The thought of scheduling your annual gynecological exam is not exactly the most exciting thing on your to-do list. But it is necessary, and believe it or not, there are things you may not know that will make the experience better for you. First and foremost, your gynecologist is a doctor, which means this person is not only professional and knowledgeable, but he or she also cares about making you feel safe and comfortable.

If you don’t believe us, read on for peace of mind straight from a gynecologist herself. We’ve consulted Dr. Kimberly Bridges-White, M.D., of Garden State Obstetrical and Gynecological Associates to get some perspective on the things your gynecologist wishes you would stop worrying about.

1. Going to your appointment during your period

This is something that’s highly contested, but we’re here to tell you the truth once and for all: yes, you can go to the gynecologist when you’re on your period. Gynecologists have seen everything, and menstrual blood is no different.

Dr. Bridges-White believes this is one of the biggest misconceptions about gynecology appointments. "If the [patient's] complaint is an irregular cycle or heavy period, then it is no problem to be evaluated at that time," she says. However, there are instances when period blood can interfere with the results of your appointment.

"If one would like me to check for a yeast infection or chlamydia or gonorrhea, that is different," Dr. Bridges-White adds. "I will have to look under a microscope to test it, and a large amount of red blood cells on the slide will prevent me from seeing anything. Often, blood may cause a false-positive test result." Similarly, period blood can yield inconclusive results when you're getting a Pap smear test. 

You might have to come back and get some testing done again, but you should never cancel an appointment altogether because your Aunt Flow is in town. If your flow is heavy and you are worried that your excessive bleeding might interfere with your appointment, always contact your doctor first.

2. Grooming before you go

Like we literally just said, gynecologists have seen everything. Although you may feel self-conscious about some extra hair down there, chances are your gynecologist won’t even notice (or care).

"We don't care at all," Dr. Bridges-White says. "It is also very awkward when women come into the office announcing how they have "prepped" just for the exam." Obviously, if shaving or waxing will make you feel more comfortable, go for it. However, keep in mind that your gynecologist is a doctor, and he or she is guaranteed to be much more concerned about your vagina’s health than your vagina’s appearance.

In fact, in some cases, going overboard with grooming may actually have a negative effect on your experience in the doctor's office. "The more waxing and shaving that a patient does, the more prone she is to heavier vaginal discharge and boils," Dr. Bridges-White says. "Hair is your first line of defense to prevent bacteria. The second line are your vaginal secretions that keep bacteria out of the uterus. If you remove all of the hair, the vaginal secretions must increase." So, if you come into the office to ask about this seemingly excessive discharge, your gynecologist will likely say that the secretions are completely normal. 

Keep all of these things in mind the next time you "prep" for an appointment, or any event in general. 

3. “Freshening up” to the extreme

It makes sense to worry about what you smell like—especially in that region—before your appointment, but don’t freak yourself out too much about any odors or perspiration that may or may not exist. Now, this isn’t an excuse to hit the gym or skip the shower before your appointment. It’s just a reminder that your gynecologist sees many patients on any given day, and your typical odor will not stand out amongst the rest (unless there is something more serious going on – in which case, it’s not your fault).

Along the same lines and as previously mentioned, relax about the amount of discharge you have. Every woman discharges, and while some might have it more than others, it is completely normal. If, however, your discharge is discolored or has an abnormal odor, let your gynecologist know this so that he or she can test you for a possible infection.

Dr. Bridges-White has some tips for everyday vaginal healthcare. "Wash in between the lips of the vagina daily, and wash front to back," she says. "When wiping with toilet paper, wipe front to back. Do not use douches! They cause an increase in vaginal bacteria that cause a fishy odor, which will further increase your discharge." 

Another common worry Dr. Bridges-White often hears women complain about is an odor later in the day, but she reminds us that the vagina area has sweat glands too. To combat such odors, she says, "Do not wear your sweaty gym clothes all day ––take them off immediately after [a workout] to prevent vaginal and yeast infections." Good to know.

4. Addressing your most personal concerns

One of the most important things you can do at an appointment is open up about any questions or concerns you may have. We suggest writing them down beforehand, so if you get nervous in the exam room and draw a blank, you have something to fall back on. Don’t be embarrassed by your lack of knowledge about something, either. Your gyno is the expert, after all. He or she will not judge you, and will be glad to inform you about anything you want to know.

Dr. Bridges-White warns that if you don't feel at ease in your gynecologist's office, you are in the wrong office. "You should always feel comfortable with your gynecologist," she says. "If you feel rushed, your concerns are not addressed or you don't feel comfortable having a candid conversation, then you are at the wrong doctor's office." 

She adds, "This is the most sensitive and personal area of your body and your provider should respect that. Your first visit, you should be clothed and interviewed so that you are not intimidated. Once your questions are satisfied, then you will feel more comfortable proceeding with the exam." We love this advice.

Related: 5 Myths You Probably Still Believe About Your Vagina

5. Opening up about your sexual activity

It’s no secret that sexual activity is super personal, but your doctor is not someone to withhold information from. Whether you’re sleeping with multiple partners, a significant other or aren’t sexually active at all, it can be awkward to divulge the details without feeling embarrassed. However, in order for your gynecologist to do his or her job, he or she must know this information in order to guide you towards the safest (and most necessary) methods to prevent STDs or unwanted pregnancy.

Dr. Bridges-White emphasizes that many college women have misinformation about STDs, and the only way to learn accurate information is to speak up and ask questions. "Another misconception is that you have to have symptoms to have an STD—this is absolutely not true!" she says. "Chlamydia and trichomonas cam stay in the vaginal tract for long periods of time and may not cause any symptoms."

What's more, Dr. Bridges-White finds that many young women don't realize they can acquire an STD without having sex. From oral sex, you can get a throat infection from gonorrhea, oral herpes or genital warts of the gums. From anal sex, you can contaminate the vagina with bacteria from the colon. While such risks are not necessarily normal occurrences, the only way to know the safest and most preventative measures is by asking the expert who is at your disposal. 

Keep in mind, collegiettes, that no matter what information you dispel to or discuss with your gynecologist, you are in a safe space. He or she is not going to judge you, no matter your level of sexual activity or lack thereof.

6. Getting a Pap smear test

The dreaded Pap smear test is often extremely misconceptualized by young women. First and foremost, it is a screening procedure that tests for precancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix. 

"People often believe that the Pap smear checks for all types of female cancer and STDs," she says. "It only checks for cervical cancer and does not include a screen for STDs. Some women also believe that whenever they have had an exam with a speculum, a Pap smear was automatically done, but this isn't always the case." Dr. Bridges-White recommends checking with your gynecologist before and after an exam to see if a Pap smear was done. 

Pap smear tests start when you turn 21, regardless of your sexual activity.

7. Visiting too often (or not often enough)

By this point, you might be wondering just how often you can (and should) be visiting your gynecologist. Is an annual enough? Well, to put it simply, there isn't one clear answer. It's very dependent upon individual circumstance, but you should be going whether you are sexually active or not.

"Once a year for a visit is adequate for general health," Dr. Bridges-White says. "However, any woman may make an appointment if she has any concerns regarding STD testing, menstrual irregularities, breast masses, abdominal pain, etc." It's always a good idea to make an additional appointment for STD screening if you change sexual partners, she adds. 

Take a deep breath, collegiettes; a visit to the gynecologist is by no means as scary as you think it is. Your doctor is there to not only make sure you’re healthy, but also to make sure you’re informed and comfortable. The next time you schedule an appointment, come prepared, calm and ready to address your concerns. Trust us, you’ll feel better in no time.  

