There’s no accessory more essential for a college girl than a cell.  It is THE major form of communication in college and there’s really no better way to make plans,  organize parties and  stay in touch with friends on the go. Oh and how else would you be able to send casual 2 am texts to the person you like? “Oh hey, what are you up to? Yeah, let’s definitely watch a movie right now. At 2 am. Your roommates aren’t home, right?”

Now that being said any phone with talk and text would be sufficient, right?

Wrong-o.

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All these smart phones and iPads have made life pretty convenient. News stories are a button away, exercise apps can amp up our workouts and no one can ever complain of boredom with constant access to Fruit Ninja. The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) recently came out with a pretty sweet app all about students, trends and news. It got me thinking, we are in need of one super app for college girls designed to make our lives just a little bit more fun and easy.

Want to rock college? Yeah, there (should be) an app for that.

1. Class Schedule Synched With the Besties: You won’t have to waste any more time figuring out when you can all “do lunch.” This feature will do the work for you

2. Digital Version of your Campus Newspaper: Because that way, you might actually read it.

3. Access to the Grub Hub App: Save your address and credit card details. Maybe even your favorite orders. Pita Pit has never felt closer.

4. Local Happy Hours and Specials: It’s hard to keep them all straight. We know Wednesdays are half-off of wine night, but friendly daily reminders that it’s buy one-get-one-free or 10 cent wing night could really help us save a buck or two.

5. Professor Rankings: A quick and easy way to tap into Rate My Professor.com or whatever service your school uses. Signing up for classes will be a breeze.

6. Jokes on Mondays: Because we hate having a case of the Mondays and sometimes a few popsicle jokes are all we need to get going. Knock Knock…

7. Calorie Counter: Sadly not all campus coffee shops have the calories listed underneath the mocha frappuccinos. Oh wait, you don’t want to know?

8. Social Calendar: Wouldn’t it be nice if on-campus social events were just updated into a nicely organized calendar? You wouldn’t have to be bombarded with Facebook event invites every 5 seconds but also wouldn’t miss anything cool because you refused to sort through the spam.

9. Weekly Microwavable Recipes: We may finally be off the meal plan but are pretty far from cooking up a storm. Put down the lean cuisine, there are other options out there.

It’s almost the end of the school year and for those unfortunate seniors out there, it may also be the end of college. (Wah Wah) The second most asked question (right after “what are you doing to do after you graduate?”), will be “what do you want for your graduation gift?” While my wise brother always claims that cash is king, the older generation often wants to give you something more tangible as a gift.

So here’s a list of things you should ask for so you don’t end up with five copies of Oh the Places You’ll Go:

Another year has almost come to an end…and what a year it’s been! But instead of recapping the last twelve months by clicking through tagged photos on Facebook or scrolling through oodles of Twitter updates, let us look back at the technology that make it all possible.

Hint: I’m talking about some of the very same technology that we all freaked out about when it first came out.

Smartphone vs. Smartphone: Google entered the smartphone market when they launched their Android all the way back in January. But that didn’t scare Apple away from launching their new iPhone in June (though its reception favored left-handed talkers and called for ton of free “bumper” cases from Steve Jobs). Then came the Blackberry Torch in August and the Windows 7 phone in October. It seems that Smartphones are no longer a luxury item, but a necessity. You were cool if you had one in 2009, but if you don’t have one by 2011, you and your T9Word texting on that black-and-white screen better start saving up.

Foursquare: The schoolyard ballgame is now a new type of social media? Okay, so the “game” started back in 2009, but our favorite businesses and restaurants didn’t start playing until this year. And even though it’s pretty creepy to let complete strangers know where you are and where you’ve been and what you’re doing at any moment, it’s pretty awesome that you can “check in” for discounts. By the end of this holiday (shopping) season, I will be Mayor of my local mall…and my bank account be mayor of “broke.”

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I have a confession. A confession that disturbs me deeply and needs to be addressed.

I am a complete technology addict.

Receiving a text message gives me a blissful, momentary high.  A day without access to the internet is a sad day.  If a couple of days go by and I haven’t signed onto Facebook (like that ever happens), I get antsy and feel out of the loop. This loathsome habit isn’t exactly an insightful revelation that came from deep soul searching or a problem unique to myself. Because, let’s be honest – you, dear reader, are probably just as addicted as I am.

I mean sure, anyone who’s seen a few episodes of Intervention knows there are far worse things to be addicted to and I’m not harming other people by logging onto Facebook five times every day.  I’m not even sure I am hurting myself.

What I do know is that our addiction can interfere with the quality of interpersonal interactions, focus in class, and other activities deserving of one’s undivided attention.

This is a day in my life:
I go to class and at least half of the people in attendance are not paying attention to the lecture.  They are either a) texting, b) shopping online, or c) on Facebook.
I go on a date and my date begins randomly texting somebody while pretending to listen to me at the same time. Annoying!
Even this past Thanksgiving my fourteen-year-old cousin was playing videogames on her iPhone at the dinner table.

It’s like everyone is perpetually bored and needs to use technology to alleviate themselves from their sorry state of boredom. Read More »

Recently, I was given the opportunity to fly out to NYC, shack up at a nice little hotel in the Fashion District, and attend a Windows press event in an art gallery in Chelsea.  Yes, my life is pretty baller.  To add to the excitement, I was able to get an inside scoop on the new Windows Phone 7, which is in stores now and looking like a pretty nice addition to your technology arsenal.

