So this is it. The big step you’ve been planning for years has finally come.

You’re off to college.

There are so many things to think (and stress) about; will I like my new roommate(s)? Will I get the classes I want? Will I make new friends? Should I join any campus clubs?

I can’t answer all of those questions, but I can tell you from personal experience that when it comes to joining clubs, go for it! I can guarantee it’ll enrich your overall college experience - helping you make new friends, giving you something to look forward to on a regular basis, offering an outlet for your passion and surprisingly enough, it can oftentimes lead to you doing even better at your academics.

Why am I so adamant about the positives of joining clubs? I guess to understand that, I have to tell my personal story.

When I graduated high school many moons ago, I went straight to the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). While it’s a fantastic school with a reputation for excellent academics, I was at a tumultuous time of my life and was not prepared for the strains of college. I made some great friends my first year in the dorms and had fun, but I was always hesitant to really participate in extracurricular activities. After a couple of very rough years, I decided to take some time off (AKA drop out) and take some time to “find myself” (AKA work in Corporate America and party a lot). Read More »

The first week of college is summer camp. The second is back to reality. When I arrived on campus a little over a week ago, I never imagined going from name-games to essays in a blink.

My college has a week of orientation, so it never really felt like school until I walked into Geology on Tuesday morning. Before that, I had been watching movies with other freshmen, exploring—well, really getting lost in—the campus, and trying every imaginable ice cream combination at the dining halls.

From the moment I walked into my class, I realized I can’t just watch movies and eat ice cream for the next four years. Buying textbooks before the class was its own problem—really, if a book is used, shouldn’t it be dirt cheap, not just a fraction less expensive than the new version?—but being in a room filled with strangers, most not naïve first years like me, was unnerving.

In high school, the first day was one of my favorites. Sure, I hated knowing I had a year of work ahead of me, but I loved seeing old friends, catching up on summer gossip. Here, I sat down and immediately started taking notes. What part of this lecture was important enough to write down? Who was the person sitting next to me? Was I allowed to raise my hand to ask a question? Read More »

Here at CollegeCandy, a lot of the writers are constantly criticized for their sexual choices so much that the word “slut” can be found in just about any article related to sex. Other females (and some males) feel that it is important to pass judgement on others who do not share the same beliefs and practices as themselves.

I am one of the many college girls that sees no problem in being young and enjoying a little (or a lot) sex every once in a while. But as thousands of college freshmen are planning on partaking in some type of sexual activity once arriving on campus, many of them will forget about the most important thing: being safe.

On a recent outing with some girlfriends, we encountered a group of men on a street corner belting out bible verses and holding large signs displaying all the things God supposedly hates (pre-marital sex, homosexuality, drunkeness and so on). As one of the men saw us walking by, he stopped mid-verse, turned to us and said “Did you know that 1 in 4 teen girls will catch in STD?” We all looked at him in disgust and walked away (the nerve!), but secretly I wanted to hang my head in shame, because I was the one girl he was referring to. Read More »

So now you’re back on campus, away from the ‘rents, and you can go out and drink as much as you want. In moderation, of course. (At least that’s what you tell your parents…)

Need a reason to drink? Need some motivation? Too young to get into the bars?

These three games are sure-fire ways to get drunk and have fun without ever having to leave the house/dorm. Or simply as a little fun before the main event. Whatever. They are fun. Play them.

Beer Pong: This is the ultimate drinking game. If you don’t like beer, replace it with cider or Smirnoff or Bacardi (not straight up, please…you may die) or anything else tasty. Side note: In my recent travels abroad, I discovered that we Americans take this game very, very seriously. Do not attempt to cheat during a beer pong game. You will be seriously heckled and possibly thrown out. Unless everyone’s too drunk to notice (which is entirely possible).

Flip Cup: The first time I played this, I didn’t realize that the entire team had to flip their cups over. I thought the contest was over after the first pair. And everyone was just looking, and looking, and looking at me…

Kings: I couldn’t find a satisfactory link to rules, so here they are as I play it. (Which is the best way.): Read More »

College girls spend so much time focusing on finding the perfect pair of “classroom to club” jeans or comfy/cute campus shoes that they often forget about the clothing they’ll spend the most time in: loungewear.

Many people don’t realize that after walking around campus breaking in those new skinny jeans or working hard at that killer internship that the first thing you’ll want to do is throw on something comfortable upon dorm/apartment arrival. Here is a guide of what to look for while shopping for new loungewear.

