By Sarah Parry

When I think about being a young woman in the United States in 2016, I feel an overwhelming amount of pride for how far we’ve come. We are on the brink of electing our first woman president. More women have voted in this election than ever before. Women are holding (and dominating) positions of power throughout the government and in huge, multinational companies. We are in some ways at our highest point in history. But then I begin to think about the amount of women I know who are voting for a sexist man this election and I think to myself, how on Earth can any woman support someone who inherently believes that women are lesser than men? Apart from his obvious disrespect of women, Trump has time and time again proven his inability to be president. There are thousands of articles debating his morality, discussing his similarities with Hitler, and questioning his lack of experience. But here we are, on the day of the election, crossing our fingers that hope, common sense, and integrity prevail. There’s one woman I still want to hear from, though. I want to hear her reasons for tirelessly supporting this man after everything that’s come to light in the last few weeks. I want to know how she can put her faith in someone who says “grab her by the p****” to be our president. 

Ivanka, it’s time you take a stand against your dad. 

Ivanka Trump has received quite a bit of media attention because of her father. She has continued her support of him, regardless of how many times he’s creepily hit on her, touched her butt in public, or told the whole world if she wasn’t his daughter, he would date her. Not to mention the astounding accusations against Trump in the past few weeks. There are many things I can respect about Ivanka, but the same question keeps coming back to me, how can any woman support this man for president? When allegations accusing Trump of sexual assault came to light, people started boycotting Ivanka’s clothing line and the stores that sell it. The New York Times quoted Ivanka from her visit to “Good Morning America” in October saying, “People who are seeking to politicize it because they disagree with the politics of my father—there’s nothing I can do to change that.” If he won’t listen to or respect his own daughter, is there hope for anyone else?

After the audio leaked of Trump speaking with Billy Bush, Ivanka remained silent for some time, taking the opportunity to promote her new book and stay out of the campaign. CNN wrote “Since the Republican National Convention, her public involvement with the campaign has primarily been to push the paid family leave proposal that runs counter to GOP orthodoxy and which she convinced her father to add to his platform”. This is where my respect for Ivanka stems from, her push for her father to be better, to include women’s equality issues in his campaign. But here’s the problem: Ivanka Trump isn’t running for president. Her plans and ideas aren’t a guarantee if Trump wins the Oval Office. 

So, where do we separate our distaste for Donald Trump and our respect for Ivanka? Are they mutually exclusive? Can we support Ivanka after her continuous support of her father? I don’t think that there’s a right answer, but I do know that as a young, educated, millennial woman I cannot give my full respect or support to a woman who is okay with the things her father has said, done, and believes in. Does that give me anti-feminist qualities? I don’t know. But I can’t find the logic in supporting Ivanka.  

As little girls, we often grow up idolizing our fathers, seeing them in superhero capes and always swooping in to save the day. I was blessed to grow up with a dad who not only encouraged me endlessly, loved me without question, and accepted me for who I am, but who never looked down on me or told me I couldn’t do something because I was a woman. What kind of country will we live in if girls don’t grow up believing the same in themselves? It’s time that every little girl believes she can do anything a boy can do. 

Ivanka has grown up to be incredibly successful and talented, but we can’t keep encouraging those whose lack of action overpowers their small steps. Although Ivanka’s beliefs seem to be opposite of her father, she hasn’t taken the initiative to stand up for the good of women. She’s still supporting someone who has consistently degraded women, their bodies, and their rights. 

I just hope that tonight little girls all over the country are looking up at their TV, watching women take the White House. 

Self-harm is probably one of the least discussed yet most important topics. Dealing with such a struggle can be difficult, and it's often hard for people battling self-harm to reach out to others. It can be just as difficult to talk to others about your struggles if you have recovered. In the past, celebs have bravely opened up about their past struggles with self-harm. Shannon Purser, who you might recognize as Barb from Stranger Things, recently shared her personal battle with self-harm, and she has a positive message for those who face a similar obstacle.

Taking to Twitter, Shannon posted a photo of a razor blade but made clear that she hasn't felt the urge to self-harm in years. Moreover, she has reached a point where she's ready to say goodbye to that part of her past and throw away the blade.  

For people who might still be struggling, Shannon also reassured them that it is possible to recover.

Following her confession, fans sent Shannon tweets thanking her for sharing her story with the world and providing words of encouragement.

