whole “you have the next 40 years of your life to work so why not enjoy a little freedom while you have it” argument *cough cough* there are also some practical considerations. For one thing, if you live in campus housing or go take classes somewhere out of town, you have nowhere to live. Most of the time you can find a limited-time rental to stay in, but it means forking over extra cash. Also, while you won’t be distracted by all of the cool stuff going on during the school year, do you really think you’re going to be less distracted by missing out on the awesome BFFs roadtrip or those vacation pictures that just haunt your Facebook feed?

Not to mention that social interaction is supposed to be part of the college experience, instead you’ll be there with a bunch of people like you who are just holding thier breath until class is over and they can escape – forget bonding! On the purely academic front, the shorter number of class days means longer classes most of the time and may also make it harder for you to absorb the subject and get all of the homework done. To save money, most schools also cut down on the hours things like libraries and camputer labs are open which could make life hard if you’re working on, say, a research heavy class (or have three homework-less roommates).

So what do you think? Are you signing up for the summer credits? Or will you be kicking back this year and soaking up your free summers while you have them? Duke it out!

So the time had come again at Syracuse for Alcohol Awareness Week. Basically this is a week where students, okay mainly Greeks, are supposed to be more “aware” of alcohol. This “awareness” is culminated in an event called “mocktails” on Friday night. Each sorority is paired up with a frat and then they have a sober party. Not like “let’s just take a little shot beforehand” kind of sober, not “just one joint” kind of sober, not “a bottle of wine with dinner” kind of sober, but actually sober (yeah, the frats were confused about it too and asked if the mocktail money could possibly go towards the purchase of a keg).

While I’m usually the first to hop on (and steer!) the Friday night drinking train, I coudn’t help but be a wee bit reluctant to get my ticket for the Friday night sober train. I mean, really, what could that possibly be like? Unfortunately (or fortunately if you like to look at your mocktail glass as being half full) the thing about the Friday night sober train was that it was mandatory and my ticket had been purchased for me.

So, you ask, what goes on at a completely sober party? And how do people party withut the aid of mind numbing alcohol? Below is a pro/con list of my sober Friday night experience. And let me tell you; getting ready for the party without playing 3 games of Kings was a very strange feeling…

Con: (Yes, I’m starting with a con, cause that’s how the night started.) Upon arrival, things look like a middle school dance: boys on one side, girls on the other. Socialization seems to be severely impaired by this new idea of sobriety.

Pro: The thing about drinking a mocktail is that they don’t make you want to vomit! Yay! Pro!

Con: Unfortunately, other thing about mocktails is that they turned out to be a pitcher of Kool-Aid…

Pro: As the night went on, my make-up stayed in place, my hair stayed where I put it, and I ended the night without looking like a clown!

Con: It turns out people are generally confused about what to do without alcohol. Without some sort of set activity or drinking game, people seem to not really know what to do with themselves, leading to much couch sitting.

Pro: Not spending money on alcohol led to some pretty sweet decorations: aka streamers

Con: Soberly, dancing consisted only of girls; I guess guys are not as interested in dancing if they don’t have alcohol to lend confidence to their moves

Pro: Alcohol-free parties apparently include snacks! Delicious snacks! Gotta replace those alcohol calories some way…

Con: Time seems to drag on when you were sober. You know how when you are drunk suddenly you look up and its 5 AM? That doesn’t happen when you are sober…It’s 9:15 and then what seems like an hour later…it is 9:18…

Pro: Okay I’m out of pros.

Call me an alcoholic if you will, but after a week of stressful classes I want a cocktail, not a mocktail. Sure, having to do this once didn’t ruin my life, but this Friday I’m gonna have to drink a few extra shots of Svedka to make up for it…

While I don’t really love Audrina – she’s not the brightest crayon in the box and her teeth are sorta big – I can not sit back and watch a sister get trampled on by any guy, let alone a guy like Justin Bobby.

I want to jump into the TV (I have even considered joining the lame-ass Virtual Hills) and smack some sense into this girl, but my new TV is really expensive and I don’t want anything to happen to it. Sure, she ended things with the d-bag last night, but I can see it in her eyes that she still wants to go back for more.

And I seriously can’t let that happen.

So, I decided to do what I do with all my friends dealing with a difficult breakup: make the pros and cons list. You know; list the dude’s pros and cons, see him in all his crappy glory and finally feel good about kicking him to the curb.

Here goes the Justin Bobby pros and cons list. I hope this makes Audrina’s decision a little easier on her soul:

Pro:

Someone to snuggle with

Con:

Greasy

Pro:

Someone to talk to (when he picks up her calls)

Con:

Weird obsession with hobo-inspired headwear

Pro:

He buys her drinks

Con:

He burps and does other gross things in her presence

Pro:

Kisses

Con:

Kisses other girls

Pro:

Kinda looks like Jonny Depp

Con:

Wears combat boots with man capris (to the beach!)

Pro:

He’s a guy

Con:

Shows no emotion towards Audrina at all, treats her like crap, is infuriatingly indifferent about everything, and has a weird obsession with hobo inspired headwear

Audrina, darling, I understand what it is like to want to be with someone. I also understand why it is like to be with someone who gives so little that when he does anything you want to take it and run with it. But he kissed another girl in front of you. A far uglier girl, in fact. And then he wants to tell you how much he cares about you? What is wrong with this kid?

I just hope this is the end of the JB drama. I don’t know how much more of his faux intellectualism and bullsh*t I can take. Justin Bobby, just leave Audrina alone and return to that highway underpass you clearly call home.