Ah, a new semester: a clean slate with new classes, new digs and a chance to make this your best semester yet. Starting fresh each semester isn’t exactly a bed of roses, however. Here are some of the worst things about embarking on another semester of school.
1. First of all, there’s the daunting process of moving all your worldly belongings into your dorm room…
…which happens to be the same day everyone else is moving in.
Why, oh, why did you insist on bringing so much stuff?
2. Then begins the process of buying all your new textbooks…
…which cost enough money to make you audibly gasp at the register.
3. On the first day, you have to find all your new classes…
4. …and probably wander into a wrong classroom or two.
5. You’ll suddenly be forced to listen to lectures and take notes again...
6. ...and all those syllabi you’ll receive will make you feel like you're already completely in over your head.
7. You’ll also probably realize a few of your classes just aren’t going to work out.
8. You’ll run into people you haven’t seen in months and be forced into having uncomfortable small talk with them.
9. The dining halls will feel extra crowded…
10. …and the gym will be swarming with students not yet loaded down with assignments.
11. You’ll try and get a head start on your schoolwork…
…only to end up getting distracted by your excitement of being back at school.
12. But, TBH, you’ll probably settle into a routine within a couple of weeks.
Facing a little beginning-of-the-semester craziness is almost inevitable, but the stress won't last forever.
I’m all for pairing together classic actresses to play relatives, and the trio of Green sisters on Friends was a prime example of powerhouse actresses being onscreen family. My only regret is that we never got to see Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel with both Christina Applegate’s Amy and Reese Witherspoon’s Jill at the same time. Although a full sister reunion may not ever happen, we’ll soon see Aniston and Witherspoon together soon. According to HelloGiggles, the two actresses are working together on a new TV series.
Aniston and Witherspoon will star in an untitled show about morning shows and New York media. They will also executive produce the show alongside others, including Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves. The Hollywood Reporter states that the show will likely market itself to HBO and Netflix, and given the talent attached to it, it ought to end up on a huge network.
The series would be Aniston’s first regular TV role since Friends ended in 2004, although she once made a guest appearance on Friends costar Courteney Cox’s show Cougar Town. In a Jan. 2017 interview with Variety, she talked about being ready to return to TV. “I’ve thought about it a lot,” she said. “That’s where the work is. That’s where the quality is. At this point in my career, I want to be part of wonderful stories, exciting characters and also just having a good time.”
Having scored an Emmy nomination for her recent role on Big Little Lies, Witherspoon likely doesn’t mind a return to TV either. I’ll be keeping an eye on this news like a hawk—after all, who doesn’t want these Green sisters on their TV?
So, you’re single. Maybe you’ve just broken up with your high school boyfriend or you’ve been unattached for a while now. Either way, there’s nothing wrong with riding solo. On the contrary, being single your freshman year is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Don’t believe us? Here are some reasons that will change your mind:
Despite what you may think, “single” is not synonymous with “lonely.” Tons of young women enter college single, and what better way to bond with these lovely ladies (and make new friends) than by telling funny stories about your respective exes? You can even make a game of it!
2. You can lust after your hot RA/Orientation Leader/upperclassman guy crush, guilt-free.
Connie Chan, a senior at Carnegie Mellon, entered college single after breaking up with her high school sweetheart. “Even though I missed my ex at times, it was refreshing to meet so many new guys and flirt without feeling guilty,” she says. “Looking back, I'm glad I was able to fully experience my first weeks of college without anything holding me back.”
Although you may not want to jump into dating a senior immediately when you start your freshman year, there’s nothing wrong with a little harmless flirtation with one of the older guys helping out at orientation activities. Checking out cute freshmen was probably the main reason he volunteered for the job in the first place...
3. You can bond with your floormates during marathons of Girl Code, interruption-free.
The worst part about watching a bunch of female comedians discuss their various boy struggles is having to take the time to answer every interrupting text from the very cause of your own boy problems. When you’re with your girl friends, you should be with them—not concentrating on some boy miles away who can’t relate to the delicate art of eyebrow waxing. That’s girl code.
4. You can throw yourself into clubs, intramural sports and Greek life.
Without a guy to take up all your time and distract you, you can really concentrate on the most fun aspects of college life. Adam LoDolce, a dating coach who offers free video dating advice at SexyConfidence.com, advocates for this, saying, “Freshman year is the time to be insanely social and meet as many new people as possible. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend then he/she will likely hold you back.” Besides exploring your personal interests, getting involved on campus is one of the quickest ways to make new friends... and meet new guys.
5. The guys in college are way hotter (and less awkward) than they were in high school.
Chances are that you were there to witness your high school boyfriend’s awkward stage, but college is a blank slate. You may think your last boyfriend was the cream of the crop, but that’s only because you’ve been living on a small farm. (That’s just a metaphor, gals.)
As much as we love partying, higher education is what you enrolled in college for. When you’re not interrupting studying with constant texts and not blowing off reading for hour-long Skype sessions, you will have a much easier time getting your work done. As lame as it sounds, a big part of college is the actual learning part. You can get work done a lot faster and better when you’re not constantly distracted by a blinking phone screen.
7. You can party, guilt-free!
Seriously, if you’re not going to flirt with one of the cute brothers at a frat party, there’s no point risking your precious outfit and shoes to possible beer spills. Nicole Echeverria, a junior at the University of Michigan, says that one of the biggest perks of being single your freshman year is that “you can meet, hang out with and flirt with any guy and not feel the least bit guilty.” Not only that, but it’s much easier to get into a frat party with a group of single girls instead of your boyfriend hanging on your arm.
