Our favorite That 70s Show couple has some big news! Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, who announced their engagement on February 27^th, are reportedly expecting their first child.

Sources say “this is something they both wanted,” according to Us Weekly, and that the couple, together since 2011, are “very happy.”

Kutcher was previously married to Demi Moore, and finalized their divorce last fall. They had no children together. This will be the first marriage and child for Kunis, who has starred in movies such as Black Swan and Forgetting Sarah Marshall since wrapping That 70s Show.

E! News also reported the couple’s big news, quoting Kunis’ description of her and Kutcher’s date nights. “We have a thing called white t-shirt night and it’s when you wear jeans and a white t-shirt and go on a date. Nothing fancy, it’s just something that [we] love to do.”

We are officially obsessed with this low-key (though incredibly attractive) couple, and can't wait to see their (surely) beautiful baby. Congrats, you two! 

Resume, cover letter, interview, repeat—finding a job or internship can often feel like an endless uphill battle.  With the tough competition in today’s job market, you want to make sure that you stand out from the crowd, but how? Short of being an Olympic athlete or the daughter of the company’s CEO, the best way to stand out is to tailor your resume and cover letter to each position you apply for.  

Christy Dunston, a career counselor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, always encourages students to tailor their resumes and cover letters.  A generic resume and cover letter just don’t make you stand out, but these tips and tricks can help you make a great first impression and land your next dream job or internship!

List Appropriate Skills

To show potential employers that you are the perfect fit for their position, include skills on your resume that mirror the assets they are seeking in an employee.  “See how your experiences match up with what they are looking for because that’s what people pick up on as they look at your resume,” Dunston says.  “They really pick up on the experiences you’ve had so you really want to make sure you tailor those to the position you’re applying for.”

Alex Rizk, a collegiette at UNC-Chapel Hill, used this tactic in her cover letters to land a summer internship.  “With each cover letter I emphasized different strengths and abilities,” she says.  “You want to focus on what each employer’s interests are and hone in on your strengths that are compatible with that business.”  

You can usually find the employer’s desired skills somewhere in the job description or application.  Make sure to include these attributes – as long as you have them! – and any others that you think are relevant to the position.  Don’t waste precious space, or your potential employer’s time, by including irrelevant characteristics.

The career services department at UNC-Chapel Hill always encourages students to include any computer program and foreign language capabilities in the skills section your resume.  Other than that, use the information in the job description and your best judgment to decide what skills are relevant.  For example, your CPR certification could be relevant if you were applying for a position as a lifeguard, camp counselor, or a health care internship, but it probably wouldn’t matter if you were applying to an office job or corporate internship.  

Use Your Connections

Make a connection with your potential employer by mentioning a mutual friend or acquaintance in your resume or cover letter.  This is where networking pays off! 

Have you previously worked for the company in any capacity? Do you have a (reliable) reference from within the organization?  Did you speak with a representative from the company at a job or internship fair on your campus?  If so, be sure to include this!  Dunston says this can be an important part of your application.  “If someone referred you to the position, you should definitely include that in the cover letter,” she says.  

Dunston’s department, University Career Services, encourages students to use the first sentence of their cover letters to state their connection with the potential employer.  “The best introduction to a potential employer is to remind him or her of the face-to-face or telephone conversation you have already had relative to your job search or to mention that you have heard about the job vacancy from a friend or other contact that works for the organization,” Dunston says.

For example:

Dear Hiring Manager:

We met through Jane Smith in your company’s hiring department and discussed a summer internship with your organization. I am eager to follow up with my official application.  

Any connection you have with an organization can catch an employer’s eye and increase your chances of landing an interview, so be sure to emphasize it!

Address a Specific Person

If the application or job description identifies a specific individual responsible for the hiring process, be sure to address your cover letter and other application materials to that person.  Even if the application doesn’t identify a specific person, you can still make your greeting more person than “to whom it may concern.”  

If the company doesn’t give a specific name, Dunston suggests using “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear HR Recruiter” instead.  “Even though it’s not a specific person, you’re still addressing it to someone,” she says.

Another option is to call the company directly to ask whom you should address your cover letter to. “I think sometimes people forget that the company has a phone number and you could just call and ask,” Dunston says.  Reaching out to the company in this way could also show the person reading your application that you are taking the process seriously!    

Talk About Why You Want the Job

Tailor and enhance your cover letter by explaining to the company exactly why you want to work for them. “You want to tell a little bit about why you want to work for that company,” says Dunston. “That can be different for each company you’re applying to.”  

To do this, think about what appeals to you about the specific company or position. How will you benefit from the position, and what do you hope to contribute to the company? 

If the company is small, you could explain why you’d like to work for a small company, and vice versa if the company is large. If the organization is—or works closely with—a nonprofit, you could explain why the organization’s cause is important to you. Ultimately, you want to show the potential employer that you know what their company is all about, and define specifically why you are eager to work for them.

Use Keywords 

Before applying for any position, it is important to research the organization. “I tell students to look at the job description, responsibilities, and qualifications and pick out some of those keywords,” Dunston says.  

If you notice any repeated words or concepts on the company’s application or website, be sure to include those in your resume or cover letter. This will show the employer that you’ve done your homework and that your ideas are in line with the organization’s mission.  

For example, a cover letter tailored to an HC position would repeatedly use the word “collegiettes” and might read something like this:

Dear Hiring Manager:

I am writing today to express my interest in becoming a Contributing Writer for Her Campus.  I have followed HC’s stories for some time now, and I am eager to join the organization to refine my writing skills and serve my fellow collegiettes.  

Include a Specific Objectives Statement

“If you aren’t writing a cover letter, then you want to include an objectives statement in your resume,” Dunston says.  This objectives statement is a great place to tailor your resume by telling the specific company that you want to work for them.  If you want an internship, say so! After all, that is the purpose of your application, right?

“The objectives statement should be simple and to the point,” Dunston says. She gives the following examples:

Seeking a summer internship at Organization X. 
Obtain a position in X, using my skills Y and Z.

“If you have to write a cover letter,” Dunston says, “then you don’t necessarily need an objectives statement because your cover letter is going to cover that.” If you do decide to include a position-specific objectives statement, though, make sure you send in the right resume!  “I’ve seen a resume where the objectives statement was completely different for the position the person was applying for,” Dusnton says. “It was like, ‘Well, I guess they don’t want this position,’ and that’s not good.”  

The intense competition for internships and jobs can make the application process seem daunting, and it is important to take advantage of any and all opportunities to make your application stand out.  The resume and cover letter are typically standard documents, but these simple tips will give you a specialized, standout application and have you on your way to the interview!

A college overnight visit is like a sleepover, but you get to live the life of a collegiette while you’re doing it! Not only are you there to have fun, you’re also there to learn as much as you can about a university and see if it’s the right fit for you. Check out these tips from collegiettes who have hosted an overnight visitor or have been an overnight guest before, and you’ll become an overnight visit pro.

Chat with your host or an admissions representative before you get there

In some situations, you’ll get your host’s email or phone number before you arrive on campus. Your host will be your college expert for the night: you’ll get to stay in her dorm room, meet her friends, eat in the dining hall and even attend a college class. Once you get her contact information, friend her or follow her on social media; it breaks the ice a little bit and gives you insight into her life on campus.

In addition to being able to stalk all of her social media profiles (hey, you want to see if she’s having fun at school!), you can reach out to her and find out the basics about where to meet, what to bring and what to expect. “My school provides a cot, but does not include a pillow or a blanket with the cot,” says Abby Borges, a senior at Hollins University who has hosted four prospective students. “It's possible your hostess will have these things and can share, but not guaranteed.”

Check in to see if you should pack a sleeping bag or air mattress before you head to campus. You don’t want to get to your host’s room and find out that she doesn’t have extra pillows to spare! Also, don’t be nervous to ask what to expect out of your day at school. Find out what classes you’ll be attending or what club meetings you might be tagging along on.

“I've noticed that the people who volunteer to be overnight hosts tend to be active on campus, so high school students shouldn't be surprised if their host brings them along to student group meetings,” says Katherine Varga, a junior at the University of Rochester. “During my overnight visit, I actually went off campus since my host was involved in a community service club that was making dinner for families of children with cancer.”

Talking to your host for the first time might seem a little intimidating, but remember that she signed up to welcome you to her college. She’s excited to give you a rewarding and fun experience! If the college you’re visiting does not give out host information before the visit, talk to an admissions representative about what to bring.

