Troian Bellisario, aka Spencer Hastings from Pretty Little Liars, shared her thoughts on the feud between Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West during an interview with Cosmopolitan.

While some celebrities have used Twitter to show support for one side of the dispute, Bellisario is not a fan of either.

When asked about the Hollywood debate, she responded, “Oh god, I have such an aversion to the Kardashians because I literally don't understand people's obsession with them and I don't want to accept them as our closest thing to a royal family, so I guess I would be Team Taylor Swift?”

But she wasn’t done yet. She admitted that she questions some of Swift’s actions.

“However, I'm so appalled by what I consider to be her false feminism,” she said. “It seems like she's this person who's like, ‘Sisterhood!’ and then she does nothing but tear down the women that were once her friends.”

Like many Americans during this presidential election, she would rather choose another option.

“So is it possible to just be, like … this is a two-party system that I don't want to be a part of? Can I just say that? Can I say that I would choose the Green Party in this?”

Whether or not you agree with her, you have to admire her honesty.  

The Gilmore girls, Lorelai and Rory, have the most enviable mother-daughter relationship in TV history, much of which the storyline credits to the fact that Lorelai was a teen mom and the rest to her reigning title as the coolest woman on the planet. Her knowledge of classic movies and her impeccable taste in music are insurmountable. Tucked away in the quaint small town utopia that is Stars Hollow (not an actual town, we checked), the pair welcomed us into their charming but quirky cottage-like home for seven long, memorable years (2000-2007). We laughed with them. We cried with them. We watched Rory graduate from prep school; we made three trips to Yale with Lorelai and a mattress when Rory went off to college; and we wallowed (per Lorelai’s request) with them through every heartbreak—romantic, familial and even professional.

With the ubiquitous media buzz surrounding the upcoming Netflix revival, many of us have returned to Stars Hollow to catch up with the girls before the big reunion. Still, newcomers have joined us to see for themselves what this quick-talking, pop-culture loving duo is all about.

Here’s what you need to know about Gilmore Girls if you’re planning to binge-watch the series, which you totally should be.

Related: 15 Times Lorelai Gilmore Spoke Directly to Your Soul

How to Watch

If you’re a superfan (and a bit of a TV nerd), the best way to watch this show is on the DVD box set. The deluxe edition comes complete with a literal glossary of every single pop culture reference made, plus behind-the-scenes extras and cast interviews—you won’t believe whose accents aren’t authentic! A more accessible (and arguably cheaper) way to binge-watch is, of course, on Netflix. All seven seasons are available for online streaming in preparation for the November 25 release of the all new four-part event, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Reasons to Watch

Collegiettes (and incoming collegiettes) everywhere need to add this to their watch list. Go ahead; add it right now if it isn’t already on there (frankly, we’re disappointed). Rory Gilmore is everything we were in high school and everything we aspire to be in college. We are Rory Gilmore—some of us feel very strongly about this. From her impressive book list to her travel aspirations, we relate on every single level. Living vicariously through the golden child of the Gilmore clan is entirely necessary and unavoidable once you get hooked on this show. Spoiler alert: you are going to scream for joy when she talks about reading Gloria Steinem for one of her college classes on feminism. 

Identifying strongly with Rory is your gateway to enjoying the rest of the show and its cast. Soon, you’ll find yourself relating every experience and every character to those in your own life. And yes, you will make real-life decisions by asking yourself, “What would Rory do?” Like any of ours, Rory’s life is full of emotional roller coasters—decades of family drama and holiday passive aggressiveness, first loves and first breakups, high school bullies and class dances, college admissions and college graduations. Throw in the occasional naked guy in the hallway, a few pet memorials, one or two mental breakdowns (mostly about the impending doom of adulthood) and a deep and burning passion for coffee, and you’ve got absolutely no reason not to watch. 

Suggested Rate of Watching

Friday-night movie night is a tradition in the Gilmore household—a night, curated by Lorelai no doubt, where the two bachelorettes sit down to watch anywhere from one to three of their all-time favorite movies including the likes of Casablanca and The Way We Were. That being said, your rate of viewing should reflect a similar level of dedication—no slacking. 

Each episode averages about 40 minutes long, which is basically half of one movie, so we recommend a steady nightly rate of two to three episodes. If Netflix asks for confirmation that you’re still alive (and still watching), you’re doing it right.

Best and Worst Seasons

Season four is by far the best season of Gilmore Girls. First of all, it’s Rory’s first semester away at college. She and Lorelai have been preparing for this for 18 years, and on their first day there, the once inseparable duo add a new verb to Ivy League vernacular: to Lorelai, as in “to evaluate the quality of food, speed of service and cuteness of delivery guys at any given dining establishment.” This is also the season when fans finally get a glimpse of the Stars Hollow couple they’ve been shipping for years. Hell, the entire town has shipped this couple and the time is now!

The most disappointing season of the series is, unfortunately, the last and not just because it meant the end of an era. Season seven is the absolute worst for one main reason—things have changed. Die-hard Gilmore Girls fans will notice almost immediately that things are little ~off~ in this season. That’s because in 2006 Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, writer-director Daniel Palladino, packed their bags and said their emotional goodbyes to Stars Hollow. The pair left due to contract conflicts with the WB network; more specifically, they wanted more permanent contracts than the one-year terms that they had previously settled for. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Palladino said frankly, “Look, we’ve been working for the last two years with one-year contracts, working seven days a week for the past six years, and we wanted not a two-year pick-up for the show, but a two-year contract for us, so we could relax a little bit and not just think 300 days at a time, always wondering whether we’d be here.”

Sadly, that didn’t happen and the legend of Sherman-Palladino’s “final four words” was born, along with a seventh season that left fans wanting more. The ending—we won’t ruin it—was hardly worth the years of anticipation and left us with more questions than answers. With the upcoming revival, Sherman-Palladino promises redemption, telling TVLine about the new ending, “We accomplished what we set out to do.” 

Characters You Will Aspire to Be Like

Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, role models for life

Rory Gilmore, duh! But also Lorelai Gilmore, who Rory will be totally lucky to grow up to emulate. Lorelai proved to us early on—like, in the first episode—that she is the ultimate go-getter. She’s overcome so much in her personal life all on her own, and she has never slowed down. Lorelai is strong, independent and humble. Never compromising her personal beliefs, successfully running more than one Zagat-rated inn in Connecticut and being a friend to all (in heels, might we add), Lorelai is our grown-up role model, while Rory is our life twin. 

Related: 16 Love Lessons We Learned From Rory Gilmore

Characters You Will Love to Hate

Emily Gilmore, the matriarch of the Gilmore clan

Emily Gilmore is one of our favorite characters on the show, quite possibly the wisest of them all, but her unwavering demands for nothing but the very best (as determined by her) and her pure talent for passive aggressiveness have strained her relationship with Lorelai. The result is a perpetually tense but humorous on-screen mother-daughter relationship that perfectly juxtaposes the one that Lorelai and Rory share.

Paris Geller, Rory’s adversary

They met in high school and their mutual hatred was palpable, but as with most dysfunctional yet lifelong relationships, that hatred grew to tolerance and tolerance grew to respect. Both Ivy League-bound and a little peculiar, Rory and Paris stole our hearts. We love this friendship almost as much as we love Rory and Lane’s. 

Jess Mariano, one of Rory’s high school boyfriends

Jess’s relationship with Rory was troubled from the start, with an even more turbulent end. But despite his inability to clearly and convincingly convey any human emotions, we appreciate Jess’s natural intelligence and wit. He’s one of the lucky few quick enough to keep up with Rory’s intense reading list and dated pop culture references. 

Couples You Will Be Shipping

Lorelai and Rory are three for three when it comes to our top boyfriend picks. Over the years, we've shipped these couples harder than we've shipped any real-life couples that we actually know. 

• Rory and Dean
• Lorelai and Max
• Rory and Jess
• Lorelai and Luke
• Rory and Logan
• Lorelai and Christopher

Terminology You Need to Know

Butt-faced miscreant (n) – as in, “you are a jerk, ass, arrogant, inconsiderate, mindless, frat-boy, low-life, butt-faced miscreant.” Something you say to a guy you’re about to fall madly in love with.

Copper boom (n) – as in, “Go, go! Copper boom!” Something you yell emphatically when going off to college for the first time.

Fun flask (n) – as in, “the Rory flask and the fun flask.” A flask filled with alcohol to get you through dull sporting events and other torturous life events.

Gilmore (v) – as in, “you’ve been Gilmored.” Also understood as you’ve been played, you’ve been suckered or you’ve been humiliated in such an elitist and well-mannered way that you never actually suffered any direct insults, usually inflicted by one Emily Gilmore. 

Hockey puck, rattlesnake, monkey, monkey, underpants (phrase) – what you say when you’re working on your Super Bowl ad campaign and run into writer’s block, like Lorelai did when she was tasked with writing a character reference for Luke.

Squeegie Beckenheim (n) – as in, “Hi, my name is…” What you say to a telemarketer when they call your house at dinnertime.

Tookie Clothespin (n) – see Squeegie Beckenheim.

Snacks to Eat While Binge-Watching

The Gilmore girls can eat.

To prepare for a proper binge-watching session, you should have at your disposal:

• Pizza
• Chinese food
• Burgers
• Pop-Tarts
• Coffee
• Tater tots
• Lots and lots of hard candy

Related: 19 Recipes For the 'Gilmore Girls' Fanatic

Best Quotes

“People are particularly stupid today. I can't talk to any more of them.” – Michel to Lorelai, Season 1, Episode 1

“Because I love you, you idiot!” – Rory to Dean, Season 1, Episode 21

“Rory and I are best friends, Mom. We're best friends first and mother and daughter second.” – Lorelai to Emily, Season 2, Episode 16

“Oy with the poodles already.” – Lorelai to Rory, Season 3, Episode 22

“Where did all the anvils go?” – Lorelai to Emily, Season 4, Episode 18

“You go to bed, I'll go to France!” – Emily to Richard, Season 5, Episode 1

“Lorelai, when a woman has a crack baby, you do not buy her a puppy!” – Emily to Lorelai, Season 5, Episode 13

“People can live a hundred years without really living for a minute. You climb up here with me, it's one less minute you haven't lived.” – Logan to Rory, Season 5, Episode 7

“Please remember that I am your editor. I am not your mother, or your hugger. If you need some love, get a hooker. “ – Paris to the Yale Daily News, Season 6, Episode 11

“You don’t have to jump off the Empire State Building to know it’s going to hurt.” – Lorelai to Emily, Season 7, Episode 3

One of the most notable traits about the Gilmore girls is their innate ability to talk 1,000 words a minute, which makes for some of our most memorable monologues—all with important life lessons, of course.

