Walking into Target is basically like walking into another world. Everything is bright and clean and smells like potential. From clothes to candles, anything and everything you could ever want or need rests between Target’s magnificent walls. We’re just saying it might be the best place on earth. Actually, we're pretty positive it is. Here are a few thoughts every girl has while experiencing this magical place.

1. I should probably stop at the dollar section to see if there’s anything cool before I spend more money on the same thing somewhere else.

2. I wonder how many germs are on these carts? Good thing I bring hand sanitzer with me everywhere. 

3. I wish I was still a kid so my mom could push me around on those carts. 

4. Wait, these swimsuits are SO cute.

5. I should really get one now. Otherwise they’ll sell out.

6. Ugh. Of COURSE there are only sizes XXS and XXL.

7. Okay, focus. Time for toothpaste.

8. How do all Targets have the same smell? Like, anywhere in the country, it smells exactly the same. I like it, though; I'd totally wear Eau de Target if they made a signature scent. 

9. The nail polish selection is ON POINT today.

10. Am I more of a “Lilac Dream” girl or a “Hot in Honolulu” girl?

11. I think my mascara is almost out. I might as well get a new one while I’m here. I’ll use it eventually.

12. Why are tampons so expensive?

13. Did that cute guy just see me put tampons in my cart?

14. Bags of Reese's Cups are two for $5? Get in my cart, little nuggets of chocolate-and-peanut-butter heaven.

15. Maybe I should share the candy with my roommates... or maybe I should just keep it all for myself. 

16. Is that the lady from my mom’s book club who always has stuff in her teeth? Hide. HIDE! Why do I always see someone I don’t want to run into here?

17. This counts as the "necessary spending" my parents give me an allowance for, right?

18. Do people actually buy DVDs anymore? There are so many of them here. 

19. Dang it, I’ve been here for an hour and a half. I need to cut myself off.

20. Why are the checkout lines so long? Can I go in the express lane and pretend I didn’t know you had to have fewer than 10 items?

21. Oooh, there's no one in that line! Go! Go! Go!

22. Did I go to high school with my cashier?

23. HOW THE HECK DID I JUST SPEND $150?!

24. Oh my gosh, I forgot toothpaste! Whatever, I'll go back for it later.  

25. Until next time, Target. And by next time, I mean in, like, two days.

Stay golden, Target. You may rob us of all our cash, but we still love you anyway. 

Spring weather is coming, collegiettes! It’s time to toss your beloved chunky sweaters aside in the name of spring dresses. With trends and styles continually evolving each season, finding the perfect dress that both flatters and complements your shape can be difficult. Luckily, Elizabeth Kamm, freelance stylist and style consultant, lent us her expert opinion on spring dresses for every body type.

Check out the tips and picks below for the perfect spring number to bring your best features forward. Frock on, collegiettes!

Full Bust

“The best neckline for a full bust is a deep V or a halter,” Kamm says. These necklines tend to draw attention downwards, instead of across your chest, creating a visual line downward that ultimately will balance out your body’s proportions.

“Dresses that will nip in at the waist and accentuate your hips” are your best options, Kamm adds. “A wrap dress is a great choice for this shape since the style will accentuate your waist, but also create volume as the A-line falls over your hips creating an hourglass illusion.”

Wrap dresses are offered in a variety of colors and materials, making them a versatile addition to any collegiette’s spring wardrobe. This Laundry by Shelli Segal Turquoise Wrap Dress from Nordstrom ($165) provides the best of both worlds for a springtime look with its vibrant turquoise shade and soft, lightweight fabric.

Hourglass

Kamm reminds us that when it comes to curves, “it’s all about balance and proportion.” Dresses cut diagonally or on the bias tend to elongate your overall frame. Thankfully, hourglass-shaped collegiettes have it easy this spring season, as the high-low hemline trend for skirts and dresses is still going strong. 

This Shopbop Three Dots High Low Cutout Dress ($168) is a picture-perfect investment for your spring wardrobe with its cobalt-blue-and-oatmeal coloring and unique cutout.

Looking for something for the longer, warmer days approaching us? This Strapless Striped Smocked High Low Tube Dress by AQUA ( $32.50) will help you transition from the warm days of spring to the hotter evenings of summer.

Straight

With your waist and hips at similar sizes, you will “look beautiful in dresses that feature just a little extra element to add femininity,” Kamm says. Try one-shoulder dresses, column dresses or sheath dresses.

Kamm also encourages straight body types to seek out dresses with a contrast in shape, such as a top with some added volume and a very fitted bottom, for a winning combination. “The whole idea is to break up the straight line with differences of contrast,” Kamm says. Color-blocked dresses and printed dresses work very well for this shape and add a special twist to an otherwise bland dress.

This Ashley Cut Out Sides Skater Dress from Boohoo ($32) comes in an array of unique pastels that are ideal for spring. The cutouts will add contrast to your look.

Athletic

For collegiettes with broader shoulders, “think softer, more delicate fabric and just traditionally feminine looks,” Kamm suggests. Similar to straight shapes, athletic body types look best in dresses that have extra style accents like pleats, ruffles and embellishments. Kamm says bodycon dresses are a quick and always flattering go-to option for the athletically built collegiette.

This Carmen Cutaway Front Bodycon Dress from Boohoo ($45) is offered in a myriad of vibrant colors just in time for spring weather and is a great choice for athletic collegiettes.

Petite

Collegiettes with very small busts, waists and hips, should try out dressed with volume that can include “large, bold prints” and “differing structures of fabric.” Kamm recommends the full, tea-length skirt hemline as spring trend to incorporate into your day-to-day look. Paired with either a strapless or halter top, this look will flatter a petite shape’s overall frame.

However, Kamm says petite collegiettes should avoid one look: “Steer clear of too-simple looks with thin straps; this is too simple, too delicate, and the look will be lost on you,” she says.

This Garden Party Tube Dress from Forever 21 ($24.80) is an adorable choice for spring. This dress’s bold pattern and lightweight fabric makes it a no-brainer spring purchase for a petite collegiette.

Full Figured

“Fabrics are a full-figured collegiette’s best friend,” Kamm says. If you have a fuller bust, waist and hips, “dresses with structured, heavy fabric will work exceptionally well” on your frame, she says. An example could be a dress that has a structured fabric around the waist with a lighter, filmier fabric draped across the chest and shoulders. “This contrast creates balance and offers comfort while looking very sleek and chic,” Kamm says.

She also advises that full-figured collegiettes gravitate towards light and dark grays, while avoiding patterns. This ModCloth New Hire and Higher Dress ($69.99) would be adorable with its quirky drapery around the neckline paired with a chic tie sash.

Happy shopping, collegiettes!