Plan questions in advance

When you’re on a college tour, it’s hard to get a feel for what the college is really like. Your tour guide is probably limited on what she can reveal about the social aspect of campus life because she’s hired by the admissions office, and admissions isn’t going to give you the dirt on what goes on after dark! It’s also difficult to find out more about what you think is important when your parents are next to you, laughing politely at corny tour-guide jokes or asking ridiculous questions (“Yes, Mom, I’m sure this college located in the Northeast has heat in the dorms”). So when you’re on your overnight visit, take every opportunity to figure out what the college is really all about.

“Have a list of questions and ask different people the same question, especially if it's about something like campus life where you're more likely to get different answers depending on the person you're asking,” Abby says.

Planning ahead and determining what’s important to you – whether it’s finding out about the classes or partying – will make it easier to learn as much as you can about the college. Your host will have the lowdown on everything from how involved students are to whether it’s more of a bar- or house-party-oriented school. Ask about how you choose your classes, how involved students are on campus, how housing selection works and whatever else you deem to be important.

“My host invited me to dinner with her friends,” says Nicole Connors, a junior at Siena College. “It was the perfect chance to grill all of them about classes, their social life, guys and clubs and sports. I felt like I was being annoying, but they were so sweet about answering questions because they have all been through it before.”

In short, never be afraid to ask! There are no stupid questions when it comes to deciding which college to attend. Going on an overnight visit can teach you more than an admissions pamphlet ever would, so take advantage of it!

Find out what students DON’T like

Just like admissions won’t dish on the college nightlife dirt, they’re probably not going to tell you about what students don’t like about their college. Questions about what students don’t like are almost as important as what they do like – what if what they say makes or breaks the school for you? Be sure to mingle with your host’s friends, floor mates or roommates to get the most well-rounded view of the university as possible. Meals in the cafeteria and hanging out in the common room are the best times to get the lowdown on the negatives.

“You will hear wonderful things about your college, but ask your host about the downsides,” says Carina Corbin, a freshman at Amherst College who attended two overnight visits.  “Honestly, the harsher the better.  It's best to know the school you will attend is not perfect before stepping through the gate in August.”

If you hear a few negative points about the college, put them into a pros and cons list. There’s a difference between finding out that sometimes the soft-serve machine doesn’t work and finding out that the surrounding area is so dangerous that students rarely go off campus. Talk to your host and your parents about whether or not the things you don’t like are overpowering the things you love. It’s good to know about all the amazing opportunities at your prospective college, but keep an open mind and try to see the good and the bad to make sure that you’re choosing a school that is 100 percent the perfect fit for you.

Go to a class you’re really interested in

If your host tells you to be up at 8 a.m. to attend calculus with her in the morning and math is the bane of your existence, don’t be afraid to speak up and find another class to visit. The entire overnight experience is supposed to be for your benefit, and the college will no doubt find you a class that interests you. What’s the point in sitting in a class that isn’t related to your interests or your future major? Ask your host to find you an opportunity to learn about something you’re interested in and maybe even mingle with the other students and a professor.

“I knew in high school I would want to major in computer science and continue learning Chinese,” Carina says. “Of course, when I visited Amherst, I wanted to talk with the teachers who taught those courses. While it's unfair to judge an entire school, department or even the teacher based on one day of class, you grasp the atmosphere and decide whether or not it's environment you like.”

Be assertive! You’re almost an independent collegiette. Sit in on a class that really interests you. Your host can direct you to the admissions office, which often has a list of classes inviting prospective students to visit.

Once you’re in class, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to the professor and the students around you—they are your best resource. Students sitting by you can fill you in on what they’re doing in class today and what class is typically like.

With the help of your host (who probably has an idea of which professors are the best) and admissions (who knows which classes best fit what you’re interested in), you can pick a class that you’re excited to attend. It may be the experience that influences you most during your overnight visit.

Keep in touch after the visit

Not only will your host be an expert on her school, she’ll be an expert on the college admissions process. Take advantage of having a newfound connection with someone who’s been there before and who can give you advice on all the ins and outs of picking a college. And if you choose to attend the college you visited, you’ll already be friends with a cool upperclassman!

“From a host’s perspective, make good friends with your host because they are a good connection to have during your freshman year for transportation, advice and anything you really need,” says Nicole Boschetti, a junior at Marist College who has hosted an overnight student twice.

After the visit, text or Facebook message your host to thank her. She’ll appreciate it and keep it in mind if you need her help again in the future. Feel free to ask her any major questions as your decision deadline approaches (think financial aid, curriculum or housing questions), but don’t bombard her! As the semester winds down, she’ll be super busy with final exams and presentations. When the college’s summer break starts, most hosts will be ready and willing to answer all of your pressing questions (this includes all dorm décor, clothes and boy questions).

An overnight visit is one of the best ways to find out if a college is really for you. The more you know before you hit the road, the better you’re prepared to take advantage of everything an overnight visit offers you.

As the infamous Miranda Priestly once said, “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” Floral may be a clichéd print for spring, but wearing them this year doesn’t have to be boring! If you’re looking to mix up the way you incorporate florals in your style, look no further. HC has come up with 20 unique ways to wear them that you may have never considered.

1. Rock the floral pant

Floral pants were a big trend on the spring runways and are a bold way to wear the print. Pair your pants with a chambray shirt for a pretty spring look! Try out this adorable pair of floral pants from Forever 21 ($16.99).

2. Carry your florals with you

Switch up your usual bag for class with a fun floral-print bag! Pairing a floral bag with your outfit is a sweet way to incorporate the print without being overpowering. This daisy bag from Forever 21 ($24.80) is big enough to fit everything you need for class!

3.Wear them on your head

Mix it up and disguise a bad hair day by topping off your look with a floral-print hat. This one from Urban Outfitters ($38) is a cute option!

4. Wear a floral scarf

Scarves are not just for winter! Add a floral scarf to any plain outfit to give it a touch of color.  A lightweight scarf is a great spring accessory when you don’t want to wear a necklace. You can wear it over a simple graphic tank and jeans like Selena Gomez or with a simple dress. You can get your own floral scarf from Target ($14.99).

5. DIY a floral pocket

If you don’t want to go all out with a floral-printed piece, wear a floral-pocket T-shirt. Find any plain T-shirt and add a pocket by sewing a piece of flowery fabric on the pocket area! You can find out how to do this here. This shirt would make a great casual and comfy outfit. Pair your shirt with boyfriend jeans and a pair of flats. Add a pendant necklace and a fishtail braid in your hair for a comfortable look that’s perfect for class!

6. Add an edgy jacket

Pair a girly, floral-print dress with a leather jacket for an edgier look. Finish it off with combat boots for a casual look, or choose heels to make it dressy! This faux leather jacket from Forever 21 ($37.80) would go perfectly with a floral print dress!

7. Wear it under your clothes

Ditch your boring bra this summer and wear a floral bandeau instead! It’s cute and versatile, and you can wear it under a tank that hangs low on the sides so the print can peek out. For those super hot days, you can just wear it on its own with high-waisted shorts or a skater skirt! Try this cute bandeau from Free People.

8. Go floral from head to toe

A floral jumpsuit is a daring look you should definitely try this spring. It’s such a chic and easy outfit! You could dress it up for a date night or wear it casually to class. If you’re going out, pair your jumpsuit with heels. For accessories, keep it minimal since the jumpsuit is quite a statement in itself. Try out this jumpsuit from ASOS ($94.10)!

9. Wear it on your feet

An awesome pair of floral shoes is fun way to incorporate the print without making it the focus of the outfit. There are so many styles to choose from! You could wear floral sneakers, boots or heels. Mix it up by throwing on a pair of floral boots with jeans and a printed top. Wearing floral sneakers with a solid dress is an easy way to incorporate the print, too. These floral boots from Nasty Gal ($54.60) are perfect for this look!

10. Get professional

Ditch your regular black blazer and add a floral blazer to your work outfit! It does seem a little daring for the office, but it can look really chic if done right. Try to keep the rest of your outfit simple, such as choosing black pants and a white button-down like Lauren Conrad. That way, the blazer is the center of the outfit. You can a cute floral blazer atLuLu*s ($23).