Chrissy Metz has become a household name due to her role as Kate Pearson on NBC's This Is Us. She's worked her way into the hearts of millions and now she's looking to take that love even further with her new book This Is Me.

The memoir, published by Harper Collins, details both the good and dark moments in her life. It talks about her family and how her father simply left one day, leaving her with the horrific stepfather who replaced him. Metz also discusses her struggles with love, which somehow always came with conditions, and learning from both her successes and her failures.

When discussing the vulnerability of the book with E! News, the actress said, "I think any time we have to verbalize the truth and or rehash it and be that vulnerable about what happened and then wonder what the reaction is going to be is very scary."

A big part of the memoir is understanding that love is not conditional and that loving yourself, while sometimes very difficult, is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in this life. As with her character on the show, her body image is often asked about and discussed in interviews. She says that while she has good days, bad days are inevitable when we get in our heads.

"I try to set myself up for success, so I will eat things that will make me feel good and I will get enough rest and not get in my own head so that I won't start self-sabotaging. I am not perfect and I am not screaming that from the mountain tops at all. It's more about being work in progress and being gentle and kind with yourself."

Body positivity and the process of obtaining it doesn't always have to be loud. We can accept our flaws and keep the process to ourselves so long as we know that sometimes not every day will be great and that it does take some time. Metz reminds us that it doesn't matter the volume of your acceptance, so long as the volume is on.

Chrissy Metz's new memoir This Is Me is on sale at booksellers nationwide.

It’s that time of year again. High school seniors all across the country are anxiously awaiting their college acceptance letters. Parkland Fla., shooting survivor and gun-control activist David Hogg is no different. Except for the fact that most high school seniors don’t receive snide, cutting remarks on Twitter from adults in regards to their rejections.

Hogg did an interview with TMZ on Tuesday and mentioned he had received a few rejection letters from California universities, including UCLA. Somehow, a 17-year-old talking about something as totally normal as getting acceptance and rejection letters from colleges was enough to spark derision from many conservatives who have unrelated beef with the teen activist. Radio host and Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham was among the most notable of these.

Ingraham tweeted an article from a right-wing news site about David’s college prospects. She made light of his rejections and disparaged his GPA and chances with UCLA, also adding that he “whined about it.”

According to TMZ, David has already been accepted into a number of universities. He also has a GPA of 4.2 and a SAT score of 1270. (So, like, maybe not even a decent way to dunk on a kid if you're gonna try it, Laura.)

Ingraham’s tweet garnered immediate backlash across Twitter. Some find her words to be especially awful because she’s a parent and she is picking on a student who survived a school shooting.

David was among those who replied to her repugnant tweet, asking her who her biggest sponsors were. He didn’t seem to need a reply, because he compiled a list of her 12 biggest supporters in less than an hour.

Civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom said in a tweet that Ingraham’s words on Twitter may be a sign that David has “really gotten under Fox News’ skin.”

Later on Thursday, Ingraham tweeted an apology: "On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland." She then claimed that she had previously been one of the earliest shows to give Hogg a platform:  "For the record, I believe my show was the first to feature David immediately after that horrific shooting and even noted how 'poised' he was given the tragedy. As always he's welcome to return to the show anytime for a productive discussion."

Hogg replied that he would "only accept [Ingraham's] apology only if you denounce the way your network has treated my friends and I in this fight," he tweeted. "It’s time to love thy neighbor, not mudsling at children."

Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai returned to Pakistan Thursday for the first time since she was brutally attacked and nearly killed in October of 2012, reports CNN.

She arrived to Benazir Bhutto International Airport early Thursday morning, accompanied by heavy security. Her arrival made instant headlines in Pakistan, with mixed reactions. Many in her country view her as a hero and an inspiration, but there are still those who consider her an agitator and were not pleased about her return.

Her return visit hasn’t been idle. Since she arrived, Yousafzai has given a moving, heartfelt speech and had a meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.  

Yousafzai was visibly emotional during her speech outside the prime minister’s office, and praised the fact that “more than six million dollars” had been invested in education in Pakistan in the last few years. She said she hoped “we all join hands for the betterment of Pakistan for our future, to empower our women so they can earn and stand on their own two feet."

“I still can’t believe that it is actually happening,” she said during her speech. “In the last five years, I have always dreamed of coming back to my country.”

The crowd erupted into cheers at her words and the raw emotions of the moment brought Yousafzai to tears.

Abbasi said he was “so happy” she returned to Pakistan to visit. “You represent us in the world and especially of the youth and girls and the work you've done for education of girls,” he said. “It is our dream and prayers that you are successful, our prayers with you. Welcome home Malala!"

In 2012, when she was just 14 years old, Yousafzai and her classmates were attacked by a member of the Pakistani Taliban in the Swat Valley region of the country. She had been speaking out for years against what the militant group was doing. Two of her classmates were injured, but “bullets struck Yousafzai in the head and neck, leaving her in a critical condition.” She was eventually flown to Great Britain for treatment, and the Taliban released a statement during that time that said they would target her again if she survived her injuries.

Yousafzai is now twenty years old and studying at Oxford University.

Niaz Ahmed, a friend of Yousafzai’s father, said, “Her courage is an example for education in a place called Swat. She defeated fear in Swat.”

Since stepping onto the music scene in 2015, singer Dua Lipa has had some serious success. Her single "New Rules" from her 2017 self-titled debut album has been burning up the charts, and her star power only seems to be on the rise.

Her success, coupled with the boldness of the women blazing the trail ahead of her, has lead the singer to speak out about sexism in the music industry and the #MeToo movement.

In an interview with British GQ, Lipa said, "For a female artist, it takes a lot more to be taken seriously if you’re not sat down at a piano or with a guitar, you know? For a male artist, people instantly assume they write their own music, but for women, they assume it’s all manufactured.”

As BBC points out, Lipa co-wrote most of the smash hits on her album.

While there's blatant sexism when it comes to the capabilities of female directors or studio heads in Hollywood and gender inequality in Silicon Valley, among other major businesses, the sexism in the music industry is only just now starting to gain traction. After all, only four, yes, four Grammys went to women this year and the ratio of male to female artists on any given festival roster is heavier on the former, so it's not surprising that Dua Lipa is finally seizing the opportunity to speak up.

She also tells the men's magazine just how important the #MeToo movement is for women.

"I’m lucky in that I haven’t really had any sexual harassment in any way. But I think #MeToo is so important. You know, even from school, growing up with kiss chase or whatever, it’s been ingrained in our heads that boys will be boys and its harmless fun and no big deal and to brush things off. Like catcalling," Lipa explained. "To some it might not seem [like] a lot, but it affects your mood, people get embarrassed about the way they dress. For lots of females, be it actresses, singers, models, no matter what it is, it’s not being able to have the right to dress and wear how and what you want and be taken seriously.”

The singer raises several important points and it's young voices like hers that will make all of the difference in the world.

Do you know who Hayley Kiyoko is? If not, you will soon.

Kiyoko, perhaps best known for her role as Stella in the beloved Disney Channel movie Lemonade Mouth, has evolved into a musical force to be reckoned with: her debut album, Expectations, drops on March 30, the music video (which she directed!) for her song “Girls Like Girls” went viral back in 2015, and she’s been hailed as the “lesbian Jesus” of pop music. She’s one of the best queer pop artists (and, I’d argue, one of the best pop artists, period) on the music scene right now, and it’s not just for the bubbly energy that her music exudes—she’s also doing some groundbreaking work in reversing stereotypes about both the LGBTQIA+ community, and women in general.