Do you remember how awkward your first talk about sex and puberty was? Maybe it came in the form of your parents explaining the birds and the bees, or maybe it was during health class when your teacher tried to demystify the changes going on in your body. No matter how hard you tried to play it cool, it was probably borderline traumatizing.

Unfortunately, talks like these don’t get any easier, just more intimate (read: not in a room full of giggling middle schoolers), especially when you start visiting a gynecologist. No matter how comfortable you might be talking to your friends about your latest hook-up or your weirdest bodily function, it can be pretty intimidating to talk about your sexual life and “down-there” problems one-on-one with a doctor.

Even though a gynecologist appointment can be awkward, it’s important to ask any questions you might have about your body so you can keep yourself safe and healthy. To lighten your load, we’ve talked to gynecologists ourselves to answer some of your most embarrassing questions.

1. I’m worried that I might smell or taste bad during oral sex. How can I make sure everything is okay?

Oral sex is extremely intimate, and no matter how good it is, sometimes it might be hard to tell what your partner is thinking while he or she is down there. But the only way to really tell how you smell or taste down there is if your partner talks to you about it.

Dr. Sarah Crane, an OB/GYN with Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, says that many times, women are much more sensitive to their own vagina’s odor, real or imagined, than anyone else. So even if you think something is funky down there, your partner might not notice anything.

If you do have excess odor that is noticeable during oral sex, Dr. Crane says that it is most often due to an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria. To prevent this, Dr. Crane suggests wearing cotton panties and wearing loose bottoms or nothing to bed. Your vagina needs air to stay healthy, and these practices help maintain good air circulation. “Air is the friend of the vagina,” she says.

2. What is douching, and should I do it?

You’ve probably heard about this thing called a “douche”—and we’re not talking about that obnoxious frat guy who hits on every girl in sight. Douching is the use of a cleansing solution to freshen the vagina. Douches typically come in a prepackaged bottle that allows women to squirt the solution through a nozzle.

Although douching used to be viewed as a beneficial practice, gynecologists today are uniformly against douching, says Dr. Crane, because the substances in the solution can disrupt the normal balance of your vaginal ecosystem, potentially causing yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis. In addition to throwing off your vagina’s natural chemical balance, using a douche has also been associated with an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in women with vaginal infections. So even though douching used to be perceived as a sanitary practice, stick with the natural options of showering regularly and keeping a good airflow to your nether region.

3. How much discharge is normal, and what should it look like?

Who actually wants to talk about wet, sticky stuff that your body produces? On a meter of awkwardness, this question is definitely way up there. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to figure out yourself if your discharge is normal if you know what you’re looking for.

Dr. Crane says that clear, white or light yellow discharge is normal, and it should be in amounts that just slightly moisten your panties each day. No one really likes the word “moist,” but if that’s what’s going on for you, then you’re operating normally. According to the University of Illinois’s McKinley Health Center, vaginas produce discharge in order to “cleanse and regulate itself, similar to how saliva cleanses and regulates the environment of the mouth.”

But if your daily discharge is a different consistency or a drastically different color, then it’s time to bring the situation to the attention of your gynecologist. Discharge that is abnormally colored, thick or clumpy, noticeably odorous or accompanied by any itching or burning may be a sign of infection. Discussing your discharge with your gyno might be awkward at first, but you’ll feel better when your body is back on the right track.

4. I’ve noticed some painful bumps down there. What are they, and how do I know if it’s something more serious?

Horrifying thoughts can easily run through your head the second you see something down below that shouldn’t be there. Traumatizing lessons during high school sex ed taught us that no good can come from a bump or red spots, but if they do arise, it might not be what you’re thinking. Oftentimes you might get a pimple or an ingrown hair on your pubic region. This can be even more common if you shave your pubic hair.

But if the bumps are extremely painful, seem to be growing or spreading or secrete a colored liquid discharge, you should see your gynecologist, because it may be something more serious. Dr. Crane says that sometimes these bumps can result from the herpes virus or other infections, but you need to visit a doctor to confirm this. In the meantime, she recommends that you don’t have sex until you get it checked out.

5. Every time I have sex, it’s way too painful. What can I do to make this easier?

Sex is supposed to be enjoyable, not painful. If you are finding that sex is too painful or uncomfortable, then there are some tricks you can use to make this experience better.

A common reason why women experience painful sex is because they’re not properly lubricated, whether due to nerves, not being sufficiently turned on or other reasons. One of the options that Dr. Crane suggests is putting lubricant on your guy’s penis and at the entrance to your vagina. This will give the best odds for making a smooth entry. It’s also a good idea to go slow. If you’re new to having sex, one of the best ways to get your body accustomed to the feeling is by taking it easy and going slowly, attempting to relax. Tensing up will only make it hurt more!

Another option that Dr. Crane suggests is practicing with a tampon. Although this is a different feeling, it can still help prepare your body for what it feels like. If none of these techniques work, Dr. Crane recommends a visit to the gynecologist to make sure that there is not a medical or anatomical reason for the pain.

6. I’ve never had an orgasm. What can I do to change that?

Like we said, sex should be enjoyable. A lot of that enjoyment comes from having an orgasm. Even though you can have fun without hitting your climax, it can still be frustrating when you’ve been having sex for a while without feeling that peak of maximum pleasure. As exasperating as it might be, Dr. Crane says that it’s not rare to have not experienced an orgasm when you’re in your late teens or early 20s. In many cases you just need time, experimentation and an understanding of your body’s nuances to understand what it takes to get you to that point. Having a partner who is willing to work with you can make this an easier task.

“Women typically take three to four times longer to reach orgasm than men, so foreplay is important,” Dr. Crane says. Don’t just cut to the chase—let the anticipation build by engaging in enough foreplay with your partner. Dr. Crane adds that “stimulation of the clitoral region is necessary for many women to achieve climax, and this may require self-stimulation or adjustments on his part.” Your best bet is to get on top so that you can adjust your angling and positioning accordingly.

7. Does hormonal birth control affect my sex drive or anything else during sex?

When people go on birth control, like the pill, many times they talk about how their weight fluctuates or their boobs get bigger. But something that’s not usually mentioned is how hormonal birth control can affect your sex drive.

Dr. Crane says that birth control does not always affect a woman’s libido, but in some cases it can.

“Occasionally a woman who is very in tune with her natural cycle may note a decrease in libido when she takes oral contraceptives or other hormonal methods such as Depo-Provera,” she says. “These methods suppress ovulation and thereby prevent the surge of hormones that naturally occurs just prior to ovulation.” If you are finding that your sex drive isn’t what it used after switching to a new birth control, talk to your gyno about other options.