8. Your guy pool is the largest it will be for the next four years.
When you’re a freshman, every guy is fair game. Since you probably don’t know many people yet, any guy could be the one, or, at least, the one right now. Freshman year is really the only time you get a free pass to ride the hot mess express, so you might as well make the most of it. LoDolce adds, “Although you may not want to ‘sleep around,’ a few hook-ups may let you have a little fun while you focus on your school work.” You’ll be a disillusioned SWUG before you know it, so why not play the field when the field is at its largest?
9. You can take over your common room to learn the “Single Ladies” dance.
Move the chairs, hook up your computer to the giant TV screen and press play. There’s no doubt this classic Beyonce tune will become the personal anthem that powers you through freshman year—especially after you and two of your friends learn the dance. Who cares if he didn’t put a ring on it? Sasha Fierce doesn’t.
10. You won't have a breakup with your high-school SO when you're in college.
If you start out college single, you avoid the awkward and emotional experience of parting ways with someone you dated in high school. “It is very likely your high school relationship will end anyway, so break it off before you miss your entire freshman year experience,” says LoDolce.
When you’re 85 years old and telling stories about your good ole college days to your grandkids, they probably won’t want to hear about your hour-long Skype sessions with what’s-his-name. Avalon Jones, a recent graduate of George Mason University, says, “My only regret in life is starting my freshman year in a relationship with my now ex-boyfriend still back at home. I completely missed out on my entire fall semester. I didn't go to parties or meet very many friends. Finally, during winter break, I chose to end the relationship and had an amazing spring semester in return.” Without a boyfriend holding you back, you’re free to have lots of wild fun in college!
12. You can learn more about yourself.
College is all about discovering who you are, and sometimes the only way you can do that is through being alone. “I met my boyfriend at the beginning of freshman year, but we didn't get together until the end of sophomore year,” says Katherine Mirani, a senior at Northwestern University. “It took so long because we both had a lot of growing and changing to do before we were ready to be in a relationship.”
For most young women, college is the first time you get to be fully independent, but you can’t really do that if your high school self still lives in a relationship. While being somebody’s girlfriend is great, being yourself is better.
Clearly, your single status isn’t a death sentence—it’s a new lease on life! When it comes to making new friends, embracing new opportunities and meeting new guys, you’ll be ready to do it all with your single girl swagger.
University of California, Irvine, has rescinded 499 acceptances for students from its incoming freshman class just two months before the start of the fall semester, The New York Times reports. According to a spokesman for the university, the rescinding was necessary because “more students than we expected accepted admission to the university.”
The student government organization Associated Students of the University of California, Irvine, released a statement addressing the issue earlier this week. The document encourages anyone who had their admission revoked to appeal the decision. The organization’s statement also reveals that some applicants had their acceptance taken away even though they hadn’t done anything that would normally risk a student’s admission status.
This circumstance differs from other colleges’ revoked acceptances because, unlike other situations, U.C. Irvine purposely took away students’ acceptances. In the past, including a 2009 scenario in which about 28,000 students were accidentally accepted to U.C. San Diego, technical errors have been at fault. When U.C. Irvine realized that over 7,000 freshmen were enrolled, the enrollment board found itself dealing with about 850 more students than expected.
When deciding who to cut from the accepted group of students, U.C. Irvine consulted factors such as people’s grades throughout twelfth grade and whether or not they sent in academic transcripts on time. However, spokesman Tom Vasich said that a student may not be at fault if a required documents didn’t arrive at the school on time.
“We didn’t communicate well with the students who had their offer withdrawn, and we apologize to them,” he said. “We want to let them know that if their application was withdrawn because of an error they had nothing to do with, we want them to appeal.”
According to Vasich, 64 acceptances have already been restored after students appealed their rescinded acceptance. The Associated Students of U.C. Irvine statement even claims that some students “sent their transcripts way before the July 1st deadline...yet the admissions office system does not have it on file.”
U.C. Irvine’s Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Thomas Parham, released a statement apologizing for the situation. “We heard from some students that this year’s process was too stringent and our customer-service approach needs improvement,” he wrote. “I acknowledge that we took a harder line on the terms and conditions this year and we could have managed that process with greater care, sensitivity and clarity about available options...For those who felt ignored or mistreated, I sincerely apologize.”
Parham closed his letter with a clarification reading, “All accepted students who meet the terms and conditions of the admissions offer will be welcomed into the Anteater Family. No acceptance will be withdrawn due to over-enrollment, despite external reports to the contrary.”
It seems that, while this news isn’t as dire as it initially seems, U.C. Irvine definitely needs to reconsider their acceptance methods for future years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that 755 American diplomats will be removed from Russia by Sept. 1, The New York Times reports. This confirmation follows Russia’s seizing of two American diplomatic properties within the country and its recent order of the U.S. Embassy to cut its staff sooner rather than later.
“We waited for quite some time that maybe something will change for the better, had such hope that the situation will somehow change, but judging by everything, if it changes, it will not be soon,” Putin said of his country’s relationship with the United States in a TV interview on a Russian station.
Putin’s decision is a result of the U.S. Congress’s sanctions on Russia, which would prevent President Donald Trump from treating the country on his own terms. According to CNN, the hope behind the new laws was to improve relations between the States and Russia. “The near unanimous votes for the sanctions legislation in Congress represent the strong will of the American people to see Russia take steps to improve relations with the United States,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. “We hope that there will be cooperation between our two countries on major global issues and these sanctions will no longer be necessary.”
With this announcement in place, there’s sure to be even more news about the United States’ relationship with Russia before the summer ends.