11. Match your top and bottom

We’ve been seeing matching two-piece outfits recently on celebrities like Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian. Once you have both pieces, you can wear them together or mix and match them with other pieces in your closet. Pair your matching top and bottom with sandals for class or a pair of heels to dress it up at night. You could try donning a statement necklace to keep it fancy and add something different to the outfit. Try this matching cami and skort from Topshop.

12. Be bold with a graphic tee

Instead of pairing your favorite graphic tee with jeans, try wearing it with a floral skirt or over a floral dress! Try tucking it in a skirt or tying it in a small knot on the side over a dress. We love this top from Jawbreaking ($28.90) that says, “I’m cooler on the Internet,” because aren’t we all?

13. Crown yourself

Pop a flower crown on top your head for a cute hair accessory! Flower crowns may seem like something you can only wear at Coachella, but you can totally rock them on an everyday basis. You can find your own flower crown like Vanessa’s at Urban Outfitters ($20).

14. Make a statement with floral accessories

You can also wear florals in jewelry form! You can easily accessorize any outfit by wearing a big flower statement necklace, a flower ring or a flower bracelet. Wear a statement necklace like this pretty gold floral necklace from Forever 21 ($6.80) with a flowery shirt.

15. Be a floral beach babe

Step out onto the beach with a retro floral suit! We love this rose suit from Forever 21 ($24.80).

16. Go floral to the max

Wear a floral maxi skirt and pair it with a crop top and some ankle booties. Top off your look with a big, floppy hat! This maxi skirt from Forever 21 ($19.80) is perfect for this outfit.

17. Paint the town floral

An outfit is never complete without a killer manicure, so try adding a floral design to your nails! Try out this DIY tutorial so you can paint flowers on your nails yourself. If you aren’t great at nail art, you could also use Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in a floral print. All you have to do is stick them on your nails and you’ll have a perfect floral mani for spring!

18. Mix and match prints

Be bold by pairing your floral piece with another print! Mixing prints can be tricky because you don’t want to look like you got dressed in the dark. To avoid that, mix prints in similar colors. That way, the color scheme will match even though your prints don’t. Try mixing your floral print with stripes—the combination looks great! Try pairing this blue striped shirt from Free People ($48) with this blue floral printed skirt from Urban Outfitters ($39).

19. Make it pop

Bring out the color in your floral print by adding a pop of neon. This trend is easy to do—you could simply wear some neon shoes. You could also try pairing neon pants with a floral top. Adding neon colors are a bright way to make your floral print stand out! Try these neon pants from DrJays.com ($19.99).

20. Wrap up in a floral kimono cardigan

Wear a bright floral kimono over a simple white tee and denim shorts like Kourtney Kardashian, or put it over a simple black maxi dress. They also are perfect to wear over your swimsuit at the beach this summer! Try this cute one from Love Culture ($34.95).

If you’re looking to channel your inner flower child this spring, wear one of these looks! Mix up the floral pieces in your closet and you’ll definitely have some groundbreaking outfits this season. How do you wear florals, collegiettes? Let us know in the comments!

Her Campus and Fortress of Inca are partnering for an amazing giveaway! One grand prize winner will receive a $200 Fortress of Inca gift card while three runner-ups will receive a $50 gift card. Keep reading to learn more about Fortress of Inca and to find out how you can enter the giveaway!

Walk around campus in style with Fortress of Inca’s unique heels, flats and boots. Vibrant colors and intricate designs make Fortress of Inca shoes chic and one of a kind. Our favorite look is the Penelope Sol Black heel, but it's hard to choose just one!

Even though its footwear is fashion forward, Fortress of Inca strongly believes making quality products is more important than being trendy. The company guarantees that its shoes and boots will last for years, as they are handmade by Peruvian artisans who use only premium leathers and materials. Plus, Fortress of Inca is a Fair Trade brand, meaning all of its workers are paid fair wages.

Want a pair of Fortress of Inca shoes? Fill out the form below to enter the giveaway! One grand prize winner will recieve a $200 Fortress of Inca gift card while three runner-ups will receive a $50 gift card. Winners will be chosen at random and announced in the April 1 STUDY BREAK.

Don’t forget to find Fortress of Inca on Facebook and follow the company on Twitter at @FortressofInca.

Good luck, collegiettes!

Sick of eating cereal and ramen for lunch and dinner? Want to spend less money eating out and finally start cooking for yourself? Put down that frozen pizza, because HC’s Health Editor, Sammie Levin, is here to share her daily eats so you can get ideas for healthy, satisfying meals that are easy enough for any time-strapped collegiette to make. After you read Collegiette Eats, your taste buds, wallet and waistline will thank you.

Have you ever been shocked by how small the serving sizes are of some of your favorite foods? Two hundred calories worth of pasta is like three noodles, and a 140-calorie serving of tortilla chips can fit in the palm of your hand—as if you’d just want to stop at 10 chips. Sticking with these sizes can leave you feeling pretty unsatisfied and hungry. And being hungry sucks.

No one knows this better than Lisa Lillien, the creator of Hungry Girl, a healthy-eating brand that includes several New York Times best-selling books, a cooking show called Hungry Girl on Food Network and Cooking Channel, a website and daily emails jam-packed with helpful information such as recipes, shopping lists, new product finds, survival tips for specific restaurants and occasions and news. 

I had the opportunity to speak with Lillien about Hungry Girl and her latest book, The Hungry Girl Diet, and I’m super excited to introduce you all to her amazing outlook on healthy eating!

Lillien created the Hungry Girl concept and brand because she loves food and hates restriction. She values health, but she doesn’t want to sacrifice taste, quantity or satisfaction in the process. So she’s developed an inventory of tips and tricks that allow you to grow your portions of delicious foods while shrinking (or maintaining) your waistline. Her philosophy is all about finding swaps to improve the nutritional value of your meals, learning secrets that allow you to eat more for fewer calories and making healthy lifestyle changes.

Today The Hungry Diet is hitting stores. The book compiles a “decade’s worth of trusted food findings and philosophies” into a 1,300-calorie-a-day, four-week diet plan that’s actually fun and easy to follow because it allows you to enjoy large, satisfying portions of yummy foods—and still lose weight!

“The number one complaint when dieting is being hungry,” Lillien says. “This plan allows you to eat more.”  The plan was approved by registered dietitian and author Dave Grotto and tested by a varied group of dieters who lost an average of 10 pounds after four weeks. 

Lillien explains that she was initially hesitant to come out with a diet book because Hungry Girl is a philosophy and lifestyle, not a quick fix or fad diet. She emphasizes that the plan is something you can do over and over again throughout your life, and go on and off of.

“It’s not a type of diet where you are restricting yourself to only eat certain foods,” she explains. There are tons of balanced options, so you can pick and choose, creating the exact meal plan that works for your preferences and schedule. Lillien’s reasoning for this flexibility is that “when diets are very strict, people tend to yo-yo diet.” Rather than depriving yourself of nothing but cabbage soup for three days only to binge on a box of Double Stuf Oreos on day four, you can reshape the way you eat with Lillien’s plan so that you get sustainable, maintainable results. 

Lillien explains that the Hungry Girl Diet is especially great for collegiettes thanks to the uncomplicated recipes and array of grab-and-go options. “These recipes are appropriate for people who are on budget, don’t have a lot of time and are cooking for one,” she says. Sounds exactly like a collegiette to me! “The recipes rely on ingredients that you probably already have at home or can get easily, and they don’t take a long time to prepare,” she says. So on those days when you’re racing from bio lab to your sorority chapter meeting and then out to dinner with the girls, you’ll still be able to stick with the plan. Guess you can’t use being busy an excuse to eat unhealthily anymore—sorry (but really, it’s for your own good).

The book is more than just the plan, though. “The book has a definitive four-week plan, but also a huge section with survival tips—such as what to get at a baseball game, at girls’ night at the bar—and recipes that would be great whether you are on or off the plan,” Lillien says.

Lillien shared a few of her favorite healthy eating tricks and tips to give a taste of what you’ll find in the Hungry Girl Diet.

1. Maximize volume

Lillien shared one of her favorite Hungry Girl breakfasts: growing oatmeal. “Instead of using one cup of liquid for a half cup serving of old-fashioned oats like the canister suggests, you use two cups and cook it for twice as long,” she says. “It gets really thick and blows up to twice the size of regular oatmeal, so it’s really huge and filling.” As you can imagine based on how often I eat oatmeal in the morning, I was so excited to hear this magical tip. I’ll definitely by trying this for my next bowl. 

