With Spring Break fast approaching (more on that here!), it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll be wearing with that margarita on the hot, sandy beaches. That also means it’s time to get your bikini bod ready and prep yourself for the agony of swimsuit shopping.

But while you might dread seeing your pasty skin or winter bulge under the fluorescent changing room lights, there are so many adorable swimsuits to distract you from the horrors you (think you) see staring back at you from the unforgiving mirror. (Seriously, is that a fun house mirror?!)

Swimwear is fun! It’s also one of the best times to experiment with trends. If you’re otherwise shy about stripes, polka dots or colorful, abstract patterns, swimsuits are the easiest way to embrace it all. It’s a chance to make a statement and stand out. To go a little wild. To highlight your best assets. Because the chances of being remembered on the crowded beaches of Cancun in a boring black bikini are slim to none.

So dust the snow off your shoulders and strip down all those layers. It’s time to think Spring (Break)! [Click on any swimsuit to shop it!] Read More »

Spring break is a single gal’s sport. Seriously. Look at any “What Not to Bring on Spring Break” list ever created and “boyfriend” will be at the top of that list, just below homework, and right above clothes. Instead, this is a week that should be spent with your gal pals. With your BFFs. You should spend it sipping fruity drinks you’ve never heard of by the pool, and wearing impractical heels at the hotel bar. You should spend it with your friends.

Just, maybe not of your friends.

You love them to death (sort of), but there are just some girls you really rather not spend the week with. It’s not so much that they’ll ruin your break, as it is that they will ruin your break.

When it comes time for Spring Break, leave these girls at home.

Read More »

Listen up, peeps. You’ve still got some time, but with Groundhog Day behind us, Spring Break is coming faster than you realize.

For some students, these days mean briefly returning to Mom and Dad’s for (free!) home cooking and sleeping in your high school bed well into the late afternoon. But if this spring break directs you to a city far away from your childhood – one that is filled with boobs and booze and foreign languages – then here are a few basic travel tips to make your trip a memorable one…and for the right reasons.

Save the date. Whether your destination is domestic or international, double-check the expiration dates on your travel documents – driver’s license, identification card, passport – and make sure that you’re still legal to do travel. Any expiration dates must not only be after you leave for your trip, but also after you return back to campus. Be extra careful with passports: according to WordTravels.com, certain countries do not let you travel if your passport is set to expire within three to six months, so renew them as soon as possible! (Editor’s Note: Seriously. I made this mistake and it cost me $550 to get a new one expidited!)

Bang for your buck. Though travel sites advertise flights, hotels and trip packages at bargain prices, some deals are too good to be true. Watch out for hidden fees that pop up the moment you hit the “purchase” button: fees to book seats, fees to carry on bags, fees for checking bags, etc. Also, be careful of logistical loopholes that fail to mention refund policies or travel insurance. Basically, READ THE FINE PRINT. Read More »

Been there, done that, blacked it out.

It’s almost spring break time (THANK GOD), and that means cute boys, tiny bikinis, illicit substances, and beaches, right? I guess. But who wants a cliché spring break when there are tons of other places to create all sorts of debauchery…? If you haven’t planned the big SB yet, here are 5 places you and your crew should consider. Read More »

…Okay, well we’re not really your ideal spring break destination. We’re not that cocky. But we are the place to go to for all your spring break questions, needs, tips, and tricks before you depart for your awesome vacation (even if that vacay is just sleeping in in your childhood bedroom…we’re still jealous!). From the top travel destinations to the best packing tips to the people you need to leave behind, we’ve got it all coming up in the next few weeks.

Don’t want to miss a thing? Save this spring break link to your favorites and make sure to start checking it on the reg! Like right now. Because we’ve got years worth of spring break how-tos and know-hows in there already!

It’s hard to believe when you’ve got snow melting into your Uggs, but Spring Break is just around the corner. For me, a girl who has a countdown to the next Spring Break starting the day Spring Break ends, that news couldn’t be better. But for those of you who are having that “OMG I HAVE TO BE IN A SWIMSUIT IN 6 WEEKS?!” meltdown, this is less than a pleasant realization.

If you fall into the latter category, you’ve probably gone into workout/diet overload.

“I’m going to exercise every day and eat salad for breakfast/lunch/dinner so I can look like a Vicky Secret model in Cancun!!”

Optimistic? Yes.
Realistic? Uh, are you kidding?

