Even though we all love scoring a fabulous drugstore product, there’s nothing quite like the bliss that comes with indulging in more expensive cosmetics. We feel so fancy whenever we leave the mall with a classic black and white striped Sephora bag or spent a little extra on the fancier beauty products at Target, knowing our look is about to be on fleek.

When it comes to purchasing more expensive beauty products, you’ll want to make sure you’re making a smart investment, since it’s not the same as buying a less expensive lip gloss at the drugstore. That’s why we talked to other collegiettes about their favorite high-end products, and why they are worth the extra cost. Get ready to #treatyoself!

Jennifer Silva, a sophomore at Salem State University: Urban Decay Vice3 Eyeshadow Palette ($60)

"It's worth the price because the shadows are of good quality. It's perfect because I can play around with it, whether I want to do something natural or fun. There's a variety of colors, so it's versatile and easy to switch it up a lot."

Kelly Brickey, a senior at Belmont University: Mary Kay Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 ($18)

“I’m obsessed because the coverage alone evens out my skin tone without being too heavy of a base for my makeup. It also has SPF 20, which I swear by, because I don’t leave the house without a bit of sun coverage for my face!”

Emily Platt, a junior at Vassar College: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polishes($9.99 for the top coat and $9.99 for each color)

“The biggest splurge I’ve ever made [on beauty] is spending $20 on Sally Hansen’s new gel manicure polishes. I’ve never owned a polish that actually lasts a week or more, completely chip-free. I’ve already purchased three different shades in three weeks, meaning I’m certifiably addicted! It’s definitely worth skipping on the cheap polish for these.”

Iris Goldsztajn, a senior at UCLA: Chanel Lipsticks ($35)

“I own a couple Chanel lipsticks, one red and one wine, and I love them so much. To me, they’re almost worth it for the packaging and the double 'C' alone. Other than that, they truly are great shades and quality.”

Kelly Basdavanos, a senior at Belmont University: Estée Lauder Pure Color Blush in Pink Kiss ($32)

“I love it because it adds the perfect amount of rosy highlights to my face, and lasts all day!”

Felicia Beaton, a sophomore at Bunker Hill Community College: Urban Decay Naked Palette($54)

"I use this palette quite often, enough that I brought it with me to my summer job as a camp counselor so I could do my makeup on the weekends with it. I think it is worth the price because the shadows are so useful. I love the nude look and the tone of the original Naked palette, since you can't go wrong with neutral shadows!"

Elizabeth Huebsch, a senior at Davidson College: Clarisonic Mia Brush ($99)

“I think skincare products are worth the splurge, because they’re the foundation for your beauty regimen. An esthetician recommended the Clarisonic for me because I need something to clean my skin deeply, without being too abrasive. I thought it was worth the money because it will last me a long time (two years already!) and I can use it with different products and brush types if my skin changes.”

What's the most expensive beauty product you own, collegiettes? Do you own (and love) any of the products mentioned above? Let us know!

Say what you will, but getting a new roommate is always nerve-wracking. As your move-in date gets closer and closer (and arrives), you start asking yourself a million questions: Will your roomie’s mess penetrate your personal space bubble? Are you going to be sexiled every weekend? Will your roommate be able to tolerate your less-than-normal sleeping habits? Most importantly, will the two of you become friends, or will the room be plagued with a perpetual awkward silence?

Unless you’re a lone wolf, you’ll definitely prefer the former. Easier said than done, right? Not necessarily. With our fun ways to bond with your new roomie, the two of you may become as close as Monica and Rachel.

1. Volunteer together

After years of volunteering to beef up your college application, you made a riveting discovery: community service is fun. Honestly, is there anything better than helping out others? Not only will you get to bond with your roommate, but the two of you will also be giving back to your college community. Most universities have loads of community service opportunities, so check out your school’s calendar online! If your school doesn’t have a lot of options, be sure to look for activities in your college town. From cleaning up parks to helping at local homeless shelters, you and your roomie will have a slew of community service projects to choose from!