PJ’s: Do not, I repeat DO NOT wear your pajamas to class! No matter how cute/expensive they are, nothing screams “I don’t give a sh*t about how I look” more than rocking a pair of ‘jammies to your Chem lecture. This may be acceptable for some of you who have super early (Read: 8 am) classes and labs, but try to wear them sparingly (and absolutely NO P.J.’s of any kind after noon); it’s kind of hard for your professor to take you seriously when your bottoms are covered in violet tiaras and have the word “Princess” inscribed on the butt in fuschia fabric glitter.

Wearing your pajamas are definitely okay in your dorm, since very few people will see you in them (and if they do, they will also be wearin’ em). Just remember to be smart about your pajama options, since you never know what you’ll have on when fire alarm inevitably goes off at 3 a.m. (Note: racy lingerie will not keep you warm as you sit outside for an hour). Victoria’s Secret’s PINK line is pretty much the official wardrobe of most college girls, but American Eagle’s Aerie collection also offers pajamas in simple plaid and polka dot patterns in soft, but not too girly, colors. Read More »

I have never thought of myself as a “sorority girl.” Like many people, when I thought of the term “sorority girl” I didn’t have a whole lot of positive connotations. I thought they were fake, perky, skanky, High School queen bees, who did a lot of partying and a lot of drugs.

Okay, so I guess I let Hollywood feed me that stereotype.

However, once I started freshman year I started meeting some great girls (who were none of those stereotypical adjectives) and who were also in sororities. The contrast baffled me, so I decided to investigate.

Sororities are pretty big on my campus and something like 35% of girls go Greek. That fact and all the nice girls I had met led me to sign myself up for the 2 week long process of rush. My floor friends all signed up too, but I was still pretty iffy about the idea. I told a few home friends and their reaction was…well less than enthusiastic. I got responses like; “Are you serious?” “Why would you do that to yourself?” and “You are not a sorority girl!” Even my mom, who went Greek in college, said that it might not be for me. These people were the people that knew me best, so I thought that they were probably right, and I prepared to pull my name off the list of about 700 girls. Read More »

College life is undoubtedly a blast- attending fabulous parties, meeting cute boys, socializing with individuals from a variety of backgrounds, taking part in groups and activities, exploring your interests, your freedom, your individuality and breaking out on your own.

Oh, yeah, and the academic part – that’s why you’re technically there in the first place, right?

With all the constant chaos surrounding your collegiate career, it can be tough to focus on academics and classes. But getting good grades and succeeding academically is paramount; aside from just keeping a high GPA to satisfy your own standards, it’s essential for financial aid, keeping the parents at bay, and most of all, building a future career that excludes slinging fast food. Here are some tips to ensure A’s.

Be organized
Being organized is possibly the most crucial thing you can do to boost your grades and buy yourself some precious sanity. Pick up a cute little planner and make it your bible. Unless you’re heading to a bar or a frat party, don’t leave home without it. Mark all significant dates on your calendar, like exams and review sessions. Take a few minutes each week (c’mon, pull your self away from Facebook for five minutes, mama) to review the week ahead. Block off sections of time in advance for studying. Mark in your flurry of social commitments as well so you can manage your time. Make to-do lists daily, and rely on them to structure your days. Keep your oh-so-sexy notebooks and binders sectioned off for your different courses, and use folders to organize all your handouts and readings. A three-hole punch can be a wise investment- less than the cost of a pedi- and slide your review sheets, past tests and course outlines alongside your notes. For super-geeky organization, try color-coding things on your calendar. Read More »

A newly-decorated dorm wall–for cheap!

Alright girls, it’s now officially Back To School Season. Does the thought of dorm décor make you sweat worse than the Summer heat? Do the prices in the PB Teen catalog make you woozy? Fear not, because Sarah is here to make it all better. I went to boarding school, so I’ve got double the dorm years under my belt—that means I’ve got double the tips, tricks and shortcuts to transform your dorm from cinderblock cell to palatial pad (without spending your Summer savings). So put away the lava lamps and movie posters, and let Sarah be your guide.

We all know that those PB Teen and Teen Vogue “dorm makeovers” are a sham. Why? Well, for starters no college student can afford a $200 duvet cover or a $50 pillow. We’re lucky if we can afford to eat lunch. And second—I don’t know what college these kids are going to, but at my lovely institution there is no way in hell we could ever paint the walls, swap out the furniture or even put nails in the wall (have you ever tried to hammer nails into cinder block? Not. Fun.) Read More »