You’re so busy with classes (and a rockin’ social life), you can’t seem to get ahead in the finance field.  Sure, summer might be a great time to soak up some sun for those college students who are lucky enough NOT to be struggling with student loans, car payments, credit card bills, etc.  But for a large majority of us, summer is the time to keep working our asses off… and get paid.

If you’re stressing about debt, never fear– summer is just around the corner.  And if you act now, chances are, you can secure a summer job so you’ll be ready to pay for books, bar tabs, and fall semester housing come August.  The question is, where should you look?

1.  Your former part-time high school job.

If you’re going home for the summer, the good news is, you’ll be close to the company you’ve worked at since you were 16.  Sure, it might not be the most glam way to spend the summer months, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  Maybe you were counting down the days until you could quit pre-college, but you’ve had some time off, and a few more months might not kill you.

Did you quit because you had to leave for college? Guess what- they probably had a whole rush of high school seniors do the same.  It doesn’t hurt to contact your old boss and ask if any shifts are available for the summer.  They’re inclined to say “yes” because they won’t have to pay to train you, and you can start at your old salary- or higher- without having to go through minimum-wage training.

2.  Tourist traps.

Plenty of places that are in summer vacay hot spots only hire for the summer, so you’re more apt to get hired here than a place that’s looking for a long term commitment and are put off by your May-August availability.  Beachside resorts and restaurants, cruise lines, and theme parks are all about hiring for the summer, and many of them will pay for housing because most of their employees are summer temps.  Bonus? You’ll be working with other college students on a summer hiatus- think the underground party that Baby crashes in Dirty Dancing or Lea Remini’s breakthrough role as Stacy in Saved by the Bell.

3.  Summer Camp

Obviously, they only hire for the summer, and college students have an advantage here.  Whatever your skills are, in this day and age, there’s a camp for just that.  Nutrition major? Try “fat camp” (or whatever the PC term is for that these days). Starving actor? Theater camp’s the way to go.  Sports freak? Basketball camp.  Total nerd? Try programs like math camp or youth science camp (I once participated in a program called KAST- Kids Are Scientists Too! Yes, the exclamation point was part of the title, and I learned how make ice cream in a plastic bag there – don’t ask questions).  Even if you don’t have a specialization yet, you may be able to apply as a general camp counselor, and you won’t have to worry about breaking a contract at the end of the season.

4.  Summer Stock.

For all of you liberal and fine arts majors, check it out!  Summer Stock is the best part of the year for many regional theater companies, but you don’t have to be an actor to appreciate it.  Theaters may be looking to fill their Summerstock positions with assistants in marketing, finance, production (read: carpentry), education, or management.  If you have  love for the arts, you’ll have a decent chance of getting an interview. And Summerstock participants are totally prone to partying.

5.  Paid internships.

This is a great time to do an internship, gain experience, and potentially make some cash.  It’s great for your resume, so it’s a good idea to look into companies close to where you’ll be staying this summer, as well as gigs that might be beneficial to list on your resume in the future.  You might not make as much money as you would waiting tables at Jimmy’s Crab Shack all summer, but it’s something.

6.  The internet.

Who knows what other companies are hiring?  Check out summerjobs.com, snagajob.com, coolworks.com, and, of course, craigslist.  Just see what comes up.  Your bank account, your credit report, and your parents will thank you when you can make timely payments next fall without asking for help.

Leave your own overheard convos in the comments.]

“My breasts are like bass drums. Actually, one of them’s bigger than the other, so I guess they’re more like timpani.”

“Hello, Mr. T-Rex. So, you’re a dinosaur. What’s your favorite color?”

“… Blllluuue.”

“And what’s your favorite movie?”

“Space Jam.

“How’s it look?”

“The audience is rubbing themselves vigorously. Showtime.”

“I don’t understand how pandas could ever become extinct. They’re so cute! Nothing has the heart to eat them.”

“They’re all in jail. Tax fraud. The poor things can’t read, you know.”

“Motors… they’re like hearts. And you need your heart to play kickball.”

“The apartment will be fine. We’ll just all squeeze into the same bed.”

“You’ll need to start masturbating less.”

“Like I said: it’ll be fine.”

“So – the snake’s talked to Eve, and now God’s talking to the snake. What does this mean?”

“… God’s a Parseltongue?”

“The internship hasn’t been bad so far. Boring, I guess. I do a lot of stapling, paper-clipping, copying, stuff like that. And when I tried to leave early, my boss chained me to the desk.”

“Well… is she hot?”

“Vodka, cranberry juice and cooked spaghetti? This isn’t a shot! You’re bulls***ing me.”

“No! Okay, yes.”

“Next year? Honestly, I’d like to go somewhere where they’re friendly to tourists, you know, where they speak my language.”

“Well, I assure you that all of the animals in Narnia are fluent in English.”

“I had a dream where… where I bought an Orange Julius, and it cost like ten dollars, and it was terrible. God, I’m so glad you woke me up.”