So it’s time to head back to campus and you couldn’t be more excited—until you realize how much you need to do. But don’t panic, collegiettes! With some planning and a little bit of help, you’ll be all set to start the school year stress-free.
If you’re worried about forgetting something, make a list of everything you need to bring a week or so before you leave, so that you can keep adding items as you think of them and get a head start on putting them together. Don’t worry about overpacking—if you take Amtrak, you can bring two checked bags AND two carry-ons, totally free!
Tuition is expensive enough already, without having to spend a ton of money on overpriced plane tickets. Why not travel back on the train this time? Amtrak offers amazing discounts when you join the Student Advantage program, so that you can save money for essentials like textbooks...and shoes.
To have the best journey ever, you’ll need the basics—think wallet, ID and tickets—but bringing enough entertainment and snacks is also essential. Don’t forget your favorite mags, maybe a book or two, and of course your laptop. Amtrak offers free wifi onboard, so you can read more Her Campus! Munch on some Goldfish or trail mix and enjoy the show.
There are tons of things to keep you busy while traveling, but nothing beats some company! You can gossip with your best friend, or make the most of time with your mom before you go back to college. Plus, she can help you move in once you get there. Everybody wins!
Nobody likes to be cramped. If you’re uncomfortably seated for hours on end, you’ll get to campus hot and bothered—not the best way to start the year. Thankfully, on Amtrak, you’ll have all the legroomyou need, so why not take a power nap before the craziness of welcome week begins?
If you get really hungry, those Goldfish probably won’t cut it. Amtrak has plenty of yummy dining options.to keep you going, ranging from light snacks to full-course meals, depending on the length of the trip. Will you look at that French toast?!
You might not be home for weeks or months on end, so make the most of it! Through a train window, you can also discover plenty of new (and beautiful!) scenery. That has to be the best way to travel.
Traveling back to school doesn’t have to be stressful—promise! If you plan ahead and make the most of your journey, you’ll get to campus refreshed and ready to take on the world.
Do you wonder how you're supposed to spend your days? Do you think you'd make a good lawyer, scientist, astronaut or travel blogger? Here are 15 signs you can't help but wonder when you'll discover your destiny.
1. You have two majors and a minor, and you're possibly picking up another one?
You've added a lot of value to your degree and made it impossible to introduce yourself and your interests quickly at a career fair.
2. Your resume is…diverse.
It's got odd jobs, awards, extracurriculars and links to your three different blogs!
3. You’ve gotten a little too good at lying to extended family about your post-grad plans.
"Weighing my options. I've got quite a few ideas I've been working on." Meanwhile your LinkedIn is a barren wasteland.
4. You wonder which career will make you happiest.
You could be good at a lot of things, but you just want to love whatever career you wind up having.
5. You’re involved in about four extracurricular clubs, none of which are related.
I guess I'll do it all?
6. You daydream about dropping out of college and becoming a YouTuber/blogger/influencer.
I don't need a degree to travel the world and get paid to do it! I don't even need an office! HA!
7. You take A LOT of BuzzFeed quizzes.
Perhaps THIS quiz will reveal what I'm supposed to be when I grow up!
8. You’re probably indecisive about other areas of your life, too.
You should probably get this tattooed somewhere on your body because it 100 percent applies to everything you do.
9. You sometimes wish you lived during the Renaissance so you could be free to paint and draw and invent like da Vinci.
Sure, he was an absolute genius, but maybe that had something to do with being able to pursue multiple interests.
10. You have a lot of Pinterest boards with inspirational quotes.
The boards are your one solace in this lonely, lonely world.
11. You love reading biographies about successful people who struggled at first.
Steve Jobs dropped out of college AND was fired from Apple! Michael Jordan didn't make his high school basketball team! Who knows where you'll wind up???
12. You’re not sure if you want to be in an office or work from home.
You like laying in bed, but you also know you probably won't get anything done. But private bathroom >
13. At this point, you're willing to listen to advice from anyone.
When your friends convince you to see a psychic.
14. You really hope you figure this out before you graduate.
PLEASE.
15. But you'll probably always wonder about it.
I'll always be a sweaty mess, wondering about the future.
Being a college student isn’t cheap. Between nights out with friends, lunch with your roommate, the occasional movie, groceries, toiletries and annual tuition, your expenses can rack up quickly. But don’t worry; there are a ton of stores out there that feel your pain and are willing to offer you a break with their student discounts. Check out some of these places next time you’re looking to do some smart shopping and save some cash.
Apparel
ASOS: Stay stylish with 10% off full-priced ASOS products.
Banana Republic: You can finally afford clothes for work or your internship with 15% off full-priced items in store.
Club Monaco: Stock up on some fall favorites by getting 15% off regular and sale priced items in any Club Monaco store AND online.
Goodwill: Many Goodwill locations offer a 10% discount for all you thrifty collegiettes with student ID. Just ask your local store to make sure.
J.Crew: Yet another reason to hit up J.Crew for some cute and classic clothing. Get a 15% discount in stores when you show your school ID.
Medelita: All you pre-med collegiettes out there can get 15% off your scrubs with Medelita’s Student Discount Program online.
Madewell: Students get 15% off when they show their IDs, so it's definitely time to go shopping.
ModCloth: Save 15% on all those vintage looks at ModCloth when you register.
Steve Madden: They offer 10% off in store with your valid ID. Get those extra pair of shoes!
TOMS: Students get 10% cash back on shoes, and for every pair you buy a new pair will be given to a child in need.
Topshop: Be fashion forward with 10% off Topshop apparel in stores and online when you register.