How to subtly profess your love for someone in a public setting:

“Because sometimes you have something you need to say, but you can't because the words won't come out, or you get scared, or you feel stupid. But if you could write a song and sing it, then you could say what you needed to say, and it would be beautiful, and people would listen, and you wouldn't make a complete idiot out of yourself. But all of us can't be songwriters, so some of us will never get the chance to say what we're thinking, or what we want other people to know that we're thinking, so we'll never get the chance to make things right again ever... So give this guy a license!” – Rory to Taylor, Season 1, Episode 21

How to tell your mom how much she means to you:

“My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn't do whatever I wanted to do or be whomever I wanted to be. She filled our house with love and fun and books and music, unflagging in her efforts to give me role models from Jane Austen to Eudora Welty to Patti Smith. As she guided me through these incredible 18 years, I don't know if she ever realized that the person I most wanted to be was her.” – Rory to the Chilton class of 2003, Season 3, Episode 22

How to reclaim your family’s honor:

“You were a two-bit gold digger fresh off the bus from Hicksville when you met Mitchum at whatever bar you happened to stumble into. And what made Mitchum decide to chose you to marry amongst the pack of women he was bedding at the time I'll never know. But hats off to you for bagging him. He's still a playboy you know. Well, of course you know! That would explain why your weight goes up and down thirty pounds every other month. But that's your cross to bear. But these are ugly realities, no one needs to talk about them.” – Emily to Shira Huntzberger, Season 6, Episode 5

Best Dates

Rory and Dean’s first date—a chaperoned movie night at the Gilmore house where they ceremoniously welcomed Rory’s first love into their secret members-only club.

Rory and Logan’s Life and Death Brigade adventure—an uncharacteristic weekend for Rory that brought out a spontaneity and cheerfulness in her that we missed for a long time prior.

Lorelai and Luke’s dinner date—the revelation that even Luke has a Luke’s and, more importantly, that he kept the horoscope.

Rory and Logan’s rooftop dinner—a picture-perfect Transatlantic surprise from her uber-successful business tycoon boyfriend and a reminder that this is Rory’s first ~adult~ relationship.

Lorelai and Chris’s outdoor movie night—the ever-romantic solution to a string of bad movie dates, culminating in the historic incarceration of felon Emily Gilmore.

What to Do When You’re Done Watching

Watch it again. And again. Watch it as many times as you can before November 25. Ready, set, copper boom! 

When Bill Clinton was occupying the White House, a t-shirt reading "Someday a woman will be president" was sold at Arkansas Walmart stores. Created by Ann Moliver Ruben, it was designed with the intent of advancing female empowerment. Cosmopolitan reported that Nick Kapur, a professor from Rutgers University, is now calling attention to this shirt because it was removed from stores in 1995 as it "[went] against Walmart's family values."

An article by the Associated Press maintained that customer discomfort influenced Walmart's actions. It was reported that the retail giant released a statement reflecting on the decision. A representative commented that "it still pains us that we made this mistake 20 years ago. We're proud of the fact that our country—and our company—has made so much progress in advancing women in the workplace, and in society."

Seeing as how Hillary Clinton recently secured the title as the first woman to get the backing of the Democratic party in her bid for the Oval Office, the t-shirt is a reminder of how society has developed a more progressive mindset since the 1990s. 

1. You discover early on that your honesty is not appreciated by everyone 

2. In fact, some people may find you rude or overbearing 

3. Which might make sense because sometimes you're more brutal than you are honest 

4. Nevertheless, you're never afraid to tell it like it is 

5. Because you just don't f**cking care

6. It takes great effort for you to keep your mouth shut 

7. But when it's important, you know when to zip it 

8. You find that people often have no idea how to respond to your blunt comments 

9. You know how to keep your friends in line and they appreciate you for that 

10. You can't stand it when people sugarcoat the truth 

11. Sometimes people are afraid to speak in front of you 

12. People are surprised when your honesty is genuine and sweet

13. Your opinion has been feared on more than one occasion 

14. Sometimes people are unsure as to whether or not you're joking 

15. But if you're super unfiltered they'll probably assume you're joking 

16. You know better than most that honesty is always the best option 

17. Because at the end of the day, you just say what you gotta say 

Picture this: A room jam-packed with college students, reeking of Natty Light and sweat. A little grinding action in the corner and a girl dancing in the middle of a table, thinking she’s the hottest thing since sliced bread. Boys who look barely old enough to have finished high school wearing neon green shirts that say “sober monitor,” holding the key to popularity and new friends in their hands—aka warm keg beer. The latest hits playing in one room and body-thumping techno music blaring in the basement. Failed attempts to pick up girls and drunken PDAs with complete strangers. The beer pong champ running the table and a floor so disgusting you wouldn’t dare take off your shoes. Welcome to your first frat party.

We want you to enjoy new freshman experiences, but we don’t want you to look like an amateur (There’s nothing worse than a group of upperclassmen pointing at you and chanting “FRESHMAN!”) —so here’s a guide on how to navigate the frat party scene like you’ve been there for years.

DOknow which frat house you are at.

Chi Psi, Chi Phi, Phi Psi, Psi U—it gets a bit complicated when they all sound the same. “There’s nothing worse than calling a fraternity by the wrong name,” says Alaine from Miami University (OH). Also, make sure you know how to pronounce the name (Sigma Chi is pronounced Sigma Kye, not Chi like a Chia pet), and are familiar with the frat’s nickname (Sigma Phi Epsilon is usually referred to as Sig Ep).  Ask a friend which house you’re going to before you actually get there.

DON’Twear a “new student orientation” lanyard around your neck or carry around a campus map (eek!).

I know it’s convenient to put your room key and ID card in a plastic holder hanging from your lanyard, and this is perfectly acceptable during the day (at least during the first week), but put these important items in your pocket or purse when you go out at night.

DOdress for the theme but don’t go overboard.

Wear something versatile so you can easily party-hop. Think a bright shirt for an 80’s themed party that can double as a glow-in-the-dark shirt at a highlighter party. Do not wear a full sexy cop or bunny costume. Not only will you look out of place if you go to another party, but you will also be a perfect target for real cops looking to catch underage drinkers. Sarah from the University of Michigan says,“My best friend and I once went to a formal themed frat party, but accidently walked up to the wrong frat house and saw everyone wearing pajamas. We thought they had told only us to wear fancy dresses as a joke, but luckily realized the party we were looking for was down the block.”

DON’T go alone. 

The last thing you want is to be alone when that creepy senior offers you a mystery drink he got from a closed room. You will probably feel awkward in a huge party setting all by your lonesome, anyways. At the same time, don’t go out in a huge group. Megan, a recent University of Michigan graduate, says, “Don’t go with, like, 17 people. Go in pairs.”

DO pick one or two friends to go to the party with you.

If you don’t want any trouble at the door, make sure these friends are girls. Or guys that are willing to say they are rushing the frat — brothers usually won’t let in guys who aren’t part of the frat. Alaine says, “Don't try to bring a lot of guys with you to a fraternity house... HINT: they're trying to meet girls.”

DON’T go home with a guy without at least telling your friends first.

If you decide to “hang out” at a guy’s place, let your friends know who the guy is, where he lives and when you expect to be home. If this “hang out” turns into a sleepover, be prepared for the morning after.

DO wear cute, classy clothes and dress for the weather—and the walk.

If it’s 20 degrees and the party is across campus, don’t wear your brand new 4-inch stilettos. I also suggest you invest in a party coat—something cheap that serves the purpose and isn’t a black North Face. I know this from personal experience: I’ve set my North Face down one too many times at frat parties only to find that it’s missing at the end of the night. This will happen when there’s a room full of 20 identical coats. To avoid this, try putting your coat in a secret spot like behind the couch or in a random closet (but don’t forget where you put it!).

DO pick a wing-woman and mingle.

Feel free to talk to new people even if they don’t approach you first. If you want guys to approach you (and trust me, they will), make yourself look available and interested by standing in an area that is somewhat open with music that isn’t too loud. Before you know it, two guys will be heading your way to talk to you and your friend. Just hope you both don’t have your eyes on the same guy! Allie, a senior at Princeton says, “Try not to hang around with more than one or two other girls so guys will feel more comfortable talking to you! Even if you arrive to the party with all of your girls, don't feel the need to stick with them – branch off with a friend to go get a drink. This will make meeting new people a lot easier.”

DON’T ask a random guy for a drink.

Ben Kassoy, a recent graduate of Emory University says,“Do some searching or strike up a conversation before you immediately request alcohol.” If you choose to drink, be safe about it: Don’t put your drink down and come back later and drink from it, don’t take a drink from the mysterious punch bowl and don’t let anyone else get your drink for you. The only way you will know exactly what you’re drinking is if you watch where it comes from and never leave your glass unattended. Your best bet is to drink a can of beer that you open yourself (or of course even better would be to not drink at all).

DO know the house rules for beer pong and flip cup. 

These are great party games—when you know how to play the right way. Ask for the next game and wait around for your turn so you don’t miss out. Alaine suggests “enlisting the cute guy nearby to play with you.”  If you’re nervous about drinking when you play these games, no one will know if it’s just water in your cup.

DON’T wander into a random person’s room.

Sometimes it’s nice to get away from the crazy party and hang out in one of the brothers’ rooms, but only do this if you consider the guy to be one of your friends, not just one of the frat bros. It’s smart to bring one of your girl friends with you too. If you do get stuck alone in a room with a guy and feel uncomfortable, tell him you have to go to the bathroom and then leave.