Here are five ways Hayley Kiyoko is changing the game.

1. She puts herself in typically “masculine” positions of power in her music videos, but still retains her femininity.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Kiyoko said, “I realized at a young age that I wanted to be a man in the way that men are perceived by women. I wanted to be perceived that same way.” Too often, women are presented in music and film as objects of attraction or as supporters to male leads, and Kiyoko knows it.

So when it came to the music video for her newest single “Curious,” she reversed the situation: “My dream is to be in a boy band, so what am I doing? I’m dancing in a music video with four boys behind me! ... And I want to be able to do all of those things ― I want to feel feminine and feel beautiful and be myself while doing all of those things.”

It’s awesome that she recognizes the underlying paradox—women are increasingly encouraged to go after positions of power, but are told that the way to do so is to act more masculine by being more aggressive, and less “soft.” By retaining the feminine aspects of herself, Kiyoko is challenging the idea that only masculinity is compatible with power.

2. She also has control behind the camera, in a male-dominated field.

As I mentioned before, Kiyoko directed the music video for “Girls Like Girls,” but that’s not the only one—she’s directed all of her music videos so far. That’s impressive, if you think about the music video industry as a whole, searching for a list of music video directors gets you many men and few women—and what’s more, those women’s praises are rarely sung. The 2017 VMAs, for example, had no female director nominees.

Not to mention, directing and starring in a music video is a huge time commitment, but it’s one Kiyoko is willing to make. She said to Out Magazine, “I’m telling these stories within my music videos and one day, I’d love to have the opportunity to [direct movies].” In an industry where queer people are often left out of their own narratives, it’s refreshing to see Kiyoko take the wheel on her own stories and make sure they get told in the way that she wants.

3. She rejects the idea that lesbian relationships exist solely for male pleasure.

If you don’t know what the male gaze is, the English Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the perspective of a notionally typical heterosexual man considered as embodied in the audience or intended audience for films and other visual media, characterized by a tendency to objectify or sexualize women.” If you’ve ever heard a guy in a movie say, “Can I watch?” to anything remotely sexual, or “Now take your clothes off!” when two girls are hugging, that about sums it up.

Lesbians, in particular, have a hard time getting rid of the male gaze and heteronormativity in general, when lesbian relationships are fetishized, marked “fun experiments,” or turned into spectacles for attention (remember Betty and Veronica’s kiss on Riverdale?). But Kiyoko refuses to play into that.

Talking about “Girls Like Girls,” she said, “I wanted it to be more of an overall statement that girls love girls and it’s not a joke. It’s not supposed to be oversexualized. It’s something that should be respected like any other relationship.” Listening to the lyrics, “Girls like girls like boys do / Nothing new” and “Don’t tell me, tell me what I feel / I’m real and I don’t feel like boys,” it’s clear that Kiyoko is claiming her queer identity as something that belongs solely to her—no boys allowed.

4. She recognizes female beauty without objectifying it.

The cover art for Expectations is stunning, it again depicts Kiyoko in a powerful position, this time with a nude woman in the foreground staring back at her. She said, “We decided to play with this idea of really idolizing and respecting and appreciating women in their truest form—which is nude. I thought that would be a really powerful moment because you should always feel comfortable in your skin and with who you are, as well as appreciating women and women appreciating each other. That’s why I’m looking at her and she’s looking at me.”

By placing herself in the center and highlighting the shared look between her and the model, Kiyoko puts the focus on female beauty without presenting the nude model as a passive recipient of desire. It also loudly and proudly shows Kiyoko’s LGBTQIA+ identity from the get-go, no shame or hiding here.

5. She works to normalize queer relationships and fight heteronormativity.

Working in an industry that consists mostly of straight artists, Kiyoko understands the weight her representation holds for the LGBTQIA+ community. She told The Huffington Post, “The way I’d put it is that [the music’s impact is] really important. Even though it’s 2018, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still really difficult to love yourself and to be open about who you love and what you love and why you feel a certain way.”

But Kiyoko ultimately wants to go beyond simply letting people know they are not alone—she wants to let them know they are normal, too, and that their queer identity can be a big part of them without defining them. “Once I break this debut-album wall and introduce myself to world—obviously loving girls is a big part of who I am—but I hope people will just listen to the radio and be like, 'Oh, I love that song. It’s by Hayley — she’s dope,' and that the rest can just be normal,”she continued.

I have high hopes for her to reach that goal because something tells me she’s just getting started.

Expectations will be available to stream and download on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and Google Play, starting tomorrow.

It seems like just yesterday we were all freaking out about choosing what college to attend, and now, once again, we’re faced with big decisions: what job to take. Whether you’re starting to hear back from summer job offers or you’re looking into longer-term career options, choosing a job can certainly be stressful. If you’ve received a job offer and can’t decide whether you should accept it, here are seven questions you should ask yourself first.

1. Do I know what I’ll be doing?

Did your potential employer give you a comprehensive job description, or just vaguely mention that you’ll “have a lot to do”? Sometimes, your job title doesn’t even come close to covering everything you’ll be doing on a daily basis.

If you don’t know what you’ll be doing, search your potential job title on LinkedIn to see who held the position in the past. Don’t be afraid to reach out to these people and ask what daily life was like in this position! Mariana Naddaf, a coach at University of Michigan’s LSA Opportunity Hub, suggests that you specifically contact alumni of your university, because it gives you a common bond of attending the same university.

“Contacting alumni in similar roles, even if they didn't work for the same company is a great way to gauge what a position might be like,” Naddaf shares. “Alumni are often excited to share insight and advice with students.”

Another way to learn more about the company is to sit in on a staff meeting or volunteer/intern with the company before taking a full-time position. “If you have the chance to volunteer or obtain an internship position at company, this is a great way to get a feel of what a full-time job might be like there. Some of the best job offers come from developing a relationship and networking with a company/organization,” Naddaf explains.

It’s important to know your priorities when it comes to your daily tasks at a job. Erica Galluscio, a junior at Hunter College, says that she always asks herself whether the job really needs her, or whether they just need another set of hands. “I don’t want to be grabbing coffee or making copies. I want to be hired because of who I am, what I can do, and how I can fit the position,” she says. “My boss has to need me, not just another employee.”

However, in some cases, you need to take the job grabbing coffee or making copies, because you have to do your time before you can move up in the field. If you believe you’ve already done your time, then you’re probably due for some more challenging tasks. If not, it’s probably best to take a simple job and learn from those around you. But you can’t make this decision at all if you don’t even know what you’ll be doing!

2. Is the money sufficient?

Jobs, at their core, exist to earn money, so this might be the single most important question. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should take a job just for the money! You should, however, write out a quick budget before taking the job. If your potential job is so low-paying that it won’t cover your basic living expenses for the summer, then you should figure out how you’re going to do that before you take the job. There may be financial aid opportunities through your university, but you may have to look into a higher-paying job.

Obviously, everyone wants to make bank, but if you know your basic living expenses are covered, then the highest-paying job isn’t always the best option. It may be better to take an unpaid internship with the knowledge that the experience will allow you to take a higher-paying job in the future.

When it comes to a full-time job, it’s important to calculate the job’s benefits into your financial analysis. Naddaf says, “Most full-time jobs will include health and retirement benefits, and sometimes companies will offer a stipend or reimbursement for relocation and moving expenses. Full-time positions also typically offer leave time benefits including vacation, sick, and maternity/paternity time.”