8. Is there less risk of pregnancy if I have sex the week after my period?

An unplanned pregnancy can be a scary thought when you’re in college, so many people take as many precautions to prevent this from happening. Your fertility levels change as you move throughout your cycle, and it is true that there are times when you are more fertile than others. But Dr. Crane says there is never a time when your fertility levels drop low enough to completely eliminate the chance of becoming pregnant. She says that the time after your period is still a very fertile time, so it’s still important to use necessary protection.

Although these questions might make you feel mortified if you had to ask them out loud, gynecologists deal with these situations every day. It’s their job! By finding a gynecologist who makes you feel comfortable, you can continue to take steps to promote your sexual health and well-being.

Everywhere you turn, someone somewhere is talking about internships. Whether it’s where to look for them, how to tailor resumes and cover letters for specific positions, or how to follow up on applications, they’re always a topic of conversation. It seems like there’s little time for anything else!

Not to stress you out, but there’s one other really important factor that should be on your radar: making sure you can get credit for your internship. It would be a shame for you to do all that work only to find out that credit didn’t transfer, or that all you needed for credit was a meeting and approval from your academic advisor!

To make certain that you’re getting the credit you deserve, we’ve outlined a few common scenarios that you may find yourself in and the proper steps to achieving college credit in each one.

If you have no idea where to start...

Set up a meeting with your academic advisor or someone in Career Services at your school. They are there to help you, and they will be an informed resource that understands your university’s policies concerning internships and how to receive credit. If there’s paperwork, a formal proposal that has to be written, or professor approval required, they’ll be the ones to know.

Elizabeth Bleed, a collegiette from Furman University, took this route when she wanted credit for an internship she had the summer after freshman year. Before applying for the position, she went to a professor in the Biology department to see if her internship doing hospital research was appropriate for university credit. 

“I just wanted my internship to show up my transcript,” Elizabeth said. “It’s different for every university, but for me, the credit ended up displaying as research credit achieved through an independent study. The credits didn’t display as an internship or help me toward graduation, but it was a step I took to make sure I got some kind of credit for my work.” 

Michelle Lewis, HC's Senior Editor and a recent UNC grad, learned her university’s policies and received credit in a different way. “For my internships, I had to enroll in a journalism class at UNC for summer school. It never met, but it did have some requirements,” Michelle said. “My supervisor had to fill out a form evaluating my work, and I had to write a paper analyzing the company and a paper evaluating my experience.” 

Michelle’s story drives home the importance of double-checking requirements. The company you intern for may have one set of assignments that they have interns complete for their internship program, while your university may have others. Verify the expectations on both sides so that everything goes your way in the end. 

Michelle also bumped into a different hurdle in her internship credits that every collegiette should be aware of before deciding to intern for credit. “Unfortunately, I did have to pay summer school tuition to receive credit for [my internships],” Michelle said. If your university requires an additional fee for counting an internship for credit, ask about it up front so that you can be prepared for the potential expenses.

As Elizabeth and Michelle demonstrated, there are definitely a few steps you need to take to see if an internship will qualify for credit, and setting up a preliminary meeting with your academic advisor is probably the best way to get started. If you need to talk to anyone else, such as a professor or the staff who work in registration and records, they will be able to help you come up with a solid game plan. Another resource could be counselors in your career center, depending on how internships are processed at your school.

If you want an internship to count as an elective in your major... 

This is another case where you’ll need to talk to an academic advisor. Depending on your school’s policy, there may be different requirements necessary in order to count internships for elective credit. Generally, students must work specified hours to receive the same credit that they would achieve for a one, two, or three-hour academic course. 

“I counted it as an elective for my minor in Communications,” Simmone Seymour, a collegiette at Tufts University said of her internship. “Since, [the time] when people find about if they received an internship or not varies, the internship supervisor was pretty flexible about receiving information about the position.”  

Once everything was settled for her internship, Simmone followed the requirements set by her course, which consisted of weekly follow-ups to report any problems, what she learned each week, and her total hours. She also wrote three papers on the experience. 

“My advice is to start early and secure an internship and registering for the class initially and eventually it should all fall into place,” Simmone added. “Don't put all of your eggs in one basket and expect to land the internship you want. If it’s an established internship program at your school, look into where students have interned in the past, because if the past interns did a good job, the establishment may be more receptive to an application from a student at your institution, giving you a better chance at securing an internship.” 

Discussing this option with your advisor is the perfect way to add something different to your college experience. Using an internship for elective credit is a good move professionally because it will give you work skills that will be useful both in class and in future work experiences. It’s a smart academic move, too, as it will free up your schedule during the year for your required courses. This leaves you with less stress about where to come up with those extra one or two elective credits and keeps you on the right track!

If you want to achieve your internship credit through a local community college...

Sometimes it makes sense to look for credit from a community college rather than your university, especially if you were already planning to take college courses there anyway. As a registered student at your community college, the opportunity to receive credit for your summer internship may be an inexpensive and simple option.

Sara Kirby, Assistant Manager of Career Services at College of DuPage (COD), says that students looking to receive credit for a summer internship need to stay on top of things to make sure the process runs smoothly. Some community colleges have summer internships for academic credit, each with their own set of qualifications, and it is important to check each college’s website more than once to ensure that you are meeting the requirements for their institution and program. 

To get started, students would register for an internship within the appropriate academic area. “It would be up to the student to contact their home institution to figure out if the class would transfer,” Kirby said. “Once the internship is approved, they will receive credit as long as they fulfill the internship requirements.” Kirby said that at COD, the paperwork to approve an internship usually takes about 2-4 weeks. Keep processing time in mind when figuring out your internship so that you don’t start the internship before credit has been approved. It could be messy to try and fix that later!

The most important thing about looking for credit from a community college is to have a solid backup plan. Since most community colleges will not be operating with full faculty during the summer months, internships may be harder to arrange. If credit is approved, however, here’s one final tip from Kirby: “Plan ahead,” she cautioned. “Double and triple check that credit will transfer back. Ultimately it is up to the host college whether or not the credit transfers.” This option does require some foresight, but planning in advance and checking over details carefully should eliminate any headaches concerning receipt of your college credit. 

If your internship provider says that they offer college credit...

You’ve probably seen the phrase “college credit available” on some of the internship listings you’ve been scouring. This does not mean that the internship will take care of processing credit for you, but it does mean that it will work with you and your university to achieve college credit if you take the necessary steps to do so!

“In my experience, it is the student’s responsibility to register for internship credit and write an internship proposal for the academic advisor in his/her specific program at the university,” said Tiffany Leason, Manager of Audience Research and Evaluation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 

As a past intern mentor herself, Leason has approved intern proposals for future interns and completed work evaluations for use by the university at the internship’s completion. Again, every institution is different, so be an absolute stickler for every piece of information that is necessary for you to get credit for your internship!