This election cycle has proved that the Trump effect is a very real and disturbing phenomenon. The impact of Donald Trump and his attitude towards women extends beyond politics. In fact, Trump's inappropriate comments have caused TV shows to reconsider scenes that may raise questions about female consent. During a recent interview, Jane the Virgin showrunner Jennie Urman revealed that a flashback scene in season three had to be rewritten because of Trump. 

Season three of Jane The Virgin shows a flashback of Jane and Michael's first kiss at her 21st birthday party. In the scene, Michael shows up on Jane's doorstep, but she refuses him. Being persistent, Michael says, "Let me kiss you again—sober." He then tells Jane that he's a fighter, and she leans in to kiss him, sober and completely consensual.

Speaking in a recent interview, Urman admitted that she initially planned on having Michael kiss Jane abruptly, without giving Jane a chance to give consent. After the recent Trump remarks, she felt the need to rewrite the scene. "I felt so uncomfortable with any gray area in terms of consent," she said.

For this reason, Urman made the smart decision to make the boundaries clear during that flashback scene. "Those little symbols [of male aggression and lack of consent] are dangerous right now in terms of what we’re talking about and what we’re faced with," she added. Moreover, Urman believes that as a show writer, it's her job to understand "how all the small nuances and small moments [on the show] are either validating or adding to some problems that we as a society are currently grappling with."

"My responsibility is to make sure that we’re not confusing things … or adding to the problem."

A recent post from Civic Science reveals different voting traits of the various Harry Potter houses, and we think you'll be intrigued by the results.

The findings suggest that most Slytherins (13 percent of those polled) are voting for Hillary Clinton. Sixteen percent of people identified with Hufflepuff, and most said they're voting for Gary Johnson. 

Those who identified with Ravenclaw (22 percent) also love Hillary. "Ravenclaws are more likely than every other house to be very concerned with high taxes and government regulation," the post says.

Almost half (49 percent) of those polled identified with Gryffindor. And shocker—most of these people are voting for Donald Trump.

Does the house you identify with align with your political views? Regardless, make sure you vote today!

Hillary Clinton cast her ballot early Tuesday morning at an elementary school in Chappaqua, N.Y. After she and her husband, (the potential first First Man) Bill Clinton, placed their votes, they greeted her supporters waiting outside the polling location.

“It is the most humbling feeling,” she said of voting for herself for president. “I know how much responsibility goes with this.”

The Washington Post reports that the moment was calm compared to her last few days on the campaign trail, where she visited “battleground” states to encourage people to get out the vote with a whole crew of celeb supporters, including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyonce and more.

On Monday night, Clinton took the stage for the closing statement of her campaign in Raleigh, N.C.

CNN reported on her last campaign speech. "I want you to know and I want you to spread the word: I want to be president for all Americans. Not just some," Clinton said in her final speech. "None of us want to wake up Wednesday morning and wish we had done more… When your kids or grandkids ask what you did in 2016, you'll be able to say you voted for a stronger, fairer, better America. An America where we build bridges, not walls. Where we prove, conclusively, that yes: Love trumps hate."

On the days leading up to Tuesday, the campaign also made stops in Michigan, Ohio and New Hampshire. Jay Z and Beyonce performed with dancers in pantsuits in Cleveland. Khizr Khan, the father of a slain U.S. Army officer “whose indictment of Trump at the Democratic National Convention was an emotional high point for Clinton’s party,” according to the Post, also joined her on the campaign trail.

Whether or not Clinton wins, she certainly ran a historic campaign.

Interested in seeing an Emmy-winning actress read Hillary Clinton's emails? And we're talking emails as insignificant as "pls print."

Since Clinton's emails have been a hot topic this election season, people are dying to know what the most recent batch of released emails says. But when she appeared on Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Monday night to perform her one-woman show, Hillary's Emails: Yes I Am Up, Sarah Paulson didn't find any foreign scandals or classified information in Hill's correspondence. She did find a "print in bigger print please" email, though. Clinton even emailed her staff to ask for help with her iPad and to see if they were awake.

Watch the full video below:

You're probably riddled with anxiety in anticipation of Tuesday’s presidential election results, but here’s a little something to distract you—and hopefully bring some happy tears to your eyes.

With a good chance that we'll go to bed Tuesday night having just elected our first female president, it’s a good time to look back to over 100 years ago, when Susan B. Anthony was arrested for casting her ballot for the presidential election in 1872. Susan B. Anthony spent much of her life fighting for women’s voting rights, but died before her goals were realized.

