Listen up, iPod users (while you still can).

You may love listening to your music on the way to class, during class, or in the library to drown out the sounds of those annoying kids who won’t shut up, but it looks like all that jamming is going to wreak havoc on your hearing.

It used to be a myth or a worry, but now there is actual proof that listening to your iPod or other personal music players (are there any besides the iPod?) too loud can lead to some pretty serious long-term problems. Like total hearing loss. The New York Times reports:

“Regularly listening to personal music players at high-volume settings when young,” the report said, “often has no immediate effect on hearing but is likely to result in hearing loss later in life.” The report is the latest of several to warn that the “MP3” generation of youths may be heading for hearing impairment in later life.

Um. Sh*t. Looks like our entire generation is gonna be without hearing in just a few short years. And those of us with those handy dandy inner-ear buds (like the crappy ones Apple makes that are always falling out of my ears) are even worse off, because they get even closer to our ear drums and cause more damage.

Want to be able to listen to music in your 40’s? Scientists recommend “limiting listening time to one hour per day and setting the volume to no more than 60 percent of maximum sound output when using headphones that are placed over the ears — and even less when using ear buds.”

It may be tempting to rock out to Journey on your way to a 9am class, but turn down the music. Not only does it annoy the rest of the people on the bus with you, but it just isn’t worth it when you consider the alternative: never being able to perform “Don’t Stop Believing” at Karaoke again.

Oh the horror.

Is your laptop super old (like, from freshman year?!) and super slow?
Did you spill beer on your computer last time you had people over to pre-party?
Did your drunk roommate accidentally confuse your desk for the bathroom?

In other words, do you need a new laptop? Or, maybe, just really, really want one?

Good news: Apple is announcing (right now, in fact!) their newest MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Yes, sucks for me and my MacBook purchase back in June, but not for you, college student who totally can get a sweet new laptop today! I am totes living vicariously through you.

Rumor has it that there is gonna be some touchscreen technology just like the iPhone/iPod Touch (!!!) and maybe some extra memory (boring). If you are dorky like we are, you can follow the entire announcement/meeting thingy online, or just check out the Apple Store later.

What great news for a Tuesday. Steve Jobs is always the light at the end of a very dark, depressing and economically crumbling tunnel.

I’m sure you’ve seen the previews for the new movie “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” which comes out tonight. It’s based on a great teen fiction book by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. The book chronicles the adventures of two teenagers, Nick and Norah, who meet by chance in a club and spend a crazy night together in New York City. All the events of the evening revolve around music, hence the title. Duh.

Since music is what links Nick and Norah, so much so that she even refers to him as her “musical soulmate,” the film has to have a wicked soundtrack. Read More »

I am never alone in college. Sure, I have the elevator to myself occasionally and sometimes my roommate is at class when I’m not, but usually there is always someone else nearby. This is drastically different from my high school experience.

Of course I would spend every high school moment from that morning bell—which seemed to ring earlier and earlier as my senior year wore on—to the final bell with my friends by my side. I was part of a bunch of different groups, all of which met after or before school and surrounded me with people. But at home, I had solitude.

With both my parents working and my brother off at college, I spent many nights doing homework, watching bad television and heating up leftovers all by myself. Some may think that would be lonely, but I really liked the peace and quiet.

It’s never quiet here. And sometimes I like it; with all the commotion, I haven’t had time to get homesick or have a culture shock freak out. There’s a feeling of community when I walk around campus and see someone I know or when I strike up a conversation with a stranger in the dining hall. Yet every once in awhile I realize… I never have a moment to myself. Read More »

The semester’s off and running, the weather’s getting worse, and next summer feels like an eternity. It’s easy to find your mood plummeting, your motivation waning, and your usually chipper self turning into a snappy betch. Misery has a snowball effect: you’re grumpy, and it rubs off on your roommate; you’re already in a bad mood, and walking into a pop quiz can set you over the edge. Before the blahs take over your body, take time to stop, breathe, recharge and rejuvenate. Here are five quick pick-me-ups to get you out of a funk.

1. Sleep: You’ve been up at the crack of dawn every morning to hit the gym, struggle to stay awake through three back-to-back classes, rush to your part-time job, and finally head home to tackle several hours worth of homework. Of course you’re feeling dreary! Lack of sleep can have adverse psychological effects– take it from a girl who is known to burst into tears at the slightest provocation after pulling an all-nighter or two– so even if you can’t fit in a full eight hours of sleep a night, treat yourself to a long, comatose nap. When you wake up, you’ll be more energetic and alert, so it might even boost your studying stamina later in the week.

2. Treat Yourself: You’ve been running on empty for weeks, neglecting yourself in order to make a good impression on your professors, sorority sisters, friends, coworkers, etc. Do something nice for yourself. If you have some extra cash, buy yourself a new outfit. If you think you look good, you’re bound to feel good, too. Low on cash? Scrape together some change and download a couple of jams on i-Tunes. I mean, they’re only 99 cents most of the time– you deserve it! Get a track that will raise your spirits, like Flo Rida’s “In the Ayer,” DJ Laz’s “Move, Shake, Drop Remix” or, for a bubblegum pop sound, The Orion Experience’s “Obsessed with You.” Then, crank up your speakers and have your own personal dance party for a few minutes. It’ll be worth it. Read More »

Now that you’re in college, people are no doubt bombarding you with their own lists of things you just HAVE to have to survive in the Narnia they call dorm-land. Some people are right on the mark with their suggestions, while grandma is entirely mistaken with her devotion to the fly swatter. Take whatever tips you want, but here are some items that definitely did save my life in college.

1. A TAPESTRY
I know it sounds silly, but when my boyfriend and I needed privacy in my bunk, that little tapestry I’d brought was such a life saver. We just hung it up over some yarn and had our own little curtain for the bed. And then we made out in between talks of our future — that never happened — in privacy.

2. BROWNIE MIX
Smoking weed at college, should you be so illegally inclined, is a little harder than it should be. Sure, sure, it’s easy enough outside of the dorms. But when you’re in the dorms, it can be a pain in the butt. From dismantling fire alarms to trying to carefully smoke out the window while lighting incense, it’s hardly worth it. In fact, one of my besties got arrested for it her freshman year!

Instead, just learn to bake. If you need your weed fix, throw it in a brownie mix and surprise your hallmates with something awesome…and you’ll totally get away with it, too. Read More »

Apple released a brand new iPod on Tuesday and while the rest of the nation was captivated by all the pretty colors and the new gizmo’s shake-to-shuffle feature, I was a little busy geeking out about the other announcement: iTunes 8.

Unlike previous incarnations, iTunes 8 is shaking up the application for the first time in years, this time with the introduction of a better visualizer, a new way to peruse your library and a handy little feature called Genius. Read More »

Why? Because, as usual, Steve Jobs and his cronies have released a newer, better Nano. Poor 3rd generation Nano; so short and squat. Now she’s getting overshadowed by her taller, thinner replacement.

I know how that goes.

The new Nano - built with cleaner and less toxic materials - also comes in a full rainbow of colors and is the perfect combo of portability and function (sorta like this guy). New features include longer battery life, a larger screen and the landscape view for viewing cover flow and movies.

The coolest thing about the Nano, though, is that you just have to give it a little shake to shuffle your songs. That might be the coolest thing ever. And the reason why, as usual, I will be buying another Nano.

Damn you, Steve Jobs. DAMN YOU.