School Supplies
Amazon: Students can get a free six-month trial of Amazon Prime, which offers free two-day shipping on all of Amazon’s items, and a $10 credit when you refer a friend.
Barnes and Nobles: It's not a student discount, but you can save up to 90% on used textbooks and rentals.
The New York Times: Get your first 4 weeks FREE and then continue to get unlimited access to The New York Times for just $1 a week.
Food
Arby’s: Arby’s offers a 10% discount at certain locations with your student ID.
Buffalo Wild Wings: Get a 10% discount off those flaming wings with your student ID (varies based on location).
Burger King: That burger and fries will come with a 10% discount when you flash your ID (at select locations).
Chipotle: Some Chipotle restaurants offer a free small drink with your meal when you show your student ID.
Dairy Queen: Most Dairy Queens offer a 10% discount for students with ID. Check with your local DQ restaurant to see if they offer a discount.
McDonalds: Now your McFlurry or burger comes with a 10% discount with your student ID at some locations.
Pizza Hut: Score 10 to 20% off that cheesy pie depending on the Pizza Hut location.
Qdoba: Qdoba offers a free drink for students when you purchase a meal.
Subway: You can get 10% off your sub with your student ID at some locations.
Fitness
24 Hour Fitness: Most 24 Hour Fitness locations offer special pricing for students, though it varies depending on the gym. Check with your local 24 Hour Fitness for pricing.
Eastern Mountain Sports: Need to stock up on some workout gear? Eastern Mountain Sports offers 15% off full-price national brand items and 20% off all full-price EMS brand items when you show your ID.
Technology
Apple: Students can save up to $300 on a MacBook—and you get a free pair of Beats wireless headphones when you buy a Mac or iPad Pro for college.
Apple Music: It's only $4.99 a month for students, and there's a three month free trial.
Dell University: Dell University is a program that offers discounts on technology for students, including a $150 coupon.
Microsoft: Need some sweet new electronics? Students save 10% off Surface devices!
Spotify: Students have access to Spotify Premium for only $4.99 a month (half the price of the normal fee).
AMC Theatres: AMC Theatres offer special discounted tickets for students every Thursday. Check with your local AMC for pricing.
Cinemark: Cinemark offers discounted movie tickets that vary by location for students who show their ID.
Regal Cinemas: Many Regal Cinemas offer student discounts. Enter your zip code on the site to see whether your local theater is one of them.
Transportation
Amtrak: Get great deals off train tickets by receiving 15% off on Amtrak.
ShortLine/Coach USA: If you're about the bus life, CoachUSA offers a variety of discounts for students traveling from or to selected schools listed on their website.
For discounted plane tickets and travel accommodations, check out these sites designed exclusively for students.
Many stores offer student discounts, even if they don’t broadcast them. If you’re not sure whether or not a store offers a discount, go ahead and ask. You may end up finding more deals than you were bargaining for. And always carry your student ID—just in case!
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
There is no such thing as a typical day in my career, which is partly why I love it so much! One day I could be working on a media event, the next day sitting with clients, discussing their business objectives and the following day, I could be accompanying a celebrity on a media tour. My career at its core is to manage the reputations of our clients and their brands, both off and online. As a business owner, I am also responsible for creating and fostering a healthy and performance-based work culture and making sure my organization is financially sound and operated efficiently.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is having clients that treat you as an equal member of the team, and let you “behind the curtain” to really get a sense of how their business works and what’s important to them. It’s no surprise that those are the clients that we also tend to do our best work for.
What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
My first job in public relations was after I graduated from the University of Chicago, when I chose to work as an intern at Edelman in Chicago, rather than take a full-time offer from Merrill Lynch. I graduated college in 2002, which was during an economic recession, so companies coming on campus to hire groups of graduates dwindled. This prolonged time to look for my first job ended up being a blessing, as it forced me to really think about what would motivate me at a job and what characteristics it needed to have. I went back to the various companies I had interned for and one of my bosses asked if I had ever thought of trying public relations. She thought it would be a good fit for me and set me up with a friend of hers that was a VP at Edelman. I went on an informational interview and loved what I heard! I applied for an internship and the rest is history!
What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
I am consistently shocked when women do not take full advantage of 401K match programs their companies offer. We offer a match program at EvolveMKD that matches up to 5 percent of contributions and I just told all the women on my staff that not taking advantage of the 401K match was like them saying no to a raise I was offering. Women should take advantage of any and every program that their employers offer that provides them with “free” money. I also have a quote from Michael Jordan on the wall in my office that talks about how you have to expect something from yourself, before you can expect anything from others. I think that it’s important for people starting out (and those that have worked a long time) to realize they have to be accountable to themselves and hold themselves to a high standard.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
Staffing at an agency is an ongoing challenge, and it has been at every agency I’ve ever worked at. Early on, I thought that having a roster of senior level consultants would be a strategic, long-term hiring practice, so I could keep overhead down, but still have access to senior talent. With the exception of one of those consultants, I learned that in client service, you really do need staff that is full time, and is really invested in both the clients and the company, since it is their full time job.
What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
I think the most surreal moment was when I opened my doors and my international, pharmaceutical client decided to join me. I had no office space, no staff and was leaving a company that had been around for almost 30 years. On paper, that company should have never come with me, yet they did, because of the work that I had done for them over the past year prior to my departure. To this day, I still find that unbelievable and I am so grateful of their belief and faith in my business.
What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
In terms of finding talent, we rely heavily on referrals and word of mouth – the best employees have come from people that we respect and admire. We also look for candidates that not only have the skillset, but also fit our culture, which is really important. In terms of important characteristics, I want employees that are proactive, positive, team oriented and are looking for a career, not a job.