In recent years, it’s become somewhat of a tradition for voters to place their “I Voted” stickers on Anthony's gravestone in Rochester, N.Y., but Cosmopolitan reports that the act has become so popular that Mt. Hope Cemetery has extended its hours of operation today. “Visiting Susan B. Anthony's gravesite has become an Election Day rite of passage for many citizens," Rochester's mayor, Lovely Warren, said in a press release. "With this year's historically significant election, it seems right to extend that opportunity until the polls close."

Placing these stickers on the headstone is technically against the cemetery’s rules, but nobody objected as a few appeared each election day. Thanks to publicity across the country, as well as the “historic candidacy” of Hillary Clinton, hundreds (or more!) of stickers are anticipated, and the city is fully prepared to allow it, The Democrat & Chronicle reports. Officials are placing poster boards next to the grave site, where visitors can place their stickers and write thank you notes to Anthony, and workers will move stickers from the stone to the board to prevent it from becoming overloaded.

Brianne Wojtesta placed her sticker on the stone in April, after the primaries. “It was definitely like I was putting it on her lapel, like, ‘This one’s for you, Susan, here you go,’” she told The Washington Post at the time.

This one is definitely for you, Susan. We think you’d be proud.

You can watch a live clip here and here.

There it is: another text.

It’s the fifth one in a row, and you’ve yet to respond. You know he’s probably noticed that your read receipts are on and that you’ve totally read the latest update on his life. You ask yourself, “We’ve only hung out one time, so why does he think we’re closer than we are? Why do these texts keep coming?!” But you don’t know how to tell him that the reason that you’re not responding to his texts is because you just don’t feel the same way about him.

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For some reason, that statement never comes out right. You don’t want to hurt his feelings, but you also want to make it clear that while you had a great time bonding over your mutual obsession with Breaking Bad, he needs to move along to someone else. Try these tried-and-true tricks from dating experts and collegiettes to detach the stage-five clinger in your life without being a heartbreaker.

1. Get “Busy”

Extracurricular

You’re super involved: you’re the vice president of your sorority, you’re a Spanish tutor, and you have to attempt consistent communication with family back home and friends abroad. You have a ton on your plate as a functional single collegiette, and guys may not fit into the picture right now. Tell him that!

“Some guys take hints better than others,” says Professor Geoffrey Greif, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and the author of Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships. He advises to “not be available as much.”

If you find yourself in this situation, try telling your clinger, “Hey, I’m sorry if I haven’t been responding as much lately. I’ve just been really busy with [insert time-consuming club here]. And [insert difficult class] is really giving me a run for my money. So, this semester has been pretty crazy for me… I’ve barely had time to respond to my friends’ texts.”

Even the clinger from the bar—that one, singular night—can understand that you simply have other preexisting commitments and priorities in your life, and, in the nicest way possible, he cannot be one of them.

2. Give Him the Cold Shoulder

A favorite of collegiettes, the cold shoulder requires persistent unresponsiveness in communication. When your reasonable excuse of being busy isn’t halting his horses, many collegiettes find that one-word answers or not responding to his texts at all can be effective in conveying their feelings in a subtle way.

Veronica, a junior at the University of Missouri––Columbia, has used this strategy. She dealt with a guy who seemingly jokingly said, “I’ll probably text you in three seconds” after having dinner with her. And he did text her three seconds later.

“He texted me things like, ‘Hope you had a good time!’ ‘Good morning!’ ‘Hope you had a good day!’ without me saying anything in response to his texts,” she said. “Eventually, I just didn’t say anything back. And then he just never said anything.”

If you’re afraid to tell him the truth out of fear of hurting his feelings, try this indirect approach. While your silence may take a while to sink in, eventually the one-sided conversation will grow old.

3. Drop the “Friend” Bomb

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If you still feel as if the clinging needs to be controlled, try dropping the “friend” bomb. In your everyday, casual conversations, mention that you’re glad you’re friends.

If you’re concerned that he is indeed falling hard for you, Greif advises you to say something along the lines of, “I sometimes worry I send mixed messages. I hope that is not happening with you. I’m glad to have you as a friend.” This not-so-subtle maneuver allows you to avoid the awkwardness of a full-on confrontation about his feelings while also telling him where you stand… which is at arm’s length away from him.

You can define the friend zone by addressing him as part of a group. “Talk about the guy as a friend along with a bunch of other friends,” says Greif.

For example, say, “It was fun going out with you, Joe and Rachel last night.” Because you’re grouping him with a bunch of friends, that too will deliver the just-friends message.

4. Mention Other Guys

Since the two of you are just friends, he shouldn’t mind if you talk to him occasionally about the other males in your life. While full disclosure of your fun night with another guy isn’t necessary, try mentioning another guy you’re talking to.

