[Got a Dude itch you just can’t scratch? Sick of trying to come up with a not-totally-crazy-girl way to bring it up to your guy friends and get their take on things? Totally over over-analyzing the cryptic messages he leave on your Facebook Wall? We got your back, girlfriend. Send your question over to askthedude [at] collegecandy [dot] com. The Dude won’t sugarcoat it, beat around the bush, or any other weird cliche that means lie to you. Like a nice, juicy hot dog, he’ll be 100% real beef, 100% of the time. So bring. it. on.]

Hey Dude,

What is the best way to meet good guy friends? I’m not talking boyfriend prospects, just good friends. I recently transferred to a new university and have always been “one of the guys”…how do I get a good group without being asked out on dates?

Best,

Girl Looking For A Boy Friend

Dear Girl Looking For A Boy Friend

Have you tried not having a vagina?

That’s about the only way to guarantee not being asked out by a straight guy. Otherwise, I can’t offer much in the way of guaran-damn-tees. If a guy’s interested, he’s interested. In fact, most guys are interested-at one point or another-in their female friends. That’s actually how a lot of guys get female friends. It’s a wrong turn down a one-way street to the Friend Zone. You’re just looking for a way to quicken the journey for him.

You’re at a new university and consider yourself one of the guys, get involved in things that a lot of the guys are going to get into. Maybe it’s a sports club, a film club, hang around a frat house during the day, go to a lecture and chat up a guy, and if you want it to remain platonic just make it clear: talk about your exes, past relationships, ask if there are other guys’ relationship status, or you could always try the honest approach and say, “I’m looking for a friend, not a hook up.”

I could give you all kinds of cliché advice: burp in public, cuss, don’t wear make-up, don’t wear clothes that show off your body, and so on. All of those things have a common denominator: you trying to create a persona rather than just being yourself. That’s why I’m not going to give you those suggestions.

Be you. Act like you. Do things that interest you and when doing so involves you crossing paths with a group of guys, go up to them and say, “Mind if I join you?” One or two might be interested but that’s not something you can control.

Friends can be found most readily in places you feel welcome and are willing to welcome others.

“Avengers Assemble!”

Captain Dude

Sometimes, the school you picked isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe the culture just doesn’t mesh with you, or maybe you realize after a few months that you want to be studying something completely different.

The thought of transferring crosses your mind. And then the thoughts of all you’d have to do -  paperwork, credit juggling, and the process of making new friends all over again – flood your brain. My expert advice (I’m a self-proclaimed expert, of course)  is to give your school a fighting chance before you go through the grueling process of transferring. But if you’re really unhappy, a change can be well worth it.

There are many different options when it comes to your education, some of which you might never knew existed. Here are a few different routes you can take on your path to academic success and happiness:

• Four-Year College
It might be a public university or it might be a private school, but places are handing out bachelor’s degrees like candy these days (well, if you do the work, anyway). This is probably the type of school most of you are in and the type to which most of you would consider transferring. There are zillions of them, so do your research and really know what you want—don’t just transfer because your boyfriend goes there.

• Career College
If you know exactly what you want to do and you’re on the fast track to doing it, consider a career college. Some of them can be just as pricey as liberal-arts colleges, but they may not keep you there for the full four years, and when you’re done, you’re basically set to get a job or apprenticeship in your field. A quick way to check out your options is to visit a site like CollegeSurfing.com, which lets you search for schools by career interest. Read More »