2. Find healthy swaps

“A serving size of pasta [one cup of cooked spaghetti is 220 calories] is really sad to me,” she says. So, in Hungry Girl fashion, she has found substitutes that allow her to eat more for much fewer calories. “I’ll use broccoli slaw and cook it in a skillet with marinara sauce,” she says, explaining that it tastes surprisingly like pasta. “Or, I’ll use tofu shiritake,” she says, which is a type of noodle made from tofu that has one-tenth—yes, one-tenth—the calories of regular pastas. Check out her recipe for Fettucinne Hungry Girlfredo, which only has 99 calories per serving. “The serving size is tremendous and is like you're eating a bowl of fettuccine Alfredo,” she says. I’m already salivating.

3. Plan ahead

“My best advice is to plan,” she says. “My number one advice for college students and people who don't have a lot of time is to think ahead; know what your day is going to be like. Keep better choice snacks on hand.” She explains that this will help you avoid having to resort to whatever food is around you or in the vending machine, or getting to a point where you’re so hungry that you end up overeating once you finally get food. Some of her favorite go-to snacks are 100-calorie packs of pistachios or almonds, turkey jerky, an apple or a Quest bar.

Hungry for more? Visit the Hungry Girl website for more tips! 

Have you met Molly?  You may have seen her hanging around your favorite club, bar, or house party.  But be careful – she can be worse for you than that game-playing frat boy you keep telling yourself to stay away from.

If you haven’t been formally introduced, Molly is the name commonly used to refer to the crystalline or power form of MDMA, or 3, 4 Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine. Thanks to its euphoric effects, Molly is becoming popular among thrill-seeking college students.

What is Molly?

Rachel*, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, encountered Molly at the annual Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida last year.  While she did not use the substance herself, she saw plenty evidence of it.  

“It was everywhere,” she says.  “The people who were on it looked like they had no idea what they were doing – kind of like drones.”

Molly is typically considered “pure” MDMA because its powder form makes it less likely to be laced with other substances, but this same drug can come in many forms.  

In its pill form, MDMA is most often known as Ecstasy, a drug typically associated with nightclubs and concerts.  Unlike Molly, Ecstasy is commonly laced with other substances, sometimes without the knowledge of the user.  

Because it comes in a powder form, Molly can be snorted, dissolved in water, or swallowed.  Regardless of the manner in which it is taken, MDMA produces energizing and euphoric effects that turn users into these walking “drones.”

“MDMA is a psycho-stimulant,” says Natalie Rich, the alcohol and drug intervention specialist at UNC-Chapel Hill.  “In the short-term, it produces many of the same physical effects as other stimulants, such as amphetamine, including increased heart rate, body temperature, and overall increased energy.”

MDMA also causes psychedelic effects, like those produced by LSD, “shrooms”, and marijuana, according to Rich.  These effects include euphoria, heightened empathy and connection with others, and altered sensory perceptions.  

The combination of these psychedelic and stimulating effects make Molly a popular drug of choice for raging partiers or concertgoers because it reduces inhibitions and distorts perception, producing feelings of closeness with other partiers, including complete strangers… and inanimate objects.

“[People on Molly] did what their first impulse was to do, which at music festivals is usually to dance… or to make out with strangers,” says Rachel.  “One guy couldn’t walk in a straight line and started talking to a pole.”

These effects are produced by Molly’s interaction with the brain.  “MDMA causes the brain to rapidly release large amounts of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with many of the psychological effects like feelings of happiness and closeness to others,” Rich says.

The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies MDMA as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and it is considered unsafe – but that doesn’t seem to be stopping college students.  

Where is Molly?

MDMA, especially in its pill form, is not new by any means, but its use among college students appears to be increasing.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the annual use of MDMA by college students peaked in the early 2000s, but is back on the rise again.  The percentage of college students who reported using MDMA almost doubled from 2.2 percent in 2004 to 4.3 percent in 2010.  The NIDA also reports that MDMA use had a higher percent increase from 2009 to 2010 than almost any other illicit drug among college students.  

Because of its ability to reduce inhibitions, increase energy, and distort perception, Molly is most commonly associated with the rave and electronic dance music scene.  

At last year’s Ultra Music Festival, for example, Madonna made headlines when she asked the audience, “How many people in the crowd have seen Molly?”  Although she denies that her remarks were a drug reference, many people quickly assumed that meaning, which just goes to show the popularity of MDMA at such events.  

Rachel says she has also seen the substance at parties on UNC’s campus, especially raves.

Molly also seems to be making a name for itself in more mainstream pop culture, aside from the rave scene.

References to MDMA are casually made in many popular songs, including Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)” and Kanye West’s “Mercy”.  Now you want to go listen to those songs again, don’t you?

MDMA references are also made in popular movies, including Black Swan (2010), Horrible Bosses (2011), and Project X (2012).  

Why is it a bad idea?

While the short-term effects of MDMA can make it appealing to partiers and concertgoers, there are a significant amount of risks that outweigh the perceived rewards.

The euphoric, energizing effects of Molly generally start within 30 to 45 minutes of consumption and last about three to six hours – which is plenty of time for your impulsive, carefree behavior to get you into trouble.  In fact, NIDA asserts that the “closeness-promoting” effects of MDMA may lead to unsafe sex.  

The exact effects of Molly vary from person to person, especially among first-time users, but they generally create a risky combination of cognitive unawareness and impulsive behavior.  

“A single high does of MDMA can also result in high blood pressure, seizures, dehydration, stroke and even death,” Rich says.  MDMA can also cause a dangerous spike in body temperature, a condition called hyperthermia.

Another risk is the trade of Molly itself.

“It’s actually kind of scary how people get it,” says Rachel, describing what she saw at Ultra.  “Some people know dealers, but some people just go around and ask for it.”

In a crowd full of strangers, that can be a dangerous question.  Even though Molly is less likely to be laced with other substances than its tablet counterpart, Ecstasy, you still can’t know for sure what a stranger will give you.  After all, didn’t your mom ever tell you not to trust strangers?

“It’s total trust in someone you don’t know, and that person is super sketchy,” Rachel says.

Mixing MDMA with alcohol or other drugs can cause an even more dangerous and unpredictable reaction.  For example, Rachel says she saw a girl pass out after mixing Molly with other substances.  

We should all know by now that mixing alcohol and drugs is a bad idea, but the danger with Molly is that you never know what could be in that mixture of drugs thanks to the “sketchy” nature of the trade.

Up to half of the substances sold as MDMA contain no MDMA at all, but instead a combination of other drugs like methamphetamine or other psychedelics, says Rich.  These other drugs can result in more dangerous effects, especially if taken in conjunction with MDMA.

“Typically, combining MDMA with other drugs will enhance the effects of both and may prolong the duration of the MDMA effects,” Rich says.    

Aside from the immediate effects, repeated abuse of MDMA can leave users with serious long-term consequences.  Because the substance causes a rapid release of serotonin, repeated use can lead to depletion of the brain’s neurotransmitters, which decreases a person’s ability to feel pleasure.  

“After about three hours under the influence of MDMA, the brain will deplete its serotonin supplies, sometimes prompting users to take more MDMA with little effect,” Rich explains.  “After the MDMA wears off, users typically experience depression and may become suicidal due to the depletion of serotonin.”

What’s more, MDMA – like all other illicit drugs – is illegal, and its use could have serious legal consequences for college students.  Being caught with Molly can land you in jail and suspended or expelled from school, according to the DEA.

With all of her dangerous consequences, maybe it’s time to add one more pop culture reference to Molly’s resume.

Dear Molly, we knew you were trouble when you walked in.

*Names have been changed.

Harvard senior Patrick Colangelo is launching a social media platform that plans to revolutionize how people meet and remember one other.

The free mobile app, called Spayce, is based on the notion of "capturing the moment," according to Colangelo. Spayce uses facial recognition software and hyper-location to essentially put a room full of people on your smartphone.

Users within a 100-meter radius of one other will be able to see each other's profiles and connect immediately. You can create a personal profile, which includes pictures, friends, relationship status and three adjectives to describe yourself, as well as a professional profile, which shows your occupation and three industries with which you are associated.

"We want to show you wherever you are, what's happening around you and who's around you," Colangelo says. "We're focused on what I would say is the future of social media."