If you happen to be talking about your plans for the evening, Greif says to “talk about how you’re going on a date with another guy.” Obviously, only say this if it’s true. But if it is the truth, preach it! Hearing that he’s not the object of your affections could end his advances. 

Maria, a senior at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, used this method on one clinger. “I could tell this guy was really starting to like me, and I definitely did not feel the same way, especially since I was already kind of talking to this other guy,” she says. “So when we were studying together one night, I made it a point to indirectly bring up how I had to leave a little sooner than expected to meet up with someone else. The rejected look on his face when I apparently crushed his crush was rough, but I guess it had to happen.”

5. The Last Ditch Effort: Be Direct

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If all else fails, be blunt. That’s one thing relationship experts and boys agree on! Rather than beating around the bush and tiptoeing around his feelings, remember that he is wasting his own time on a girl who doesn’t like him back. Wouldn’t you want to free him up for someone who actually likes him?

“Sometimes you just have to be straight with them,” says Michelle, a junior at the University of Arkansas. “If a guy likes me and I don’t feel the same way, I nip it in the bud before things ever get too far.”

The guys even want you to be honest with them. Jack, a junior at the University of Missouri-Columbia, says, “If you’re not going to be blunt about it, he’s not going to get it.”

Jeffrey Sumber, a psychotherapist at the Creative Counseling of Chicago, advises the direct approach. “The best approach is good, solid, direct but kind communication,” he says. “The worst thing a girl can do is leave the door open for, ‘You never know, it might change down the road.’”

This stage-five clinger situation sadly often results in a lose-lose outcome. The guy can feel ridiculous for pursuing you in the first place, and you can feel guilty for breaking the news to him. But remember: there are more fish in the sea, and you were just not his fish. Whether you ignore his texts or actively put him in the friend zone, you just helped toss him back into the swirling, twirling sea of love.

Election day is finally here, and if you’re anything like us, you’re low-key freaking out over who’s going to win. That election anxiety means it's a great time to reflect on the past year! You can probably guess the vote of college women in this election—but it wasn’t always this way. We conducted three pre-election surveys in the last year that show how the opinions of college women changed as candidates, scandals and distractions came and went. Happy voting!

Pre-Election Survey #1, Oct. 2015: Bernie Sanders is the pick of college women.

In our first survey, what really stood out was our reader’s overwhelming support of Bernie Sanders. Not only did they have a positive impression of him—over 60 percent—but 44 percent said they would vote for him at that moment if they could.

In this survey, we saw that among hot-button campaign issues, college women care the most about reproductive rights. This has held true in every survey.

Pre-Election Survey #2, May 2016: Hillary Clinton loses college women’s positive opinion.

The Sanders love continued and even grew in the second survey. This time, 68 percent had a positive impression of him and a full 50 percent said they would vote for him over the other candidates. Even better for Bernie, the number of women who said they didn’t know who he was dropped from 7 to 0.2 percent from the first to the second survey.

Unfortunately, things took a downward turn for Clinton between the first and the second survey—she lost college women’s positive opinion. In the first survey, 40 percent had a positive impression of Clinton and 33 percent had a negative impression. But in the second survey, it was the opposite. Thirty-two percent had a positive impression, while 41 percent had a negative impression.

Pre-Election Survey #3, Sept. 2016: Clinton is in the lead, but not because college women like her.

By the time of our third pre-election survey this fall, Bernie Sanders had dropped out of the race. College women knew what that meant—60 percent said they would vote for Clinton. However, 60 percent of Clinton voters also said they felt like they were voting for the lesser of two evils.

In the third survey, our readers also had a different set of top three issues from the previous surveys. While reproductive rights, education and the economy had dominated the first two surveys, gun control jumped into the top three in the third survey. This may have had something to do with recent attacks, such as the Pulse shooting in Orlando.

See the full results for our first, second and third pre-election surveys!

It's election day, and anybody who says they're not on edge is lying, because we've never seen a more controversial set of presidential candidates. And with controversy comes ~strong opinions~ so naturally many of us have spent the last several months in hot debate. We've all closely followed who's supporting whom (Kendall's #WithHer and we all know the likes of Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham have been singing Hillary Clinton's praises since the start of her campaign), but there are some people we haven't seen take sides just yet. Nosy as we all are, we obviously want answers.

According to Google Trends, people are just DYING to know who Taylor Swift is voting for—in fact, she's the most-searched celeb when it comes to Googling one's political affiliation.