“The student would need to outline an internship proposal that is of interest to him/her in coordination with the mentor at the internship site and with the academic advisor to meet the requirements of the university program and to satisfy the needs of the institution for which he/she will be interning,” Leason said. 

When you start hammering out the details of your internship with your internship supervisor, don’t forget to ask if they need any proof that you’ll be receiving college credit, like a letter from your academic advisor. This goes back to what Leason mentioned about being a responsible student. Bring up all of your concerns before you’re asked--this will show how much you care about the internship experience and that you want to be successful! 

The most important thing is to do your research. Each university, academic department, and academic major will have their own requirements for internship credit, and their own specific way of doing things. Do your best Pink Panther and sleuth out answers early and from multiple sources to make sure that there are no surprises. That tenacious attitude will be rewarded when you successfully secure internship credit for all of your efforts!

Twitter is one of our favorite methods of procrastination, but sometimes we have a love/hate relationship with it. Here are 15 thoughts everyone has while scrolling through their Twitter feeds.

1. Wait, why am I still following you?

2. There should be a hashtag limit. 

3. I don't remember tweeting that...

4. I'm only favoriting this because you're cute.

5. Ooh, Twitter drama, my favorite! 

6. Oh, it's raining? Really?! I HAD NO IDEA.

7. I'm going to stalk my ex's favorites.

8. This was a bad idea.

9. Ew, why is he favoriting all of her tweets? 

10. Oops, I did NOT mean to favorite that tweet. 

11. There's no such thing as too many puppy pictures.

12. Seriously, another #mancrushmonday of your boyfriend?

13. If I see #sorrynotsorry one more time...

14. This is Twitter, not your diary. 

15. Even though I've already read everything on my timeline, I'm just going to keep clicking refresh to avoid studying.

Applying for a job can be intimidating and scary, especially when it comes to putting together your resume. Whether you’re a senior searching for a post-college position or an underclassman trying to gain some experience, it’s tough to know what employers are looking for. But if you do it right, your resume can be the most surefire way to impress a prospective employer and present yourself in a professional manner. Use these tips to put together a great resume so that you can land your dream job (or, at least, a job).

1. Relevant job and internship experience

The most important thing you can show a potential employer is that you know what you’re doing. If you’ve had internships or part-time jobs relevant to the position you’re applying for, make that apparent. Sylvan Solloway, director of career services for the Journalism Institute at New York University, says highlighting your experience is the most important part. “I always recommend a resume [that] emphasizes what you’ve done and what you’ve accomplished,” she says.

Marianne Russo, a senior at Michigan State University, says that through interviewers and resume workshops, she’s learned to put work experience front and center. “Clearly state your job title [and] company and simply break down the projects/tasks you worked on during your time there,” she says. Solloway recommends listing your previous jobs and internships under an “experience” heading in reverse chronological order.

2. Relevant coursework

As a recent college grad, your courses really have been your job for the past four years. But a recruiter probably won’t care that you got an A in pottery if you’re applying to be an accountant, so irrelevant coursework should stay off your resume.

Solloway recommends including schoolwork only if it’s related to the specific job you’re applying for. “Use your coursework to fill in the gaps where you lack experience,” she says. For example, if you’re applying for a business reporter job but you’ve never worked in business reporting, include a class you took last semester on business. Tiffany Keeton, a recruiter for HomeAway, recommends a quick blurb about the coursework, not listing your full curriculum. “The coursework should be summarized in the form or projects and skills,” she says.

3. Study abroad

Experiences like study abroad can show an employer that you’re good at adapting to new environments, and it’s even better if you learned a language while you were there. “Outside-the-norm activities show initiative and the desire for greatness,” Keeton says.

Solloway adds that experiences that help you stand out, like studying abroad, can help solidify your personal brand. “Being able to market yourself with particular expertise is important,” she says.

Figure out the things you learned abroad that apply to the job you want and incorporate them into your resume. Solloway suggests listing your study abroad location under your “education” section and indicate the time you spent there, then listing the language and/or skills you acquired while abroad under your “skills” section.

4. Extracurriculars

What you did in college outside of classwork can give an employer a better idea of the kind of person you are. However, just listing the clubs you were in or projects you worked on isn’t enough.

Laura Labovich, CEO of The Career Strategy Group and co-author of 100 Conversations for Career Success, suggests elaborating on the types of things you participated in or learned from each experience. “The best way to describe your experiences is to think of every experience in two ways: 1. What you did, and 2. How well you did it,” she says.

Be sure to alter this section depending on the job you’re applying for. Career coach Aricia Shaffer reminds recent grads to be cognizant of what makes you perfect for the job. “Instead of highlighting what you are most proud of, highlight what would be the most attractive to the employer,” she suggests. For example, she says that if a company’s main passion is being eco-friendly, list an environmentally friendly volunteer activity you did with your friends.

5. Work samples

A resume can tell an employer where you’ve worked before, but it’s also a great place to include important projects you’ve worked on. Labovich recommends including links to projects you’ve worked on or awards you’ve won in your resume. Including work you’ve done or times you’ve stood out allows employers to see your accomplishments, not just your duties.

“There’s a popular saying: ‘Past performance is the best indicator of future success’—so don’t tell them, show them by providing the proof of your experience, not just empty titles and duties,” Labovich says. For clips or work samples related to a job or internship, list them under that job on your resume.

As you write your resume, just remember: There’s no “perfect resume.” Each one will look different and will create its own unique image of the applicant. Use these tips and make sure that your resume reflects you. Happy job hunting!

20 signs you’re stilladdicted to Frozen. [YourTango]

How to create a more grown-up fashion look. [Glamour]

There’s too much nudity on TV these days. [Slate]

What a 30-year-old thinks of teenage slang. [BuzzFeed]

There is a thing called Jelly Bean Milk. [Jezebel]

Haley Dunphy is given the honor of one of the betchiest characters on TV. [Betches Love This]

Things everyone secretly wishes you’d stop doing on Facebook. [Thought Catalog]

What is it like to be an entertainment editor? [I Want Her Job]

79 productive things to do in front of the TV. [SavvySugar]

Being rejected from your dream school isn’t the end of the world. [The Huffington Post]

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.

Breakfast

With back-to-back group project meetings on Saturday morning, breakfast had to be a quickie. I had two pieces of toasted Ezekiel bread (yes, I already broke Passover) topped with almond butter, banana, honey and cinnamon. I was in a hurry so I accidentally went a little bit overboard with the cinnamon. Cinnamon challenge, anyone?

Lunch

I've featured healthier swaps for ice cream, french fries and pasta, and now it's time for a healtheir alternative to rice: cauliflower! Just when you thought cauliflower couldn't get any better after learning it could be turned into a pizza crust, now you have even more reason to love this underrated vegetable.