DO bring tissues, hand sanitizer and emergency tampons in your purse. 

Frat bathrooms are gross (imagine puke in the sinks and pee in the showers), and you don’t want to be unprepared so make sure you have these items handy. “Few frat house bathrooms are always stocked with TP,” Alaine says. If you are friends with one of the brothers, ask to use another, cleaner bathroom. I’m not making any promises, but there’s usually a more sanitary bathroom reserved for girlfriends, frequent attendees of the frat and the brothers themselves.

DON’T give out your number like it’s water. 

Be selective with who you give it to. Not every bro is worthy of your digits. What should you do if a guy asks for your number and you don’t want to give it? Allison from the University of Michigan says, “Normally I’d just give him the wrong number or act like I need to leave really fast and tell him I’ll let him know it when I come back and then never come back.” Looking for a different approach? Allison uses the following line on boys:“How about you give me your number and I’ll text you with mine.” But she doesn’t actually text them her number. Sneaky!

DO use knowing the brothers to your advantage.

... whether he’s your closet guy friend from high school, your older brother’s best friend or your roommate’s boyfriend. This will get you VIP treatment at the party: no waiting in line, special mixed drinks and a place to store your coat. If you’re the lucky girl who personally knows a guy in the frat, call or text him when you arrive so he can come to the door and let you in. “At one of my first frat parties, I walked to the front of the line and named some guys I knew who were in the frat and friends with my older sister in hopes of getting in. This didn’t work, so I called one of the guys I knew and he came right out and let us in,” says Maddie* from Michigan State University.

DON’T be the first one to arrive or the last one to leave. 

It’s weird if you show up right at the Facebook event start time and realize you are the only guest there besides the guys in the frat. Instead, show up about an hour into the party and stay for a maximum of two hours.

DO be nice to upperclassmen girls.

Chances are they know the guys in the frat, and if these girls get a bad vibe from you, they will tell the brothers. Befriending upperclassmen girls will help you learn the ins and outs of the particular frat, including which guys are winners and which guys are losers. “Nothing will ruin your night like pissing off one of the guy's girlfriends,” Alaine says.

DON’T stick around if the cops show up.

It’s rare, but it’s happened before. Don’t run away either. Instead, casually leave without drawing attention to yourself and make sure you leave your drink behind if you had one. Never walk along the streets with a red plastic cup in hand.

DO have a DW (designated walker).

If you and your friends choose to drink, it’s safe to take turns being the semi-sober one so there is always someone to look after you and your friends.  The DW should make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of the night and have the number to a reliable taxi in case someone needs to be picked up.

DON’T flirt with multiple brothers. And don’t get caught making out with every guy that comes your way. 

This is an easy way to get a bad rep and you don’t want that, especially not on your first week on campus.

DO have a good time and enjoy your first of many curfew-less, party-filled nights!

I hope these tips help you survive your first frat party. Stick to our dos and don’ts and you will never make any of the usual first-year party-going mistakes. Every HC girl deserves to be in the know and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Good luck!

Nearly four years ago, Gossip Girl aired, and it sucked us right in. The series offered viewers a look into New York City's fictional aristocracy, fuelling our insatiable appetite for scandalous Upper East Side drama and high fashion ensembles. Given the show's cult-like following, it was inevitable that there would be whispers of a reunion. 

In an interview with E! News, The Shallows actress Blake Lively addressed the question Gossip Girl fans have been wondering—whether or not there would ever be a revival. "We had such a great time doing [Gossip Girl] that I think we all would really enjoy [a possible cast reunion]," said Lively. And when the E! interviewer told the actress he misses the show (SAME), Lively responded, "That’s nice to hear. I miss it sometimes, too." So... can we make this happen already?! Undoubtedly, GG fans would love to see Lively reprise her role as the beautiful, outgoing Serena van der Woodsen. We have our fingers crossed that our favorite Upper East Siders will be making a comeback!

Netflix or gym? Hmm… Definitely Netflix. Fortunately, thanks to Shape House in LA, there is actually a way you can do both! 

According to Hello Giggles, Shape House offers visitors a chance to sweat out toxins while watching TV. How it works is when you arrive you are taken to an “urban sweat lodge” where you are put into a “FAR-infrared heated sleeping bag” which heats up to around 160 degrees, where you spend 55 minutes just... sweating. Literally, all you have to do is just lay there and watch your fave shows while your body does its thing to flush out toxins and boost endorphins. 

Additionally, the Shape House website says that you can actually burn up to 1000 calories in a single session. Imagine how many tacos that is! And if that wasn’t enough of an incentive to go, each guest gets a personal spa attendant who is there to make sure you are safe and happy. 

At this point, the Shape House is just in LA but if this trend sticks, it could be coming to a city near you quite soon. Sign us up! 

With summer comes time spent outside, whether that means going on bike rides, sipping on cold cocktails, or swimming in the ocean. But with more hours underneath the sun’s strong rays, we have to make a few changes in our daily routines—especially if those include lying on the beach. To keep your skin looking healthy, make sure you aren’t running into these common mistakes during the sunny months ahead.

1. "I work inside, so I don't need to wear sunscreen."

Just because you spend most of your day hiding from the sun, you aren’t immune to sun damage. “Sunscreen should be worn year round for anti-aging benefits,” says Dr. Carl Thornfeldt, dermatologist and founder of Epionce Skin Care. “UVA exposure occurs even through windows or on a cloudy day.”

Don’t work near a window? You’re still not safe! Fluorescent bulbs also give off UV rays (who knew?!) so unless you're typing away in the dark, sunscreen up!

2. "I don't need to reapply."

“I don’t always reapply,” admits Reilly Tuccinard, a rising junior at the University of South Carolina. “Sometimes I forget, and sometimes it’s just annoying.”

If you’re playing in the pool, amidst an intense game of beach volleyball, or just too lazy to reach for that tube of Coppertone, reapplying can seem like a burden—and one we often choose to ignore. 

3. "Once I get tan, my skin is less likely to get damaged by the sun."

A lot us believe that once we get our “base tan,” meaning our skin has gotten a shade or two darker, that we don’t need to worry as much about getting burnt. According to Dr. Thornfeldt, this actually means you have more to worry about.

“Sunscreen works best by binding to the skin's surface,” he says. “If your skin barrier is damaged, the sunscreen won’t work as well because it doesn’t have as much surface area to bind to.”

So don’t forget to use a good post-sun product to repair your bronzed bod before getting back under the rays. Dr. Thornfeldt recommends the Epionce Renewal Facial products to ward off effects of sun damage.

4. "Spray or lotion? I don't care. It's all basically the same."

Applying spray sunscreen can give you a quarter of the SPF protection that the label promises, whereas lotion tends to give you about a half. So unless you plan on spraying your body four times over, you might be better off going for the rub-down.

If it’s any further incentive, applying lotion makes covering your entire body evenly much easier. You may get your hands oily, but at least you won’t leave the beach looking like a tanned zebra.

5. "I spend about a half hour outside before I put sunscreen on."

“I spend 30 minutes on each side before putting sunscreen on,” says Katie, a rising junior at Northwestern University. “[It’s] so I have something to show for my day in the sun.”

Like Katie, many women may believe that the short time window without sunscreen allows for a quick tan with little damage, but lying out before putting on sunscreen actually makes the sunscreen itself pretty useless. Dr. Thornfeldt says that in order for sunscreen to work best, you need to apply it when your skin is cool and dry, not hot and sweaty.

Be sure to lather up before you step outside. If you’re already out and looking to reapply, jump in a pool or the ocean to cool down your skin, dry off with a towel, and you’ll be ready to absorb that sun protector.  

6. "I don't need sunglasses."

Majorly false. Not only will sunglasses help you see better underneath bright sunlight, but they will actually protect your eyes from a variety of diseases that can be brought on by too much UV exposure.

Since sunglasses are a must-have on your summer adventures, you have an excuse to treat yourself to a great new accessory. Snag a cute new pair of shades to ensure your eyes are haute, not hot.

7. "I found this tube of sunscreen from middle school! Now I don’t need to buy more."

Uh, let’s think twice about this one. If you’re going toss pretty much every makeup product you own after two years, then you shouldn’t treat sunscreen any differently. Once three years have passed, it’s time to take a trip to your nearest drugstore.

Don’t know how long you’ve had that half-used bottle of spray sunblock? Check for an expiration date on the bottle. If you can’t remember the last time you bought sunscreen, you’re better off trashing it and buying some new stuff. Here’s a tip: label all your new purchases with the date you bought them, so you don’t find yourself wasting perfectly good sunscreen next summer.

8. "The sunscreen in my makeup is enough."

Although your tinted moisturizer may be SPF 15, your daily makeup routine isn’t totally protecting your skin.

Before you start evening out your skin tone, apply a layer of sunscreen to your face. Let it soak in—blot away the excess with a tissue to keep skin from appearing oily—and then go ahead and reach for your cosmetics bag. The more protected your skin is now, the less cover up you’ll need later in life!

Taking on the summer sun can be tons of fun, just don’t forget to make sure you’re fully protected before you do!

Whether it’s building your career, working toward a higher degree, or enjoying your favorite hobbies, it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. While staying organized is a great way to prioritize tasks, a big reason why you may be feeling stressed and scatterbrained is because your work-life balance is a little out of whack. It’s important to take care of yourself because if you don’t, it will affect every other aspect of your life. Being able to separate work from home is a craft all on its own, so we’ve compiled a list of ways you can achieve the perfect work-life balance.

1. Unplug

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You might not believe it, but unplugging once in a while is a great way to achieve harmony between work life and personal life. When you come home from work, make it a point to do something that isn’t work-related. If you’re at a desk clicking away all day, try to stay off the computer at home and give your eyes a rest from staring at a screen. Take this time to go for a run, read that book that’s been on your list for the past couple of months (whoops), or spend time doing what you love.

Now, more than ever, it’s super hard to unplug 100 percent. We all like to take a break from whatever we’re doing and scroll through our social media feeds, but this results in even more time staring at the screen and less time taking in what’s physically around you. When you unplug, do your best to fully commit to leaving your phone (or iPad, laptop, etc.) behind for a few hours.