When a Spayce user connects with new or old friends, they can develop what is called a "Memory." These memories can be temporary or permanent, and you can set them as private, friends or public. Aside from this, there is a "Look Back" feature that allows you to see everyone you've encountered within the previous day.

"This makes for a live feed of what's happening there whenever you walk into a room," Colangelo says. "All memories that you create are saved permanently for participants but expire in 100 minutes for your friends on their memory feed."

Spayce has a 15-member team of engineers and designers, as well as over 80 campus ambassadors nationwide. After running a prototype of the app in December for 300 Harvard students, the team receieved overwhelmingly positive feedback and had "tens of thousands of people" on the waiting list. 

"When you see that kind of potential to change the world, it really becomes your life," Colangelo says. "We hope that all this time we spent building this product will really change people's lives, for the better, all over the world."

To find out more about Spayce, check out this video. 

Greek yogurt is great. Not only is it high in protein and probiotics, it’s yummy, too! You don’t have to just eat your Greek yogurt with chopped fruit, though; it can be used in place of mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, oil and butter to make your recipes lighter and healthier. Here are just a few recipes that will help you incorporate more Greek yogurt into your diet.

1. Skinny Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This has all the flavor of your favorite dip, but without all the sour cream, mayo and excessive cheese.

2. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Perfect alone, in a sandwich or even used to load a baby sweet potato.

3. Light and Tangy Blueberry Pancakes

Our new breakfast of choice.

4. Creamy Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

Finally, a gluten-free (and guilt-free) mac and cheese recipe!

5. Skinny Greek Yogurt Chicken

Low in calories, high in protein and super easy to make.

6. Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

Who knew you could get a protein boost from eating a slice of banana bread?

7. Zucchini and Tomato Pasta With Lemon Yogurt Sauce

This light pasta makes for the perfect summer dish.

8. Broccoli Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes

It sounds indulgent and looks delicious, but this recipe gives the comfort-food dish a healthy makeover. 

9. Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Muffins

Now it’s finally okay to have chocolate for breakfast.

10. Roasted Eggplant Salad With Saffron Yogurt

Topped with a rich sauce of nothing but Greek yogurt and saffron, this salad couldn’t be any lighter (or tastier!).

11. Greek Pita Pizza

The perfect recipe for your next pizza night.

12. Roasted Beet, Apple and Walnut Salad With Honey Lemon Yogurt Dressing

And you thought salad had to be boring!

In an age when phone calls are as outdated as gaucho pants, texting has become a part of our everyday lives. While we ladies can decode each other’s text messages without batting an eyelash, we’re more than a little puzzled on why guys don’t share our same love for emojis and exclamation points.

It’s clear to see that guys approach texting way differently than girls do. Here are a few of the differences we found!

Emoticons

Ever notice that there seems to be a serious disconnect between guys and girls when it comes to the subject of emoticons?

Girls

Whether we’re texting our girlfriends about going out for drinks later or simply asking our boyfriend how his big test went, you better believe we’re going to include a corresponding emoji to go along with our inquiry. A boring text that could simply read, “hey, how did your test go?” becomes 10 times more interesting when you add a book emoji, a pencil emoji and a few happy faces just to spice things up, and your simple “wanna get drinks later?” is so much more exciting and intriguing when you follow it with a few martini emojis and a classic winky face.

“I use emojis because they make my texts sound more exciting,” says Hannah, a junior at the University of Washington. “Emojis just make texts so much less serious and [more] fun. I would never use them when texting an employer or someone I worked with professionally, but when I’m texting my friends or a guy I like, I always throw one in there.”

It’s a girl’s worst nightmare when she starts texting a new guy and the dreaded green text message appears. No iMessage means no iPhone, which in turn means no emojis – how is she supposed to let him know she’s crying from laughter at his last joke if she can’t use the crying-from-laughter emoticon?!

Taylor, a junior at the University of San Diego, is also a big fan of emoji use in her texts. “I have my favorite emojis that are always my go-tos whenever I’m texting,” she says. “I kind of just use them without even realizing it! When I’m texting someone and just want to have a fun, lighthearted conversation, they’re a good way to lighten the mood. I use the heart-eyes emoji way more than humanly necessary.”

With a plethora of emojis at our constant disposal, we can find a fitting one for any text message we send, which may be why we constantly overuse them. No matter who she’s talking to or what the situation is, a girl will include emojis, and if you don’t like it, you’ve got a “whatever girl” emoji coming your way.

Guys

While guys may not often feel the overwhelming urge to add endless amounts of heart emojis to their text messages, that doesn’t mean they avoid them at all costs.

“I don’t really get the point of emojis,” says Tyler, a sophomore at the University of Washington. “To be honest, I usually only use them if I’m texting a girl I like and she keeps using them.”

Sometimes you’ll find that overzealous guy friend who shares your mutual love for emoji-filled text conversations, but more often than not, you won’t get more than a classic smiley face out of a guy unless he’s totally into you. Emojis just aren’t a instrumental part of a guy’s texting routine; they’re only reserved for the most special of occasions.

“I kind of feel like emojis are a little emasculating, and I know a lot of my guy friends feel the same way,” Tyler says. “I think emojis are more of a girl thing, so if a guy constantly uses them it might make him seem a little feminine.”

Safe to say if that guy you like sends a kissing face emoji your way, you’re definitely on the fast track to love… or at least a casual froyo date.

Abbreviations

Guys “def” aren’t as dialed into texting lingo as we girls are, and sometimes that can just be a really big “prob.”

Girls

As determined, young collegiettes, we live pretty busy lives. With our club meetings, class projects, internships and homework, we need to make the most of our time, which is why we totes abbrev everything we text (plus it makes us sound SO much cuter).

“Fabulous” gets shortened to “fab”, “oh my God” becomes “OMG,” “be right back” turns into “BRB” and “ily” becomes the new way to let your BFF know that you so totally love her. It’s like a secret texting language that only girls can truly understand and appreciate.

“Abbreviating words when I’m texting has become so second nature to me,” Hannah says. “I especially notice it when I’m texting another girl friend, because we feed off of each other. I personally think abbreviating words is pretty fun, but whenever I accidentally text my boyfriend using typical girl abbreviations, he always tells me to stop because he thinks it’s annoying!”

When your best friend texts you to tell you that she’s “supes jelly” (super jealous) about the fact that your new boyfriend is “totes adorbs” (totally adorable), you know exactly what she’s saying. Show that same text to a guy, and he may ask why you mentioned jam and handbags in the same sentence.

It’s only a matter of time before they make a Rosetta Stone program for girl-texting lingo.

Guys

There are very few guys out there who would text their friends to tell them that their spring break trip was “so fab” or follow up an exciting text with, “OMG no way!”

“Again, guys think that abbreviating words while texting is also kind of emasculating,” Tyler says. “It’s not very manly to say ‘OMG’ in a text message, so I think that’s why most guys choose to not use phrases like that when they’re texting.”

Guys like to keep their texts short, simple and to the point without all that complicated texting lingo to accompany it. Boys are, more or less, completely oblivious to the many abbreviations we girls use on the daily, and frankly, they don’t really understand them.

“Sometimes I don’t even understand some of the stuff my girlfriend texts me,” says Ryan, a sophomore at Oklahoma State University. “Girls have so many weird abbreviations they use I can’t even keep up. I feel like they make up a new one every day.”

How guys can write out the word “perfect” without feeling the overwhelming urge to abbreviate it to “perf” is a mystery to us all.

Response Time

It’s been three hours, and the guy you’re flirt-texting still hasn’t responded. What gives?

Girls

We ladies have no problem with making sure our text message responses are prompt and timely. Sure, we may spend a few minutes screenshotting a text, sending it to our friends and asking for their advice on what would be the best, flirtiest, most nonchalant way to respond, but we never leave a guy hanging for hours on end.

Our valiant effort to be prompt isn’t always reciprocated, however, and our male texting partner’s failure to text us back in a timely manner leaves us with a plethora of time to sit and think up some pretty crazy reasons why the guy isn’t texting us back http://www.hercampus.com/love/dating-hooking/50-thoughts-every-girl-has-....

“I always respond to people’s text messages pretty much right when I receive them, so I never understand why it sometimes takes guys hours before they respond,” Taylor says. “I understand that sometimes people forget or they’re in the middle of something, but you would think it wouldn’t take them hours and hours to respond!”