Our media activities – both social and traditional – also help elevate our team with prospective candidates. A recent interviewer noted that she saw a ton of social posts from influencers and media about sweet treats they had received from Evolve touting sayings from impactful women – and she knew immediately Evolve was where she wanted to work, that our values matched her passion.
We also believe that to get the best employees we have to offer them the best. We offer industry leading health insurance coverage, unlimited vacation, profit sharing, fully paid cell phones, paid maternity leave, flexible working hours for staff with children and even an onsite beauty room salon where employees can have their hair blown out, makeup and eyebrows done.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
Look for an internship program and people that want to put the time in to teach and demonstrate. Our internship program is really a two way street in terms of learning. We give our interns a taste of the PR and social media world, and they in turn, definitely educate us about the priorities of the next generation coming up. We’ve learned from our interns what they are really valuing in a workplace and a culture, and as the owner of the company, I always feel being “ahead of the curve” on things like that is important, to ensure that our company keeps evolving.
What's the one thing that's stood out to you the most in a resume?
I always am impressed when someone has a demonstrated commitment to philanthropy – either they’ve volunteered somewhere consistently or they’ve done some pro-bono work. Philanthropy is one of our core values at EvolveMKD and if someone demonstrates that already, I know they will be a culture fit. On the negative side, anyone’s resume that has grammatical or formatting issues or spells the name of the company wrong, does not get a second look.
In a heartwarming and inspirational interview with Glamour (seriously, this is a must-read for all the feminist feels), Blake Lively gushes about her witty husband, Ryan Reynolds. Blake, who is currently in Vancouver with Ryan and their daughters, Inez and James, while he films Deadpool 2, says that she loves him "most of the time," but even more so when he’s tweeting hilarious tidbits about their little girls.
“He may as well work for the Enquirer. When he says ‘my daughter,’ he’s never, ever talking about her. Everything is a completely made-up scenario. He’ll run them by me sometimes just to make me laugh,” she says.
My daughter loves being buried up to her neck in sand at the beach. Her little face lights up when I come back to get her the next day.
It’s not that she doesn’t love Ryan all the time, but Blake says she hates when tabloids write stories about how perfect her life is, calling it "nonsense." She finds that it’s better to veer somewhere in the middle; after all, that’s what real relationships are like. "There’s never a time when I’m like, 'I don’t really love you,'" she explains. "Still, in a sound bite? It can be eye-roll-y. I have to learn to stop being defensive."
Blake adds that she and her husband know a thing or two about compromise, especially since they have agreed never to work at the same time. “I admire people who find that what fulfills them is their art or their work, but what fulfills both me and my husband is our family. Knowing that, everything else comes second.”
Unsurprisingly, Blake's newest movie is about a relationship with an interesting and complicated dynamic. All I See Is You, the story of a blind woman who regains her sight and sees her marriage in a new light, comes out this September—and until then, I'll be dying over Ryan's made-up tweets.
Rumors of a thirdPrincess Diaries movie have been swirling around for a while, but author Meg Cabot just revealed that it might be more of a possibility than we had thought. Apparently, there’s even a script!
Cabot, who wrote the book series that inspired the original film, told Entertainment Weekly about the existence of the script but was tight-lipped about the details. She did, however, spill that if a third movie is released, it will be more of a continuation of the movies than the books.
Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Chris Pine and even Héctor Elizondo (who played Mia’s bodyguard, Joe) have said they would be interested in a third movie. The actors hope it will be a tribute to the director of the first two films, Garry Marshall, who passed away in 2016 at age 81.
I, for one, would be thrilled to return to Genovia, so here’s hoping all these rumors are true. Twitter said it best:
Honestly if they make a third #PrincessDiaries movie my heart would probably explode with joy.
He jetted off to travel abroad and you were consumed by your dream internship in a big city. Or, you both bummed it on the couch at home and you just happen to live eight hours apart. Whatever the reason, you and the person you were seeing at school decided to take a break over the summer. But now that summer’s over, you’ll be back in the classroom before you can even say “Welcome Week.” And, of course, that means he or she will be there too. So what do you do now? If you’re nervous about where your relationship stands, check out these tips from dating coach Jasbina Ahluwalia for bouncing back from a relationship break.
1. Get Ready to See Him or Her Again
Seeing him or her for the first time in the fall after a break can be either a really happy, exciting moment, or a really awkward one. Luckily, you do have some control over which way the situation sways. An easy way to initiate the “reunion” is to text him or her a few days before you return with something simple, like: “Can’t wait to be back at school! When do you move in?” It eases him or her into thinking about seeing you again, and it’s also a great way to get back in touch if you haven’t talked in a while. Set up a time to grab coffee or plan to sit together at a class meeting. That way, you won’t be flustered when you accidentally bump into him or her in the mailroom after not seeing him or her for three months.
2. Feel it Out
Sometimes, it’s easy to tell how your old flame is feeling once you see him or her again—he or she will either run up to you to scoop you into his or her arms for a kiss, or he or she will go for the awkward friend hug (the worst!). And while a lot of what he or she does will probably seem hard to read, it’s important to tune into how he or she acts towards you, because it could be a major indicator of how things will play out now that you two are back at school. Three months is a long time to be apart, and jumping right back into a relationship at the drop of a hat can be difficult. Be attentive to how flirty, awkward, or distant your guy or girl might seem. Likewise, be aware of the vibes you could be giving him or her.