2. Start watching a new TV show together

As you probably know by now, college girls take their television shows very seriously. That hour (or 30 minutes) of lust, scandal, drama, and laughs is the perfect way to unwind after a rough day. With an array of new shows to choose from—not to mention the great gift of Netflix—starting a new TV show-watching tradition is a fun way to get to know your roommate. Between Modern Family’s hysterical one-liners and the gorgeous guys on Pretty Little Liars, the two of you will have plenty to talk about! Even if you don’t have a television in your room, the two of you can watch the drama of House of Cards play out on your computer. If you and your roomie have a few shows in common, have a viewing party each week—just don’t forget to get popcorn!

3. Create a bucket list for the year

Maybe you haven’t written an actual bucket list, but we both know that you have a plethora of things you want to accomplish this year. Sharing your mental bucket list with your roomie is a great way to break the ice. The two of you can write down your top 10 goals for the school year and post them on your fridge or door. For optimal bonding, make sure to support each other! If she wants to get with that lax bro from your floor, it’s time to become the best wing-woman ever. Don’t worry; she’ll accompany you on your quest to find the best frozen yogurt in your college’s town!

4. Decorate your dorm room together

It’s time to get creative! Catherine Sourbis from Tufts University made sure that she and her roommate added some necessary eye candy to their room. “We made a little project out of cutting out our favorite boys from a spare Brooks Brothers magazine,” says Catherine. “Two years later, those guys still hang on the wall in the apartment we share.” In the event hot male models aren’t your thing, adorn your room with fun decorations for each holiday. Paper ships for Columbus Day, anyone?

5. Acknowledge your mutual love for food

Deny it all you want, but you love talking about food. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, midday snacks, dinner, dessert, midnight snacks – you love it all! So why not break the ice with food? Sure, randomly talking about your favorite dishes may be a little awkward, so suggest that the two of you go grocery shopping. “If you’re in a dorm, shop at the student market,” says Jessica Salerno from Ohio University. You’ll stock up your fridge and learn whether your roomie likes red pepper hummus or not. Sounds like a win-win situation to us! Bonding over food doesn’t stop there, collegiettes – you can always keep it simple and have an epic meal at your dining hall. “Some of my favorite memories of my roommate last year were when we went to our school’s midnight breakfast together before finals in the winter and in the spring,” says Sydney Nolan from Macalester College. “We had a great time talking and recharging for finals over huge plates of hash browns.” If your school doesn’t have midnight breakfasts, head to the dining hall and dare each other to try those sketchy corndogs. Let’s be honest; you’ve always wanted to eat a corndog.

6. Take an exercise class together

Okay, all this talk about food is making you want to work out. Crazy, huh? Instead of hitting the gym alone, ask your roommate if she wants to sign up for an exercise class with you. Some colleges even offer gym classes for credit and, since you won’t have to worry about a water aerobics midterm, you’ll be killing two birds with one athletic stone. Having a mandatory class each week will allow you and your roomie to hang outside of your dorm every week. After hours of modern dance class, how could you not connect over that challenging combination or how the only boy in your class is actually an amazing dancer? From yoga to self-defense, check out your gym’s schedule to pick out the class that’s best for the two of you!

7. Explore!

You can ask as many icebreaker questions as you want; however, you won’t truly bond with your roommate until you leave the dorm and share a new experience. Whether you go to your school’s homecoming game together or voyage out to the nearest mall, the two of you will bond over the ah-dorable linebacker or that questionable lingerie store. Or embrace your college town’s history and take a trip to local landmarks! Unfortunately, one awesome expedition won’t make you best friends, so make sure you keep thinking of fun activities for the two of you to do together.