These are tangible monetary benefits that will vastly affect your bank account, so if you’re comparing your salary across multiple different career opportunities, make sure you take these benefits into consideration.

While it’s unlikely that you’ll become a millionaire thanks to a job you take in college or your early post-grad years, it still is important that you’re able to afford rent and groceries.

Related: 7 Ways To Make Networking Less Intimidating

3. What benefits are there outside of money and how much do I value them?

If you know that your income will suffice, then look at your values and priorities and do a little economic analysis based on that.

First, ask yourself what your biggest goals are with your job. Are you taking a job so that you can earn money? Or are you taking a job to gain experience in your field, or build connections? Will your employer write you a bomb letter of rec? Is course credit worth anything to you? Assign each benefit a monetary value. For example, maybe the employer at this potential workplace is so highly regarded that a letter of rec from her is worth $500 to you. Maybe the job offers you course credit, but you’ve already fulfilled your credit requirements in the department it offers it in, so course credit is only worth around $20 to you. Maybe you need real money so badly that nothing can come close to being as valuable to you as a $1,000 check.

This kind of analysis uses the economic principle of opportunity cost, and it’s particularly useful if you’re choosing between multiple job offers. Say one job offer pays a lot, but another job offer will look better on your resume, but yet another job offer is part-time so it will let you take a summer class in addition to it. Assign each of these benefits a monetary value based on your preferences, and go from there.

4. What opportunities are there for moving up within the company? How much do I value that?

It would be pretty nice to take a job knowing that if you work hard, you’ll be able to move up in the company. Or would it? It all depends on what you’re looking for in a job.

If you’re still in college and are just looking for a way to pay the bills this summer, then move-up opportunities may be irrelevant. But if you’re looking for a job in the field you ultimately want to go into, and you know you want to live in this area for a long time, then opportunities for move-up are a huge plus.

Even if you don’t know for sure whether you’ll want to stay at this company, if you think there’s even a chance that you will, you should look into opportunities for move-up. It would be a real bummer to put in so much time and energy to one job, only to find out that if you had taken the job across the street, you would have had an automatic “in” to a higher-level position in that company.

A great way to assess the move-up opportunities (besides simply asking at your interview) is to look at the high-level employees of the company on LinkedIn. What experience did they have prior to taking this job? Was it within the company, or was it elsewhere?

Naddaf adds that when interviewing for a full-time position, you should ask about “professional development opportunities such as conferences, certifications, and continuing learning. Ask how often reviews will be done, in what ways, and with what people. This will position you well to learn about their expectations and when you will be reviewed.” She also notes that Glassdoor.com can be a helpful resource when looking into information from current and past employees.

5. What connections will I be building?

Building your network is one of the best ways to move up in your field. If you take this job, who will you be impressing with your fantastic work ethic? Will you be working closely with a boss who can introduce you to all the top people in the industry? Or will you only get to know the other entry-level employees and one stressed-out supervisor?

There are arguments for jobs at both small and big companies when it comes to making connections. At a small company, you’re more likely to build deep relationships with everyone, even the top person at the company. But at a big company, there might be more highly-regarded people to network with, assuming you ever even encounter them. Ask yourself honestly: Who will I really get to know from this job?

Related: 7 Ways To Beef Up Your LinkedIn Game Before You Start Networking

6. What are former employees doing now?

We already looked at the current employees at this company and discovered where they got their previous experience. But what about the former entry-level employees who no longer work at the company?

Once again, LinkedIn is a great tool for this. Search up your potential job title. You might be thrilled to see that those who took this job before you are now working your all-time dream job. Maybe they all worked at this company for a year, and then got offered a job that pays super well and is in an awesome location! Or you might find out that most of them are doing something that you wouldn’t want to do in a million years, and haven’t really moved up much in the field at all. All of this can tell you a lot about the job.

If you’re feeling brave, reach out to these former employees. Ask them how this job impacted their future job offers, and what they would recommend to someone with the goals that you have.

7. Without thinking too much, what is my gut instinct?

It’s easy to get in the habit of over-analyzing things and taking way too long to make a decision. But when it comes down to it, a job is a job. If you had five seconds to decide, what would you do?

A job is a big decision, but, in reality, no job is perfect. You’re always going to have to make the best of the job you have. So listen to your gut instinct, and if you want to take the job, take the job.

President Trump made it very clear on Twitter that he is no a fan of Amazon. In a tweet on Thursday, Trump attacked the company, saying it is hurting brick and mortar stores and is not paying enough in taxes, The New York Times reports.

“I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

The president’s tweet comes a day after Axios reported that Trump does not like Amazon and has been having private conversations about how to change the way that Amazon pays taxes. According to The Times, Trump’s alleged comments in the Axios article have already had negative effects on Amazon’s stock, and stocks continued to fall on Thursday after Trump posted on Twitter.

“We have no announcements and no specific policies or actions that we’re currently pushing forward or considering taking,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters after being asked about the Axios article during the press briefing on Wednesday. When asked whether Trump was having conversations behind closed doors about new regulations for Amazon, Sanders said, “Look, the president has said many times before he’s always looking to create a level playing field for all businesses, and this is no different. And he’s going to always look at different ways, but there aren’t any specific policies on the table at this time.”

Kevin Hassett, the chair of the president’s Council on Economic Advisers, told Fox Business on Thursday, “The general principle that I know deeply concerns the president is that we need to live in a world where the government sets a level playing field between internet vendors and mom and pop stores.”

A source, who chose to remain anonymous, told The Times that the president had pondered Amazon and its payment of taxes multiple times in the past six months. Trump has reportedly made remarks that Amazon costs the U.S. Postal Service, even though this isn’t necessarily the case, The Times reports. The president has also allegedly claimed that Amazon unfairly benefits from tax laws.

According to ABC News, this is not the first time that Trump has gone after the company and its CEO. Just this past summer, Trump tweeted, “Amazon is doing great damage to tax paying retailers. Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt - many jobs being lost!”

In December, Trump took to Twitter, writing, “Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!”

Trump has also expressed his disdain with Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos and the newspaper he owns: The Washington Post. The president has slammed the newspaper on multiple occasions and claimed that it has been extremely critical of his administration, ABC News reports.  

Just when we were excited enough that Taylor Swift had released a new music video for her single “Delicate,” she threw fans into a frenzy when she announced on Thursday via Instagram that she would be releasing yet *another* video for the song, HelloGiggles reports.

While Swift debuted her carefree, dance-filled video for “Delicate” during the iHeartRadio Music Awards earlier this month, it appears that this new video will only be released on Spotify, PopSugar reports. Interesting…

Usually when there are two videos involved for a single, artists release some sort of lyric video first and then release the actual video for the song; but, it looks like this second video will be an actual, entirely new video. And I’m not screaming, you are.

Just to recap, Swift has had a complicated relationship with streaming services, including Spotify, in the past. According to PopSugar, Swift removed all of her music from streaming services in 2014, but Swift brought her music back to Spotify last June.

We seriously don’t know how she will top her fun, highly energetic first video for “Delicate,” but we can’t wait to see it! (And will most likely be playing it on repeat!)

The new video drops at midnight ET on Spotify. In the meantime, we’ll be preparing for the new video by blasting T-Swizzle and dancing like nobody's watching.

It’s almost the end of the semester. Spring break is in the rearview mirror and you’re about to kick-off that last push towards finals. With everything else that’s been going on in your life, it’s easy to understand that sometimes things get lost in the shuffle—like looking for a summer internship. Oops? But your summer isn’t a lost cause quite yet. Here’s what to do if you’ve left looking for that summer internship until the very last minute.