Our society has always had this huge obsession with quick fix diets and weight loss plans. Unfortunately, they don’t work. The truth is, there’s no one thing to eat or one exercise to do in order to get your dream body. And all those plans that promise you to “lose 10 pounds in 10 days!” might work, but they’re not permanent and they’re definitely not healthy. So if you’re trying to get 6-pack abs and thighs that don’t touch by the time you’ve got to wiggle into that bikini in March, stop. It’s not gonna happen.

Instead, let’s work together to set some more realistic fitness goals that you can actually attain between now and the 24/7 happy hour we like to call Spring Break. Read More »

I’m sure swimsuit shopping is the last thing on your mind right now. You usually don’t expect to think about the most horrible time of the year so close to the most wonderful time of the year. Until that last minute vacation invite pops up, and you realize you need to find a suit in the middle of a blizzard. Or you’re so used to floating away to your happy place on the beach that you’d like to make it a reality. Or you were the smartest kid in your graduating class when you decided to attend college in a warm state.

I’ve found the perfect solution, but this week I’m putting the “wish” in Wardrobe Wish List. I’ve fallen in love with a swimsuit that would equate to at least 50 hours of work form your on-campus job (sorry!) at $350.00. Before you start raiding the dorms for bottles to return, let’s gaze longingly at this Norma Kamali masterpiece.

The Bill Swim Suit is the epitome of classy. It’s a little more “vacation-with-your-boyfriend’s-parents” than it is “pool-party-with-the-frat-boys” and you’re getting a lot more fabric here to justify the price. (Look, I’m trying, OK?) The silhouette is so 1920s classic and literally could not be more flattering.

The halter top and sweetheart neckline offer amazing support for the ladies (it’s no fun to be afraid of a nip-slip in front of your bf’s ‘rents) while the bottom of the suit has this forgiving overlay that saves you that bikini-line-cutting-into-your-flesh look. The color is deep, rich and fabulous. Read More »

It’s a good thing I own a huge collection of sweatpants, because I don’t plan on ever leaving my house. I mean, have you seen it out there? It’s disgusting over on the East coast, and the only thing getting me through this season is the knowledge that I won’t need to wear a bikini in public anytime soon and therefore feel no guilt when I binge on deep-fried Oreos.

Okay, fine I lied. I’d much rather be frolicking around in the ocean, lounging on the beach with a good book, and getting a wicked case of sunburn. So now that I’ve gone through the entire box of Oreos, I’m going to get myself through this weather-induced depression by dreaming about all the places I’d rather be than right here. Under a blanket. Covered in cookie crumbs. As my mother yells at me about “leaving my stuff all over the house.”

Deep sigh. Read More »

"This game would go so much better if my face was on this table."

[Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? The best, most amazingly fun procrastination tool EVER? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com or tweet me and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Make your kindergarten teacher proud and share!]

I love me a good game of beer pong. I love the comraderie, the competition, the excitement, the way one game turns into twenty and before you know it the beer pong balls are missing and it turns into a big game of flip cup.  And just when I thought I couldn’t love beer pong any more than I already do, along comes Party Pong Tables.

Be still my beating heart.

The geniuses at Party Pong Tables realize that beer pong is not just a game you play before you go to the bar… or at 8am before a football game – it’s a culture. And it deserves some respect. And boy do these peeps respect and honor the great game. They not only offers custom-designed tables, but tables that fold into a little portable briefcase. And “grown up” wood tables for when you’re all graduated and fancy. And….wait for it….INFLATABLE pong tables for your pool (or bathtub)!

But that’s not all, folks. Read More »

If you’ve got today off from class, then good for you.  I’m glad you’re taking this opportunity to watch reality TV marathons and binge eat 100 Calorie Packs.  There’s no shame in that.  But next time you’ve got an extended weekend, perhaps you should round up your besties and hit the road.

Austin is oh-so trendy (in a good way) and boasts delicious culinary treats.  How can you say no to a making s’mores right in a restaurant?  Hit up Boston if you’re in the Northeast.  From potential celeb sightings to swank clubs, Beantown’s got it all.  If you’re feeling stuck in the Midwest, head to Minneapolis to take in some cosmopolitan activities.  And Savannah is great for all you Southern students.  Steeped in history and boasting the most attractive locals this side of the Mississippi, it is not to be missed.

Or maybe you want to take your long weekend in another country?  Toronto could be the city for you.  Oh, and the legal drinking age is 19…bonus!