Turning cauliflower into rice takes just about as little time as it takes to cook regular rice, give or take a little depending on how you choose to prepare it. There are a bunch of different recipes and variations of cauliflower rice online, but since I was short on time and ingredients, I used the simplest method. I cut the head of cauliflower into florets, ground the florets in a food processor until the bits were approximately the size of rice, and then microwaved the "rice" in a bowl for about three to four minutes. I added some chopped green onion for added flavor. If you have more time to spare, you can prepare the rice in a skillet (with onions and garlic, if you like) or oven-roast it to get a crispier texture. 

I was running very low on groceries yesterday, so I ended up making the cauliflower rice and then realizing I didn't really have anything good to mix into it. I found a sweet potato, and since I've had sweet potato stuffed with quinoa before, I figured it might taste good stuffed with cauliflower rice. I didn't have time to bake the potato in the oven, so I just popped it in the microwave for several minutes. It turned out to be a slightly odd combination flavor- and texture-wise, and I probably would not repeat it, but it was still good. After a few bites in, I rummaged through our kitchen cabinets to see if there was anything else I could add. I found a can of black beans and corn, so I mixed about a quarter to a half cup each of those in, and that definitely improved the dish. The next time I make cauliflower rice, I want to make either this Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice or this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice for a better-planned meal. So many "rice-ipes," so little time. 

Dinner 

I went out to dinner with a few friends and ordered a quinoa and kale salad topped with grilled salmon and served with a lemon cumin vinaigrette. If you're ever stuck trying to find a healthy option at a restaurant, see which adjustments you can make to the salads on the menu. Most restaurants, like the one I went to last night, have the option of adding chicken, steak, or fish to a salad, so if the salad on its own seems meager, top it with a grilled or baked protein option. You can also try requesting adding other vegetables to the salad that appear elsewhere on the menu.

When it comes to less-healthy salad toppers, such as tortilla strips, croutons, bacon bits or big portions of cheese, if you're looking to cut down on calories, you can ask your server to nix those items or give you a smaller serving. Lastly, as I'm sure you've already been told by a fellow collegiette since it's one of the oldest tricks in the book, ordering dressing on the side is always a good idea because restaurants will often drench the salads, so getting it on the side enables you to control your portion. Eating out healthily can be tougher at some restaurants than others, but with a few swaps up your sleeve, you can almost always make something on the menu work in your favor. 

15 Signs You’re an American at College in Canada was relatable to those up north!

You missed the TV shows of your childhood when you read The 9 Disney Channel Shows We Miss the Most.

You’ve done all of the 11 Poses Girls Do in Pictures, haven’t you?

21 Thoughts Every Girl Has While Shopping at Forever 21 took you through the overwhelming process of shopping at our fave spot.

36 Signs You're a Second-Semester Senior covered everything from your obsession with the local bars to ignoring graduation related emails.

Easter is this weekend, and we're very excited to see what the Easter Bunny has in store. And while you've been getting ready to dye some eggs, planning an Easter egg hunt, or even just stocking up on chocolate bunnies, our pets have been preparing too. Dressed to impress, here are the most adorable animals pulling of the Easter Bunny outfit to celebrate the holiday.

We might want to reconsider if the Easter Bunny should actually be a bunny...this pug looks pretty festive to me!

One way to fight allergy season: strap on a puffy pink nose cover!

Look out for this double trouble dog duo! They give the real Easter Bunny a run for his money.

Strapping on his slippers for a stroll through the park, this guy takes the cake with a complete outfit!

This pup doesn't look too amused by the basket full of eggs behind him. Was the Easter egg hunt too hard?

Cool, calm and collected, the pink ears perfectly compliment his luscious white locks.

Trying to get in the Easter spirit with something even better than a piñata...a hanging carrot! Looks like this guy just can't get enough of it.

I like big ears and I cannot lie…especially on the face of a chubby pug protecting his Easter eggs.

You can teach old dog new tricks! Way to go Fido, you win the award for best carrot retrieval.

He knows he looks good, and he's not afraid to show it.

The power of the bunny ears certainly worked out for this cat. Look at how many eggs he found!

And who said you couldn’t wear white after Labor Day?

This kitten is looking pretty in pink, and she makes it look so easy!

On the other hand...this one thinks that a pink jumpsuit might not have been the best idea after all. But check out that tail!

"I'll tell you where the eggs are, but ONLY if you give me a treat!"

We don't know about you, but we’ve seen happier looking Easter Bunny imposters.

Not only does he pull off looking good in pink ears, but the background really makes it feel like spring!

Someone should have told this cat that blue was so last season.

Is it a cat, or the Easter Bunny?? This feline win first place for most convincing costume.

Because who doesn’t love an adorable surprise hamster dressed with bunny ears?

Finals week is almost here, which means it's time to gear up for those all-nighters and midnight food runs. Since you're already procrastinating on that paper you have to write, check out these 17 thoughts everyone has while studying for finals! 

1. Okay, let's do this thing. I'm totally going to ace these exams.

2. Why doesn't any of this material sound familiar?

3. I probably should have bought the book.

4. Wait, this exam is cumulative?!

5. I'm going to drown my stress in food.

6. Is it possible to overdose on caffeine?

7. All-nighters are overrated.

8. At what point would it be socially acceptable to sleep in the library?

9. Maybe if I stare at this blank screen long enough, this 10-page paper will write itself. 

10. I need a nap. A week-long nap.

11. Is this what dying feels like?

12. If I don't take a break soon, my head is going to explode. 

13. I'll just watch one episode on Netflix. And scroll through Twitter for a bit, and check Instagram, and look at puppy gifs on Tumblr...

14. There's no way I can be expected to wear real pants this week.

15. I think I forgot how to study. 

16. What's the lowest grade I can get on this exam to still pass the class?

17. I hope my future husband is rich, because I give up. 

I never thought I would take my period for granted. I didn’t think that at 21, I’d be going through hormone-induced menopause. I couldn’t have expected that I’d spend most of 2012 bleeding continuously and ruining countless pairs of underwear, anything white, my mattress and even a couch. The story of my college experience is much different than the one I thought I would write one day. I never would have expected that I’d be writing a much different story, a story with no ending, a story I still write today.

In late August of 2011, while my friends were planning end-of-summer beach trips and farewell parties, I was watching heat radiate off the Boston skyline from a metallic, chilled hospital bed on the sixth floor of Boston Children’s Hospital. In a way, my solitude was almost too perfect. I had withdrawn from Loyola University Maryland that May after being accepted to transfer to Boston College, and I was leaving behind great relationships for a place filled with strangers. But after a month of emergency-room visits and uncontrolled agony, my hospital admittance was a relief.