It’s going to take some work

Okay, so maybe you missed the deadlines to apply for a few of those internships you were thinking about. Or maybe you put all your eggs in one basket and banked on a getting an internship that just didn’t work out. Whatever the reason, the fact is that starting to look later in the semester will be a little more difficult. “It will require more simultaneous work on your part,” says Laura Craig, Associate Director of Career Development at the Temple University Career Center. “That could include developing your professional brand and materials like a resume, researching industries and organizations, creating internship applications, and attending employer events.” It’s a lot to take on all at once, but it can pay off if you snag a great internship. Keep an eye on your campus’s Career Services job board if they have one or spend some quality time with online resources like internships.com. Not all internship applications operate on set deadlines and new postings get added every day. If you know what you’re looking for and have your resume polished up, it could just be a matter of keeping an eye out for the right posting to come along. 

Related: 6 Common Misconceptions About Internships

Mine your connections

You also don’t have to start from scratch. “Don’t struggle alone,” Craig says. “Start with your campus resources – faculty, academic advisors and your career services office.” You can also turn to the people you know well. Marketing professional Mara Hyman suggests that last-minute-internship hunters should “put together a list of the family friends, mentors, distant cousins, anyone you know working in your industries of choice, and reach out to them about summer volunteer opportunities.” For Hyman, this strategy was successful: “I ended up finding an internship not because one was posted for the company, but because I had worked with an organization in high school whose team happened to need assistance that summer.” You never know when someone you know will have some good suggestions – or even a job for you!

Networking is also key as the summer gets closer. Craig explains that networking “can take many forms ranging from identifying and contacting alumni on LinkedIn to reaching out to personal contacts, or meeting people at events.” If you’re new to networking, looking for an internship can be a great way to practice before you need to use those skills out in the real world. It also gives you a chance to build connections that you can turn to for your next internship or when you’re looking for a full-time job.

Get creative

Job-hunting doesn’t always go perfectly. If you’re striking out looking in your particular field of interest, it might be time to think outside the box a little. Keep an eye out for positions that will let you work remotely or consider broadening your search to other fields where you might still get to do similar work. Smaller businesses with less competitive internship programs are great places to look for work. Maybe you missed the deadline to apply for that internship with a big marketing firm, but you can still get your feet wet in a marketing internship for a local company or nonprofit organization. With a smaller company, there’s also a good chance you’ll be given more to do. Look to community theaters, summer camps, your old favorite stores. As Hyman puts it, “Opportunities can pop up in the most unlikely of places, so don't give up!”

Related: How to Land Your First Job in a Field You Have No Experience In

Internships aren’t everything

If all else fails, a regular job is always a solid option. It’s better to have something on your resume, even if it isn’t directly related to your future career. Retail or food service might not be glamorous but you’ll have plenty of stories to tell in interviews about how you work with others and resolve conflict. According to Craig, “there are many opportunities to build skills that are important to employers—communication skills, leadership, ability to take initiative and ability to solve problems among others. It’s acquiring those skills and articulating how you used them in your experiences that impresses employers.”

In the end, the most important thing to avoid spending the summer on sitting on the couch. So get out there and start looking! And maybe don’t leave it all until the last minute next year.

President Trump made it very clear on Twitter that he is not a fan of Amazon. In a tweet on Thursday, Trump attacked the company, saying it is hurting brick and mortar stores and is not paying enough in taxes, The New York Times reports.

“I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

The president’s tweet comes a day after Axios reported that Trump does not like Amazon and has been having private conversations about how to change the way that Amazon pays taxes. According to The Times, Trump’s alleged comments in the Axios article have already had negative effects on Amazon’s stock, and stocks continued to fall on Thursday after Trump posted on Twitter.

“We have no announcements and no specific policies or actions that we’re currently pushing forward or considering taking,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters after being asked about the Axios article during the press briefing on Wednesday. When asked whether Trump was having conversations behind closed doors about new regulations for Amazon, Sanders said, “Look, the president has said many times before he’s always looking to create a level playing field for all businesses, and this is no different. And he’s going to always look at different ways, but there aren’t any specific policies on the table at this time.”

Kevin Hassett, the chair of the president’s Council on Economic Advisers, told Fox Business on Thursday, “The general principle that I know deeply concerns the president is that we need to live in a world where the government sets a level playing field between internet vendors and mom and pop stores.”

A source, who chose to remain anonymous, told The Times that the president had pondered Amazon and its payment of taxes multiple times in the past six months. Trump has reportedly made remarks that Amazon costs the U.S. Postal Service, even though this isn’t necessarily the case, The Times reports. The president has also allegedly claimed that Amazon unfairly benefits from tax laws.

According to ABC News, this is not the first time that Trump has gone after the company and its CEO. Just this past summer, Trump tweeted, “Amazon is doing great damage to tax paying retailers. Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt - many jobs being lost!”

In December, Trump took to Twitter, writing, “Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!”

Trump has also expressed his disdain with Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos and the newspaper he owns: The Washington Post. The president has slammed the newspaper on multiple occasions and claimed that it has been extremely critical of his administration, ABC News reports.  

Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

Trump Administration Prepares to Roll Back Regulations That Require Cars to Be Efficient & Cleaner

The Trump administration is set to roll back federal fuel-efficiency targets for cars and light trucks, The Washington Postreports.

The undoing of the standards, which were set in place by the Obama administration to combat climate change, would most likely mean a legal battle with California, as the state has vowed to keep the strict emissions rules in place regardless if the administration decides to roll back the standards or not, The New York Times reports. California State Attorney General Xavier Becerra, said of the potential rollback: “We’re prepared to take whatever action, legal or otherwise, that we must to protect our economy, our environment and the public health of people of California.”

This could be cause for concern, since this could potentially lead to two separate standards: a stricter standard for California (and the 12 states that follow the state’s lead) and a separate standard for the rest of the country. However, Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told Bloomberg TV earlier this month that he is ready to take on such a challenge from California, as it is “not the arbiter of these issues.”

Under the current federal rules, 2018 cars are required to have 38.3 miles per gallon (mpg), and cars would need to have approximately 51 mpg in 2025, The Post reports. Pruitt, is set to announce that auto manufacturers cannot meet the fuel efficiency standards set by the Obama administration, and will frame this new policy as a way to eliminate the burden from car makers so they can produce more affordable vehicles for consumers, The Times reports.

As of right now, according to an EPA spokeswoman, the 16-page draft for the plan has been sent over to the White House, The Times reports.

According to Robert Stavins, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, this rollback could be a “big deal.”

“The result will be more gas-guzzling vehicles on the road, greater total gasoline consumption, and a significant increase in carbon dioxide emissions,” Stavins added.

Major automakers would most likely welcome this opportunity to make new rules that would meet “our customers’ needs for affordable, safe, clean and fuel-efficient transportation,” said Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

The federal rules, however, would have put the U.S. at the forefront, while it has historically fallen behind, of manufacturing electric and fuel efficient vehicles, The Times reports. Rolling back these standards could potentially end up putting the U.S. behind the European Union and China in terms of clean vehicle technology.

Trump has previously talked about rolling back these regulations, however. At a Detroit research facility last March, Trump said, “I’m sure you've all heard the big news that we’re going to work on the [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] standards so you can make cars in America again. We want to be the car capital of the world again. We will be, and it won’t be long.”

Russia Has Expelled 60 U.S. Diplomats in Retaliatory Move

Russia, in a retaliatory move, has now expelled 60 U.S. diplomats and announced that it will close the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, CNN reports.