"Having moved from New Jersey to Colorado last year to serve a year with AmeriCorps, I knew I wanted to meet new people, try new things, and see new places," says Taleen Terjanian, a 2010 graduate of Rutgers University. "As much as I attempted to fully immerse myself in these new experiences, I was still attempting to balance relationships with friends from around the world and couldn't help but feel that I wasn't giving 100 percent to anyone."

Taleen took her unplugging to another level and deactivated her Facebook account for a little while. "With hundreds of loved ones sharing stores, news, and life updates, it became incredibly difficult to keep up with each and everyone 'virtually,' all while focusing on the job hunt post AmeriCorps, and completing applications," she explained. She put her Facebook on hold and focused on what she needed to do without the social media distraction at her fingertips.

2. Stay away from work email

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We know it’s hard, but your work email should stay at work. If you’re always logged into your Outlook inbox outside of office hours, your boss and fellow co-workers may always run to you with last minute things, creating the mentality that you are available 24/7… which isn’t very healthy. It’s great to be eager and enthusiastic about your job, but if you feel like it’s getting in the way of your personal life (like, if you find yourself checking your inbox during a family dinner), then it’s definitely time to log out.

Logged into your work inbox on your phone? Turn notifications off during evening hours and on weekends—that way you're not tempted to grab your phone every time you hear that unmistakable, "You've got mail!" tone. Whatever is in your inbox when you leave the office can wait for the morning.

3. Use your weekends to relax

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So many people forget to do this, but use your weekends to relax and let loose! You've worked hard during the week, so it's important to use Saturday and Sunday (though we sometimes feel like we need a weekend from our weekend) to unwind and kick back.

"I used to work on weekends, too, and I learned that using them to rest is more effective for the upcoming work week," says Sarah Yu, a graduate student at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

You'll feel more physically and mentally refreshed and ready to take on Monday after a little bit of rest.

4. Create your own work space

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If you're a freelancer, or find yourself working from home, separating your professional life from your personal life can be that much harder. You don't have an office to drive to, so whether you're answering emails from bed or sending reports from your couch, your home becomes your primary workspace.

To get a change of scenery, head to your local library or hang out at a coffee shop during working hours. That way, when you are home, you can focus on having it be your personal space to unwind.

5. Designate working hours

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If you must do work from home, designate days and times when you'll take on a few office tasks.

"I designate days for work in case I have to bring home tests or lesson plans," says Janice Lyczkowski, a 6th grade integrated reading and language arts teacher at Community Middle School. "But I end up forcing myself to put stuff away and stay connected to real life and what's going on around me."

Designating a specific day (Sunday) and time span (8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) to alleviate your work load is a great way to stay productive in your career without completely sacrificing your time off.

6. Limit "shop talk" with your co-workers outside of work

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Friday night happy hours and heading to a restaurant during lunch are totally fine, but make it a point to separate your work life from your personal life by limiting how often you engage in office chatter outside the office.

"It's awesome to be friends with your co-workers, but you'll most likely end up talking about work while you're with them," says Sarah. "When I was interning, my fellow interns and I would go out for dinner and in addition to small talk, we talked about work and it wasn't restful at all."

If you do have a close work buddy, try doing something that doesn't have anything to do with work. And do your best to avoid shop talk, too!

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We should all strive to achieve the perfect work-life balance. Not only will it help you avoid burnout in your professional life, but you'll achieve peace in your personal life as well. Disconnect from your work email when you're not in the office, use your weekends for relaxing and unwinding, and—if you're a freelancer who works from home—make sure your work space is separate from your living space. You got this!

When your presidential campaign platform is filled with xenophobia and, more specifically, Islamaphobia, there is no doubt that you will draw heavy criticism. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has received a lot of backlash for his brash opinions, and the Democratic party wasted no time in highlighting just how the businessman’s policies are harmful to America at the DNC this week.

While politicians took on the man himself, the most notable case against Donald Trump this week was made by the father of a fallen Muslim soldier.

It is no secret that Trump wishes to ban Muslims from the United States in a strategy that he believes with hurt the growth of ISIS and terrorism as a whole. Because of this plan, Khizr Khan, the father of former Army Captain Humayun Khan, spoke directly to Trump in his son’s honor.

"Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" Khan said, holding up a pocket Constitution. "I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words, look for the words, liberty and equal protection (under) law."

Khan’s son died fighting for the U.S. in the Iraq War, when a car approached him and his fellow troops. According to CNN, Khan warned the other soldiers nearby, stepped towards the car and signaled for it to stop. The car, which contained 200 pounds of explosives, exploded. Humayun Khan’s warning to the other surrounding soldiers prior to the explosion saved many lives. His parents deserve to make their son’s story heard, especially when the rhetoric against their religion is so incredibly negative.

Khan responded to Trump’s racism in the best way possible, by giving what was easily one of the most powerful speeches of the entire convention.

"Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America—you will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities," Khan said. "You have sacrificed nothing and no one."

Watch the full speech here.

It's finally official. Hillary Clinton has become the first female nominee of a major political party for President of the United States of America. After an emotional introduction from her very proud daughter Chelsea Clinton, the former Secretary of State took the stage to accept the nomination in front of a raucous crowd eager to watch history in the making.

She's come a long way from her days growing up Park Ridge, Ill., and her journey to this moment was well-documented in a pre-speech video biography documenting the life of the former FLOTUS narrated by Morgan Freeman.

The speech itself was filled with much of the same rhetoric she has used throughout her campaign so far, but with a few added digs at her rival Donald Trump. Speaking more specifically about what she hopes to do in office if elected, Clinton said that she will create more jobs and better wages to enable the success of the middle class.

“My primary mission as President will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States," Clinton said. "And here's what I believe. I believe America thrives when the middle class thrives. I believe that our economy isn't working the way it should because our democracy isn't working the way it should.”

While she is certainly not the first presidential candidate to promise the creation of more jobs, her determination to use her status to help the middle class is noticeable and she will probably continue to push this as the election goes on.

Another notable moment of the night was Clinton's mention of rival Bernie Sanders. The DNC was fairly unified across different factions of the party, but there were still Bernie-or-Bust protests throughout the entire four days of the convention, according to CBS News. Clinton wants their vote—which is why she reminded us all in her speech that her general election platform is a combination of plans from both Sanders and herself. She even mentioned Sanders’ well known plan that college tuition should be free for working class families, and said that Sanders will be working with her on that issue should she be elected to office.

“And to all of your (Bernie’s) supporters here and around the country:  I want you to know, I've heard you," she said. "Your cause is our cause. Our country needs your ideas, energy, and passion.  That's the only way we can turn our progressive platform into real change for America. We wrote it together – now let's go out there and make it happen together.”

Ultimately, Clinton knows she cannot take Donald Trump lightly, which is why she made sure to draw specific and clear contrasts to the Republican nominee in her acceptance speech. Noteworthy moments included digs at Trump’s positions on immigration in addition to his xenophobia, but the most compelling of all was when she talked about the claim the businessman made in his speech that he alone can fix all the problems that America is facing.

Clinton scoffed at this idea. She said the claim is not what America is about, and not how she sees politicians.

“Don't believe anyone who says: 'I alone can fix it,' Clinton said. “Those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland. And they should set off alarm bells for all of us…Americans don't say: 'I alone can fix it.' We say: 'We'll fix it together.'"

For the full transcript of Hillary Clinton’s speech, you can find it at The Los Angeles Timeshere.

The Democratic National Convention delegates have come together to nominate Hillary Clinton as the first female president nominee in U.S. history(!). This, of course, could not have been accomplished without some strong arguments for Clinton—one of which was the heart-wrenching address by the Mothers of the Movement.

The Mothers of the Movement—mothers of people who were killed at the hands of police or by gun violence—often give speeches about their all-too-common experiences with the issue. But on Tuesday, the mothers came together to endorse Hillary Clinton for president of the United States at the DNC.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, PBS, CNN and MSNBC all aired the emotional program before their evening shows came on, which already cover the convention. Notably missing from the lineup of channels that broadcasted this incredibly powerful address was Fox News.

While most networks showed the speech, Fox News, ever the renegade, showed instead a Poligrip commercial alongside the mothers, an interview with conservative commentator Karl Rove and a clip of Bill O’Reilly talking about immigration.

This news did not go over so well with the public. Twitter erupted, calling the decision a disgrace.

However, this is not the first time Fox News has been at odds with the Black Lives Matter movement. Their political commentators have called protesters “thugs,” while infamous former officer Mark Fuhrman has been featured on the network to comment on police operations and brutality. In Baltimore, after the murder of Freddie Gray, Geraldo Rivera attempted to cover the widespread street demonstrations on behalf of the network, but was rebuffed because of his known prejudices.

In response, a Fox News representative noted that the network broadcasted some footage of the speech during Megyn Kelly’s "The Kelly File" show. However, ignoring the entire speech as it aired live was a pretty sketchy move, and may have confirmed the belief that Fox shields its viewers from different, dissenting opinions.

By Rachel Cox

Even though the Democratic Party was hoping to kick off the Democratic National Convention with a message of unity, things did not go according to plan. The problems for the DNC’s opening night began with a group of Bernie Sander’s supporters threatening to protest during the convention, resulting in attempts by Sanders to unify his supporters behind Hillary Clinton. Despite his efforts, the so-called “Bernie or Bust” crowd continued to emit feelings of betrayal and unrest throughout the first night of the convention. Matters were only made worse when Sarah Silverman, despite giving a speech promoting party unity, said, “To the ‘Bernie or Bust’ people, you’re being ridiculous”, resulting in strong reactions of approval and disapproval from the DNC crowd. I have recently made the decision to vote for Hillary Clinton in the general election. But as someone who supported Senator Sanders during most of the primary season, donated to his campaign and voted for him in my state’s primary election, Silverman’s comment leaves me feeling hurt and infuriated.