3. Don’t Set the Bar too High
As we said before, summer is a long three months to be apart, and even if you two decide to kick things back into gear with your relationship, it still might take you a while to get back into the groove that you had last year… and that’s okay! A lot of things can change in three months, especially if either of you was traveling or working over the summer, so the dynamic of your relationship might be different this time around. And a new school year also means changes in classes and schedules, which might eliminate the Wednesday lunch dates you guys used to have last semester.
Don’t get discouraged if things don’t fall into place perfectly right away—few things do in the first few weeks of school! The easiest way to deal with any changes is to embrace them, and try not to put a lot of pressure on a relationship that’s just as rusty as you are in class after a three-month vacation.
4. Have "The Talk"
If your relationship seems different or awkward once you return to school and you’re not really sure what’s going on, sit down with your guy or girl and talk about your current (and future) relationship status. It doesn’t have to be a super serious, intense session. Just tell your guy you want to catch up and see where things are with the two of you now that you’re back at school. It can be frustrating and nerve-wracking if the responsibility falls on you to initiate the conversation, but you’ll be happy you did once you know exactly where the two of you stand and where to take things from there—especially since you’re most likely going to be seeing your guy around campus pretty consistently.
“Be honest and upfront with him about your feelings,” advises Ahluwalia. “Express yourself using a confident and positive emotional tone. Do not expect him to read your mind, and do not attempt to read his.”
Whether you want to completely pick up where you left off last year or if summer made you realize you’d rather be single, you need to tell him or her what you’re thinking. Leaving any confusion or ambiguity in your relationship is only going to cause trouble and hurt feelings. Tell each other what you each want out of the relationship and what summer did or didn’t change for you. And if you decide not to get back together, talk about things like hooking up with other people, seeing each other out at parties, etc. Even if you don’t end up getting back together, having complete transparency in regards to what you want and expect out of each other will eliminate a lot of problems later down the road.
5. Don’t Stress!
Not all relationships survive the summer, and if yours didn’t, that might just be an indicator that it wasn’t a very strong one to begin with—or, more likely, that he or she isn’t worth it.
Ahluwalia says it’s important to be open to the possibility that your guy or girl might not be on the same page as you are. “It is about respecting yourself as well as him enough to truly listen to each other’s feelings and expectations, and thereby determining whether expectations are sufficiently aligned to continue investing in the relationship,” she says.
Stress is one of the worst things to start a new year off with, so if you and your guy or girl didn’t get back together after summer, try not to let it ruin the excitement of being back at school. No matter your situation, the start of a new school year means 10,000 other new and exciting things happening and appearing for you to focus on, so embrace them!
Speaking of starting new—a fresh school year also means new guys! So if your summer break turned out to be more permanent than you thought, that just means it’s time to get started on scoping out (and making the first move with) all of the new guys on campus!
Angelina Jolie released a statement Saturday in response to the outrage caused by aVanity Fairprofile that described a game used to cast children in her upcoming Netflix film, First They Killed My Father, which is based on Loung Ung's memoir about Cambodia's Khmer Rouge genocide in the 1970s. According to Jolie, who directed the film, the audition process was taken out of context.
“Every measure was taken to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of the children on the film starting from the auditions through production to the present,” she told HuffPost in a statement. Jolie emphasized that parents, guardians, non-governmental organization partners and doctors were present throughout the filmmaking process, and no one was hurt by the exercises.
According to the Vanity Fair story, Jolie specifically sought out children who had experienced hardship for auditions. Evgenia Peretz, the author of the profile, wrote that the casting directors set up a game “rather disturbing in its realism” to find the child who'd play the lead. “They put money on the table and asked the child to think of something she needed the money for, and then to snatch it away,” Peretz wrote. “The director would pretend to catch the child, and the child would have to come up with a lie.”
This 'casting game' Angelina Jolie subjected impoverish children to is monstrous and should not go unnoticed. pic.twitter.com/k5F2T6Ukkk
Jolie explained in her statement that the “game” was an improvisation exercise that didn't use real money. A source also told HuffPost that casting directors repeatedly reminded children that it was just a "pretend game."
“I am upset that a pretend exercise in an improvisation, from an actual scene in the film, has been written about as if it was a real scenario,” she said in her statement. “The suggestion that real money was taken from a child during an audition is false and upsetting. I would be outraged myself if this had happened.”
The project is extremely personal for Jolie. Ung, who wrote the memoir the film is based on, is Jolie's longtime friend and the first person Jolie ever told about wanting to adopt a Cambodian orphan. Ung was supportive, and Jolie soon adopted her first son, Maddox. Jolie explained at a press conference for the film in February that Ung's memoir "helped to open my eyes to what was going on the world. I wanted to tell the story through the eyes of the child’s point of view, the love of a family, to show the beauty of the country and understand what Maddox’s parents may have gone through.”
Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump removed Anthony Scaramucci, aka the Mooch, from his role as White House communications director, according to The New York Times. He'd held the job for just 10 days. And earlier this morning, John Kelly was sworn in as President Trump’s new chief of staff. This comes on the heels of the recent departure of former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, according to USA Today.Priebus’s departure was announced in true Trump fashion, with a series of tweets Friday afternoon, immediately followed by the announcement of Kelly as his replacement.
What the heck happened!?
Last Thursday, Scaramucci ranted to Ryan Lizza, a New Yorker reporter, about Reince Priebus, the now-former chief of staff, and threatened to fire the White House communications team. According to the Times, the new chief of staff, John Kelly, requested that Scaramucci be removed from his position as communications director.
