Confession time: I’m an introvert. It goes deep. I can’t stand parties. Gatherings of more than four people (myself included) terrify me. I don’t like to pick up the phone. I’d be absolutely fine if I didn’t talk to anyone for days at a time.

So on most weekends when all of you are out clubbing or hitting up the bar while hitting on hot guys, I’m curled up on my couch in my pajamas, watching the Olympics or reading a really dorky book and eating a cookie (or three).

It doesn’t bother me. In fact, I LOVE it.

Perhaps you’re intrigued by my reclusive lifestyle. Maybe you even want to take your own Introventure on an upcoming Saturday night, but you’re just not sure how to even begin. Well, you’re in luck! Look no further than this handy-dandy…

Introvert’s Guide to a Saturday Night in: Read More »

(Last week one of our writers opened up about her personal use of Adderall. We have since received tons of feedback regarding Adderall and the many ways it is used. Here is another coed’s story…)

Sunday night at 3 a.m. again. The lines on the page have long since run together. I have written the same sentence three times. My roommate is blaring the television set that is constantly tuned to E!. I have seen all of the True Hollywood stories. Twice.

“Bailey*, can I have an Adderall?”
“Sure. You know where to find them.”

I rummaged around in the clutter of her desk drawer, and my fingertips having connected with the plastic of a prescription bottle, I tipped a tiny capsule into my palm.

Ah, yes, here was my chemical savior. Focus city, here I come.
This amphetamine derivative was going to help me get through my stack of reading and get that assignment down on paper.

I lay back down on my bed and set my alarm for 4 a.m. With Adderall in my system I would be able to get back up in just an hour and get back to work. And I did. Read More »

As you’re lounging by the pool, at the beach or even outside, summer reading can be one of the most relaxing activities in the warm weather. Engrossing yourself in some great chick lit novel can help ease your mind while you work on your rays. Here are some great reads:

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand. This is beach reading at its finest; three women – one sick with cancer, one just fired after having an affair with her student and one whose husband cheated, all move to the Hamptons for the summer. Juicy, juicy.

The Other Boleyn Girl. Before you see the movie (or if you haven’t already), read this book about the tragic love affair that will suck you in and make you unable to leave the page.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. This book chronicles best friends in love with the same man and how an unexpected romance changes everyones lives for the better. The best part: there’s a sequel! Read More »

Nothing can put a damper on those sunbathing plans like a summer rainstorm. But never fear; there are still options out there to have some good ol’ fashioned summer fun.

Go to the movies: Summer is the season of blockbusters, so when the rain comes pourin’ down, head into your local mutliplex, grab some popcorn, Milk Duds and indulge in some heavy caloric intake and a couple hours of mindless entertainment. It might not be the best thing for your bikini bod, but a lil’ indulgence never hurt anyone.

Get lost in the bookstore: Being stuck inside is a great opportunity to get caught up on your reading and to check out that new bestseller you’ve been hearing about, or an old classic you haven’t picked up since your days in high school Lit. Plant yourself in your nearest Barnes & Noble or Borders, grab an iced latte and read away.

Check out a museum: Many cities have great museums, and not just of the artsy genre. Check out what you have in your area. Chances are, you can find a museum chronicling the history of all kinds of interesting topics; aerospace, film, maybe even sex. Whatever floats your boat. Take the chance to soak in some educational information; it is a lot healthier than soaking in the rays. Read More »

Remember back in elementary/high school at the end of the year they would pass out a list of books for you to read over your three months of freedom to get you ready for the next year? Like your English teacher was just trying to cram some more learning down your throat in a last desperate act to get you to care about classical literature. If you’re like me then you’d already read something like 75% of the books on the list. If you’re not like me then well, you didn’t.

So now it’s summer and you probably don’t have that handy dandy guide to follow on a lazy day. Or stress that you’re just not as intellectually savvy as you would have hoped. Or perhaps (and more likely) you don’t even care and haven’t even noticed that it’s gone. But you should care and you should notice because you should have a summer reading list! For exactly three different reasons. Read More »

Ever heard of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books? What about the Clique or Gossip Girl series? Or how about Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?

Well, I have a little confession to make. I’ve read them, and I love them. And maybe you have, too.