Obviously, people are also curious about Monica Lewinsky, George Bush, Al Gore and Mitt Romney... but, you know. Def not as important.

Earlier today, Taylor teased us with a voting pic, but failed to mention where her loyalty lies. Yeah, we know, we don't have a right to know, but that doesn't stop us from wanting to know.

The Trump campaign tried to sue a Nevada county Monday after some polling places stayed open two hours later than planned on Friday during early voting hours. But a judge was not having it.

The thing is, the polling places didn’t do anything wrong. There’s a law in Nevada that if people get in line before the polls close, they should be allowed to cast their vote. That rule caused some polling places to stay open until the last person in line voted at 10 p.m., even though the official closing time was 7 p.m. The county says nobody voted who wasn't already in line.

Of course, one of the four polling places Trump’s campaign was concerned about was in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood—and people there were voting Democrat. No wonder the campaign wasn't happy that more people there got a chance to vote.

According to Patch, Trump's lawyers seemed to want the names of the people who worked at the polls, but the judge would not allow that.

“I am not going to expose people doing their civic duty to help people vote ... to public attention, ridicule, and harassment," Judge Gloria Sturman said at a hearing, according to NBC. "I'm not going to do it.”

Judge Sturman is a nasty woman and we are here for it.

I guess Donald Trump wanted to make sure that he said something extra mean and unnecessary on election day, just to make sure we wouldn’t forget how much of a jerk he is. Well, Mashable reports that he succeeded.

When calling into Fox & Friends Tuesday, Trump said, “I'm very proud of my children. I mean, I'm just looking at them right now as an example... but I'm very proud 'cause Don and Eric and Ivanka and, you know, to a lesser extent 'cause she just got out of school, out of college, but, uh, Tiffany, who's also been so terrific. I mean, they work so hard."

He tried to hedge there, saying Tiffany has “also been so terrific,” but the damage had already been done. He really said on television that he’s prouder of some of his children than others.

Tiffany is Trump’s daughter from his second marriage to Marla Maples. She just graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 2016, and is lesser-known than Trump’s other children. Apparently she’s also less impressive—at least in her dad’s eyes.

Sorry, Tiffany. But you know how he is.

Starting a new internship or job can be intimidating enough without having to worry about how well you’re doing and what others—especially your superiors—think about your performance. If your new position doesn’t include a mandated performance review after 60 to 90 days, your first instinct might be to rejoice. You might be thinking about how lucky you are to avoid such an awkward and terrifying exchange. However, a performance review is actually an invaluable career tool in your journey to success.

It’s important to know how you’re progressing within your company. Do others value your input? Can you use your talents to help other departments? Have you encountered any challenges that are inhibiting your learning and productivity? Are there any opportunities for improvement?

These are all questions that your boss will be happy to discuss with you; he or she will be especially impressed if you initiate this discussion without prompting. Seeking feedback shows that you care about your job and that you are genuinely interested in doing your best. If you’re not entirely sure how to ask for feedback, we’ve compiled a list of tips from the experts.

Ask for feedback sooner rather than later

Typically, managers will schedule periodic one-on-one meetings with their employees to check in; however, millennial career expert and workplace psychology writer Caroline Beatonsuggests touching base more regularly and intermittently. “Designated reviews are ideal for broad statements of progress and your general performance,” she explains. However, she cautions, “The last thing you want is to segue into the nitty-gritty details of a project in one of these meetings.” Your boss may have other things he or she planned to discuss.

What’s worse is that, according to Beaton, “This kind of feedback request can also throw managers for a loop, who can’t understand why you waited so long to check in and, in the meantime, made progress in the wrong direction.”

Don’t wait until you encounter a challenge or problem to reach out to your boss, and don’t expect that all of your concerns will be addressed in scheduled performance reviews. Talk to your boss about the possibility of setting up a quick meeting to discuss your role at the company and the progress you’ve made so far. Isabel Calkins, a junior at New York University, says, “When I was an intern at Cosmopolitan.com, I made it a point to email my boss to set up a time to chat about my progress and things I could personally work on. It was a very casual conversation where I got productive feedback and got to talk about any concerns that I may be having.”

If you are still relatively new, this is a good opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the company and its functions. If you have recently been assigned to a new project, you’ll have the perfect time to discuss what’s expected of you and to identify ways to put your talents to their best use. When you’ve completed the task, inquire casually about ways you could improve next time.