The foreign ministry office declared that the diplomats were “persona non grata” for activities that are “incompatible with diplomatic status,” CNN reports. The diplomats are required to leave the country by April 5.

Russia, according to CNN, has been engaged in a tit-for-tat with Britain, as well as other countries, after Britain accused Russia of poisoning a Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, on British soil earlier this month.

Russia, however, has denied poisoning Skripal and his daughter, with President Vladimir Putin dismissing the allegations as “delirium.”

Over 20 nations stood with Britain and expelled 100 Russian diplomats from their country. According to CNN, the U.S. expelled 60 Russian diplomats on Monday as part of this response. Now it appears that Russia has asked the 60 U.S. diplomats to leave as a sort of retaliatory move, as both Britain and Russia both asked 23 of each other’s diplomats to leave their respective countries.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated on Thursday that Russia was not involved in the death of Skripal and his daughter, and that the expulsion of Russian diplomats was “absolutely unacceptable” and Russia would retaliate, CNN reports.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Russia’s decision to expel U.S. diplomats was “regrettable,” but did not see the Russians’ actions as a sort of “tit-for-tat” since the United States’ actions for expelling Russian diplomats was justifiable, and the Russians’ actions were not.

“Toy Story’s” Pizza Planet May Actually Become a Real Pizza Place

If your dream has always been to go to Pizza Planet like Andy from “Toy’s Story,” then your dream just may be coming true. According to HelloGiggles, a real-life Pizza Planet (yes, cue the excited screams) may be coming to Disneyland this April.

And why this wasn’t a thing already, we just don’t understand? I mean, we all know we’ve been dying to get our hands on one of those adorable, little green aliens from the claw crane.

Walt Disney World News Today reported that Disneyland’s Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port would be transformed into Pizza Planet for Pixar Fest. And this is exciting news, because we may finally be able to eat pizza at Pizza Planet.

There aren’t many details at this point, but we do know that this makeover will be temporary. Sigh. But that’s okay. It will totally be worth it!

As long as they have the claw crane, and Buzz and Woody are around, we know that it’ll be totally out of this world! (Bad joke, I know.)

What to look out for…

Taylor Swift's new, second video for "Delicate" is out now! Check it out!

Your first big internship deserves a lot of excitement, especially when it’s in your dream career track! So how do you end up there, working side-by-side with talented colleagues in a friendly, supportive culture where people are open and approachable? Below, Julie Cunha, an Associate and Graduate Recruiter at Deutsche Bank offers her advice for breaking into the world of financial services, touching on everything from building a jaw-dropping resume to nailing your interview like a pro. Take notes, ladies, because these tips are good.

Her Campus: What is the one thing you always look for on a resume? How can a student impress an employer with their application? 

JC: While it’s not necessary for students to have previous experience in finance, I think extracurricular activities are essential. If you are a club president, excelled at a relevant class project, or volunteered during the summer, we want to know. Think of ways to tie these experiences to your application. What was the impact of your work? How has it taught you the skills you need to succeed in the internship you’re applying for? Even if your experiences don’t connect directly with banking, focus on the transferable skills you learned and draw parallels where you can.

While it may sound simple, I think one of the most important aspects of a resume is the format. You want to make sure you’re always keeping your long-term goals in mind and be sure to check and re-check for spelling errors.

HC: What is the best way to get noticed and begin to build relationships with recruiters? How can students begin to build their personal brands? 

JC: If the company is hosting events at your university, meeting the recruiters face-to-face is always the easiest way to build a relationship. Recruiters are generally in their roles because they want to help students find a job, so don’t feel intimidated to strike up a conversation. If there aren’t any events taking place at your school, you can always reach out to the recruiters via LinkedIn. Your emails and communications should be short and sweet, but make sure to include the position you are interested in along with a resume.

In order to build your personal brand, you must identify your strengths, ambitions and goals, as these will guide your personal branding efforts and help keep you consistent. Identify and own what makes you unique. These three things can help drive all of your interactions from the people you encounter to your social media presence.

HC: How important is a candidate’s social media presence in terms of applying to an internship? Are there specific things a candidate should look for or even avoid? 

JC: It is likely that employers will be viewing your profile so keep all social media sites professional and remove anything that would leave a bad impression. Take a look at the photos and content you’re posting on social media. Ask yourself if they accurately reflect how you want to be seen by employers, whether they’re career-related or not? It is also important to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date with your latest achievements and projects.

HC: How do you nail phone/face-to-face interviews? 

JC: Preparation is key. You should not only know your resume inside and out, but also research the position and company ahead of time. Having a strong understanding of the internship will help you relate your skills and abilities to the position. You should always have thoughtful questions prepared based off of your research as well, so the interviewer is aware of your genuine interest in the company. And be confident! Don’t be afraid to showcase your skills and talk about your achievements.

HC: Why should a non-business major consider a career in banking, and specifically at Deutsche Bank? 

JC: At Deutsche Bank, we think qualities like resiliency and curiosity are more important than your major. No matter what your background is, it’s inevitable that you’ll face problems you’ve never encountered before. How do you deal with that? Are you able to keep calm, focus, and break down the problem into manageable tasks that you can then tackle?  That’s the kind of thoughtfulness that we look for in the people we hire, and we realize that these qualities aren’t only present in business majors. There may be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the financial side, but we can teach everything you need to know if you’re are willing to learn and ask questions. We even created an Unofficial Guide to Banking to help people without a business background better understand the industry.

HC: What is it about Deutsche Banks’s internship offerings that a candidate should be excited about? 

JC: Our internships give you exceptional exposure to our organization while at the same time offering a very supportive environment. We provide a strong mentorship program, networking opportunities, and easy access to senior management. Once you join, it is clear from the start that everyone genuinely wants you to succeed. Because our internships are a rich source of talent for the Deutsche Bank Graduate Training Program, yours could also launch a long-term career with us.

Are you feeling next level yet? Obviously, every internship and company are different, but by following this advice closely, you’re more likely to spend the summer interning at the company of your professional dreams.

While you’re on this inspiration-high, we can’t let you go without mentioning the incredible opportunities available through Deutsche Bank’s Internship Program. Spanning a huge variety of locations and career paths, look forward to finding your perfect spot in investment banking, technology, and more at a leading global bank. Learn more about available positions with Deutsche Bank.

At one point in our lives we were all teenagers who were oblivious to anything regarding sex — granted, some of us are still clueless about sex in our adulthood. Nevertheless, we probably awkwardly navigated the Internet in search for the answer that our high school sex education classes couldn’t teach us. While modern-day teenagers can probably Google all of their sex queries that they’re too afraid to ask their teachers or guardians, The New York Times found that the Internet might do more harm when answering a teen’s naïve, sex-related questions.

On Feb. 7, The Times sat down with the with the educators and students of a trial high school sex education course, called The Truth About Pornography: A Pornography-Literacy Curriculum for High School Students Designed to Reduce Sexual and Dating Violence (also known as Porn Literacy, because that’s a mouthful).

Taught in a Boston high school, the course started as a study in 2016. Emily Rothman, an associate professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health and co-created of Porn Lit’s curriculum, tells The Times, that the course's lectures go beyond the basic lectures of safe sex to help prevent sexual violence and promote consent as well as establishing a healthy relationship with sex itself.

However, Rothman’s Porn Lit class isn’t the only learning module designed to help young people navigate the ambiguous world of sex and sexuality.

Nora Gelperin, M.Ed., Director of Sexuality Education and Training at Advocates for Youth and partner of AMAZE, tells Her Campus, “[AMAZE] is really trying to fill the void in honest and accurate information about sexual health. We try to really get at the topics that nobody else is talking about in healthy and accurate ways.”

