Alright. My life is really funny because in college, I actually thought I was constantly stressed out. But looking back now…all lies. If I could go back to the consistent life of a college student, I would reclaim it in a little hummingbird heartbeat. Sure, maybe it was stressful to drink on a Thursday and barrel through a quiz the next day. Sure, maybe it was stressful to skip out class on a Tuesday to sun bathe in the quad.

The key word in the past two sentences is: sure. College sure wasn’t stressful at all.

In this real world I’m treading through (or flailing through), stress has been tumbling upon me like a pile of heavy, wet and unapologetic rocks. Because while in college the stress was completely personal, when you get a job – stress leaks onto other people’s plates. Suddenly, you’re no longer only responsible for yourself. You’re responsible for an entire company. Um, HELLO.

My body has been completely tweaking out on me because of the stressful job world. I have zits on my cheeks (I usually only get them in my t-zone), I wake up with night tremors about screwing up and I have been listening to more Enya than usual. While these may be personal problems, I have come up with a system to aid my stressed out tendencies…and I want to share them with you. And trust me; these new stress remedies are way different than college stress remedies. Think tea bags (the kind at the grocery store) instead of beer bongs. Think candles in place of a 14-hour Grey’s Anatomy marathons. Think timeliness practicality. Read More »

I am three finals away from freedom. (At least that’s what my Facebook says.)

After months and months of bemoaning and belaboring senior year, the fall semester is almost complete. Half of my senior year is over. My lasts semester taking a full course load is over.  It’s the end of an era, the beginning of something new. It’s what I’ve been counting down to since October. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit ranting about how I could  not wait until the semester was over, how I needed a break, how I was tired of my professors, how I needed more free time and fewer responsibilities and how I was absolutely certain that this semester was just never going to end.

But now, now it’s very close to ending, and what I hadn’t seemed to realize was that it wasn’t so much my last fall semester of college that I wanted to end, but rather all of the work that accompanied it.

You see, I tried my best to strike a balance. But somewhere along the way the stress of senior year started overwhelming the sentimentality of senior year. It was less about enjoying the experience and more about powering through to the end of the experience. The senioritis started kicking in, and I started freaking out. I was trapped in a of must-get-things-done-now mind frame, worrying about my senior thesis (I don’t know why. It’s not due to April), my grad school applications (Don’t even know if I want to go to graduate school), and my grades (Still important. But now that the papers are done it doesn’t really seem as stress worthy). I spent a good chunk of the semester thinking about what comes next, and while it made sense at the time, that is not how I want to spend the latter half of my senior year. Read More »

I’ve sat down to write the first entry of the column that will chronicle my final year as a college student about fifty a few times now, but I just haven’t been able to figure out where to start. So I figure I might as well start with the truth: I can’t seem to write this column because I’m not really sure how I feel about this whole “senior year” thing.

I mean, sure, part of me revels in the fact that this will be the last year I am forced to deal with pretentious professors and overzealous freshmen. No more writing papers on topics I just don’t care about or being forced to take core courses I have no use for. (I am a currently taking Plagues, Outbreaks and Biological Warfare for my science requirement. I can be bitter.) No more late night cram sessions or midterms. Or finals. No more college.

But no more college doesn’t just mean no more classes, its means no more college. No more college means no more built in, ever expanding social network. No more themed parties or club sponsored events or months off in between semesters. No more college means that I’m going to have to join the real world.

So with that in mind, I’ve decided I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts. I’m a recently 21-year-old, single college girl with way too much to worry about. I have every reason to check out and give in to that oh so tempting state of being known as Senioritis. The only problem? Life won’t let me. You see, it seems that Junior Jenn was much more eager than Senior Jenn. Junior Jenn believed that writing a senior thesis would be fun, that attempting to finish out both of my majors in the fall semester was a great idea, that taking on leadership roles in clubs would be worth it, and that – oh yeah – taking on the roll of tutor in addition to already working 10+ hours a week would be the right thing to do. Read More »

The porn industry may be suffering, but the same can’t be said for the sex-toy sellers of the world. Business is booming!

According to a recent article in the New York Times, sales of high-priced pleasure toys have been on the up and up since the economy tanked last year. Bank accounts may be dwindling, but women are finding a way to indulge in personal pleasure.

This comes as no surprise to me, as I always turn to intimacy (most recently with myself) in times of stress or hardship. Sure, I have to be a little more thrifty with my cash, but that only means I need to be more deliberate about where and how I spend it.

Do I need that Starbucks? No.

Do I need a release after a long day of classes? You betcha.

Is a vibrator a better investment than, I don’t know, weed? Yes, yes, ohmygod YES.

Some women work out when they get stressed. Some shop.

It seems that most, however, are choosing to stay home and have some mind-blowing “stress relief” on their own.

Miley’s first photo shoot was…slutty.

Melrose Place 2.0 is coming.

Build a fashionable wardrobe on the cheap.

OMG! What if his parents don’t like you!?

Colleges begging for bailout.

Some old dude won Survivor last night.

Give your skin the gift of soybeans.

One university found the ultimate stress reliever for students.

Michael Phelps likes boobs. Clearly.

Woman gets creative on the job hunt.

The few days or weeks after finals can be such a relief from those seven or ten days of straight stress that you really don’t want to do anything. Being home feels so much better than being cooped up in your dorm room – at least for a little while, until your family reminds you why you left for school in the first place and the only real comfort you have is your pets.

And sure, you have stuff planned for the summer…but have you been outside recently? On most of the upper east coast, it’s far from summer. Heck, it still feels like March every now and then. So what to do? Here a few things that should spark your imagination, whether you have plans or not.

Unpack your stuff! I know this should seem like a common sense thing…but I haven’t yet, really, and I know people who leave their stuff in boxes for the better portion of the summer. Really, it’s easy and it gives you a little sense of accomplishment.

Hit the town! I know situations vary for everyone, but my school is in the middle of nowhere and I live just a trainride away from the city that never sleeps. Whether you’re window shopping, clubbing with buddies, or just taking a stroll in Central Park, it’s nice to remind yourself that there are places outside your campus. (And please, ladies, if you live near your campus…don’t go walking through it. That’s cheating.) Read More »