I’m a loyal iPhone user, but I must admit – the Windows Phone 7 was pulling out some pretty cool tricks, including your own personal avatar (woot woot).  And today, I’m standing in as your personal messenger.  I hereby introduce to you: Windows Phone 7.  Hey iPhone? You may have to scooch over a little bit…

Here are the features of the new Windows Phone 7 that may tickle your technological fancy:

Informative lock screen: In a lot of ways, the lock screen resembles iPhone’s. However, it lets you give your friends individual tiles on the start screen (essentially, you add your friends as apps) and it aggregates everything they do! Yes, from texts to Facebook and Twitter updates, you can follow it all in one handy little place. Creepy? Maybe, but totally satisfying.

Facebook Integration/Social Media Hub: Microsoft really took our Facebook/Twitter addictions to heart with a Social Media Hub, which allows you to pull up a friend’s contact information and contact them in your avenue of choice: posting on their FB wall, Tweeting @ them, texting them or, if you still even do this, calling them. Read More »

The following is a guest post by our (nerdy yet totally helpful) friends at Hack College. Check ‘em out for all your techy needs. They’re like the nerdy boyfriend you never had but always needed.

Not everyone has a smartphone.

It’s true! Though they are excellent devices, and can even be productivity-boosters for the savvy student, they are expensive–and parents are unlikely to see the need for a smartphone to be as urgent as you see it.

Those of us who have yet to join the ranks of Androids and the iGeneration are not totally without hope, though. Even the dumbest of phones, so long as it can text, can be used as more than a pricey doorstop:

Google Calendar - Though most readers are probably aware that you can both create and be informed of GCal events via text message, dumbphone users have an added advantage: since there’s not a constant barrage of incoming messages from installed apps, the 15-minute warning the Google Gods text you about an upcoming meeting is much more likely to be seen.

GOOG-411 – Google’s directory service will give you location-specific business listings, connect you to them, and give you their address. Very helpful if you’re stuck somewhere and need to find the closest taxi service in a hurry–just be patient with the sometimes-confused voice recognition software. Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Dealing with someone else’s crazy ex? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
I’m a high school senior and I’m starting college next fall. I’m really excited, but also really scared. Is there anything I can or should do now before I go? Maybe a few tips or things I can start on now (to prepare and also to pass the time of my boring senior year)?

Busy Bee:
Congrats on finally escaping the wrath of high school! Reminds me of my anxiousness back in the day… Anyway, my best advice to you is to live in the moment and really enjoy your last days of senior year. I know it’s boring and you probably have Senioritis, but you will not be seeing any of these people after graduation day. Make some more epic memories because you have a right to do so!

If you don’t want to just sit around this summer, I suggest volunteering or getting a job that you have always wanted but never did because it didn’t fit into your schedule. Because you won’t have to do any over-the-summer reading assignments and write a 6-page essay on how the character development contributes to the theme of the novel, you’ll have TONS of free time! Have you always wanted to build houses in Mexico? Work as a make-up artist for a fashion show? Then, do it! Plus, it’ll look good on your resume. Read More »

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or the year long holiday of “I want it, I want it, give it to me,” I’m pretty sure you’ve got a long list of things you’re wanting right now. For me, it’s a pair of bike shoes (in hopes having them will motivate me to go to the gym), a Kindle and a Flip Cam. Oh, and a boyfriend, but I’m not sure I trust my mom to find one for me. And I’m pretty sure shoving my future husband in a closet wrapped in paper for four days is not the best thing for his well-being.

Anyway, as much as we all know we should be giving back this season, with all the goodness that’s out there it’s impossible not to want. The problem is, what do I want most? I know I can’t get it all (no matter how much they love me, I know my parents won’t be getting me a BMW this year) so I gotta choose the top dogs for my holiday list.

But which do I choose? What are you jonesing for most this season?

Tired of your friends making fun of your Zack Morris phone? Sick of pressing buttons 3 times to get the letters you want for texting? Did you maybe drop your precious cell in a toilet last weekend and are too broke to buy a new one?

Then this contest is for you, my friend.

Our friends over at AT&T gave us a brand new Palm Centro to give away to one lucky CollegeCandy winner. This phone is awesome. It’s small enough to fit in your clutch, but with a full QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth® capability, and infrared connectivity. You can email, Instant Messenger and Push-To-Talk with your friends, listen to AT&T Music and XM Radio, take pictures and record video, and stay up to date on all those important assignments.

Yeah, it’s the bomb.com. And it’s also easy to win. Here’s what you have to do:

Are you a member of CollegeCandy’s Facebook group? Well, you might want to be because the person who gets the most people to join the group will take home this great new phone. Just send your friends to join the group. When they join, have them leave a message on the wall that says “(Your name) sent me.” (So, if you are Brad Pitt, we want to marry you your friends would say “Brad Pitt sent me.”)

The person who sends the most will have themselves a brand spanking new phone courtesy of AT&T. You have until 5pm EST on Christmas day (December 25th, if you don’t know) to round up all your friends. We will announce the winner on CollegeCandy and send your phone on over.

(And just in case you don’t win this phone, AT&T has tons of other great phones you can take home for the holidays. Like the Samsung Propel or the Pantech Matrix, both only $79.99 with a a two-year agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Put that on the wish list this year!)