Unless he suddenly fell into a coma or spontaneously fell off a cliff, there’s no excuse for him to not text you back immediately, right?

Guys

http://girlsguideto.com/articles/6-of-the-most-confusing-texts-guys-send...

Let’s face it, guys aren’t always the best at immediate text responses, and no, it’s not because they’re playing hard to get.

“Sometimes I really just forget to respond to a text or get distracted after I open the message,” Tyler says. “I never intentionally take a long time to text someone back; sometimes I just don’t remember to for a few hours.”

Guys don’t seem to feel the same urgent need to promptly respond a text message, which is exactly why it often takes them so long to respond to our carefully crafted, emojied-to-perfection texts.

We may not have the same texting habits, but that’s okay! We’ll leave the guys to do their own thing while we sit back and see how many cat emojis we can fit into one conversation.

When it comes to boyfriends in college...

Okay, just kidding. We do. 

Dating in high school was a pubescent disaster, so we figured once we came to college, our boyfriends would be mystical and perfect. Gone are the days of the immature Justin Bieber types and here to stay are the classy college men. Or so we thought.

Boyfriends in college don't always fit the prototype of our dream man, but we aren't afraid to admit that what we expect from our boyfriends in college isn't always realistic. But hey, a girl can dream... right?

Expectation: He knows how to dress like a grown man... and it's really hot. 

Reality:

Expectation: He's insightful and tries hard to keep you figured out. 

Reality:

Expectation: He knows how to give you a sincere compliment. 

Reality:

Expectation: He can cook you a delicious meal without burning your apartment down and clogging your arteries. 

Reality:

Expectation: Now that he's older and more mature, he understands the meaning of deep, passionate, true love. 

Reality:

Expectation: He learns to fall in love with your weird habits, like sprawling like a dead starfish when you sleep. 

Reality:

Expectation: He is on the same page with you when it comes to the future of your relationship. 

Reality:

Expectation: He doesn’t mess with your emotions and make you feel crazy.

Reality:

Expectation: No amount of whiskey, beer or tequila can take away from his ability to be a gentleman.

Reality:

Expectation: He isn't afraid to get a little emotional from time to time.

 Reality:

Expectation: He's way more mature about the whole "woman's body with natural curves" thing. 

Reality:

Expectation: He genuinely enjoys spending quality time with you with no distractions. 

Reality:

Expectation: His life aspirations don't entail getting rich off a startup company containing "swag" in the title.

Reality:

Expectation: He's willing to give up his Man Card every once in a while and pose for sentimental Instagram pictures.

Reality:

Expectation: He's finally nailed the gift-and-flower-picking thing. 

Reality:

Expectation: He tries to sympathize with you while you endure that time of the month. 

Reality:

Expectation: He still acts as excited and crazy about you as when you first met that night at the bar. 

Reality:

Expectation: He never runs out of cute ways to be spontaneous. 

Reality:

You can browse through as many brochures as you want, but you won't know how you feel about a university until you set foot on its campus. As the decision deadline gets closer, many pre-collegiettes begin to realize the value of pre-frosh weekends. Wait, a pre-what weekend?

Before pre-collegiettes have to decide on a college by the May 1st deadline, several schools plan weekends for prospective students to see what the campus is like. Whether you stay for the daytime activities or spend the night in a collegiette's dorm, this weekend is a great way to decide if a school is really for you. But before you imagine your experience as a sneak peek into your crazy collegiette future, there are some rules you need to follow. As always, we're here to give you the lowdown on what not to do during pre-frosh weekend.

1. Don’t be closed-minded

You haven’t even walked across the quad yet and it started raining, you accidentally stepped in a huge puddle and some sorority girl almost hit you with her bike. Time to turn around and go home? Absolutely not. “No college experience is perfect, and neither are pre-frosh weekends,” says Julie Qiu from Yale University. Though you may think a series of unfortunate pre-collegiette events is a sign from above, it’s important to give the university in question a chance. Instead of criticizing every little mishap, try to think of the bigger picture. Your not-so-glamorous entrance will make a great story if you actually decide to go to that school.

2. Don’t act like a “know-it-all”

Those informational meeting your parents forced you to attend definitely came in handy: you now know all about the school’s student body, study abroad programs and the very impressive gym facilities. While we give you major kudos for doing your research, there’s still so much more to learn. “Pre-frosh weekends exist so you can see what it’s like to go to that school,” says Julie. “Pamphlets can’t do that.” Instead of fixating on what you do know about the school, take this time to ask questions about things you don’t know. You know the library has five floors (impressive), but you have no idea where else you can study—after all, the library will be very crowded come midterms and finals! If you’re staying with a college student overnight, break the ice by asking her some of these questions. Just don’t forget to brainstorm questions before pre-frosh weekend—coming up with good ones on the spot can be pretty tricky.

3. Don't be shy

Since you're merely visiting this prospective school, you don't have to unleash your inner social butterfly, right? Wrong, so wrong. Though you probably won't become best friends with the other prospective students—and if you do, you can thank us for encouraging you to be outgoing—pre-frosh weekend is great practice for when you actually become a collegiette. Don't forget to talk to actual college students as well. Not only is it a great way to get to know the university (and its student body), but it’s also another opportunity to mingle. If you're in need of a go-to conversation starter, why not talk to your new friends about school? Ask your fellow pre-collegiettes about what they want to major in or which other schools they're deciding between. As for those actual students, ask them about their classes or what the campus culture is like. By refining your small talk now, you'll be befriending people left and right in the fall.

4. Don’t be scared of college students

Speaking of college students, you’re kind of intimidated by them. They know the lingo, can navigate around campus with ease and they just seem so mature. Though you may want to run in the other direction when you see a swarm of collegiettes on campus, don’t. Believe it or not, college students are just like you. “Every college student was once a freshman,” says Catherine Sourbis from Tufts University. “Don’t think of them as being cooler.” Instead of freezing up when you see a college student, treat him or her as your equal. Since most collegiettes love their school, and therefore want you to attend, chances are that they will be very friendly. Compliment a collegiette on her super cute bag or give a collegent a flirty smile. You’ll be mingling with a ton of upperclassmen once you’re a freshman, so why not start now?

5. Don’t be glued to your phone

Like anyone from this generation, you’re a little obsessed with your phone. How could you not when you can text, tweet, pin, Facebook stalk and Instagram? As painful as it sounds, put your phone away this weekend.  Of course you can send the occasional text or snap an Instagram-worthy picture; however, you won’t be getting the most out of your pre-frosh weekend if you’re too busy catching up on the latest gossip from home. You’ll probably be the token anti-social girl of pre-frosh weekend (which breaks Rule 3), plus you may not hear important information about the school. If you keep your phone use to a minimum, you’ll have tons to tell your friends face-to-face once you’re home.

6. Don’t be afraid to break away from the schedule

Between the back-to-back panel discussions and the strictly planned lunches, pre-frosh weekend may be a little overwhelming. Though it’s important to attend all the planned lectures—after all, they’re scheduled for a reason—we’re going to let you in on a little secret: college tends to be spontaneous. “Everyone has their go-to spots on campus, so it’s important to see if you can imagine yourself having those types of places at the school you’re visiting,” says Julie. So why not stop in that cute coffee shop or check out the student center in between activities? Not only will you get that much-needed caffeine boost, it’s also an opportunity to see if you could be more than a visitor.

7. Don't turn your stay into a party weekend

As much as you're dying to do your first keg stand, we suggest you don't model your pre-frosh weekend after Spring Breakers. Not only are you underaged, which could get your host in a lot of trouble, choosing a school is more important than which one has the best jungle juice. Not to mention you may miss out on some crucial pre-frosh activities. “I was dying to see what NYC nightlife was like during my pre-frosh weekend at NYU, but it turned out to be a big mistake,” says one collegiette. “Clubbing with my best friend who happened to be in the city that weekend was a blast, but we stayed out so late I slept through my alarm and was late meeting my future roommate the next morning. It definitely was not the right way to start off our relationship.”

Instead, explore the campus and its surroundings. You may think that collegiettes go out every night, but they need some low-key nights, too! Checking out what else the area has to offer will give you a better idea of if you could spend the next four years there. But if you’re staying with a host and she drags you out to a frat party, remember that you can have fun without going crazy. We promise you that there will be a ton of other times to embrace college’s exciting nightlife (like when you’re legal).