My PMS was now an omnipresent nightmare. Every day I felt like my cramps might paralyze me, and my headaches could easily knock me out. I’d been taking antibiotics for infections I didn’t have. I was exhausted by doctors saying, “I don’t know,” asking, “Are you sure that it hurts when I press here?” and prescribing me Vicodin and hopelessness. I thought that after my three days under observation, I’d leave with an answer to why I’d spent the last month as a slave to my reproductive system. And for the most part, I thought wrong.

I thought a lot about why I was even there in the first place. I thought I was relatively normal. I got my period for the first time when I was 12 and thought I was just unlucky to have terrible PMS. I had stayed home from school before because my cramps were too awful, and more than once I had thrown up during my period. Was it such a surprise that I had back pain? Didn’t every girl have back pain during her period? According to my pediatrician during my annual checkup, no. Cue the hour-long drive down the Jamaicaway at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday, the opening act of my next month of hospitalizations.

A month after that first checkup, as I sat in that bed in Boston Children’s Hospital, I was embarrassed, scared and in pain. Everything from my diet and exercise to the date, length and intensity of my last period was written on a whiteboard in an office I’d never see. After four trips to the emergency room in the last month, I still couldn’t figure out how to correctly tie a hospital gown. I didn’t even have socks with me.

The resident observing my case told me that after everything the doctors had done, they still didn’t have an answer for me. I couldn’t help but laugh, though, due to the amount of morphine I had been administered. I was given hospital booties and a business card for an adolescent gynecological specialist, and I walked out of the hospital still unsure as to what was going on inside my body.

On October 12, 2011, I finally got an answer. Earlier in September, during my first semester at BC, I’d agreed to a laparoscopy to determine if my symptoms were being caused by endometriosis. Endometriosis is a disease where the tissue that lines a woman’s uterus (which sheds and is bled out when she gets her period each month) grows externally from the uterus, commonly on her fallopian tubes, her ovaries, her bladder and her rectum. A laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgery during which a small scope is inserted into the pelvis so that surgeons can see if there was tissue deposited where it wasn’t supposed to be. Laparoscopies are the only way for doctors to definitively determine if a woman has endometriosis.

I woke up from the anesthesia with my dad sitting next to me, and I asked him if the doctors had found anything. Going into the surgery, I was convinced I was missing my best friend’s birthday for nothing—that the doctors wouldn’t find anything wrong. He explained to me, as my surgeon did as well a week later, that I had stage-two endometriosis. Endometriosis has four stages, one being the most mild, and four often requiring that the ovaries or uterus be removed. While the surgeons had been successful in removing most of the tissue, the growths had fused some of my reproductive organs together, which was likely the cause of some, but not all, of my symptoms.

Over the next couple of months, I learned that more than five million women in the United States suffer from endometriosis and that there is no cure. Some women experience no symptoms, but some women experience severe cramping in the abdomen and lower back, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and pain during sex. If not treated, endometriosis can cause infertility.

In the two months following my surgery, I thought, “Hey, no problem, I’m all good!” But I was so not good. My periods had been “turned off”—meaning that I took my active birth control every day and skipped the placebo pills so that I didn’t get my period. I was warned that missing a pill even by 15 minutes could cause breakthrough bleeding. I should have heeded that warning.

From January 2012 to November 2012, I got my period every single day. Because of the severity of cramping that I still experienced after the surgery, I couldn’t wear tampons. So, essentially, I was a sophomore in college at a new school, wearing diapers every day, staining perfectly good pairs of underwear regularly and surviving on ibuprofen and cranberry juice. Intimacy with my new boyfriend was practically impossible. Working out, walking in heels and even carrying my backpack to class felt like trying to pull myself out of quicksand made of glass. I actually ruined my friend’s couch after watching TV with her for an hour, having bled through not only my pad, but my underwear and my jeans, too.

Another trip to the emergency room that summer catalyzed a horrific trial of treatment plans, continuing a battle I thought I’d won months ago. I started getting Lupron injections, which are designed to decrease the estrogen levels in a woman’s body, every three months, which stopped my bleeding but presented a new set of symptoms caused by menopause. My body aged from 21 to 65 in a matter of weeks. I changed my shirts three to four times a day from the hot flashes and I slept with all my windows open in the dead of winter to attempt to combat night sweats. My bone density dropped significantly. More noticeable to my friends and family, however, was my weight and hair loss. I wasn’t bleeding, but I wasn’t happy or healthy either.

A few months into treatment, I began to experience ocular migraines, causing the left side of my face to become numb. I was taken off the injections and I started taking a progesterone-only birth control pill. Today, a year later, I rarely bleed. But that’s about the only significant improvement.

My worst symptom is a loss of innate femininity. My hair will never grow long because I don’t have a lot of estrogen in my system. I can’t offer my girlfriends a spare tampon when she runs out because I haven’t bought one in two and a half years. High heels hurt my back, ellipticals make my pain radiate and I’m not even sure if I can have kids. While I have some symptoms under control, others persist, and some will never go away.

Until recently, I was embarrassed of my endometriosis, and I was overly sensitive about what it did to my body. I’ve come to accept that endometriosis is something I have, not something I live by. Looking at the little, positive things balances the bad things. I give myself a little high five knowing I’m saving hundreds of dollars on feminine products, even though my girlfriends don’t always understand why I don’t want to go to the gym with them. I rock short hair and experiment with styles that wouldn’t ever work on everyone else’s long hair. I make choices about my body by deciding what I want for myself, not what my endometriosis wants for me.

Do you have a story to share? Submit your story to Her Story! 

As we round the corner on the last stretch of the school year, it’s time for seniors to finally accept that the end of their college career is quickly approaching. On top of all of the other decisions to be made for post-grad life, collegiettes with significant others also have to decide what to do about their relationships. For all of you who are thinking about moving in with your boyfriend after getting your diploma, here are some things to consider before you make your final decision.

Money

The cost of living in many popular post-grad destinations can be incredibly high, especially if you’re planning on living in a major city. If you and your boyfriend move in together, you’ll be able to split the cost of not only rent, but also utilities, food, etc. Halving the cost of living in a one room apartment is significantly cheaper than any other option.

“I moved in with my boyfriend after graduation after doing long-distance throughout college,” says Alice, an Emory University ‘12 graduate. “We've been living in NYC for nearly a year and so far it has been great. For us, it was a natural transition because we've known each other since high school and have been dating for so long. It's also worked in our favor financially, because splitting rent for a one bedroom apartment in the city is much cheaper than other options like paying for your own studio or sharing a two to three bedroom apartment with a roommate.”