“Yeah, that sounds terrifying. I just dreamed about the zombie apocalypse.”

“Okay, Cardinals over here, Steelers over here, we’ll each have our own drinks, game music, it’ll be great. You ready? What team are you rooting for?”

“Can I cheer for the stadium maintenance staff?”

In the first video, we have a Western tourist flopping around naked in the moat around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo (where the Emperor lives). He’s having a grand ol’ time while local police try to woo him out.

Monkey see, monkey do?

While they can be cute to watch for awhile, for the most part it is extremely annoying to be walking along a street while fifty people surrounding you are walking at a glacial pace in order to take pictures of the same thing. You try not to bother with these flowery shirt folks, but it’s pretty inevitable that you will eventually come across one sooner or later.

So no matter where you are, here are some ways to spot, and hopefully avoid, tourists.

An abundance of fanny packs: Fanny packs seem to be the universal fashion wear for any tourist and a prime target to look for when spotting said tourist. These extra hip appendages also come in handy for any muggers looking for fresh meat.

Anyone wearing a fanny pack might as well be wearing a shirt that says ‘I AM A TOURIST! ROB ME!’ Not only are you making yourself easy bait for pick pockets and other crazy people, but these zippered pouches just look plain stupid hanging from your side like that. The fact is, whether you’re a tourist or not, fanny packs are never, ever, considered sexy. Now take it off and put your wallet in your pocket where it’s supposed to be.

Hordes of families wearing obnoxious colored matching shirts: For some reason parents think it is a brilliant idea to dress their whole family in lime green (or neon pink/bright orange) t-shirts. And of course these brightly colored shirts are decorated with ‘The Smith Family’ pasted on the back, just in case someone would forget what family he belonged to.

Not only are these shirts reserved for ridiculously large groups, but these groups use their numbers to their advantage. One time when my family and I were at Disney World, a matching fuchsia wearing family literally stampeded to each ride. I swear it was like the wildebeest scene in The Lion King. No one dared get in the way of this flying rainbow herd and my poor non-matching family was left in the dust.

Snail paced walkers: Tourists seem to have one speed: super slow. It takes all the willpower I have not to reach out and push these slow walkers out of the way. Why are you moving so slow?? You can see everything the same way by walking normal speed. The worst is if these people walk in a line side by side on the sidewalk, thus preventing anyone else from getting by. Or if they’re carrying bear-sized suitcases. You can’t just stroll along on your merry way on a busy street with luggage the size of a human being! I find that the best way to handle these situations is by using a little rough force to get by. In this case it is a good thing I have bony elbows.

A sudden rise of photographers: Now, no tourist would be complete without an extremely large camera used to take pictures of something random every three steps they take. I have found that this epidemic is especially bad in New York’s Time Square. I can only wonder why someone would take so many pictures of one building. That building’s not going anywhere, one picture is enough!

Besides, they all look the same, you silly tourist. There is no need for twenty billion of you to stand there outside of the McDonald’s taking pictures in front of the big M. And why don’t you try taking a picture while walking at the same time? Is it really essential to stop in groups of twelve outside the subway station? “Look, here’s me in front of Times Square subway.” “Here’s me next to a New York rock.” Learn to take pictures without blocking streets or you will find that camera in your hand turned into a smashed piece of junk by an unruly local.

Got any other ways to spot a tourist in your city / town? Let us know!

[Photo. www.thedisneyblog.com]

Relax, I tell myself. It’s okay that you didn’t have time to straighten your bangs this morning–no one is looking at you. It’s okay that you just said something really stupid to a tourist on the subway–no one is noticing you. No one else really knows you exist. RELAX.

Unfortunately, my seemingly-insane paranoia was validated yesterday.

My boyfriend and I went into a diner that I haven’t been to for about three years. And this is Manhattan, right, so there have been millions of patrons since the last time I’ve been there. And I was never a regular customer or anything like that.

So yesterday I’m in this diner and the waiter brings me my cup of tea and he says, didn’t you used to wear glasses? i remember you–you came in here a few years ago.

And I almost peed myself.

People are looking at you. All the time. We are noticing each other’s eyes and hair and bodies and clothes. And it’s not just women.

And I have to wonder, what crazy thing did I do or say to this waiter three years ago that made him remember me?

In this time of Missed Connections and gossip websites and obsession with the minutia of strangers’ appearances, I am becoming alarmingly, preteenly self-conscious about every stupid little thing.

Is this just me? Or am I just nuts?

[Had an experience like Sara? Have you become MORE self-conscious as you've grown up? Let us know!]

The Big Apple, overflowing with culture, history, the best food in the world, theater, museums and galleries, is also overflowing with; tourist traps. Double decker buses line street corners, and are indeed a tempting ride to take (and actually, if you get a good guide, they’re pretty fun.)