8. Pamper yourselves

Between the endless term papers and maintaining your rocking social life (woe is you), college can be very stressful. Sometimes, after a long day of classes, you just want someone to paint your nails and give you a nice back massage at the drying station – we don’t blame you! Going by yourself may give you that healthy dose of “me time,” but why not bring your roomie along? After all, most girls love talking about beauty products. If your first mani-pedi excursion is a success, make it a monthly tradition!

9. Burn CDs with your favorite songs

Unless you’re a music major or in a band, you may not sit around with your friends and talk about music that often—I just realized one of my closest friends and I love the same bands! It’s a shame because music is such an awesome way to bond. Instead of making awkward small talk about what musical genres you listen to, make each other playlists with your favorite songs. Whether you make a Spotify playlist or kick it old school and burn a CD, it’s always cool to hear new tunes. If the two of you love the same bands, make sure to take a road trip the next time one of your favorites is playing near your school. But what if you and your roomie don’t like the same music? Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not! The next time you hear a song that fits your roomie’s taste, send it her way. Trust us; she’ll love how considerate you are!

10. Play The Newlywed Game (roommate edition)

Remember when Monica and Rachel competed against Joey and Chandler in a not-so-friendly game of friendship trivia (don’t lie; you know you adore all these Friends references)? Give this idea a collegiette twist by going head-to-head with your neighbors to see who knows their roommate better. Not only will you receive a crash course in your roomie’s life, you can’t resist some healthy competition. To make this game interesting, set a wager! Free coffee for a week? You and your roommate can continue to bond over lattes once you win!

Though we can’t guarantee that you and your roomie will be a modern-day version of L.C. and Lo—because that was so long ago—we will tell you one thing: chances are your roommate wants to get to know you just as much as you want to get to know her. Even if the two of you don’t reach BFF status, you’ll feel a million times better once you’ve established a healthy roomie relationship.

With a woman about to take her rightful place on the $20 bill, Hillary Clinton killing it in the polls and women and girls outperforming their male counterparts in college admissions, it’s easy to think that sexism is a thing of the past. However, a new study out of the Harvard Graduate School of Education shows that women still face a huge amount of discrimination when it comes to leadership positions.

The study polled teenage girls and boys and some of their parents to understand what types of biases teens had against women as leaders. The findings were shocking: 23 percent of girls actually preferred male political leaders, eight percent of girls preferred female leaders and 69 percent of girls expressed no preference. Of the boys polled a whopping 40 percent preferred male political leaders to female political leaders, only four percent of boys preferred female political leaders and 56 percent of boys expressed no preference.

The good news is that the study also found that this problem could be fixed with some hard work from parent and teachers to reduce bias. For example, white girls were the least likely to support each other in leadership roles. Teachers and parents need to be teaching girls to lift one another up instead of putting each other down.

The study also warned not to “let boys be boys.” Educating boys to be allies to girls in leadership is an important step in reversing the bias. Until the bias is truly reversed, women will face more barriers than men in reaching leadership positions.

It may be August, and the temperatures may or may not have us sweating to death the minute we step outside, but we can’t help but dream of what we’ll be wearing this fall. One of the pieces we’re already dying to wear during fashion’s favorite season this year? Sweaters. Whether chunky or tissue thin, turtlenecks or cardigans, the cozy sweater is one of the many reasons we’re kind of ready to just skip the rest of August and dive into September. Check out what we’ll be buying now and wearing later!

1. Leith open plaid cardigan ($74, Nordstrom)

This sweater has all the '90s vibes of that flannel you’ve been wearing, but takes the coziness factor new levels.

2. Twist-front sweater ($27.90, Forever 21)

Sweaters have never looked so elegant and effortless—this wrap sweater is total proof that knit doesn’t necessarily have to mean bulky.

3. Rehab clothing sweater ($27, Tobi)

The prepster look is about to get really cool this fall—give this classic V-neck an edge by pairing it with leather leggings and ankle boots.

4. Fuzzy popcorn knit cardigan ($29.80, Forever 21)

Part fur jacket and part cardigan, this sweater is basically the most snuggly thing we’ve ever laid eyes on.