Medical intern director Dr. Luz Claudio says that the absolute worst mistake you can make as an intern is waiting until the completion of your program to ask for feedback. “At that point, there's not much that you can do to make changes that would help you improve in your current internship,” she warns. She encourages her interns to remember that they are, of course, not expected to know everything. But, according to Dr. Claudio, “Asking for feedback and taking criticism maturely will always be noticed and appreciated.”

As a general rule, asking for feedback should be a part of your regular conversations with your boss. This way, the process becomes less intimidating and more familiar, and you become a more competent employee.

Be specific

This is the key to what Tyler King, CEO of start-up company Less Annoying CRM, calls actionable feedback. Remember that the point of getting feedback is to identify your strengths and work on your weaknesses. You are no better off with vague statements about your performance that offer very little examples or suggestions for improvement.

King advises that you identify a real learning experience you wish to discuss with your boss. “In the past month, was there anything you didn’t understand the reasoning behind, like a decision that was made or the outcome of a particular project? Ask your boss for the ‘why,’” he says. Another way to ensure actionable feedback is to bring up one thing that you struggled with at your workplace. Explain to your boss what you found challenging about the situation and ask for ways that you could have handled things differently or better. 

Stephanie Shyu, founder of admitsee, a company dedicated to helping high-school students with college applications, adds that you can also be more specific by identifying a particular skill or area of knowledge that you hope to strengthen through professional development opportunities. “This demonstrates that you’re proactive about bringing value to the team and can even result in your company paying for a course you want to take!”

Unless there’s something terribly worrying, your boss will likely give you general notes on your performance; however, King says, “Make your one-on-one as valuable as possible you should bring something tangible to the table.” After an effective performance review, you should be able to create a list of action items for yourself and several strategies to achieve each goal on this list.

Find a balance between taking constructive criticism and standing your ground

The most frightening part of receiving feedback is the potential to feel personally attacked. Beaton says, “Where I see young professionals stumble most often is not asking for feedback because they’re scared to, and then taking the feedback they do finally receive as personal criticism.” Remember that the feedback you receive is meant to help you become the best worker you can be. Your boss will applaud your ability to respond well to constructive criticism and your interest in your own professional development as well as the success of your team.

On the other hand, Beaton warns, “Being too agreeable is bad for career advancement and bad for business.” She explains that less agreeable employees earn approximately 20 percent more than agreeable employees. “Although some managers may prefer to surround themselves with sycophants, most hire candidates who demonstrate that they can think for themselves,” she says. This does not mean that you should always be on the defensive; but if you are confident in your strengths, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.

All that being said, there is such a thing as too much feedback. Beaton explains, “Constantly asking for approval reflects insecurity and lack of self-sufficiency. You’ll know you’re checking in too much when you start to see feedback as ‘affirmation’ or you notice that the feedback is no longer instructive, likely because the instructions have already been given.” You don’t want your boss to see you as needy or, worse, incompetent.

Related: Should You Quit Your Internship

Nevertheless, detailed feedback that is tailored to you will be exceptionally beneficial to your overall growth and success within the company. Be mindful of when you ask for feedback, preferably scheduling it ahead of time, and be specific about the action items you intend to improve upon. Your initiative and drive to succeed will pay off in the end.
 

Spending a year abroad can be one of the coolest, most fulfilling experiences of your college life. Unless you didn't go anywhere. But your friends did. And here you are. Below are 18 thoughts you have when your BFF is on the other side of the world.

1. OMG I'm really gonna miss them

2. How will I survive without them?

3. What even AM I without them?

4. Ugh, they're gonna have the best time (without me??)

5. Ha, they're gonna have the worst time (WITHOUT ME)

6. Alright, they left. Now what?

7. Who knew time difference was such a BITCH?

8. ARE YOU IGNORING ME, OR ARE YOU JUST SEVEN HOURS AHEAD?

9. Okay, just SEVEN hours ahead, got it 

10. Aw, look at all the fun they're having

At least according to their Insta.

11. Wow. Look at ALL the FUN they're having

12. AND WITHOUT ME…DAMN

13. AND THE FOOD, OH MY

14. AND THE VIEWS, GEE WHIZ

15. AND THEIR NEW FRIENDS, GOLLY ME

16. Why didn't I go abroad?

17. Oh right, because I didn't want to LOL

18. They better bring back some damn good gifts

By Kristen Klochko

I believe as an American people we are voting for more than gender. We are voting for issues that affect our economy, schools and laws. I have now been a part of two historical elections. During the first, I saw an African American become president for the first time. And in the second, a woman is running for office. I will never deny that these are amazing feats, and I'm proud to have witnessed them. This is America’s freedom and democracy at its finest. As a wholeheartedly millennial feminist, this could have been a very exciting time for me, and it was. But I didn't vote for Hillary. Now, before I receive the hateful comments, at least hear me out. Then, if you still disagree with what I have to say, go ahead and do so. This is America, after all—you have the right to think what you will.