Speaking of the new chief of staff—who is he? John Kelly is a retired United States Marine Corps general and served as the commander of the United States Southern Command for four years under former president Barack Obama. He's slated to bring order to what many believe is a dysfunctional White House—if that's even possible. In case you needed a refresher, it's been quite the month for the Trump Administration. Press Secretary Sean Spicer stepped down, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner appearing before the House Intelligence Committee, Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are in some sort of feud, and the battle to repeal and replace Obamacare before August recess is clearly not going to happen.
According toCNN, Trump told reporters, “We will proceed and we will keep going but we have a fantastic leader, chief of staff, he is going to do a really great job." Despite the apparent circus show happening in the White House, Trump is certain all is well and even tweeted his optimism to the American people earlier this morning, declaring “No WH chaos!”
Highest Stock Market EVER, best economic numbers in years, unemployment lowest in 17 years, wages raising, border secure, S.C.: No WH chaos!
Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay had everything she needed to celebrate her engagement. Girl gang? Check. Amazing location? Check. Luxurious resort? Check. A fiancé? Check. All that was missing? The Bachelorette herself.
We're one week away from finding out which lucky guy put a ring on Rachel's finger, and her Bachelor Nation friends—Raven Gates, Astrid Loch, Danielle Lombard, Alexis Waters, Jasmine Goode and Sarah Vendal—were ready to kick off the celebration with a relaxing girls' trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The only catch was Rachel didn’t show up for her flight. At least that's what E! News reported.
"All of the girls went this weekend because Rachel's obviously engaged and this was going to be her fun getaway weekend to celebrate. She somehow didn't make it on her flight yesterday. No one has any idea what's going on," a source shared with E!. "She was supposed to be there. It's her trip. But at the last minute she didn't show up."
Judging from Instagram posts by her friends, Rachel missed out on an awesome time. She must've been suffering from a severe case of FOMO.
A post shared by Alexis Waters (@alexiswaters_) on
Raven and, randomly, Adam Gottschalk, who (along with his doll companion, Adam Jr.) competed for Rachel's heart on The Bachelorette, have shot down E!'s report, saying that Rachel never planned to come on the trip. Raven retweeted E!'s tweet of the story with the message, "This is SO not true but gave me a good laugh. @enews really? Lol."
Adam chimed in, "#false it was a bachelor trip & the resort happened to know Rachel was coming. Rach had other press & couldn't attend. She's here in spirit!" Am I the only one who finds it weird that Adam of all people is speaking on Rachel's behalf?
#false it was a bachelor trip & the resort happened to know Rachel was coming. Rach had other press & couldn't attend. She's here in spirit! https://t.co/0aIYxm2rqo
Many Americans disagree with the Trump family's controversial combo of family and politics—notably the fact that President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, are close advisers to POTUS himself.
In case you missed it, earlier this month, Ivanka Trump caused major controversy when she sat in for her father in the G20 Summit, which violated norms followed by world leaders at the conference—but sadly, when it comes to speaking out against her dad's offensive tweets, it seems like Ivanka doesn't really have as much power as she appears to have.
President Trump tweeted this just a month after Ivanka Trump had tweeted, “I am proud to support my LGBTQ friends and the LGBTQ Americans who have made immense contributions to our society and economy.”
Progressives hoped Ivanka would be the voice of reason in her father's tirade, but were disappointed when the limits of her powers in the White House were exposed following Trump's head-turning anit-trans tweets, according to Newsweek. Sarah McBride, national press secretary of the nonprofit Human Rights Coalition, spoke out about Ivanka's disappointing choice to stand down in the face of her father's decision, telling Politico, "Actions speak louder than words. Either Ivanka is ineffective in her advocacy within the building, or her voice doesn’t matter to the president as much as she hopes it does."
Although Ivanka and her husband declined to comment on the story, Politico reports that insiders close to the couple have revealed that they are aware of the disappointments, but want people to know that they don't hold as much power as people may think.
One friend, who was once close with Ivanka but who hasn't spoken with her since she moved to D.C., told Politico, "I know her well enough to know her relationship with her father, which is that she will never, ever, go against the grain."
This is why we can't have nice things! Presidential advisers are supposed to provide the president with opinions and options—not just stand on the sidelines as bystanders. Sadly, Ivanka is looking more like a bystander than a prominent voice in policy and big decisions made in the White House, and it's pretty disappointing, especially since she's claimed in the past that she's a supporter of women in leadership roles, as well as LGBTQ+ rights.
Getting ready to go off to college is usually a blast because you have so much to look forward to, but have you thought about the actual act of moving to college? Yeah, not so exciting anymore, is it?
The idea of packing up all of your belongings and transporting them out of your house, into a car and into your new home-away-from-home sounds incredibly exhausting. Want to make the move-in process as simple as possible? Try these five packing hacks that will make everything so much easier.
1. Be organized AF
Organization is key when it comes to packing up all of your belongings for the big move. Separate everything into appropriately labeled boxes so you know exactly where to unload everything, and the priority in which you should unpack them. For example, make sure your bedding is packed separate from your winter coats–you’ll need one much sooner than the other.
"When I first moved into my dorm, I made sure I color-coded everything," says Veronica, a junior at Chico State. "It saved me so much time knowing that a certain color was filled with items I needed to unpack right away, while other colors meant I could keep that box packed for as long as I wanted." Genius.
2. Bag your clothes
Packing and unpacking clothes can be so tedious. To make the process easier, try gathering a group of hanging clothes together and wrap a rubber band around the top of the hangers. Next, pull a large (and sturdy) trash bag around them from the bottom up, and tie the bag strings around the hangers. "I use the bagging-your-clothes trick whenever I make a move, and it's so easy!" says Ashlee, a senior at Utah State University. "I never waste time taking clothes off of a hanger if I don't have to." This way you can grab the bundle of hangers filled with clothes and transport them directly into your new closet!