However, involving money in relationships can make for a tricky situation. It’s never fun to have to ask for money from someone or vice versa, especially with someone you’re romantically involved with. Making sure that both of you are going to be able to afford your half of things is definitely a necessity before you move in.

“Since neither of us has a job lined up yet for next year, I'm a little worried about rent,” explains Ashley, a collegiette at the University of North Carolina who is planning on moving in with her boyfriend post-grad. “Hopefully we don't end up with a situation where one of us can't pay our half. I'm thinking of taking an AmeriCorps job next year, so I'm expecting to have some trouble managing my finances. Living with my boyfriend should help keep rent down, but I may have to be stingy in order to afford my half.”

Chores

Whether you’re a slob or he is, there’s usually one person in a relationship who has a higher standard of cleanliness than the other. Before you live together, the fact that his clothes are constantly all over the floor of his room might irk you, but once you’re sharing a small, confined space, it’s going to drive you up the wall.

“His room sometimes looks like a hurricane just came through, so how different we are when it comes to cleanliness will probably be our biggest issue,” says Andy, a student at the University of North Carolina. “But I’m hopeful we’ll both be able to compromise! When you’re sharing a place, you have to.”

Jasmin, a collegiette at the University of the Sunshine Coast explains that it annoys her when she has to clean up after her boyfriend after a long day of work.

“I am currently living out of home with my boyfriend in his brother’s house,” she says. “I do get annoyed when I clean up (e.g., the dishes mostly) because my current part-time job is a hospitality job and it’s very hard to do that after I’ve just done it at work!”

However, if you both agree to split the chores and commit to keeping your side of the bargain, it can definitely work out. Tell him the things that are non-negotiable for you and have him do the same. That way you know what you’re getting into beforehand.

“He’s more organized than I am, while I vacuum and use cleaning products more often,” says Ashley. “Hopefully we can strike a balance.”

Time for yourself

You know those nights when you just want to lie around in your bed and catch up on all your favorite TV shows? Well think about how annoyed you’ll get if your boyfriend insists you change the channel every time you put the new episode of New Girl on.

In a small apartment for two, it’s definitely difficult to take some alone time. This might not seem like a problem right now because you know you love spending time with him, but if you two are around each other 24/7, you might start to feel a bit smothered.

 Liza*, a student at Skidmore College, explains this can also be a problem when you want to spend time with your friends without him.

“My (now ex-) boyfriend and I were planning on living together for the summer, just us two,” she says. “It was his idea originally and I was extremely hesitant at first. What if we got in a fight and needed space from each other to cool off or just alone time in general? What if we wanted to have a boys’ or girls’ night out on our own? It seems like it would be difficult to balance a life at home with a significant other with a social life that’s all your own, especially at our age when there are so many places to explore and people to meet! I was worried that I would feel guilty having to choose every single night.”

You both need to understand that wanting to spend time apart isn’t a personal insult, just a precaution to make sure you don’t end up wanting to kill each other.

Annoying Habits

You think you’re irritated now when he uses the last of your body wash and forgets to tell you that it’s gone? Just imagine how you’ll feel when that’s constantly happening and not just with body wash.

Annoying habits are just that: annoying. But they’re also much easier to overlook when you’re not together constantly. When you live with someone, their flaws are right out in the open for you to see.

“Your love has to be deep enough to be able to withstand learning about your partner's flaws - no makeup, food fetishes, annoying little habits and other tidbits of information that were hidden when you were only dating,” explains Carole Lieberman, M.D., psychiatrist and author of Bad Girls: Why Men Love Them & How Good Girls Can Learn Their Secrets.

Living together means figuring out ways to tolerate the aspects of your significant other that tend to aggravate you. You’re going to have to learn to pick your battles. If he’s doing something that really isn’t that big of a deal, just leave it alone. But if it’s something that’s really grinding your last nerve, you’ll need to be prepared to talk to him about it before it gets to the point where you snap.

The Future

You don’t want to move in with someone if you think you might move out in the future, so considering the type of relationship you two have before committing to living together is extremely important.

You need to evaluate what type of couple you are. Do you fight a lot about small, stupid things? Do you have a break-up/make-up dynamic? Will he be a responsible roommate and pay his half of rent and do his half of chores?

“Before moving in together, couples should consider: whether they want to make a long term exclusive commitment to each other, how they will divide expenses, who will do what chores, and many other house rules,” says Dr. Lieberman. “Fairytales just show couples walking into the sunset, not how to work out the details of making a smooth transition into living together.”

If you’re a couple that is constantly fighting with each other, living together is going to make your relationship even rockier.

“Fights typically surround one person being neat and the other messy, not liking the same foods, not wanting to take responsibility for cooking or cleaning, arguing about sharing expenses, and one person wanting to do things more independently while the other wants to cling,” explains Dr. Lieberman.

Moving in together with someone that you can’t picture being in a long term relationship with is never a good idea. You need to be very sure of what you want with someone before making that sort of commitment. 

There you have it, some things to consider before you commit to moving in with your boyfriend. If you do decide to shack up, living together is a great test drive to see just how compatible you two really are. Good luck, collegiettes!

*Names have been changed.

With how busy we are, the daunting task of saving the planet isn’t exactly high up on a collegiette’s list of priorities. Let’s face it: some days, the Three-Minute Shower Challenge just doesn’t seem that enticing. However, with more and more universities going green with innovative programs and initiatives, saving the planet never seemed like a more fitting quest to conquer. Lindsey Lyons, the assistant director of Dickinson College’s Center for Sustainability Education, provided some tips to help every collegiette adapt her on-campus lifestyle to go green just in time for Earth Day!

1. Do your laundry smartly

Simple, everyday tasks such as washing clothes and charging appliances can instantly be upgraded to become eco-friendly habits! For laundry, opt for cold water instead of hot water to use less energy. Lyons also suggests investing in a drying rack, which saves loads (pun intended) of energy when used in lieu of a drying machine.

2. Get rid of your mini fridge

Another appliance that should be tossed? A dormitory favorite: the mini fridge.  According to Lyons, mini fridges use more electricity than all the other electric equipment in your dorm room combined. Instead, make use of the common room’s fridge to store your food. If you can’t quite say adieu to your beloved mini fridge, share it with others and keep it full. A full fridge uses less energy than an empty one!

3. Buy green products

Lyons says us to look out for products that are recyclable, biodegradable and compostable. One way collegiettes can take the first step toward buying green products is to invest in some high-quality, all-natural beauty products. Celebrated green brands like Burt’s Bees offer a wide selection of products from makeup to skin care with natural ingredients like beeswax and willow bark, both of which promote glowing, healthy skin.

