Learning the ropes of an internship is one thing, but becoming accustomed to a big city for the first time while starting an internship can make those first few days all the more nerve wracking.

After scoring two internships in New York City last summer, I couldn’t have been more excited – and then the realization of living alone in a city I didn’t know anything about terrified me. From the moment my plane landed at La Guardia, I was a nervous wreck until I made it through my first few days.

By the end of my time as a summer intern, though, I had the interning and city gag down pat. In fact, I couldn’t get enough, so I decided to come back to New York in January to intern again. With three different internships under my belt in one of the biggest cities in the world, here are some tips that helped me become a big city intern faster than I thought was possible. Read More »

The following is the second of a five-part series I’m calling “The Top 5 Things You MUST Do In College.” Everyone’s already heard about buying flip-flops for the shower, stocking up on veggies to avoid the Freshman 15, and to steer clear of mojitos before midterms, but there are other tips for enjoying college that the experts might have neglected to tell you about.

This series is meant to provide advice for getting the most out of college, rather than just getting through it. So far we’ve already discussed having a professor as a BFF, and now we’re going to explore the college town…beyond the pub crawl!]

College is a learning experience that extends outside classroom walls. You’re not just amassing knowledge from textbooks, but learning how to manage your time and live on your own. It sounds corny, but it’s true. And one aspect of learning at college that many tend to overlook is learning about your surroundings: your college town.

You may know the basic landmarks (the freshman bar, the frat bar, the upperclassmen bar, the jock bar), but if your only contribution to the local economy is your weekend drinking cash, you could be missing out on much, much more. Whether you go to a small college tucked away in the hills, or a major university in an urban jungle, there is sure to be something exceptional about the land just off campus. Read More »

Yeah, if you’re Tila Tequila or, I don’t know, flippin, uh, Rockefeller or something, you can just whistle for your limo and whisk off your date to some exotic location, awesome food, and, eventually, your giant purple bed.

Otherwise, if you’re, oh, say, a college student with not a lot of moolah (and therefore many fewer options), summer dates tend to digress into long walks and the occasional movie night. Now, I love walking and I have been known to thoroughly enjoy a good movie night, but sometimes you want to do something a little more special–without draining the last few bucks in your bank account.

So, dear College Candies, here are a few ideas. Use your new powers for good and not for evil.

Eh, what the hell. Use ‘em for evil too.

A Day at the Beach

Frick, man, who doesn’t love the beach?! Pack up your bathing suit, a picnic lunch, sunscreen, towels, some balls, and your date (and your date’s balls…optional) and head off for a lovely day. Read More »

I was born in New York, I live and work and play in New York, and chances are I’ll die in New York (hopefully not too soon). So I’ve taken a lot (lot LOT) of rides on the subway and the Long Island Railroad. And it has mostly sucked.Yesterday, during one subway ride alone, I experienced three (THREE!!!) subway faux pas(es?) during a 45-minute commute. Look, enough is enough. The time has come, my friends! Rules must be set in place. Action must be taken.

So here, for your thoughtful perusal, are my 8 Arbitrary Rules of Public Transportation:

(1) Thou Shall Not Hit Others In The Head With Thy Weave.

I’m minding my own business, listening to Weezer and wondering whether or not I’m going to be late to class, when these two women with orange faces and giant sunglasses (you know what I’m talking about? you know what I’m talking about) get on the train and sit practically on top of me. They are screaming about some other women that they apparently don’t like. And then–Weave Woman, who has the LARGEST blonde ponytail you have ever seen, WHACKS me in the face with her “hair.” This happens four more times before I finally can’t deal and I move. She never says sorry. Weave Woman, learn the rules. Read More »

Public transportation is probably one of the best and worst things about big cities. It can usually be pretty reliable, but when it isn’t, it really isn’t. And let’s not forget the dismal conditions that stations, buses, and trains can be in. But despite the downfalls, it’s one of the best methods of transportation in cities. That’s why millions of people a day use public transportation.

Out of those people, far too many of the women who depend on the train system feel like they have to be on their guard – and for entirely justifiable, horrible reasons. The NY Times tells a grizzly truth that not a lot of people are willing to admit happens, much less consider it a problem. But every day in countless trains in countless cities, a woman is sexually assaulted.

It’s not just American cities, either. It happens everywhere, from NYC to Mexico City to Tokyo, where they’ve even made women-only cars. It can be just a pinch or a brush, a blatant grope, and even a flash. It can happen to any woman of any race, though it’s generally females under 20. And I can’t think of a single female I know who frequently takes public transportation that it hasn’t happened to.

Not even me. Read More »

“I’m only stopping in for one,” were always the last words I uttered on some of my biggest nights out. The second they escaped my lips, regardless of how much I meant it, I always ended up partying until at least 8 in the morning.

I was lucky, and more times than not, made it back to my apartment in one piece—though getting my key into my askew lock was mission impossible most of the time. There were a few occasions I woke up in an unknown location (“ok, I do know you… but how did I get here?”).

On one of my worst homeward bound adventures, I decided it would be a wise idea to take the bus. I would save money by not taking a cab. The bus stop was right outside my apartment. It was daylight—why wouldn’t I use public transportation? I’ll tell you why.

I woke up half way across the city, with a wing to the bus all to myself. The second I opened my eyes, all I could smell was vodka and smoke—which kept people away from me and the surrounding seats open due to the vile smell seeping out of my pores. Read More »