I consider myself a strong, independent woman who takes no crap from any man, and I think most millennials would say the same. While I agree that Trump doesn't have the best mouth on him, at least he doesn't have the allegations that Bill Clinton has had against him. Honestly, I couldn't deal with the kind of pressure in a marriage that Hillary has. It begs the question, why has she allowed that kind of behavior from a husband to continue if she's such a feminist example? Just look up Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, and, of course, Monica Lewinsky—and you'll know what I'm talking about. No, Bill Clinton isn't running again, but I personally don't want a president who has allowed this behavior to occur in a marriage at any time. If Clinton is truly for all women, like she says, then she needs to be defending the women who were terrorized by Bill Clinton as well.

The United States is a country based on small businesses and the American Dream. I've witnessed this process through my father’s company, but now I'm experiencing it personally as I start my own small business. That leads me to my third point regarding Trump and feminism. He's looking out for the little guys, or, in my case, girls. While Hillary plans to increase taxes and cause more individuals to be dependent on the government, Trump plans to decrease taxes to ensure that ALL people have more money to support themselves. He's not trying to pick and choose who deserves breaks. Whereas Hillary is more worried about taking from those who are successful and giving it to those that are not. The welfare reform she backed years ago is a perfect example of how her actions actually played out.

I won’t go into Trump’s family too much, because some say that is an overused example, and I guess I would agree. Even though Ivanka Trump did have a successful modeling career, she runs her own million dollar line, has a portion of her website devoted to female entrepreneurs, and maintains a marriage, along with having three children. Donald Trump’s advisor, Michael Cohen, reported in an interview with CNN that Trump’s company has more female executives than males. Trump is more worried about how a job turns out as opposed to the sex of the employee completing it. As a female, I prefer this narrative to the reverse. I don't want to receive a job, promotion or pay raise simply because I am a woman. I want an executive position because I have done the best job. Isn’t that what feminism is? We get equality because we have the ability to produce equal results, not simply because we're female and deserve it.  Trump has shown to have this mentality, and that's why I'm standing by him. I honestly wanted to vote for a female president, but for me, 2016 was not the year.

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Your social media accounts are more than just places to catalogue photos of your life or keep your family updated on how you’re surviving college. From Twitter to Instagram, you’re showing the world yourself—and that means sometimes being fake AF to make your life look just like Lauren Conrad’s. Maybe you’re the master of food pics or you write all your tweets weeks in advance, but we know you’ve totally done these 15 things to get likes. Sorry not sorry.

1. Put on a full face of makeup even if you were just going to lay in bed all day

2. Advertised hobbies that are completely not true to get likes from random accounts

3. Artistically arranged a spread of food you weren’t ever going to eat

4. Climbed a big-ass hill just to take a picture of the view

5. Bought a PSL just to post about how much more you ~love~ fall than everyone else

6. Said thank you to all your followers to convince people you have a bunch of dedicated fans

7. Posed with a dog that’s not even yours for the perfect Boomerang

8. Hashtagged words like #foodie and #citygirl that have nothing to do with you or your life

9. Pretended to endorse a product like a Kardashian

10. Repeatedly reposted that one picture you have with a D-list celebrity as your #TBT

11. Put on 100 coats of makeup

12. Written a dedicated Facebook rant about helping a cause you know nothing about

13. Contorted into the weirdest positions for the perfect selfie

14. Ordered weird lattes just for the aesthetic

15. Basically faked your entire life

If you're watching the polls right now, you're probably seeing that this election is very close. Currently, Hillary Clinton has 104 electoral votes and Donald Trump has 140 electoral votes. One of them needs 270 points to win the presidency. And Trump is doing much better than expected. He has a lead in North Carolina, Florida and Ohio, three key battleground states. And while Clinton has taken back the lead in Virginia for now, she's not winning by as much as pollsters thought she would. 

People are not happy about this: 

Hang tight, everybody.

Yes, we're at this point. Donald Trump has a good chance of winning the presidency, and people are wondering if they can make good on their promises to move to Canada. This allegedly caused the country's immigration and citizenship website to crash earlier tonight.

Canada has a lot of perks, like universal health care and a gorgeous prime minister. But don't forget, if Trump wins, we're going to need people here to fight back against any racist and sexist policies he tries to pass.