I did not start out this election as a Bernie Sanders supporter. Initially, excited by the notion of the United States finally having a female president, I supported Hillary Clinton. This changed once two important things happened: One, I started to educate myself on the issues and the stances of the various candidates. And two, Bernie Sanders entered the race. After watching many of their campaign speeches, I came to the conclusion that while they fundamentally agree on most things, Bernie Sanders spoke to me in a way that Hillary Clinton never could. Unlike Clinton, Sanders understood my core feelings and values, some of which I didn't even know I had. And, unlike every other candidate on both sides of the aisle, I could trust every single word that he said. Thus, Bernie Sanders became my voice and my candidate.

Like many Sanders supporters, I was deeply troubled and angered at the media for acting like Clinton was already the nominee and treating the Sanders campaign like it didn't exist. Like many, I fought against this attitude and refused to give up on my candidate. And even after Clinton became the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, I refused to abandon my support for Bernie Sanders. I did not immediately say, “Okay, I’ll vote for Hillary." Instead, I continued to fight against her.

So, I speak to the members of the "Bernie or Bust" movement as someone who, up until just a week ago, was one of you. I understand your passion, I understand your anger and I understand your conflict. For a long time, I felt like my hands were tied, and that I was in the ultimate no-win situation. To me, my options were to either not vote for anyone and help President Trump become a reality, or go against everything I had come to believe in by voting for Hillary Clinton. I always hesitate to make broad assumptions, but I suspect that this is the same conflict many Bernie Sanders supporters feel.

My decision to vote for Hillary Clinton is one based on fear. As much as I dislike her, the thought of Donald Trump becoming the next president is enough to scare me into giving her my vote. For many of us, it is a sad reality that Donald Trump could be the next president. However, that is not the only sad reality that plagues this election. The other reality is that there is a certain percentage of the American population, of which I am a part, that feels pressured into voting for a candidate that we would not vote for under any other circumstances—based solely on the fact that the other guy is worse. And, while it is my reason, I can acknowledge that this is an awful reason to vote for someone. The decision to give a candidate your vote should be based on whether or not you agree with their platform, trust them and feel that they are the right person for the job. It is a decision that should never have to be based on fear.

With all of that said, my message to the "Bernie or Bust" crowd is this: While I would respectfully ask you to take a step back, look at everything objectively and maybe rethink a few things, if you do not want to vote for Hillary Clinton in November, you are not obligated to do so in any way, shape or form. One of the things I love and respect most about the Bernie camp is your willingness to bravely fight against establishment politics for a pure democracy. There is not a single person in the world that has the right to bribe you, force you or bully you into voting for someone that you truly do not want to vote for. That's not how a democracy works. For myself and many people I know, the fear of Donald Trump is enough for us to give Hillary our vote.  However, I understand that this is not a good enough reason for everybody, and that's okay. In any election, the person you vote for needs to earn your vote.  And, at the end of the day, if you feel that Hillary Clinton does not deserve your vote, you do not have to give it to her.  It is your right as an American citizen to vote for whomever you want. It is also your right not to vote for someone if you do not want to. The decision to vote for someone is your choice, and your choice alone.

So, to the "Bernie or Bust" people: You are NOT ridiculous. You are not stupid, you are not crazy, you are not childish and you are not bad people. And do not EVER let anyone convince you otherwise.

You’ve finally settled into your dorm, the dining hall has become significantly less intimidating, but suddenly, your college relationship is facing the dreaded “one month” hurdle. For long-distance couples, the first four weeks apart tend to be the “make it or break it” period. For hook-ups, that first month is the expiration date for the “casual” label. And for crushes, 28 days is just long enough for all that sexual tension to boil over. So whether you’ve been dumped by your long-distance beau or want to take your flirting to the next level, we’ve compiled a list of potential scenarios and talked to collegiettes and experts to help you through it!

Problem #1: Your long-distance relationship is having issues.

You promised one another that your love was stronger than the cost of a cross-country plane ticket. You agreed on daily Skype sessions and hourly texts and weekly phone calls. But four weeks is a long time and in the grand scheme of things, you’re barely out of the starting gate. You’re beginning to second guess your decision to remain in a long distance relationship. But how do you bring that up with your significant other?

“You have to approach the topic carefully,” says Frances from University of Rochester, who's been in a long distance relationship going on four years. “For me, we both wanted to stay together but we had very different ideas about what college and freshman year are all about. To be completely honest, I think entering freshman year in a long distance relationship is a mistake unless you truly believe you can grow on your own and branch out at school without feeling held back by your partner.”

If you feel the guidelines that you set before leaving for college aren’t working, you need to be honest with him. If you’re most comfortable writing out your thoughts, send your significant other an email laying out the issues you feel have arisen; conversely, if you work best face to face, set aside a Skype time when you’ll both be able to be alone in your respective dorms and talk openly.

Kelsey from West Virginia University has been dating her boyfriend since senior year of high school (despite the fact that he attends college in Florida), and she’s got a litany of long-distance tips. “A weekly time that you reserve for each other is really nice!” she says. Other suggestions include a “Netflix date” (sharing a Netflix account and watching a movie at the same time), and surprise care packages.

But Kelsey warns, “Also, you have to stay honest with each other while you're apart. Feelings can change, and they need to know if that happens. Long distance relationships are all about trust and if you don't have that it's not going to last very long.”

And if you do ultimately decide that you want to end things, wait until you’re able to meet face to face.“No one wants the rep of being that girl who dumped her guy via text, even though of course it's way more convenient - especially if you're out of town,” says Jen Kirsch, Relationship Expert on Cosmo TV's Love Trap. “Talk to him in person and be direct. Let him know that this is what will be best for you.”

While it may not feel like it at first, the forced distance between you and your ex is a blessing. You will never have to worry about running into him on the way to class, and you will never see him having a dance floor make-out sesh. But as we all know, physical proximity is just one piece of the relationship puzzle. Sever all your social media ties (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), because there’s nothing more heart-wrenching than getting a notification that your ex is “now in a [new] relationship.”

Once you begin the healing process, the social scene at school may seem a bit daunting. “To move on mentally and socially, take part in activities on campus,” Kirsch suggests. “Go to networking events, join a club of like-minded people. Perhaps take up yoga or get a gym membership. These things will empower you and make you feel better about your present state.”

Problem #2: You and your hook-up buddy still need to define the relationship.

Maybe you met a party, in class, or at the inaugural meeting of the poetry club, but something clicked, and suddenly you’ve been smooching the same guy for four weeks. As amazing as it’s been, you realize that you’re looking for something more serious. Having the “what are we?” conversation can inspire fear even in the bravest of souls, but it’s a necessary talk.

“Unfortunately, I think hook-up culture results in people spending a lot of time pretending they’re the person in the relationship who cares less, which leads to people being dishonest with one another,” says Beth from Kenyon College. “At the end of the day, it’s important to be completely straightforward and forthcoming. Pretending that you don’t want something more serious will only lead to hurt feelings, and the truth will come out eventually anyway.”

Try asking him to meet you in a public place - if your current relationship is purely sexual and you’re looking for something more, meeting in a dorm room is probably not the best idea. Lay out how you feel.

If he’s unwilling to make a commitment, be honest with yourself. Can you stand to be in a relationship that, in all probability, doesn’t have much of a future? If the answer is no, then you need to make clean break. “We teach people how to treat us by what we're willing to put up with,” Kirsch says. “Don't accept something or settle in hopes that he'll change. If you express that you've developed feelings and he doesn't feel the same way, walk away with your pride held in tact and find someone who thinks you're worthy enough that they don't want to lose you.”

The rules are the same if you’re the one unwilling to up the serious level: be upfront about your desire to remain casual. “If you’re not looking for a serious commitment, it’s equally as important to be honest with them,” Beth says. “People often think what they want to think about what a relationship is, and it’s incumbent on you to be explicit about what you want.” Sometimes, it’s painful to end a relationship with someone you care about, but it’s not fair to either party if there’s a discrepancy in dedication. Know that what you’re doing is, in the long run, the best decision for both parties. He’ll be able to find someone who’s willing to commit, and you’ll be able to keep on keepin’ on.

Problem #3: Your crush has yet to make a move.

For the past month, you’ve been sitting next to each other in that Econ class, eyeing one another from across the dining hall, and casually working into conversations your total and complete single status. The level of sexual tension is almost unbearable. But before you start smooching, ask yourself seriously how you’ll feel the morning after. Or the Monday after, in class.

That being said, there’s nothing hotter than unrequited love becoming requited. If you’re interested in getting to know him better, “start incorporating your crush into your daily life,” suggests Kirsch. “Does he have Snapchat? iMessage? Facebook Chat? Keep him in the loop about what you're up to, how your day was, what a pain you think your teacher is, etc., by using these methods to help build a foundation for a friendship. The benefit of this is that once you exchange messages, you can get a sense of who he really is, not just your superficial impression of him. This will help you decide if he's even worth pursuing in the first place.”

It happens to the best of us, sometimes crushes do not translate well to an actual hook-up, and you have the rest of a semester to spend together in a class. Take a deep breath. Do not panic. Acting immaturely will just prolong the awkwardness. Freshman year, I completely ignored a failed hook-up for the rest of the class, even though he repeatedly sat next to me. Four years later, he still remembers my cold shoulder and it completely ruined our friendship. That said, don’t feel pressured to have extended conversations or force yourself to become besties. The best you can do is keep your head up, smile, and try to move on. Everyone has embarrassing moments in their love life timeline, and there is no level of humiliation that isn’t helped by a basic level of politeness and time.

Drama: you pretend to hate it, but feeds your soul. You maintain your "good girl" reputation, but any chance you get you're scrolling through the latest Twitter feud or adding fuel to a friend's argument. No matter how hard you try to hide it, your obsessed with conflict. Bring. it. on.  

1. When the #KimExposedTaylorParty started happening

Me: I'm so above this, I'm going to sleep

Also me: 

2. When your friends asks what you think of that one girl in your sorority

Me: I don't like to talk behind people's backs

Also me: 

3. Every time Hilary Clinton tweets at Donald Trump

Me: Why are politicians so awful now? 