Although AMAZE’s videos help supplement what’s taught in sex ed, this insightful content can be lost in the gluttonous amount of misinformation created from porn and problematic sex scenes in film and television, which is why a healthy combination of porn literacy and age appropriate sex ed are vital to students’ education and wellbeing.

Dr. Wyatt Fisher, a licensed psychologist who works as a porn addiction counselor, told to Her Campus that “the majority of teens learn most about sex through pornography."

"Unfortunately, this sets up all sorts of unhealthy views and expectations sexually," Fisher said. "Therefore, human sexuality courses could help clear the dysfunctional myths porn portrays about genders and sex and combat it with truth. In turn, this could create a more balanced, respectful, and healthy view of sex which could possibly reduce sexual violence.”

Albeit revolutionary, Rothman’s Porn Literacy class isn’t the first experimental sex ed class. In a 1980 pilot human sexuality class, researchers reported that, like Rothman's students, junior high school students felt more informed about sex and their sexuality at the end of this course.

If alternate sex ed classes, like Rothman’s and the pilot class in 1980, help enlighten students about healthy sex, why aren’t human sexuality classes and resource more prevalent?

Gelperin said that parents are often afraid of giving their children too much information about sex. To combat this reluctance, Gelperin recommends "parents watch the videos first, by themselves to make sure that they’re comfortable with what the videos cover. They think if I protect them or keep them safe if I protect them from this information by shielding them from it, that’s the way I can keep them healthy and safe. When it comes to sexual health education, it’s the absolute opposite." 

According to The BBC, approximately 94 percent of young people have seen lewd images online by the time the age of 14. If the majority of young people have already come in contact with pornographic images, then they’ve likely already been influenced by the way porn portrays unhealthy sex and intimacy.

Sex is prevalent in all forms of media— from music to television and even social media. Incorporating proper education that teaches young people about can help prevent young people from incubating these unhealthy sexual habits — such as sexual violence and assuming consent — from an early age.

Aside from helping young people establish a healthy relationship with sex itself, Porn Literacy courses and human sexuality classes could be the key to coordinating a cohesive sex education lesson plan between states—seeing as, currently, different states have varying degrees of sex ed courses.

It’s that time of year again — college admissions season. Whether you’re super excited or super nervous about heading off to college, there are some things to keep in perspective when you’re waiting to hear back from the schools you applied to. We talked to current collegiettes about what they wish they knew when they heard back from colleges. Be sure to keep these five things in mind when opening those long-awaited decision letters.

1. Dream schools aren’t always realistic

Having a dream school can end up hurting you down the road. There's nothing worse than disappointment.

Abby Piper, a junior at the University of Notre Dame, thinks the idea of “one perfect school” is a little insane. “It's cool to have a dream school, but keep in mind that college is whatever you make of it,” she says. “Where you are accepted [or] rejected really should not and cannot determine the fate of your college experience.” She’s so right!

Even if you do get accepted to your *dream school*, it’s important to remember that this doesn’t always mean you can go there. Elizabeth Wolfe, a sophomore at Agnes Scott College, was thrilled when she got accepted to New York University, but then she “quickly realized that I would not be able to go because of the minute amount of financial aid I had received,” she says. “I think if I had been more realistic, I would not have been so devastated.” Keep in mind that dream schools don’t always work out, and that’s okay!

2. Rejection doesn’t always mean you weren’t qualified

There’s no denying it — getting a rejection letter hurts. But don’t let those rejections discourage you. Colleges take a lot into consideration when accepting students!

“I wish someone had told me how much some schools take in-state/out-of-state status into account during their decision making process,” says Caitlin Barkley, a sophomore at Clemson University. “That can become a major factor in some rejection letters, and it's easy to get discouraged if you don't realize that.”

Abby had a similar experience. She applied to a lot of top-tier schools and the rejection letters she got killed her confidence. “What I would advise to people applying to Ivy League or really competitive schools is that the admission process is actually pretty arbitrary,” she says. “Not getting in doesn't necessarily mean you weren't qualified, but at some point, so many applicants have all of the credentials [and] it boils down to the preference of the admissions people, which can be pretty subjective.” Had Abby realized this sooner, she may not have ended up so upset. It’s all about perspective!

Related: 4 Tips for Surviving Second Semester of Senior Year

3. Apply for scholarships

While you’re waiting to hear back from schools, applying for scholarships is super important! There are tons of scholarships out there that can help cut down college costs.

Ashley Drayton, a 2015 graduate from Georgia State University, wishes she “applied for scholarships, took them seriously, and actively looked for ones that would have helped with tuition.” Unfortunately, getting acceptances won’t be meaningful unless you can afford to go to the school. Check out websites like Fastweb and Scholarships.com.

4. Don’t focus all your attention on college

Don’t let worrying about college applications take over your senior year. It’s your last year of high school, so you want to be enjoying it!

“Try to find a balance between submitting applications and talking about college-related things with enjoying senior year by going to sports games, doing activities in your home town, talking to your friends about things other than college and just generally staying present where you are!” says Molly Crum, a senior at James Madison University. This is your last year of high school. Don’t let it pass you by!

5. Remember that everything will work itself out

Waiting to get acceptances (or rejections) may seem super daunting, but there’s something you should remember: Everything turns out exactly how it’s supposed to.

Taylor Carson, a senior at Temple University, had always dreamed of going to college out of state. “After a lot of discussion with my mom about waiting to hear back from schools where I was waitlisted, I decided to stay in state and go to Temple on scholarship,” she says. “I don't regret my decision for a single second. At the time, I remember wondering if I was settling, but I have since realized that it doesn't matter where you go. What does matter is what you do with the opportunities in front of you when you get there — wherever ‘there’ might be.”

We love this advice! No matter where you end up, it’s all about your attitude and taking advantage of what’s in front of you.

There’s no denying that college admissions season is nerve-wracking, but there’s no reason to stress — you’re going to end up exactly where you’re supposed to be. If you keep these things in mind, you won’t have any regrets later. Don’t forget that college is all about what you make of it. Good luck, future collegiettes!

Stacy Bailey, an elementary school teacher at Charlotte Anderson Elementary in Mansfield, Texas, has been on paid administrative leave since September, allegedly due to comments she’s made in the classroom directed toward her sexual orientation.

Bailey, who is openly gay, has been teaching at the school since 2008. After reportedly addressing school district members in an attempt to initiate changes to Mansfield’s anti-discrimination policy, which currently lacks direct mention of LGBTQ rights, Bailey was placed on leave with little explanation.

In a statement by Mansfield Independent School District put out on Tuesday, however, the school maintains that Bailey’s suspension was not due to her initiatives for the discrimination policy, but was a result of parent complaints about her openness about her sexual orientation in classroom conversation.

“The District's concern is that Ms. Bailey insists that it is her right and that it is age appropriate for her to have ongoing discussion with elementary-aged students about her own sexual orientation, the sexual orientation of artists, and their relationships with other gay artists,” the statement read. “Again, this situation is not about Ms. Bailey’s inquiries regarding the District’s nondiscrimination policies. Rather, it is a matter of parents having certain rights pertaining to the topics to which their children are exposed and the District’s right and responsibility to ensure age-appropriate instruction.”

A parent from the school reportedly complained about Bailey’s mention of her same-sex relationship to her students.

Administrators say that Bailey was advised on more than one occasion on the level of appropriateness of her classroom discussions, but Bailey’s attorney Giana Ortiz refutes the claim.

