Your college experience flies by so fast that you’re often stuck standing in line for graduation wondering where the past four years went. You vaguely remember meeting your best friend when she held your hair back after your first frat party and you kinda remember that all-nighter you pulled to get 3 term papers done in one night. But the rest is a blur of theme parties, walks of shame, and begging your older sister for her fake ID.

Before you know it, you’re out in the real world, working a real job alongside real people, wondering what happened to no-class Friday and $3 pitchers. And trust me, it ain’t fun.

It gets pretty easy to get caught up in it all and forget to be young and crazy. That’s why, with only a little way’s to go until I hit the big 2-5, I’ve put together the ultimate list of everything we, as fun-loving and fearless women, need to accomplish before we turn 25.

1. Have a really good one-night stand with a gorgeous guy. Forget about your personalities matching up and forget about Facebooking him the next day. Appreciate the smoking hot naked body…and take some Plan B in the morning just in case, because if you did it right, you have no way of ever contacting him.

2. Do an illegal drug. Otherwise your kids will think you’re totally lame 30 years down the road when they’re all like “Mom, I bet you were so wild and fun back in the  ’10s” and you’ll have to respond “well, one time I drank beer before liquor.”

3. Live in another country (even if it’s just for a short period of time). You’ll get an entirely new perspective on our country, on the world, and on how far reaching American scandals go in other countries. Nothing like your Spanish host mom bringing up Monica Lewinsky years after the fact.

4. Travel on the cheap. Pick a destination and do it up, backpacking-style. Stay in hostels, eat unidentifiable food, and make sure to have anti-diarrhea medicine on hand. Once you’re over 25, your body will no longer be able to stomach staying in those places, eating that food, and experiencing food poisoning in front of a ton of foreign strangers.

5. Confront a fear. Doesn’t matter if it’s a fear of heights or a fear of spiders, figure out a way to face it head on just once.

6. Be brave and be bold and have sex with the lights on. He’ll find you even sexier, which will only boost your own self-confidence.

7. Splurge on an awesome pair of jeans that fit you really well. Bonus points if they also fit your completely different-sized best friends just as well and make magical things happen.

8. Apologize to someone you were mean to in middle school. Except for that one girl who didn’t need braces, everyone was feeling insecure and left out in those days. A quick Facebook message apology will brighten her day.

9. Make a real guy friend who is really just a friend. As in you don’t want to ever see him naked and he doesn’t ever want to see you naked. No points if you’re related.

10. Get a job working with food or working with clothes. You’ll never treat your waiters,  your bartenders, your salespeople the same way ever again. You’ll suddenly understand why they ask you to get off the phone when you’re ordering and why they request that you take your clothes out of the dressing room.

11. Figure out what kind of wine you actually like. There is life beyond Franzia and you’ll feel so mature and adult when you can tell a date that you prefer a dry Chardonnay over a sweeter Pinot. The best way to figure this out on the cheap? Go on a wine tour. You’ll sort things out real quick. Oh, and learn how to work a corkscrew. No wine is enhanced by chunks of cork floating around.

12. Take a roadtrip with your friends. The destination doesn’t matter. As Miley Cyrus once “sang,” it’s all about the climb. Nothing brings friends closer than endless games of “Count the Cracker Barrels,” hours upon hours of deep conversations (out come the family secrets!), and Disney sing-a-longs.

13. Try an exotic food you can’t pronounce.

14. Go to a college football game and go all out. Paint your face, lose your voice from cheering, and tailgate like a rockstar.

15. See a Broadway show. Even the most cynical people leave a show happy.

16. Go 24 hours media-free. That means turn off your cell phone and shut down your computer. With the exception of getting tagged in heinous photos that you can’t de-tag right away, you won’t miss anything.

17. Skinny dip.

18. Give back to the community. Whether it’s building houses for Habitat for Humanity, participating in a campus Relay for Life, or standing for days on end for a Dance Marathon, you’ll have an awesome time and feel really, really good about yourself. After a 12 hour nap, of course.

19. Learn to do your own taxes and how to manage your own money. It will make that transition into real life so. much. easier.

20. Take your parents out to a nice dinner. Because they deserve it.

21. Start a blog about your life and update it regularly. Sure it seems self-centered now, but you’ll be grateful ten years from now when you can reflect on your life when you were really living it up.

22. Go to a Pride Parade. There is nothing on earth as fun, happy and memorable than a parade dedicated to gay pride.

23. Go to Vegas and let go. Party hard, then party harder. Then hit up an all-you-can-eat buffet to sober up…so you can party again.

24. Learn to drive a manual car. They’re cheaper and, really, it’s just a cool party trick. Plus, from what we hear, it’s a major turn-on for guys.

25. Donate blood. If you think donating is scary, imagine being the person who needs it during a blood shortage. And if that’s not enough, there are cookies.