Though there are definite must see’s; Central Park, Times Square, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ellis Island and a Broadway show, the city has hidden gems around each corner that you may not notice if you’re too busy trying to find the windows of TRL at the MTV building, or listening to a tired tour guide give you the same surface speech he’s given twenty times that day.

First, you must know: THE FOOD IN NYC IS OUTSTANDING. You could hop into most “hole in the walls” and have an incredible dinner, so I’ll give you some of my personal favorites:

Best Panini: ‘ino, to sum it up as best panini only, would be wrong. The atmosphere is amazing, if you blinked you may miss the restaurant when walking by it. Seating is limited, but when you finally sit down, order different types of bruschetta, truffle egg toast, and white bean soup. SO. INCREDIBLE. Even Martha Stewart approves. [Editor’s Note: Chelsea is right. This place is so good it should be outlawed. Try the $2 asparagus, truffle oil, and parmesean cheese bruschetta and see what we mean!)

Best Dessert’s: It’s much too difficult to sum this up into one place. Cupcakes could go one of two ways; for vegan goodness, Babycakes. For the day’s caloric intake in one stop; Crumbs. For the more sophisticated, Chickalicious, and for drinks paired with cocktails that taste like dessert, P*ong.

Best Brunch: Cornelia St. Cafe, in the heart of Greenwich Village, this restaurant packs charm and later in the evening, live jazz, poetry readings and storytellers.

Best Margarita: Agave, pomegranate margs, good happy hours and Southwestern Mexican food will make you one happy drinker.

Best Dining if Mama’s buying: Gramercy Tavern, Pastis, and Mas (farmhouse). Not easy on the wallet, but worth the dough.

Now that you’re full….go play!

Obviously, Broadway is a must. If you’ve never seen a Broadway show, may I suggest Spring Awakening. I’ve seen a lot of shows and this one is hands down the best. ever. Fearless, progressive, incredible talent (not to mention they’re all under 23 years old), great music….you cannot miss this show.

Now, venture off Broadway a bit and see FUERZABRUTA, this show will blow your mind, it’s a complete overload of the senses, your jaw will be to the floor the entire time.

Visit the Chelsea Art Galleries. Chelsea Gallery District is a small area packed with some of the greatest, most well known galleries. While you’re around there, check out Chelsea Market, gourmet lovers will be; in love.

If you’re a music lover, Bleeker Street is LINED with little clubs, live musicians and an active scene. Check out; The Bitter End, Terra Blues, The Village Lantern, Kenny’s Castaways, The Red Lion and Groove on Macdougal. Then, you can grab pizza at Bleeker Street Pizza.

Honestly, you could explore forever…hours, days, years. People who have lived in NYC their whole lives are still discovering new things, that’s why we want to hear from you!

What are some spots in NYC that you think everyone needs to visit??? Tell us!

Like this one, a three day “New York at Christmas” itinerary sent by a local new yorker to some out-of-town friends.

At first glance, the detailed activities sound fun (even though the writer of the itinerary seems A) kinda controlling and B) permanently hyped up on Red Bull), but any long time resident of this city can tell you that participating in Traditional New York Christmas Time Tourist Stuff is actually less about “fun” and more about “depression, fear, anger, and rage”.

To help illustrate, I’ve made some translations (in bold) about certain suggested activities detailed in the Gawker’s smuggled letter:

• “There is typically parking on my street. If not, there is a parking lot next to my building that does parking by the day. I want to say it’s under $15. I can find out for sure if that interests you.” – Inexplicably, you will end up spending $150 by the end, that is, if you don’t accidentally get too close to a fire hydrant, which will push the total parking expenses up to $300.

• “Pack as little as possible, there is NOT a lot of space!” – Dude, my apartment can hardly accommodate me. Hope you’re not Claustro!

• “8am: NBC’s Today show (we have to make a good sign)” – we’re going to get up at an ungodly hour, stand out in the freezing winter weather, and have our ears assaulted by shrieking women in giant Santa sweaters. We probably won’t make it on TV, either…unless we somehow manage to steal an adorable baby.

• “10am: Rockefeller Christmas Tree” – You’re totally okay with suffocating crowds, right? And pickpockets?

• “12:30pm: FAO Schwartz to play the big piano” – We’re going to have to punch millions of little kids out of our way, and get eyed by guys dressed up as toy soldiers. Also…the music…might do something frighteningly permanent to your eardrums.

• “2pm: 5th avenue window shopping to see all the window displays” – because there’s absolutely no way we can actually buy anything.

• “9:45pm Comedy show at the Comedy Cellar in the village… I made this reservation, we have to be early, and there is a $15 cover and 2 drink minimum” – The drinks are around $8 each, plus tip. We’ll be spending about $35. Oh, it’s also going to be so crowded you consider homicide.

• “11:30pm: Go out in the West Village. Off the Wagon” – You’re all under the age of 22, right? and totally dig beer pong and undergraduate guys?