Your applications are in, you’re eagerly waiting acceptances and you’ve even landed an interview or two ––you’re off to a great start! But, now that your interviews are just around the corner, you may be wondering what admissions officers are really looking for. Do you need an extensive resume? Should you have facts about the school memorized? We talked to Lauren Herskovic, chief operating officer at Admissionado, to find out what exactly college admissions officers are looking for in your interview.

Before you freak out, take some words of advice from Herskovic. “The truth is, the interview is not always with an admissions committee member,” she says. “In some (or many!) cases, it is with an alum and, oftentimes, a recent alum. That should instantly make you feel a little less stressed about the whole thing. But even if you are speaking directly to someone on admissions, the interview will not be as scary as you’re imagining it to be.” College admissions interviews exist so the admission committee can get to know you better ––so relax, and read up on what you should know.

1. Have some knowledge about the school

It goes without saying that if you’re interviewing for a school, you should know at least a few basics about it. Know what program you’re interested in, when the school was founded and maybe even a fun fact or two!

“You don't want to go in there, sit down and start spewing off stats and figures about the school just to prove you've done your homework,” Herskovic says. “But, if you happen to know things about the school (and we're talking much more specifically than what you can find on the school's website), you can work those things into the conversation naturally.” She suggests asking questions about a specific program or working your excitement about a specific professor into one of your answers. Showing the admissions officer you’re passionate about the school will help you stand out among a sea of interviewees.

2. Connect with your interviewer

It’s key to bond with the person who’s interviewing you. If you act detached and uninterested, it’s not going to go well. You want to show them you’re serious about going there! “They want to like you and to actually see you on campus,” Herskovic says. “If that happens, they’re going to fight for you.” Make sure you’re being authentic and engaging in conversation.

Herskovic suggests doing some research on your interviewer, asking questions and just relaxing! “And by the way, if the conversation flows away from the topics you were expecting to discuss (your resume, your transcript, the school, the books you've read in the past month, etc.), that's okay,” she says. It’s actually a good thing, so just let it happen!

3. Show who you really are

The interviewer know what you look like on paper, but what about in real life? In the interview room, show off what you couldn’t on your application or resume.

“The interviewers know that your application and essays probably went through 10,000 iterations before it got to them,” Herskovic says. “So, now it’s their chance to see who you are on the fly and to get to know you as a person.” The interviewer also wants to know you were being truthful in your application. Be mature and honest, and you’ll be in the clear.

“They want to see what kind of roommate you will be (for real, this is something Harvard interviewers specifically look for), what kind of perspective you will bring to campus, and how you'll interact with the diverse student body,” Herskovic says. “ Don't try and be someone that you are not. If something makes you laugh, laugh. If you're really passionate about something they ask about, speak passionately about it.” Don’t hide who you are! It’s going to hurt your interview experience.

Related: 6 Ways to Stand Out in Your College Interview

4. Be authentic

Don’t try and use SAT words in a sentence. “They know you are a 17-year-old student with big dreams, some fun interests and an obsession with Snapchat,” Herskovic says. “You should not try to put on airs to impress anyone. Not only will they see right through it, but that’s not what they want!” Just be yourself!

Herskovic says that the best interviews are natural conversations. “It’s more of a chat between two people than a Q&A session,” she says. “So, yes, you should absolutely prepare (including coming up with some questions of your own that you’d like to ask!), but don’t memorize answers or, worse, your resume.” Be polished, confident and well-mannered, but not robotic.

As we said earlier, the interviewer simply wants to get to know you! Remember, it’s a conversation between person A and person B. Take a deep breath and relax ––we know you’re going to kill it, collegiette!

Since 2003, One Tree Hill has taught us a ton of lessons about life, love and friendship. Here are the most important love lessons we learned:

1. Even if relationships have a rough start, they can grow into inseperable bonds.

2. Sometimes, you fall in love with someone totally unexpected.

3. Love triangles are never fun.

4. If it doesn't feel right, it likely isn't.

5. Sometimes, you'll get your heart broken.

6. One day, you'll find someone who's meant for you.

7. It is possible to find love again.

Related: 16 Life Lessons Learned from 'One Tree Hill'

8. Tragedies can make your love even stronger.

9. There will always be a bad boy who's no good for you.

10. There are fewer bonds stronger than family.

11. Forgiveness can be extremely powerful.

12. Sometimes people change.

13. You'll always find your way back to the person you're meant to be with.

14. Sometimes, you don't end up with who you thought you would.

15. Friends should always come first.

Which love lesson taught you the most, collegiettes?