Yesterday we talked about how to best protect yourself against breast cancer before the age of 40. Today we’ll tackle how to join the fight against the disease. From government policies to medical research, life and death decisions about cancer are made every day. No one can control this disease, but there are plenty of opportunities to fight it. Here’s how to get involved.

Run, Relay, Race

No matter where you live, noncompetitive running, walking and relay events are regularly available for participation. Designed to raise funds and awareness, these events are a great way to support the cause with friends, sneak in some exercise and celebrate survivorship.

In 2006, more than 450,000 walkers across the country took part in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, raising over $40 million to help the American Cancer Society fight this disease.

Another amazing event to take part in is Relay For Life. Held in more than 4,800 communities across the country, teams of eight to 15 people camp out overnight and take turns walking around a track or path for 12 to 24 hours. The event usually begins with a survivor lap in which cancer survivors take a victory lap around the track. Afterwards, candles are lit to remember those lost to the disease.

Donate

Can’t stomach the thought of so much exercise? Donate. Whether it’s a one-time donation or a single pledge or regular, repeated donations throughout the year, every little bit helps. Click here to donate to breast cancer securely and confidentially online using your credit or debit card. You can also opt to send a check or money order via snail mail.

Volunteer

We’re all tight on money these days, so offer to participate. You can make a difference to breast cancer patients and survivors in your community with the simple click of a mouse. Visit the Network for Good to find a huge range of volunteer activities happening in your neighborhood.

You can also ask your local hospital or medical center for opportunities to loan your time and talents. For example, the Comprehensive Breast Center in New York offers group yoga and cooking programs for patients. Other organizations, such as CancerCare, provide transportation, home services and child care for those going through treatment. Find out where they’re most lacking in help.

Plan, Party, Pink

Ready to play hostess? If you’re interested in breast cancer fundraising, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation and fill out their fundraiser questionnaire. Depending on your resources, NBCF will work with you to prepare an official agreement and plan your event.

If business is in your blood, consider selling pink items. The pink ribbon has become the international symbol of breast cancer awareness, thanks to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which first started handing out pink ribbons in 1991 at its New York City race for breast cancer survivors. Buy in bulk at the Pink Ribbon Shop (a portion of every sale is donated to cancer organizations) and donate the proceeds to a charity working towards finding a cure. To date Pink Ribbon Shop purchases have led to donations of $27,191!

Advocate, Educate

Breast cancer is a political, medical, psychological, social, and economic issue. It doesn’t start (or end) in a doctor’s office. Petition lawmakers, statehouses and Congress to make breast cancer a top priority. Promote early breast cancer detection by supporting educational funding and healthcare initiatives. Most importantly, endorse and back programs that increase innovative, high-impact research.

In 2004 the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) started the Sister Study, a nationwide study to learn about the environmental and genetic causes of breast cancer. Through continued donations and funding, researchers are close to their goal enrolling 50,000 diverse women in the program. Visit the Sister Study site here to find out how you can help.

Whether you are one of the thousands of women effected by breast cancer or hearing about the disease for the first time, every effort counts. Don’t wait to get involved!

It is now nearing the middle of October. If midterms aren’t bringing you down just yet, something probably is. Whether it be guy problems, money problems, annoying roommate issues or simply a general feeling of crappiness, you want nothing more than to vent, drink, and wallow in your world of misery.

Naturally.

I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. And everyone needs a little time to bitch.

But after watching an episode of Oprah all about giving back, I was inspired by a young girl who was battling a life threatening disease. Despite her condition, she found the time and energy to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for children suffering from AIDS in Africa. Makes our problems see quite trivial, eh?

Sure, your guy issues may seem like a giant deal when you have a date party coming up and the guy you love just hooked up with someone else and now you are going to be forced to be the only one in the entire house to go alone and that is not only totally embarrassing but a complete waste of the $250 you spent on that hot new dress.

Let’s face it, people; there are people out there with real problems. People who need real help. Children battling cancer, families living on the streets, women being abused in the homes they have built for their families. Situations like these force us to wake up and realize that our “problems” are trivial. So, instead of sitting around and bitching about the small stuff, why not use that energy to help those who really need us?

Need some ideas? Start here:

1. Find your local Habitat for Humanity

2. Hold a book drive for inner city schools

3. Volunteer for various city clean up projects

4. Volunteer at a children’s hospital

5. Tutor inner city students

6. Donate your old clothing to a battered women’s shelter

7. Help out with adult literacy programs

8. Join your school’s Dance Marathon or Relay for Life (Don’t have these at your school? Start one!)

9. Donate blood

10. Lend a hand at the local Humane Society

These projects will not only directly affect those people (or animals) you work with and for, but will also make you realize that those huge problems you had aren’t so bad after all.