3. Skip packing unnecessary items
It can be extremely tempting to stockpile every single thing you’ll need for your dorm or apartment before you ever make the trip there, but you definitely shouldn’t do this! Just think of all the extra boxes you’ll have to load and carry upstairs–let a delivery man do it instead. If you know you’re going to want those cute decorative pieces for your dorm, either wait to buy them once you get there, or order it online so it can be delivered right to your door a few days after you arrive.
"When I first went off to college, my parents bought every single item I needed beforehand," says Kassey, a recent University of Kansas grad. "After making so many trips up and down the stairs to carry it all in, we learned to just wait until we moved everything in before resting and making a Target run for everything else." With this hack, you’ll be getting all of the same items, but without having to pack it and move it. Talk about a major time saver!
4. Pack your containers in advance
If you already know you’re going to have those small plastic drawers stocked with your makeup, undergarments or school supplies, you might as well pack them all into the drawers before you make the move. Instead of having the hassle of having to unpack the contents to organize them, you’ll already be able to set the pre-packed containers in their place. "At first I was just being lazy and not unpacking my drawers when moving my little plastic containers into my dorm, but my roommate thought it was genius," says Abby, a junior at University of San Diego. "Then I realized that I had actually saved myself so much time. I'll always move this way!" Just be sure to secure the containers or drawers shut before you transport them or you’ll risk your personal items being spewed all over the sidewalk. This works for laundry baskets, too!
5. Wrap fragile items in clothes or blankets
Who actually has time for going out and buying bubble wrap? Use your clothes or blankets to wrap up any potentially fragile items, and move your delicate pieces to your dorm without a hitch. "I always just roll everything up in things I'm already taking," says Haley, a senior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. "I even do it for little things like neckaces that I don't want to get all tangled up." How convenient!
Packing for your new college life shouldn't be too difficult as long as your plan ahead and are resourceful. You have enough to worry about with the start of a new year, so don't let packing or unpacking be one of those stressors.
On Friday, President Trump gave a speech to law enforcement at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, New York, in hopes of encouraging police to stop recent violence that has been linked to the MS-13 gang.
According to CNN, Trump praised the force used by immigration officers, saying, "When you see these towns and when you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you just see them thrown in, rough, I said, 'Please don't be too nice. Like when you guys put somebody in the car and you're protecting their head - you know, the way you put their hand over - like, 'Don't hit their head' and they've just killed somebody. 'Don't hit their head.' I said, 'You can take the hand away, okay?'"
While there was some applause after Trump’s remarks, many police chiefs and departments across the nation were quick to denounce Trump’s comments, especially after such tense national discussions and debates about the use of force by police in their communities.
The police department of Suffolk County—where Trump gave his speech—condemned Trump’s comments, tweeting, “As a department, we do not and will not tolerate roughing up prisoners,” BuzzFeedNews reports.
Trump’s comments also evoked horrific memories in Baltimore of Freddie Gray’s death in 2015 when he suffered a fatal spinal injury while in police custody, BuzzFeed reports. Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis took to Twitter to criticize Trump’s remarks, saying, “Using force and handling people in custody require sound policies, sophisticated training and respect for human dignity.”
According to CNN, the Boston Police Department said its “priority has been and continues to be building relationships and trust with the community we serve. As a police department we are committed to helping people, not harming them.”
However, there were some law enforcement groups that were not as critical of Trump’s comments, BuzzFeed reports. Chuck Canterburry, union president of the Fraternal Order of Police told BuzzFeed News, "The President's off the cuff comments on policing are sometimes taken all too literally by the media and professional police critics. The President knows, just as every cop out there knows, that our society does not, and should not, tolerate the mistreatment or prejudgment of an individual at any point in the criminal justice process.”
The organization Blue Lives Matter, which supports police officers, wrote on its website, “‘Do these people actually realize that this was a joke and not a policy change? It seems not.’”
It appears, however, that overwhelmingly police departments across the nation won’t adhere to Trump’s request. And since many police departments have worked hard to remedy conflicts between their departments and the communities they serve, they may not want to jeopardize the progress they have made.
This past weekend, a group of teens from London created a fake McDonald's Twitter account, tweeting frantic messages as a practical joke and leaving tons of internet users confused AF. Whatever happened to prank-calling people using the "private caller" option and ding-dong-ditching your neighbors? Apparently, those pranks are so 2010.
According to BuzzFeed News, the fake Twitter account, called "McDonald's Hong Kong," caused some major confusion for the fast food chain.
Concerned about both of these extremely disturbing tweets from McDonald's Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/72qR0DVmn4
These tweets gained thousands of followers since it seemed like the admin of the account was having some sort of breakdown. Zain, an 18-year-old from London and one of the creators of the page, started the account as a joke, reports BuzzFeed. He told BuzzFeed that this wasn't his first parody account; he made a fake Apple Twitter account back in 2015, called "Apple Zimbabwe," where he tweeted similar phrases that made it seem like the person running the account was distraught.
The official McDonald's account didn't help much either. Instead, it accidentally retweeted and mentioned them in a series of tweets.
The account was reported, and the account name was changed to @NotMcDonaldsHK. But regardless of the teens' efforts, the account has since been suspended. McDonald's hasn't commented about the account—but tons of Twitter users got a kick out of the spin-off and shared some hilarious reactions to the hoax.
