A friend of mine at the University of North Carolina happily describes herself as “a committed online stalker.” “I crave information,” she explains. “And sometimes that’s not a good thing.” Ah, technology - creating new armchair detectives with every Google or Facebook search.

You’ve probably noticed the growing range and influence of Web-based methods for gathering information on your crushes. Or your exes. Or their exes. From the moment you first meet a ‘possibility’ (be it a date, future significant other or someone you just want to see naked), you inevitably type their name into Facebook, where you can find out literally everything about him or her ‘ what team he bats for, whether she wants ‘random play,’ whether she still speaks to her exes, his binge-drink of choice and what classes you’ll have to pretend to be in to talk to her. Read More »

Cheating is a funny subject.

For those of us who haven’t yet taken the wedding vow, where does the obsession with pledging our fidelity come from? Why do teenagers and college students worry so much about breaking a covenant they’ve never made at an age when they should be dating the widest variety of people possible?

Given that the genesis of fidelity was probably to ensure that we women didn’t go around bearing children with other men’s DNA, it doesn’t seem to affect those of us in college, childless and armed with a multitude of birth-control options (some of them flavored!).

So maybe it’s just a residual peer-pressure from the rest of society. Everyone else has a (read: one) significant other - why don’t you?

But you have to stop thinking that way. Dating exclusively during your formative years isn’t always the best idea.
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After a grueling workout at the gym, the only thing I want is a glass of ice old water…or a deep tissue massage and an hour in the sauna - but let’s be realistic here. And as much as I enjoy cocktail hour, the most unappealing after-cardio treat would have to be alcohol.

Apparently, I should consider changing my tastes. A new study suggests that BEER after exercise may be better than water for you. Wait, what?

Yes, it’s true, and guess who they tested this theory on? College students!

According to FOXnews, “The study results came from testing 25 college students asked to do strenuous exercises in 104-degree temperatures. They were then split into two groups, one given beer and other water to help them recover. The tests were conducted over several months. The hydration effect in those who drank beer was ’slightly better’ than those who drank water.” Read More »

The prestigious summer internship. Or just any internship at all. Nowadays, it’s basically necessary to gain some sort of “professional” experience during your college years in order to make yourself a viable candidate for a job post-graduation.

Having lived in NYC the past two summers and spent my days happily as a lowly intern, I know what it’s like to be unpaid, exhausted, and basically melting in a non-air conditioned housing situation. But, I have noticed one recent trend lately that I think could be really damaging for an intern’s future. And that is “complaint blogging” or posting your misery all over the internet. Employers do notice these things and it really can come back to bite your ass in the future. Read More »

No, I’m not talking about actually wearing an ugly turtleneck sweater, but rather the age old gross - out for girls, an uncircumcised penis.

I remember a couple of years ago, one of my friends was dating a guy that was not circumcised and the rest of us girls could not stop asking her questions about it … and were so surprised that she didn’t mind. Supposedly for her, it didn’t make a difference during hook ups. Read More »

Even at the beginning of my senior year, my friends and I were starting to discuss where we would end up after school.

It was a given that I would be around New York City because that is the place to go for my future career. Not to mention the fact that I absolutely love the place and had the time of my life interning over the course of two different summers. Lucky for me, a good amount of people from my school also head down there to start “realâ€? lives.

My experience was similar to a new trend that has really started with our generation. That new fad being putting priority on WHERE you will be living, instead of WHAT you will be doing. Recent grads tend to decide what city they want to live in, and then the job comes secondary. Read More »

When the announcement came last year that Plan B would be sold over the counter, slutty college girls, or just college girls in general, silently rejoiced. This means no more shameful experiences at the local college health clinic having to explain to a nurse who looks like your mom why you need this pill, as well as the exact details of what happened. That situation is traumatizing enough that I’m sure it deterred many girls who really needed the pill, but were not willing to go through the humiliation of actually obtaining it.

Lucky for the incoming freshman class of 2011, who will never truly appreciate the easy accessibility of Plan B pills at the drugstore pharmacy instead of a doctor’s office. Well, pharmaceutical companies are just as excited as we are, with the sales expected to be ENORMOUS for 2007. Read More »

For flat-chested girls, having a full C, or even B, cup would be a dream come true. It was for Heidi. I know multiple friends of mine that have commented on how much they want larger boobs and would consider implants when they are older. Personally, the idea of inserting foreign substances into my chest sounds uncomfortable and unappealing. But, I also may not fully understand the woes of those still not satisfied with their knockers.

Well, a recently published study in the Annals of Plastic Surgery showed a strong link between breast implants and suicide, which I found very interesting. According to USA Today, the study found that “women who have breast implants are three times as likely to die by suicide and have a similar increased risk of death as a result of drug use or alcoholism.â€? Read More »

One of the great things about college today is the opportunity to travel.

No matter what school you go to, it will most likely have some sort of abroad program. Or, if yours doesn’t, look into going with another school and transferring the credits. And seriously, what other time in your life will it be acceptable to take months off and travel the world?

Take it from someone who has recently joined the 9-5er workforce and regrets that she did not take advantage of the traveling opportunities available in college. So, for those brave and adventurous souls preparing to travel, there is one aspect that you may not have thought too much about in the midst of getting your passport, figuing out living arrangements, etc. That small, but important, detail being how to stay healthy while abroad. Read More »

Have you always imagined beer being a juvenile drink of choice? You know, the first thing you are able to buy with a fake id at the convenience store and the mainstay of colleges across the nation?

I always imagined a “mature” adult being the one to order vodka on the rocks or some sort of hardcore liquor. Well, it’s time for all of us to throw those notions out the window. Recent studies conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have found that adult binge drinkers actually prefer beer, and teens are the ones into the “hard stuff”.

Why might this be? Read More »

Once again, I have underestimated human nature’s obsession with sex and nudity. My little naive self actually thought that the bums in Knocked Up were the only people who thought they would be able to make money off of a website idea featuring celeb’s private parts in all forms. They had a sudden reality check when their hopes and dreams were killed by an already existing site…Well, it turns out that fantasy site is, in fact, a real website (mrskin.com) that saw a 35 percent bump in visitors when the movie was released. Read More »

Or at least that’s what one professor in particular thinks.A recent essay in The New York Times written by Joanne Ciulla, a University of Richmond professor, discusses the modern work ethic and how college students today have a somewhat warped view of the world.

It struck me as interesting, and I must admit, it is hard not to be offended by the characteristics she describes college students of today having:

ENTITLED TO A DO-OVER
“It has become common for students to ask to retake tests or to rewrite papers in order to get a better grade…While the apparent desire for self-improvement is admirable, usually the higher grade is what really matters. Sometimes a student’s second try is not much better than the first, but he or she still expects a better grade for the effort. This attitude leads to the second problem.â€?

So, we want to work hard to do the best we possibly can on an assignment and now professors are pissed about this? Read More »