8. Don’t skip the dining hall food

Unfortunately, most colleges don’t boast “state of the art” dining halls. We’re sure you’ll be tempted to eat at a restaurant for the rest of the weekend, but give the cafeteria a chance! “Even though dining hall food has a bad reputation, it’s important to know what you’ll be eating for the next four years,” says Catherine. Collegiettes eat at the dining hall all the time, and it’s not as bad as you’d think. You don’t have to be gutsy and try the mystery meat (we don’t think most collegiettes even do that), but you can easily make salad or grab a slice of pizza. By trying dining hall food now, you’ll know exactly what to expect when you’re finally a collegiette.

9. Don’t force the school to be a perfect fit

The school has a wonderful academic reputation and a beautiful campus, but you’re not completely sold on it. “Perhaps I’ll like it after a semester,” you think to yourself. Just because a school sounds great on paper doesn’t mean it the school for you. While you shouldn’t let little things deter you from attending a school (see Rule 1), you have to be honest with yourself. There’s a lot of things to consider when choosing a school -- cost, major and distance from home, just to name a few -- but your happiness is a priority. Not loving a prospective school is a bummer; however, another college on your “accepted schools” list is sure to be a better fit.

We have one very important do for you: do have fun! Though you’re visiting a prospective school to ultimately make a decision, don’t forget to enjoy your weekend, too. Applying to college was stressful enough, so there’s no reason to make the rest of this process even more daunting. Plus, you won’t know if a school is the right fit if you don’t relax and have a good time. By following our don’ts (and one do), you’ll be getting the most of out your pre-frosh weekend.

Finals week can be an absolute mess, especially when you’re trying to write several papers, study for multiple exams and pack up your belongings at the same time. But did you know that there are ways to get ready for finals even if you’re a month or two away from that terrifying time? Her Campus talked to collegiettes about their best practices for getting ready for finals—even in the month of March!

1. Talk to your professors if you need special accommodations

It may seem obvious, but it’s crucial to look at your academic calendar before it’s actually finals week! Since professors give out syllabi at the beginning of the semester, you should already have the due dates for most, if not all, of your final assignments. Start looking at what will be your most stressful points during finals week. Do you have three papers due in a 24-hour period? Do you have two finals scheduled at the same time? Now is the time to start looking at your options!

Megan Lucas, a junior at Wesleyan University, made the mistake of not looking over her calendar last semester, and it led to her most stressful finals week ever. “I really procrastinated seeing when my assignments were due, and when I made the realization that all four of my final papers needed to be turned in on either Thursday night or Friday morning, it was already too late to make alternative arrangements,” she says. “Many of my professors had told us earlier in the semester to contact them at least one week in advance to ask for paper extensions, and I felt so stupid for not taking the time to see if I needed these arrangements.”

Because of her experience, Megan encourages collegiettes to take time to map out what their last couple weeks of classes look like. “It doesn’t take much time to see how many papers and exams you have and when they’re due over the last two or three weeks of class,” she says. “Doing so will save you from having to pull two all-nighters fueled on stale coffee and Easy Mac!”

To avoid having a situation similar to Megan’s, start talking to your professors at least a couple of weeks in advance if you notice some conflicts in your schedule. Professors typically provide instructions for accommodating students in their syllabi, so be sure to consult that document first. Megan also recommends chatting with a professor during his or her office hours so that he or she will be able to write down your arrangements on the spot instead of rushing off after class.

Additionally, check with an administrator or professor to see if your college has any formal processes you need to go through to get a paper extension or an exam time change. It’s better to do this as far in advance as possible instead of getting frustrated during finals week!

2. Come up with study strategies and start your study guides early

Do you know off the top of your head how exactly you’re going to study for each of your classes or how you’re going to tackle each of your papers? If not, writing down your plan of attack should be something you do ahead of time in March before the finals week stress sets in! Make sure you nail down your study habits and strategies way before your exams.

Julie*, a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin, tried to wing it during her first semester of college and felt totally lost in the process. “I hadn’t thought about how I was going to study for all the different exams I had,” she says. “Instead, I panicked, kind of just read everything over once or twice and went into all of my exams feeling completely unprepared and stressed.” Julie felt like her finals week was out of her control, and her grades suffered.

Following that experience, Julie decided she needed to save herself that same stress during her second semester in school. She researched different study strategies and talked to both her professors and a dean about how to better go about preparing for her exams. “I created study ‘road maps’ in late March and during the first couple weeks of April,” she says. “These included outlines of all the materials I’d learned thus far, schedules for how I was going to study everything and contact information for professors, TAs and tutors in case I had any questions.” Julie’s second-semester finals week went way better than her first one!

Want to get prepared like Julie? Talk to professors in their office hours about their suggestions for studying for their exams or tackling their papers. Julie also recommends talking to other students who’ve taken your classes in the past to see if they can offer any insights you can’t find anywhere else. How did they prepare for those exams? What information is the professor more likely to test you on? These are things to figure out before finals week to make your study time more effective and less stressful!

In addition for coming up with a plan for her finals preparation, Julie also started working on study guides for her exams even though it was only late March. “Some professors were nice enough to let me know what to start studying a month and a half before the final,” she says. “By the time finals week rolled around, I had most of my study guides complete!”

Julie also started organizing her notes and compiling her own study guides and outlines for her other classes. “I scribble a lot of stuff down in classes, and it was so nice to go back over my notes and decipher everything I’d written so far over the course of the semester,” she says. “It’s much easier to see what you have questions on when it’s March than when it’s the night before an exam!”

3. Find your study spaces well in advance

If you like a particular environment to study in, figure out where those spaces are or reserve them (if you need to)! What kinds of places do you work best in? Are there particular accommodations you need? For example, do you need an absolutely silent space like a library or empty classroom, or are you more productive with the ambient noise in cafes and coffeehouses? It’s better to get your study space in order now instead of waiting until the last second.

“During my freshman year, I found empty classrooms to do work in throughout the semester and just assumed that they’d be there during finals week,” Megan says. “However, little did I know that so many students like to use these classrooms when exams roll around, and since rooms have to be reserved through a request system, I kept getting booted out of classrooms by people who’d claimed them weeks ago.” Megan felt stressed about having her study environment change right before the most important time in the semester.

Not sure where your favorite places to study are? Use the rest of the semester to figure it out! It’s better to go into finals week with a plan instead of being stressed and unsure of how your week will work out.

It’s also a great time to reserve rooms if you have to. Colleges have different processes for reserving spaces (some make you go through your online student portal, others make you sign up for a time slot in person), so ask your peers, academics deans or professors to see how to reserve a room if you haven’t before!

4. Don’t forget to factor in all of the non-academic work you have to do

It’s so easy to get caught up in the finals week mayhem that you forget all of the other tasks you have to complete during your last week of school, like cleaning out your dorm or apartment. Packing seems simple; don’t you just throw everything into boxes and leave? But when you’re exhausted and stressed from exams and papers, trying to figure out how to pack everything up can be a gigantic hassle.

Jessica Pearl, a junior at the University of Florida, learned how difficult packing at the last second is the hard way her freshman year. “I had to move out less than 24 hours after my last two exams, and I just sort of assumed that I’d box everything up during that time,” she says. “Little did I know, packing is the biggest nightmare ever! I was extremely sleep deprived, hungry and fatigued, all while trying to pack a grand total of 11 boxes.”

When sophomore year rolled around, Jessica knew better. She started slowly packing up her room during the last week of March, putting away non-essential items that she never used in suitcases and boxes under her bed. “By the time finals week rolled around, I had around 85 percent of my room packed up,” she says. “I only left out clothes, toiletries and other small items I used on a daily basis, like my water bottle and hand sanitizer.” Jessica’s parents also visited her a couple weeks before school ended, so she had them bring some of her boxes home with them.

If you don’t live close to your campus, start looking at storage options for the summer. Many storage businesses send information to students via snail mail or email, but talking to the residential life staff, your RA or older students also helps (since they’ve gone through the process of summer storage before). Lots of colleges also provide information on these storage companies in their student centers or residential life offices, so those are definitely good places to check out!

If you don’t want to spend big bucks on these services, try storing items with friends or people in your dorm. The sooner you get your storage and moving situation set up, the less stressed you’ll be come finals week!

The end of the school year can either be incredibly stressful or totally doable if you start planning early. Follow these steps and keep that last-minute exam cramming to a minimum this spring!