Also me:

4. When bae blows you off to hang out with his friends

Me: It's okay, I'm really independent

Also me: 

5. That pregnancy rumor surrounding your arch enemy from high school

Me: Having a child is something really special, I hope she's happy

Also me:

6. When that one kid in class challenges the professor

Me: He has no respect, I mean Professor Smith literally has a Ph.D

Also me: 

7. When you get a text from your BFF that she saw your ex with someone else

Me: I moved on from that like four years ago

Also me:

8. That moment at a family party when the adults get drunk and gossip

Me: I hope I'm not like them at that age

Also me:

9. Every time Chloe Grace Mortez gets involved in a feud and is immediately shut down

Me: She's just trying to speak up and defend her friends, lay off

Also me:

10. Every single episode of The Bachelorette

Me: Wow, can you believe how awful that guy Chad is? 

Also me:

11. That moment when you see someone send back a meal at a restaurant

Me: That waiter looks pissed, I could never work in a restaurant and deal with awful customers

Also me:

12. When your younger sibling is getting slammed by your parents

Me: I'm so sorry, I know how hard they can be

Also me: 

13. When your ex texts you out of the blue

Me: *crying* Ugh, I wish he'd just leave me alone! 

Also me: 

14. Every time a political debate starts at family dinner

Me: Can't we all just get along?

Also me: 

15. When people call you out on secretly loving drama

Me: What are you talking about? 

Also me: 

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Whether you were interning from 9 to 5, waiting tables or perfecting your tan by the pool (lucky), those three months of summer seemed to drag on forever without your best friends, favorite restaurants and wild college parties. But don’t despair, collegiettes; school is back in session. And not only is it a new semester, it’s fall semester. And fall semester is the most awesome time of the year. Here are a few reasons why (actually, 33):

1. It’s a fresh start. It’s a new year, which means a clean slate. Fall semester is the best time to reinvent yourself into the ultra-studious, ultra-fun, ultra-collegiette you’ve always wanted to be, or just to keep improving on the awesome collegiette you already are.

2. Seeing your friends again. Be prepared for a lot of screaming, running hugs and squealing, because you’re back with your best friends again after a long summer break and you can’t wait to start having collegiate fun together again.

3. Catching up on summer stories. Annie interned at Google, Emily had a super-hot summer fling with that dark-haired lifeguard from her work, and Beth visited New York City where she actually saw Ryan Gosling in a restaurant (or a blonde lookalike, at least). Clearly you’ve got some summer gossip to share.

4. Fall fashion. A new school year is the best time for a wardrobe refresher, and we’ve already picked out the latest fall trends that we want to show off this semester (in case anyone forgot how stylish we were over summer break). Who doesn’t love an excuse to go shopping?

5. Back-to-school events. Most schools have a few days to get students acclimated and excited to be on campus before class starts (usually called Welcome Week or something similar), and these can be full of concerts, outdoor movies, and informational sessions — all for students. And did we mention they’re usually free? Take advantage of them; remember, your college budget starts now…

6. Free stuff! Free stuff everywhere! Welcome Week typically has an event where student organizations will give you free t-shirts, Frisbees, sunglasses, food, you name it to persuade you to sign up for their club. Not only is free stuff awesome, but Welcome Week might also help you find a fun organization to join that you had never heard of before (ski and snowboard club? Cool!). Just try not to write your name down on too many sheets of paper or your e-mail inbox will be dreadfully full before class even starts.

7. Being free of your parents. Yes, you’re free of your parents for spring semester, too, but you were at home for winter break for like, three weeks. This was three months. Three months of curfews and nagging. We love you, Mom and Dad, but we missed our freedom.

8. Buying a ton of back-to-school stuff. Because even notebooks and laundry detergent can give you a shopper’s high. The best way to start off a new year is buying a lot of new things!

9. Fall semester is perfect for starting your new year’s resolutions. Who decided January was a good month for that, anyway? Why would you start your vow to go to the gym twice a week or chat up that hot guy in your psych class when the school year is halfway over when you can start now?

10. New exercise classes at the gym. (Speaking of those new year’s resolutions…) Did last year’s group exercise schedule bore you so much that going to the gym just became so banal (totally why you stopped going… or never started in the first place)? Never fear, a new exercise class schedule is here! And look, that combo kickboxing-Zumba-yogalates class fits perfectly in your fall schedule! Now you have no excuse not to get healthy this year.

11. The first week of classes. Wait, classes? That was one thing we didn’t miss over the summer. But the first week, otherwise known as “Let’s Read the Syllabus Then Leave After 10 Minutes” week, lets you ease into your academic life (ugh) a little more smoothly.

12. Start of the year parties.“Let’s Read the Syllabus Then Leave After 10 Minutes” week goes perfectly with lots of wild back-to-school parties. No homework means more time to have fun! For a week, anyway.

13. New guys. A magical thing happens every fall on college campuses: a whole new crop of freshman guys arrive, ready to save bored collegiettes from their man-droughts. And even if you may be nervous about dating a younger man, think about all the hot new transfer students and new guys in your classes that you haven’t met before. Microeconomics just got a whole lot more interesting.

14. New friends. So that hot guy in your microeconomics class ended up already having a girlfriend (ouch). But why not talk to that hilarious girl who sits on the other side of you in class instead? A new year means new classes with new people who could have a lot in common with you, such as a love for Darren Criss and late-night ice cream runs.

15. Sorority rush. For those GDIs out there, rush might be more of a headache than anything else, but for girls interested in the Greek system, rush is an exciting introduction to hundreds of girls who could become your new BFFs.

16. Football games. Dressing up (or painting up) in your school’s colors, waving pom-poms like your life depends on it, screaming at the refs and cheering on your team until your throat hurts; there’s nothing quite like college football. Even if you can’t tell the difference between a cornerback and a quarterback, anyone can appreciate spending a sunny Saturday cheering on your school with your best friends. Go State!

17. Tailgating. With football comes tailgating, and with tailgating comes delicious food, beer and lots of cute guys. Need I say more?

18. At first, the dining hall food doesn’t seem too bad. At first.

19. New digs. A new year means it’s time for a new dorm or apartment that’s (hopefully) not a 25-minute walk from your classes like last year and (hopefully) doesn’t smell quite as weird as your old dorm did.

20. A new living space means new décor. And lots of DIY — yay for Pinterest! Or Target, if you’re not that crafty.

21. A new roommate. Remember how much your roommate’s sexiling habits and overflowing trash can drove you nuts last year? Guess what: she’s finally gone. Hallelujah!

22. A new RA. He’s kind of hot, too… and just down the hall…

23. Fall TV shows. Time for weekly viewing parties with your dormmates (and lots of popcorn).

24. Falling leaves. Red and orange leaves + the quad = a perfectly picturesque campus worthy of an admissions brochure. Ahh.

25. Holiday drinks at Starbucks. We missed you, pumpkin spice lattes. And the red cups are just so much cuter than the white ones!

26. So. Many. Breaks. There’s fall break, Thanksgiving break and winter break, which is way more time off of papers and exams than that measly couple days you get for spring break next semester.

27. Fall weather. It’s not too hot and not too cold (all you need is a light jacket!); fall weather is perfect for playing Frisbee on the quad, starting an outdoor exercise routine and walking home from a night out without freezing your butt off.

28. Halloween. Don’t you miss dressing up in costumes and eating a ton of candy every Halloween as a kid? You’re in luck — in college, going out on Halloween dressed like a flapper or a witch or a Transformer that can actually morph between car and robot (yep, it’s been done) is cool again. Halloween is the one night a year where the entire campus comes together to don the craziest costumes you’ve ever seen and throw the craziest parties you’ve ever been to.

29. Homecoming. Concerts, parties, football, a new Homecoming Queen and King and lots of cute old people walking around campus talking about their former hangouts and favorite college memories. One day, that’ll be you…

30. Thanksgiving break. Remember how the dining hall food tasted good “at first”? Welcome to your first home-cooked meal in three months. Our mouths are watering already.

31. Black Friday. Your back-to-school wardrobe finally feeling a little dull? Time to get up at 5 a.m. (or 3 a.m.… or 12 a.m.), down a ton of coffee and duke it out with a lot of sleep-deprived people over sweaters and jeans with triple-super-markdown prices. Then take a nap. Then eat leftovers.

32. Tacky Christmas sweater parties. Now you can tell your grandma how much you loved wearing her Christmas present to you and actually mean it.

33. Winter holidays. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And nothing says festive quite like a dorm decorated with red and green lights, a mini Christmas tree, blue and white streamers, or a silver menorah.

Excited yet? We are! Get ready — something tells us this fall semester is going to be seriously epic.

So your dorm is tiny, and you have no idea where to put all the (very necessary!) stuff you brought from home. Don’t worry, collegiettes—there are plenty of ways to maximize space and organize your new room. Try the simple tips below to fit all of your belongings into your dorm without sacrificing your sense of style!

1. Make the most of under-the-bed storage space

If you don’t have a bunk, you can use bed risers ($7.59 at Target) to create lots of extra under-bed storage space. Then all you need are a few storage boxes like these ones from Office Depot to keep those old magazines and Halloween costumes!

2. Put soda can tabs on your hangers

Life hack alert! Attach soda can tabs to your hangers to double them up, so you can store twice as much clothing in your tiny closet. A new excuse to shop? We’re sold!

3. Hang your shoes

If you’re anything like us, your shoes end up in an indistinct pile at the bottom of your closet two weeks into school. But not this year! Fix a hanging shoe organizer ($29 at PB Teen) to your closet door, and finding a certain pair when you’re late for class will be a piece of cake.

4. Keep your pens in check

Mix and match some interlocking drawer organizer trays like these ones from Target ($8.99) so that you always have a place to put the free pen you got from the latest activities fair. Plus, you can use as few or as many trays as you want at a time for maximum organization.

5. Store your jewelry in style

You’ll need some type of jewelry storage if you don’t want your necklaces to get all tangled up. This pretty jewelry box from PB Teen ($29) should do the trick!

6. Turn your dorm into a salon

Display all of your beauty essentials in a practical vanity organizer ($6.99 at Target). Watch out though—all your friends will be asking to borrow your nail polish.

7. Lose the cords

This desk organizer ($19.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond) includes a lamp, a charging station and a little storage tray so that your essentials take up much less space on your desk. Besides, in three sweet shades, they're adorable!