I do have an excuse for having my nose stuck in YA novels half the time—I absolutely love children’s and YA literature, and it’s my ambition to become an editor and writer of children’s books. Even if I didn’t have that going for me, though, I think I would still love teen books.

They’re irresistible, you know? When you’re 16, it’s so great to read a book that lets you know that you’re not alone in being a drinker/a geek/the biggest loser in school/the most popular person in school/pregnant/generally weird/awkward. There are teen books for everybody.

And the best part is, once you’ve passed 18, you can read those books and think to yourself, “I am so glad I’m not in high school anymore.”

It’s tough to write a teen book, and it’s even tougher to write a teen book that’s successful. Sherman Alexie won the National Book Award in the young people’s literature category this year for his Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, but just check out this link to read about all the flack he got from adult authors for writing a teen book. Read More »

Yesterday one of the most-read articles in the Times was about dating people based on the books they read. The author discussed the many viewpoints on the topic: Is it fair? Does it matter? Why do people do it? Some people thought it was irrelevant to a relationship and others thought it was central.

As I read the article, I couldn’t help but think of the random things I use to get to know and understand potential boyfriends.

I once ended things with a guy because he drove a pick-up truck. I once rejected a first date with someone because he told me he enjoyed watching Fox news. I broke up with someone because he had $10,000 worth of debt. My mom told me my standards were too high, that I was being a snob and that some things really shouldn’t matter in a relationship. I agree with her 100%, but to me these things do matter.

It’s not that I have an aversion to pick-up trucks, or that I am looking for someone who has all the money in the world to spend on me. On the contrary, I once dated someone who drove a giant red pick-up truck (with a tool box in the back!), and I make enough money on my own that I don’t need to depend on others. The truth is that these small things actually tell a much bigger story about the person to whom they belong. Read More »

Yes, it’s true, I don’t have an mp3 player. This is not really by choice, I must admit—my iPod broke a couple months ago and the so-called “Geniuses” at my local Apple store told me that the cost of fixing it would be (shockingly) the same as buying a new one. It really bothers me that Apple’s products (and most gadgets these days) are basically designed to break after about a year, thus forcing you to buy a new one, so I simply refused. I went iPod-less.

I love reading, so I figured my morning commutes would be fine. Think of all the books I could get through! I might finally plow through that stack of New Yorkers under my bed! As for walking around, I’d be better off—less likely to get hit by a bus while crossing the street and not paying attention, less likely to get targeted for mugging, less likely to run into a glass door (yes, this has actually happened to me).

Who am I kidding? Read More »

What is it about chick lit that I find so distasteful and appealing at the same time? On one hand, I hate the superficiality of the themes, which are usually beauty, money, love, and a light dose of moral dilemma. On the other hand, some of them are pretty entertaining — when they’re not insulting, that is.

Some chick lit is pretty good. When I say “pretty good,” I am thinking of books like The Devil Wears Prada and The Nanny Diaries. (See, I’m not the only one who thinks they have potential — Hollywood even made movies out of them!) Confessions of a Shopaholic and The Ivy Chronicles also stand out. Bitter is the New Black is worth mentioning, as well — even though it’s actually nonfiction, it has all of the story and character elements of chick lit.

Unfortunately, there are just as many chick lit novels that I can’t stand. There is a fine line between lighthearted and superficial, but some chick lit coasts right on past into nauseating. For example, I was absolutely appalled by How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls. While most chick lit novels feature a mild moral conflict — “to tell a lie or not to tell a lie, that is the question” — this one was serious enough that it made the main character seem rather mean-hearted and opportunistic. It’s hard to like a book when you fantasize about beating up the narrator. Read More »

When my newest roommate moved into the house, it didn’t take me long to notice that she is a remarkably bright lady. She’s not that nerd who’s only book smart, either. She is well versed in just about…everything…and incredibly articulate. However, I never thought that her smarts had anything to do with the fact that she’s Finnish until recently.

According to new studies, Finnish teenagers are some of the smartest teenagers in the world, and yet, these kids aren’t nerds who do nothing but study. They seem to waste about the same amount of time surfing the web and obsessing over music as we in America do. They don’t seem to take anything any more seriously than anyone else. Yet somehow, they are far ahead in subjects like math, science, and reading by the time they’re fifteen years old. Read More »