*Name has been changed.

In case you haven’t been following the latest entertainment news, Kim Kardashian’s April Vogue cover has caused quite the uproar.

The picture, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, features the reality queen in a wedding dress with fiancé Kanye West behind her. The people of the Internet are having a field day with the surprising cover choice. While some laud Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s decision, as reality TV is largely the face of the entertainment industry, others say they're going to cancel their Vogue subscriptions.

Whether or not you agree with the spread, you have to admit that these parodies of Kim and Kanye’s kover (sorry) are pretty hilarious.

1. James Franco and Seth Rogen

2. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy

3. Kendall and Kylie Jenner

4. Al Roker and Willie Geist  

What do you think about Kimmy K landing the cover of the world's premier fashion magazine? More importantly, what do you think of these parodies?

In the college dating scene, there are few things more frustrating than the friend zone. Affectionately known as “platonic purgatory,” this is the dreaded zone in which hoards of beautiful, talented, and down-to-earth collegiettes find themselves stuck together, all wondering why and how they ended up there. Since none of us have “JUST FRIENDS” tattooed across our foreheads, we’ve spoken with college guys, college girls, and relationship experts to determine how you got stuck in the friend zone and to how to get out so your crush can fall as hard for you as you did for him.

How you know you’re in the friend zone

It’s obvious that if he’s cuddling up to you for a heavy DFMO, he’s interested. But if he isn’t grabbing you mid-party and trying to swap spit, that doesn’t necessarily mean he isn’t into you. So how can you tell if your crush is simply too afraid to make a move or if he actually only sees you as a friend?

Kim Olver, author of Secrets of Happy Couples, reveals, “You know you've been friend-zoned when your ‘friend’ consults you on what to do on dates with other girls, tries to hook you up with his friends, and basically treats you like one of the guys.”

Sam*, a junior at the University of Michigan, says he makes it clear when he only sees a girl as a platonic pal. “She’ll know we’re just friends because I’ll bring up other girls in front of her,” he explains. “I also wouldn’t do anything touchy like holding her hand.”

If he never gets that “I’m going to kiss you in the rain” look in his eye or if he only wants to hang out during Family Guy marathons, chances are, he’s not interested.

Why you’re in the friend zone

Even if telltale signs like these are flashing in our faces, most of us just can’t let our feelings go (that’s how we know we actually like the guy!). We ask ourselves, our friends, and even his friends the same question: Why, why, why?

Alicia*, a student at Northwestern University, asked her crush directly for an explanation when she sensed she was being friend-zoned. “I was feeling much less into the guy I was actually dating, and a lot of that came from how attracted I was to [my best guy friend] Kevin*,” she says. “I brought it up with him, not explicitly but in a, ‘I sort of feel this way maybe...’ kind of way, and he told me that he cares too much about me to have a relationship with me that could end our friendship.”

While many of the objects of our affection share Kevin’s fear of risking a solid friendship, many others have less noble reasons. According to Marla Martensen, a professional matchmaker and author of Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting, “The most common reason for a guy to view a girl as just a friend is a lack of physical attraction on his part.” She explains, “Guys are visual and there is no way around it. A lot of guys even have a specific type that they are attracted to like blondes, or girls with a full figure, and they won't veer from their taste.” This extends to personality as well; a guy can like hanging out with you as a friend but prefer dating someone who is quieter or louder, or an artist or an athlete. Let’s be honest: haven’t we all done the exact same thing to great guys who just weren’t our “type”?

The Guys Weigh In

Even though every case of friend-zoning is different, we asked college guys to explain why they did it:

• “She acted like one of the guys, so that’s how I saw her.” – Danny, University of San Diego ‘16
• “I just wasn’t attracted to her. It’s as simple as that.” – Brian, Skidmore College ‘15
• “I couldn’t help it, she just wasn’t my type.” – Sam, University of Michigan ‘15
• “She’d already dated my friend. Exes are off-limits.” – Jason*, Boston University ‘14
• “If I went for a girl I was friends with, we’d probably date. I’m in college and now is the time to be single.” – Eric*, Tufts University ‘15

How to get out of the friend zone

Some motives behind friend-zoning shouldn’t be challenged – if he’s not dating you because his friend already did, it’s probably best to step back and avoid creating drama. Luckily for us, other motives are a bit more flexible. If he sees you as one of the guys, there’s nothing wrong with trying to change his view. You should never change yourself to get a guy’s attention, but according to Dan Lier of Ask Dan and Mike, the co-authors of Men: 10 Secrets Every Woman Should Know from Two Guys That Do, being more attention grabbing is A-ok.

“If [you’re] dead-set on attempting to break out of this zone, do something extreme to get his attention like show up to a party looking absolutely stunning and then ignore him,” Lier advises. “Guys love the chase and want what they can’t have.” He adds, “Simple flirting and compliments to a guy [are] always good beyond body language.”

Kim*, a senior at Tufts University, says she wiggled her way out of the friend zone by having a girl friend casually mention to her crush that the two would make a cute couple. “She dropped the hint and I continued flirting with him the way I had before, but suddenly he started paying more attention. Eventually he was flirting back, we talked, and I was free from the friend zone!”

How to avoid the friend zone in the future

Unfortunately, not all friend zone situations have happy endings like the one in Just Friends. Sigh. On the bright side, you can try to make sure that when your next crush comes and sweeps you off your feet, he won’t be sweeping you right back into platonic purgatory.

“If your behavior is what is consistently getting you friend-zoned and you want a date, then start studying what your friends are doing that [is] getting them dates that doesn't go against your value system,” Olver advises. “Be yourself, that's important. Look at some of the things you might be doing that [are] contributing to your friend zone status and ask yourself, ‘What, if anything, am I willing to change to get a date?’”

Lier adds, “You are what you attract! So if [you’re] constantly being friend-zoned, change the behavior into one that has swagger and confidence, one that doesn’t come across as friendly but one that reeks of, ‘Friends NOT welcome – only suitors allowed.’”

It’s all about the attitude! You can’t control a guy’s type or what he’s attracted to, but you can control the signals you give off. If he’s hanging out with you as friends, he already likes you – all you have to do is make it clear that you want him to like you as more than a friend.

*Names have been changed.

You want to let a special someone know you like him, but how?

Any logical person would talk to him to try and develop the relationship further.

But you don’t want to come off as too eager or desperate...

...so you play hard to get instead.

Because that’s totally how flirting works these days, and you heard that guys like “the chase.”

So you do everything in your power to gain his interest...

...then pull a 180 and avoid him like the plague.

When you run into him on campus, you act like you’re too cool to stop and talk, like:

And when he asks you to hang out, you make up commitments on the spot to sound busier than you actually are.

On the surface, it looks like you couldn't care less about him…

…but on the inside, you're like:

Sometimes you drop the ball and actually show your affection, like:

But then you realize your mistake and make up for it by ignoring him for an entire week.

The playing-hard-to-get method was working, but now you’re getting a little worried since he hasn’t tried contacting you again after you ignored his last four texts.

It’s like he doesn’t even care!

You second-guess your approach and have a panic attack when you think you've scared him off.

You ask all your friends about what you should do, and they reply unanimously, "Make a move."

So you send him a casual but flirty text and check your phone religiously, like you’re expecting updates on your application to Hogwarts.

After an hour has passed with no word from him, you think you’ve officially ruined your chances.

In a final effort to salvage the budding relationship, you act super available and give him a million opportunities to get in touch with you.

You just wish you could explain yourself to him.

But then a miracle happens...

...and you are back in the game!

Which means you can promptly go back to sending him mixed signals.

And while he's probably like:

You're on cloud nine, because being on the other side of "playing hard to get" is like:

Except for those few times when it backfires.

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Chris Martin, of Coldplay, announced their separation this week after 11 years of marriage. The duo announced via Paltrow’s website, goop.com, that they have decided to “consciously uncouple,” saying in the statement “It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate.”

The news came just days after Martin announced that he would be joining the NBC reality show The Voice, and interestingly, after recent reports that the couple had bought a $14 million home in Malibu.

Paltrow and Martin have two children, together, Apple and Moses, and reminded fans via their statement that they are “parents first” and asked the public to respect their privacy. The family was spotted together yesterday in the Bahamas.

After releasing the statement on the website, goop.com crashed as thousands of fans flocked to read the statement. The website is now up and running again.