8. File your notebooks

If you still like the feeling of pen to paper, store your notebooks in this cool striped magazine bin ($4.99 at Target). Your plain shelves will look so much more fun, and you’ll end up saving a ton of space.

9. Find the perfect laundry hamper

We know—doing your laundry is the worst. Make it that much more exciting (and keep your piles of dirty clothing off ot the floor) with this adorably punny hamper ($34.95 at VS PINK)!

Follow our advice, and you’ll have the cutest, most organized dorm room ever!

After snagging that internship this summer, you learned how to make the best of it,how to be a better intern and how to connect with your fellow interns. Now that you have the skills, you’re ready for your next internship... right?

It may sound crazy, but as one internship and job season ends, another begins. We spend the spring applying for summer opportunities and the summer applying for fall positions. Now that fall is around the corner, it’s time to see what’s on the horizon for spring and summer again! Come October or so, you may wish you’d done a few things for your internship or job application earlier. To save you from the feeling that you’re already behind, we’ve got some tips so you can begin the semester ahead of the game. Check out these six steps for getting your internship and job application process off to a strong start.

1. Map it out

Before you start doing any internship or job research, have a plan for what you’re going to do with the listings you collect. Having an idea of how you’re going to organize your findings will be so helpful as you continue to find opportunities! These internship websites are great places for finding internship options. Browse the sites every couple of days to keep up with emerging positions and bookmark them as you go. Keep one Word document, bookmarked folder or even secret Pinterest board as a depository for all of your possible internships and add any opportunity that looks interesting. Later, you can go back and read the descriptions to narrow down which ones are actually a good fit for you.

Once you have a solid list of contenders, you may start to feel overwhelmed. With all the different deadlines, requirements and various contacts to keep track of, it’s hard to stay afloat. Stop the madness before it starts and get organized. You’ll be so glad you did!

“Last semester, I applied for 26 different internships (crazy, I know!),” says Hannah Orenstein, a recent grad of NYU. “In order to keep them all straight, I made a spreadsheet so I could track when I sent each application, if they followed up with me, whether or not I was offered an interview and more.”

Having a list or spreadsheet like Hannah did will keep you on track and help you manage deadlines efficiently. “Once you apply to more than a handful of internships, it's impossible to keep all the important details in your head, so the spreadsheet really helped me,” Hannah says.

Whatever method you use to keep track of your internship or job opportunities, choose wisely. If your roommate is saving all of her internship deadlines in iCal, but you’re more of a paper and pen kind of girl, go with what works for you. The newest to-do list app or cute day planner won’t do you any good if you don’t normally use it, so stick with what you know!

2. Polish your online presence

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: to get an internship or job, you have to be presentable online, period. You have control over what people see from your personal accounts, so make sure they represent you accurately and in a positive way. From your social media accounts to your online portfolio, employers are always searching to see how you’re presenting yourself!

Kim Reitter, the director of Career Services at Saint Louis University, cautions collegiettes about what they make public on their social media profiles. “Never post anything that you wouldn't want a potential employer to see,” she says. “I always recommend editing as if your grandma is looking at your site. If you wouldn't want grandma to see it, delete it, or, better yet, never post it!” Eliminate any unflattering content from your social media profiles and update your portfolio regularly so that it continues to show up in search results online.

Another thing to consider is what comes up on the Internet about you that you didn’t post yourself. While the things you post are yours, the things your friends post don’t require your permission or your knowledge.

“It’s important to either periodically search yourself or set up a Google alert to monitor the use of your name online,” says Katherine Battee-Freeman, the assistant director for recruitment for the Office of Career Services at University of Illinois at Chicago. “Be mindful of what others put online as well because if they are associated with you, you may come up in a search unexpectedly. If your friend tags you because he or she wants you to see a picture of his or her latest party, then someone could Google your name and a picture of a drunken group of people shows up. That’s not good for your professional image.”

So keep tabs on what shows up in these scenarios and ask friends to remove potentially damaging material. To minimize your friend’s ability to tag you in compromising situations, you can update your privacy settings on Facebook so that you have to approve every photo tag that goes up. Reitter even recommends de-friending those people who you know have a tendency to post content that could cause a stir so that you can keep your associations online clean.

After tackling the big pieces of your public persona, zero in on the small stuff. To keep your information separated from your professional and casual life, Battee-Freeman says that “it’s good practice to use one email and set of social media accounts for your professional information and a different set for your personal information.”

A good rule of thumb for a professional email is to make it as simple as possible and align it in some way with your name. Whether that’s a straightforward “firstname.lastname@example.com” or something similar, set it up before you send in internship or job applications and check it regularly.

3. Change your voicemail

To really go the extra mile, it wouldn’t hurt to clean up your voicemail message, too — you probably haven’t changed it since you first got your phone! If recording a new voicemail makes you uncomfortable, write a script first. You may feel silly, but knowing what you’re going to say will help you keep an even pace and a consistent tone. This will convey confidence to a prospective employer. For example:

“Hi, you’ve reached the cell phone of Rachel Wendte. I’m currently unavailable, but please leave your name, number, and a short message, and I’ll return your call soon!”

The voicemail clearly states the name of the person who people are calling, so they won’t think they’ve dialed the wrong number. Plus, giving specific instructions to leave a message will encourage those looking to get in touch with you to say something and not just hang up.

4. Visit your school’s career center

You know the office that’s advertised in all of your school’s flyers? Chances are a professor, academic adviser or visiting alum has mentioned career services once or twice, and they’re not talking about it for kicks. There are tons of programs that you can take advantage of in your school’s career center that will help you navigate the internship and job searching processes. “Career services professionals love when people come in and make sure of all the services they have to offer,” says Battee-Freeman. “Don’t be afraid to start early!” Here are a few to consider:

Resume review

If you do nothing else, make an appointment to go over your resume with a career counselor. Erin Smith, who recently graduated from Towson University, says that this is one of those under-utilized services that can really make a difference. “My school's career center gave me tons of advice on how to make my resume stand out in a crowd, which helped me land an internship!” she says.

“Basic services that let you better market yourself and/or simply confirm that what you are doing is on the right path can be very helpful at any point,” says Battee-Freeman. “These include resume and cover letter development and critiques.”

When you visit, bring along a few copies of your resume and questions for your reviewer. Questions about proper wording, ideal resume length and creative resumes are all good starting points.

Seminars

Sometimes career services will host professional seminars for students to prepare them for interviews and networking. Topics could include proper interview attire, etiquette dinners and how to ask for a raise. Take advantage of these great opportunities! Look over the events calendar in your career services center to see if any of these kinds of events are offered and grab some friends to go with you. It’s an easy way to learn new things and get answers to questions you’re unsure of.

Mock interviews

Taylor Emhart, a grad of the University of Maine, says her favorite resource at UMaine’s career center is the mock interviews. “Apart from reviewing your cover letter and resume, the career center tailors interview questions to the type of questions that would be asked. An interview for NASA would be a lot different than the local grocery store,” she says. “They videotape your whole interview, then watch it back with you. It's a great way to see how your body language is portrayed and to point out little mannerisms that you didn't even know you did.”

Battee-Freeman and Reitter say that most career services should have some sort of mock interview option available, but if your career center doesn’t offer mock interviews, you can achieve a similar effect by having a professor or friend interview you instead. Using the job description as a guide, have them ask questions related to the job. If they’re familiar with your industry, so much the better! They’ll be able to ask you more focused questions that will give you the chance to expand on your knowledge and experience.

5. Secure your recommendations and references

Depending on your internship, you may need recommendations or references. A recommendation is a physical letter and/or email from a professor or previous employer, while a reference is giving a potential employer permission to personally contact a previous employer or professor. To make sure you have a variety of recommendations that showcase you well, you’ll need to think critically about who ask, and ask them early! From past employers to professors, be conscious of their commitments and approach them in plenty of time.

“Request recommendations as soon as you know that you’ll need them and give a specific deadline by which you will need to receive them,” Battee-Freeman says. “I recommend asking to receive them two days before you need to submit them, if that allows the person at least a week to write the letter. If the time between when you ask and when you request to have them is longer than a month, remind the person one or two times before the deadline.”

Battee-Freeman also says it’s important to give the people writing your recommendations any extra information they’ll need to write the best letter. “Items such as your resume, personal statement, instructions from whatever you are applying to and examples of your volunteer and/or community services may be useful,” she advises. “If you want the person to focus on specific skills or experience you have, make sure to ask them to do so.”

References are a bit different because you’re asking the person to be willing to promote you well if a potential employer asks about you, so he or she needs to be prepared for a call at any time. To secure a reference from a professional contact, stay away from your computer! “Either call or ask in person if he or she would be willing to be a reference and for what purpose; e.g., graduate school, job search,” Reitter says.

When making your reference sheet for applications, Reitter says it’s important to verify your references’ contact information. “Make sure to ask your references what information they want you to put down,” she says. “For example, would they like to have potential employers contact them through [a] business phone or [a] personal cell phone number?” Basic information to include in a reference sheet would be the reference’s name, title, preferred contact information and their relation to you, such as a teacher or former supervisor.

6. Network, network, network!

How many times have you heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”? When it comes to jobs and internships, that statement could not be more true. The sooner you start cultivating a professional network, the better off you’ll be in the long run.

“Whether or not you are still in college, many universities have alumni or career center events that both students and alumni can attend,” says Reitter. “Many larger cities also have networking groups. Remember that every contact can be a potentially good networking contact, whether you meet that person at a formal event or at the grocery store!”

Phyu-Sin Than, a senior at Mount Holyoke College, has experienced chance encounters with great contacts more than once, so she’s always prepared. “I would suggest that college women make business cards,” she says. “I know that sounds weird, but they're extremely helpful when meeting someone on the go. I've met people on the metro or at a café with brief morning conversations that I wanted to keep in touch with.”

“Networking in an ongoing activity that occurs online and offline,” says Battee-Freeman. While both she and Reitter recommend LinkedIn for a professional presence, Battee-Freeman is quick to mention that networking occurs both online and in person, and that there are appropriate protocols for each.

