Ah, we are finally creeping close to one of the best times of the year! Intense rivalry games are about to pan out on football fields across America (Go Yale! Go OSU!), juicy stuffed turkeys are on the cusp of popping out of ovens everywhere, and Dora the Explorer is preparing to menace us all as she floats down 42nd street as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The air is crisp, the dorms are abuzz with “I’m going home!” and my suitemate and I are—feverish. Literally.

What started off as the both of us coughing slightly like dainty ladies a week ago has morphed into some kind of psycho illness that left me hacking and feverish, making me miss a.) Kelly Cutrone giving an inspirational speech during this leadership workshop I was supposed to attend and b.) A sikk (but not sick like me) tailgate before the Yale-Princeton game.

Here’s my question: Why isn’t Mommy here to deliver me ice water and bring me up dinner from the kitchen to my room? Answer: Because I’m a freaking adult now! And I need to suck it up! Or else I’ll turn into, like, Lindsay Lohan or something and wallow in my own existence until bodyguards come and carry me everywhere I need to be.

So as a mature woman (pah, let’s be honest), I have been attempting to take care of myself as best as possible. After getting the whining, calls to my mother for some much needed sympathy and more whining, of course. I have been sleeping. I have been stealing grapefruit and oranges like crazy from the dining halls. I have been drinking lots of water (clear pee is the goal, you guys). I have been skipping class (…I don’t wanna infect other people). Read More »

Amidst naked trees, pee on the toilet seat, and icy treks from the shower to the dorm room, the happy charm of college is beginning to wear thin.

Right now, I just want to go home and watch Desperate Housewives with my mom and not wear flip-flops in the shower! Ah, such are the woes of homesickness.

While this time is not as bad as the last time homesickness hit (sixth grade 3-day sleep away camp. . .never again), it certainly has taken its toll. Recently, I’ve found myself creeping through my high school albums on Facebook an unhealthy amount, as well as reading up on news from Cincinnati (my hometown) that I otherwise wouldn’t care about (apparently a fire halted production of a local potato chip company…).

I’m sure my lovely suitemates are already starting to get annoyed with my constant “I miss Ohio!” and variations of it — so what do I do to combat it?

It definitely helps to stay in touch with friends from back home. Because Thanksgiving break is so near, I know a lot of friends and I are already planning times to hang out over that week. We have happy coffee breaks, shopping trips and ole-fashioned sleepovers planned. It’s a nice, fuzzy feeling to realize that you have things to look forward to and people to meet up with when you go back.

Also, I’ve found it helps to call my mom sometimes. She helps on two levels: First, she happily agrees to cook my carefully selected menu for the week I’m home—nothing beats Mom’s Chinese dumplings. But perhaps more importantly, she fills me in on the fact that absolutely nothing is happening back at home. None of my friends are in town and the weather is just as cold there as it is here. My car is still sitting idle in our driveway and the kids who still go to high school still have to wake up at 6 in the morning to catch the bus.

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The whiteboard outside the door, I’ve realized, is a classic college staple. It’s as college as 3 AM bedtimes, as shower shoes, as James Franco (fun fact: James Franco and I exchanged heys on campus last week). It’s soooooo college.

Fortunately enough, the whiteboard outside my suite’s door right now reads this: “HALLOWEEK 2010: Let your inner Heidi Klum out. . .that chick’s a Halloweenoholic.” Because happily, another thing that is as college as flip flops worn in the shower is the almost spiritual worship of Halloween.

As an avid fan and celebrator of Halloween (when I was seven, I sketched out Halloween costume ideas in my diary in April), the spooky festivities of the week are one freshman year rite of passage that I am definitely jumping out of my school-issued desk to celebrate.

There are several aspects to consider about this upcoming week — in fact my brain has been so inundated with clever costume ideas (psh, slutty witches are for amateurs) and Facebook party invites, that any concept of biophilia or firms’ long run equilibrium have totally been drowned. My parents don’t know it, but they will be thankful when Sunday passes, that’s for sure.

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[Meet Margaret, a freshman at Yale. We've been checking in with her every week to see what she's doing, who she's meeting and what new college surprises she's tackling (or freaking out about) as she embarks on the journey we call college. Or as I like to call it, the best thing since Trader Joe's Honey Greek Yogurt. That is, until midterms season hits, of course.]

So I’m new at this whole midterms thing. The idea that I’ve been more or less lounging around for the past 6 weeks and then – wham! – I’m hit with a test that’s worth 40% of my grade…that’s kind of crazy.

Needless to say, this past week has been an acne-inducing, sleep-lacking, chocolate-eating cram week. But, terrible as it was for my complexion and caloric intake, I have to say that this week has definitely taught me some things about studying.

First, it’s much easier to not stress about midterms if you actually know what’s going on in class. I’ve been going to class, but this was definitely problematic for a lot of my classmates. In a lecture of 400 people about something as non-stimulating as econ, it’s easy to doze off. But unfortunately, while you are dreaming about your next Halloween costume, your professor is actually saying important things. Even though my professor puts his notes online, so many of his notes are things where you have to fill in graphs and equations that you learn about in class. Bottom line, try your best not to fall asleep in class and then have to teach yourself everything the week before the exam. Read More »

This is the second of two graduation playlists.

Graduation should be a fun, carefree, and altogether joyous affair. It’s an intimidating transition, so sadness is inevitable, and wallowing for awhile is not only acceptable but encouraged. So if you’re graduating soon, take a listen to the mopey mix first.

After you’re through with the crying, sad slide shows, and memory books, it’s time to get to happy. Break out the boombox, call up the ladies and break out the booze. You made it! It’s time to celebrate…with song.

1. Good Morning – Kanye West

This is the lead-off track on Kanye’s latest disc for a reason. It’s smooth, soulful and perfect for lounging in the sun during finals week.

2. I Gotta Move – Ben Kweller

Leaving town? Here’s one song that makes it sound just as exciting as it actually is.

3. I’m Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon To Your Star – The Boy Least Likely To

This is a great little ditty about a band starting out. It’s amazing how similar college is to going on tour.

4. Wild Night – Van Morrison

Some of your favorite memories of the last four years probably center around some wild nights. (And in case you’re curious, this version is a lot better than the John Mellencamp one.) Read More »