4. Calculate your carbon footprint

Calculating your carbon footprint can help you keep track of your daily activities that may be contributing more to greenhouse gas emissions than you thought. “Learn the footprints of the college and your community,” Lyons says. “Reflect on how you can target these activities to reduce your personal footprint and the footprints of your surroundings.”

To calculate your carbon footprint, check out this website!

5. Eat less meat

Ever heard of the trend “Meatless Monday?” It’s an international campaign to encourage and demonstrate the benefits of decreasing our overall meat consumption. Not only can a low-meat or vegetarian diet be healthier for you, but it can also reduce your carbon footprint. “Meat production, particularly from conventionally raised livestock, is more energy- and carbon-intensive than production of other types of food,” Lyons says.

With one simple vegetarian meal per week, you’re playing your part in decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

As we celebrate Earth Day, keep these simple tips in mind! It’s the repeated small actions that will make a meaningful impact in the end.

Take your mind off of final exams for a little while and pamper yourself with Aqua Spa's Soothe collection! Her Campus and Aqua Spa have partnered to bring you this amazing bath and beauty giveaway. Three lucky collegiettes will win the all of the Aqua Spa Soothe products! Keep reading to learn more about Aqua Spa and how you can enter to win. 

Aqua Spa products combine the power of aromatherapy and Marine Youth Complex, an exclusive anti-aging formulation. Bath soaks, body crèmes, body cleansers and bath oils are available in three scents: Soothe, Energize and Relax. 

To keep you sane and level-headed during finals, we're giving away Aqua Spa's Soothe collection. The collection includes a bath soak, body crème, body cleanser and bath oil. Soothe products combine eucalyptus and mint for pampered relief. With the Aqua Spa Soothe collection, you can close your books for a little while and indulge in a relaxing in-dorm spa session!

Enter below for a chance to win! Three winners will be chosen at random and announced in the April 28 STUDY BREAK. 

Don't forget to connect with Aqua Spa on Facebook and Twitter for the latest in spa-quality bath and beauty products! All Aqua Spa products can be found at Walmart and Amazon.com. 

Good luck, collegiettes! 

Name: Sonali Mathur     
Age: 30
Job Title and Description: Co-Founder and CEO of TestRocker, Inc.
College/Major: BA economics and marketing at the University of Notre Dame, MBA at Harvard Business School
Website: www.testrocker.com
Twitter Handle: @TRSonali

What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?

Sonali Mathur: I am an entrepreneur, so there definitely isn’t anything like a typical day. My company, TestRocker, combines the best private tutors with technology to make quality private tutoring available to students whenever and wherever they need it. Our first two programs have been SAT and ACT prep.

Overall, as CEO, I am responsible for hiring/managing talent, setting company strategy and vision, securing financing and managing external relations. But it isn’t all that glamorous! Given that we are a small team, I also get pulled into a number of unrelated things, including answering customer service calls and putting desks together for new hires.

What is the best part of your job?

SM: It is hard to narrow down the list, but I would say I have two top things. First, seeing our students achieve results. The best part of my day is when we get emails from students and parents thanking us for helping them out at a crucial junction in their life – taking the dreaded SAT/ACT so that they can apply to their dream college. I love that we can make such a meaningful difference. Second would be seeing my team succeed. We are a young and ambitious team spread across New York and Singapore. Watching my team navigate unchartered territories to come to a solution makes me feel very proud.

What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?

SM: My first entry-level job was an internship with News America Marketing in New York (they own Fox). I secured the job in an unconventional way. One of their senior executives was at my university for a presentation. I attended his seminar and went up to him at the end to briefly introduce myself and let him know I would like to work for his company. Next month I received a box of Fox Entertainment DVDs in my mail along with an internship offer! I guess sometimes you just have to walk up and ask.

What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?

SM: Entrepreneurship will be the most thrilling and scary experience of your life. Unlike traditional jobs (of which I’ve had many – from working at a large investment bank to working at a mid-sized startup), being an entrepreneur is a fast-paced whirlwind. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to execute on everything you intend to, but the adrenaline of making progress [toward] your dream is empowering. On the other hand, unlike traditional jobs, where you have camaraderie with fellow officemates, being the leader of your firm can be lonely.

Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?

SM: I learnt the most about leadership from a managing director I worked for at J.P. Morgan. He taught me the best way to lead is to empower others. Even though most of the results we achieved were because of his vision, he rarely took the spotlight. By crediting his team with success, he built our confidence, and in return, we remained fiercely loyal to him.

What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?

SM: “If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room.” –Anonymous. I believe in constantly learning. And I’ve found learning often comes from challenging situations. Even in college or grad school, if I felt I was already familiar with the material being taught, I would switch my class. I have applied the same philosophy in every job I’ve taken. I research whom I’m going to work for and the team I’m going to work with. Every job is an opportunity to learn from someone more experienced than you or smarter than you. Don’t confuse age for wisdom, though! Be open to whom you could learn from.

What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?

SM: I wish I could say my mistake was in the past, but unfortunately, I continue to make it often. My mistake is not celebrating success. I work hard to achieve personal and professional milestones, and finally when they come to fruition, I already have my eyes set on the next milestone, which seems even more daunting. I can definitely do a better job of taking a moment to celebrate what my team or I have achieved. I guess I tend to rush forward because I don’t want to lost momentum. I have to remind myself every day to celebrate all successes, big and small.

What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?

SM: It has been exactly a year since we launched our program. I still remember getting our first paying customer on day one—a few hours after we launched. Today, we have students in 14 countries around the world studying on TestRocker. This seems very surreal to me! 

What do you look for when considering hiring someone?

SM: The number one thing I look for is disposition towards execution. I like people who are self-motivated and find a way to follow through on their ideas. I also look for people who are risk takers and know how to sell their ideas. Working at TestRocker isn’t about hiding behind a desk. It is about making sure our students are getting the best possible experience, recruiting new students [and] conveying our value proposition to schools, parents, PTAs and all other stakeholders.

What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?

SM: If you are thinking about being an entrepreneur – do it! Yes, it is scary to take the leap and turn down those steady-paying job offers, but 20-somethings are running the entrepreneurial world today. There are a ton of young female founders you can look to for inspiration and guidance.

My real advice revolves around how to initially pursue your idea. [Say] you have a great idea for a startup. Fantastic—but don't jump in blind. A few things we did at TestRocker initially included conducting an extensive market research study to figure out the gaps in the market, creating and testing a beta version of our site and securing initial interest from a large customer. The [last one] is the most important: figuring out who is your buyer and how much [she’s] willing to pay for it. In fact, is she willing to pay for it at all? Also, make sure you or your co-founder has relevant industry experience. People took our initial pitch very seriously because one of our founders had serious industry experience. We were able to secure tons of customer interest in TestRocker even before we had a product to demo!