“Online, connect to relevant groups and your alumni networks on LinkedIn, and if your university has an alumni database/network elsewhere, find out how to get involved in it,” Battee-Freeman says. “Offline, start talking to people about what they do and what you want to do including professors and community members. Make a note in your phone or notebook of those who are interesting and may be beneficial to learn more about or help you make the right connection.”

Finally, remember that networking is about the people you meet as well as your own professional development. “Be willing to be a resource for others as well,” says Battee-Freeman. The more people you can build a rapport with, the wider your career net will be. It can only help, and you never know where one of those people will end up one day!

Using this checklist, we know you’ll start the academic year confident and ready to wow in all of your internship and job applications. With a little organization, some rock-solid application materials, and a strong network, there’s no stopping you from another fabulous internship experience. Good luck!

Do you have any tips for job and internship applications? Tell us in the comments below!

Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Emily have been giving us major #SquadGoals for seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars now. Let's be honest, though -- aside from the occasional murder or being kidnapped multiple times, you and your group of friends aren't too different from the Liars. At the end of the day, you've got each other's backs; it's the same with them. In fact, there are quite a few similarities between your squad and theirs, including the following: 

1. You all get really into dances and formals 

2. You've made some enemies over the years...

3. You ALWAYS stand up for each other 

4. You know how to keep each other's secrets

5. Though you're all friends, you each have a unique friendship

6. You've had your fair share of fights over the years

7. Even though you always make up

8. Your moms have gradually become friends since you're always together

9. You've found yourselves in a few sticky situations...

10. You encourage each other to go after what you want, even if it means you're going to miss them

11. Because at the end of the day, you'll always come back together

The summer before college is all fun and games (and lots of Facebook stalking, of course) until it sinks in that in just a few weeks you will not be returning to the school that you attended for four years. You will be away from your friends and family –– and you will once again be a freshman.

While there are some bonuses to college life like eating whatever you want, staying out as late as you want and being able to freely binge watch OITNB without your mom asking you what you’re doing with your life, there are definitely other aspects that are a bit more nerve-wracking.

If you’re feeling a bit nervous about starting college in the fall, join the club. Take a look at these seven common fears that anyone who has been through their freshman year of college will definitely look at and say been there, done that and lived to tell the tale.

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Fear #1: I’m going to gain the Freshman 15

The Freshman 15 is quite possibly the most infamous college fear of all time. If you’ve been to orientation already, you probably at least have an idea of some of the meal plans that you can choose from, which may have made your fear that much more real.

Let’s be real: although it’s nice to think that you will choose the meal that your mom would, who can pass up buffet-style food, pizza and all the ice cream you could ever want? It’s perfectly fine to want to enjoy all the new food that your dining hall has to offer. However, if gaining a little bit of weight your freshman year is one of your fears, get ahead of it and plan out a gym schedule for yourself!

Since it is your first year of college and you don’t know exactly what your school schedule is going to look like, be realistic about your workout schedule. If you don’t always have time for the gym, there are also plenty of workouts that you can do from the comfort of your dorm room like this great butt routine !

Try to eat relatively well, but don’t feel bad about enjoying your favorite snacks every now and then. Moderation is key! “I knew a huge part of the freshman 15 was late night food, so I made a commitment to never order in pizza after already eating dinner,” says Elana Golub, a junior at Northwestern University. “Even though it seems like such a small thing, it really helped to keep the calories from adding up!” It’s the little things that count when it comes to staying away from the Freshman 15.

Fear #2: I won’t get along with my roommate

We have all seen at least one college movie that shows the cliché: polar opposite roommates. One roommate has enough pink to put Elle Woods to shame while the other has items that one would typically only see in a horror movie. Well, lucky for you that is an extreme situation that you will more than likely not find yourself in. You’re probably more likely to be concerned about your roommate using your stuff or having her SO over 24/7. The most difficult part about having a roommate that you don’t know is the not knowing part. Once you meet on move-in day, some of your apprehension will probably go away. However, living together does not automatically guarantee that you will BFFs.

Sometimes, the best that you can hope for is that you and your roommate will co-exist without any major blowouts, but you shouldn’t let that ruin your freshman year. “Freshmen year, I really hoped to become close with my roommates and I thought that we would do everything together,” says Kerry Moore, a junior at the University of South Carolina. “I quickly realized that we didn’t have similar interests and our personalities didn’t really mesh. At first, I was disappointed but if it wasn’t for my roommate situation I would never have met the girl next door who is now one of my best friends!”

Even if you’re dorm doesn’t require you to have a roommate contract , it may be a good idea to come up with one anyways to ensure that everyone is clear on the dos and don’ts for the year. Although you might not find the Monica to your Rachel, you will at least be able to get through the year with your roommate on civil terms.

Related: How to Get Along With Your Roommate All Year 

Fear #3: I won’t make any new friends

It is more than likely that all the members of your squad are not going to the same college as you – and that’s okay! Does Taylor Swift go on tour alone just because her bestie Selena Gomez is busy? No! She simply adds more new friends to her epic girl squad, and you can too.

While the people that you meet next door or in your first class aren’t the people that you have known for years, college is the time to make new memories! No one can replace your home BFFs, but your new college gal pals will make leaving home a little bit easier.

“I am very, very introverted and it takes me a long time to make friends,” says Sophia Walker, a senior at Bowdoin College. “It was especially intimidating freshman year because it felt like everyone else was making besties for life during the first week of school. What I've discovered is that even though it looks like everyone is making best friends right away, many of those friendships don't last. Those wonderful collegiate friendships that people talk about happen over the course of several years, and you don't always see them coming.  Try out some new things, talk to people you wouldn't have talked to otherwise. It took me a couple of years to find them, but now I've managed to create wonderful and close friendships with people all over campus partly because I spent my freshman year drifting between groups.”

Meeting new people may sound easier said than done, but just remember that a majority of the other freshman at your school are in the same boat as you. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone on the first day of class or talk to someone who is sitting by themselves in the dining hall, they will more than likely be grateful to have a new friend as well.

Fear #4: I’m never going to be able to find my way around campus  

Being in a new place can be made exponentially scarier when you have no clue where the heck you’re going. We’re sorry to tell you that there is no magical way to ensure that you won’t get a little turned around from time to time on your new campus, but there are ways to help the situation.

As a freshman, you are probably going to want to get to campus a little earlier than the upperclassmen. Take the time to explore before a bulk of the students arrive. If you have your class schedule, you can even ask your roommate if she want to go on a class search with you. That way, you won’t have to wander around campus by yourself trying to find your psychology lecture hall.

“I would recommend to students who fear getting lost on campus to do a dry run,” says Madeline Frisk, a senior at Oregon State University. “Typically your move-in date is a few days before your actually first day of classes so walk or take your bike with a copy of your schedule and test out your route. You may discover some short-cuts the map doesn't show you or a cafe on campus you may want to check out!” 

Also, be sure to check out your school website or a resident mentor for a map!

Fear #5: I won’t be able to handle the college-level coursework

It’s totally normal to be afraid of the college workload, but think about it this way: When you started high school didn’t you have the same fear? When starting anything new in life, it’s easy to doubt yourself and think that you can’t handle it. But, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Some classes will challenge you in a different way than you’re used to, but over time you will adjust and be able to successfully finish your work to the best of your ability (just like you did in high school).

Even though you’re in college, you’re still not expected to know everything. If you’re having trouble with a class, you can go to a professor’s office hours , join a study group or even get a tutor. You should never be afraid to ask for help when it comes to your academics, because everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.

Fear #6: My SO and I won’t be able to handle the distance

Clearly guys like Noah Calhoun aren’t scared of taking on long distance relationships (he did write Allie a letter every day for a year – that takes commitment!), but how do you deal when you're not sure if you and your SO can handle the distance? Well, you have two main options you can a) decide to end the relationship or b) decide to take on a LDR. Neither option is easy, but it’s a common decision of post-high school life.

If you decide to stay in a relationship, there are definitely ways of keeping the love alive. You can make it work if you are both willing to put in the effort.

A common fear of collegiettes in long- distance relationships going into freshman year is that the distance will be too much with all the new things that the both of you will have going on. If that is the case and you do decide to break up, it’s not the end of the world.

“I actually started college with a SO and while it's nice to have that support and someone familiar around, I found that he took up a lot of my time,” says Christiana Sallard. “I ended up spending many of my free weekends with just him instead of putting myself out there and getting to know people on campus early on. So if you do have an SO, my advice would be to balance your time, and if you don't, don't sweat it! Get out there, meet some people, and build your own support network of friends and family that you know will be there for you! 

Whether you start college in a relationship or single, remember that you are starting a new chapter in your life and don’t let anything, or anyone, stop you from experiencing everything that you can and living up to your potential!

Fear #7: What if I picked the wrong college?

It can be a scary feeling to walk to class on your first day of college, look around, and think that you chose the wrong school. Having that fear during your first few weeks, and even months, of college is totally normal. Between the homesickness and newness of everything, it is easy to feel out of place. When you have that feeling, it’s important to remind yourself why you chose your school in the first place. Did you fall in love with the school pride? Go see a football game. Did you think the campus was beautiful? Take a walk. Try to remember why you made the decision you did when you start to have feelings of doubt.

If the college that you’re at wasn’t necessarily you’re first choice, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Even if you don’t think the school is for you, at least give it a chance. Attend a club call-out meeting, run for a student office, or go see a sporting event. You just might find something that you like after all.

“This is something that college students can struggle with all four years, so don't feel bad!,” Sallard says. “Everything takes a little getting used to at first, so take a deep breath and see what happens when you give it a shot. Try talking to upperclassmen or professors to get a feel from the inside if your college is going to be the right fit for you in the long run. A lot of students actually don't end up at the same school where they started, so you're not alone!” It is important to give your college choice a try but if it’s ultimately not the right fit, don’t be afraid to make the decision that is right for you!

If you ever feel like your freshman year is too much to handle, just remember that it’s only one year of your overall college experience. It is a time for learning! Even upperclassmen don’t have their lives completed sorted out –– they’re just better at faking it. Enjoy your freshman year, collegiettes. We promise it’s not as scary as it seems!