In a statement made to The Dallas Morning News, Ortiz says, “The District appears to speak for Stacy when it states that she 'insists it is her right and that it is age appropriate' to discuss matters including ongoing discussions about her own sexuality. This is absolutely false. Further, she never received directives to change her behavior--and never refused to follow any directive.”

An online petition is circulating to attempt to realize Bailey’s original goal in amending the school district’s non-discrimination language to address LGBTQ employee and student rights.

Coffee drinkers, rejoice! Starbucks is back with their Happy Hour deals, but this time they’re giving the people what they really want - espresso.

In past promotions, the Happy Hour Deal has been limited — to the dismay of busy baristas — to just frappuccinos, but in this reboot, customers can also get their hands on discounted espresso and iced tea drinks.

The deal kicked off yesterday with the chain announcing 50% off drinks from 3 p.m. to closing time until future notice.

The other difference this go around? Starbucks is working on their digital presence, so to capitalize on the sweet, sweet deals, you’ll have to either download the mobile app and get on their rewards program (I know I’m not the only one who’s on their way to Gold status) or register for an invitation online. In the same vein, those who sign on will receive notifications of new offers throughout the year. Starbucks has officially mastered the win-win.

This new initiative is part of the coffee conglomerate’s plan to heighten their digital relationship with consumers. In a press release the company put out earlier this week, they said, “This evolution in Starbucks Happy Hour promotion is part of the company’s ongoing strategy to strengthen digitally enabled customer relationships beyond its Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program.”

Related: 11 Thoughts Every Girl Has Waiting in Line at Starbucks

“With nearly 100 million customers in our stores every week, we’re looking for more opportunities to engage directly and personally, providing them with special benefits and offers that are meaningful,” said Chief Strategy Officer Matt Ryan.

And I say they’re not doing half bad. They’ve even made it possible for all customers, not just rewards members, to pay via the app, streamlining the process and making it easier for us all to get our caffeine fix.

I’m personally not mad about getting my vanilla iced latte even quicker.

Great news for The Weeknd fans: On Friday, March 30th, he dropped six new songs on his new album, My Dear Melancholy. Of course, fans are already finding hidden meanings in the lyrics, particularly in “Call Out My Name.”

Many fans think the song references famous ex, Selena Gomez — and they might not be completely wrong.

Verse two of the song appears to reference Selena's kidney transplant in 2017, implying The Weeknd was almost a donor: "I said I didn’t feel nothing baby, but I lied / I almost cut a piece of myself for your life."

The Weeknd threw some shade right after that line, considering how Gomez got back together with Justin Bieber a few days after their break-up, singing, "Guess I was just another pit stop / Til’ you made up your mind / You just wasted my time." Like, damn.

Fans are praising the new album — from tweeting gifs to express their overwhelming emotion over the lyrics to some even thanking Gomez for breaking up with him to inspire the music.

Overall, the new album is amazing and I am definitely listening to it on repeat.

John Mulaney, a comedian who got his start for his work writing on Saturday Night Live, is set to be the host of the sketch comedy show on April 14. 

This is a HUGE deal for fans of Mulaney — who is known for his two existing Netflix specials, his webseries-turned-Broadway show "Oh Hello" and for writing hyper-specific last minute jokes credited with making Stefon, played by Bill Hader, break character during Weekend Update segments.

As a staff writer of SNL for 6 years, Mulaney created some of the funniest and most memorable jokes on the show, winning an Emmy for his work in 2012. The celebrated stand-up will be making a rare appearance in front of the show's cameras, presumably to also promote his latest Netflix special, Kid Gorgeous At Radio City, which airs on May 1. 

Jack White, singer and artist who just released a new album, Boarding House Reach,  is the musical guest slotted to appear that night as well. 

Since leaving SNL, Mulaney has starred in the Fox sitcom, Mulaney which was canceled after one season. He also currently stars alongside Nick Kroll on the animated Netflix show, Big Mouth and most recently made a brief cameo on Hader's episode of SNL. 

It's understandable why people are so excited to finally see Mulaney back on the show, and we can hardly wait to see him flex his hosting abilities on April 14. 

I spend a lot of time on skincare, to the point that I host Face Mask and Chill on our Instagram Story, and write about skincare here for you guys every week. Yes, I'm that extra, and no, I have no regrets. Some weeks, I just really have no idea WTF is going on with my skin. It's dry, and oily, and sensitive, and oh look – a whole bunch of pimples just popped up on my chin and my forehead is practically peeling. WHY.

Sometimes, I don't have the time or energy to figure out what's wrong with it. A dermatologist? In this economy?

That's when I turn to one of my favorite skincare inventions of all time: multi-masking. What is multi-masking? It's basically a magically thing that enables you to target your skin's specific problems, and only apply what it needs, where it needs it. In short? It's applying one mask to one part of your face, and another to another part of your face, and maybe even a third one for good measure.

I've been multi-masking for years now, and I couldn't love it more. It just makes so much sense, you know? When it comes to multi-masking on those hormonal, freakout weeks, I turn to two masks: Isa's Restoratives Matcha Facial Mask and Apoterra Skincare's Activated Purifying Mask with Charcoal + Flowers. It's a combination from the skincare goddess herself, aka my personal heaven.

Here's how it goes down.

First, I grab two small dishes, a cup of water, and honey. Honey is so damn good for your skin, so adding it to most dry masks is seriously going to up their ability to soothe your skin. Then, I pour a little of each mask (they're dry masks, meaning they come to you in powder form and you do some science for yourself to make it mask-ready) into its own dish, add some honey, and add some water.

Then, I mix them with a foundation brush. I always use brushes to apply my face masks instead of my fingers, and then I clean the brush in between uses. I hate the mess of most masks, and this technique helps with it juuuust enough that I'm willing to give up my beloved sheet masks for dry masks. Really, dry masks have so many benefits that I accept the inevitability of wearing a little bit of it.

Once everything is all mixed and ~scienced~, I apply. I apply the Matcha Facial Mask to my t-zone and forehead, since this tends to be the dryer part of my face. Matcha is antioxidant rich, so it helps keep skin looking young and fresh without being too intense for sensitive skin. Too, the rose and aloe in this mask makes it beyond soothing, which helps my forehead chill out a bit.

Then, I apply the Activated Charcoal & Flowers mask to my cheeks, chin, and upper lip. This mask is amazing for acne and oily-prone skin, and this part of my face tends to be where I break out. This mask really helps decongest pores and clarify, aka get that crap out of my skin and make my face smooth again. 

Here's what happens.

Magic, basically. Okay, more like science, but this combination really does always help my face SO MUCH. Multi-masking is a huge game of trial and error, and it takes time to figure out the right combination for your skin. For me, this is a go-to, and I have no regrets.

I leave this mask combination on for about an hour, though you really only need 15-20 minutes. But I work from home/hate leaving the house, so I have the time to spare. I want this to have all the time it needs to do its thing. Once that time passes, a gap during which I answer a zillion emails and take selfies, I remove the mask with warm water and gently brush away the powder with a damp wash cloth. 

Once the mask is off, am I a completely different person? Am I Rihanna? Will I never get zits again? No, because skincare doesn't work that way. But my skin feels refreshed, and the mask is the reset button I needed to get my skin to calm down. Sometimes, that's really all I'm looking for, and this combo always pulls through for me.

Want help finding the perfect combination for you? DM us, and be sure to tune into the next episode of Face Mask & Chill on IG Stories, and here. Happy skincare adventures!

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