5. Clean ribbed longline tunic ($75, Topshop)

That dress-over-pants trend that’s been everywhere this summer? We plan to keep it going strong into fall this year, starting with this tunic worn over jeans and topped with a leather jacket.

6. Purl-knit sweater ($17.95, H&M)

If you’re a spring- and summer-loving fashionista at heart, the fall season doesn’t mean your pastels can’t see the light of day for the next six months! This oversized, pale pink sweater is the ultimate anti-fall sweater.  

7. Pins and Needles lace-trim sweater ($49, Urban Outfitters)

Want the look of autumn layers without the bulk? This lace-trim sweater will be a must-have this fall. We’re obsessed with the way the delicate detail adds a feminine touch. 

What are you most looking forward to about fall fashion, collegiettes?

On July 10, administrators at Wheaton College of Wheaton, Illinois decided to take student health into their own hands, all in the name of making a point.

So what is it that they're doing? Promoting healthier lifestyles? Providing on-campus health resources that students might not find elsewhere? Making health insurance more accessible?

In fact, it's just the opposite.

The Christian liberal arts college has chosen to discontinue offering student health insurance so that the institution will not have to comply with legislation implemented by the Affordable Care Act. Specifically, Wheaton is doing everything it can to withhold birth control access from its students.

As a refresher, one facet of the Obama Administration's Affordable Care Act includes mandating baseline health insurance coverage of birth control. Thus, any health insurance provider is required to supply some form of insurance-covered birth control. With a stance that contraception is "morally objectionable," Wheaton refuses to comply and has therefore chosen to refuse to provide health insurance for its students altogether. Dramatic? Many think so.

A deeper dive into Wheaton's reasoning behind the decision shows the true motivator—what rising Wheaton senior Chris Prescher describes as"putting petty politics above caring for students." Indeed, the official implementation of health insurance removal occurs in an effort to support a recent lawsuit the college has undertaken, one mimicking those which were filed by religious businesses such as Hobby Lobby.

What this proves, more than anything, is that birth control is everybody's issue. Yes, women use contraceptives, and yes, this decision will without doubt make safe sex decisions even harder for any young woman who relied on Wheaton's campus health insurance. But the fact that an entire health insurance program was abolished to guarantee birth control inaccessibility shows that women won't be the only students affected. Anybody relying on Wheaton's school-provided insurance is now forced to scramble for new coverage, with only weeks until the semester starts and financial barriers abound. So when a lofty male companion glosses over this news, ask him to consider all of the ramifications—it's always interesting to note that when contraceptive news is slanted as male-applicable health insurance news, nationwide interest spikes. Oh, sexism. 

And as always, the anti-contraceptive mindset fueling the cancellation is built off of misinformation and arguably, more sexism. According to the Chicago Tribune, Wheaton's religious beliefs consider contraceptives including intrauterine devices and morning-after pills as synonymous with abortion. For those of us lucky enough to have been present at the Her Conference 2015 session on Plan B, we know that contraceptives are far from abortion. Abortion ends an existing pregnancy; contraceptives prevent a pregnancy from starting. Still, reputable officials and religious policy-makers refuse to acknowledge this distinction, and we have a hunch that it's because it doesn't directly affect these mostly-male individuals.

According to Refinery29, Wheaton's Vice President of Student Development Paul Chelson admits that he believes any temporary pain caused by the decision will be worth winning the lawsuit. But is the pain and confusion actually necessary?

Two nuances to this decision are especially important to note. First, while many religious institutions find birth control immoral, they're still providing student health insurance. How? Obamacare offers a compromise plan, fully recognizing that organizations have a right to religious freedom. All an institution has to do is express to the government their moral objection, which then "would prompt the school's insurance carrier to provide [contraception] coverage directly to students," according to the Chicago Tribune. Thus, those who fully stand by Wheaton's anti-contraception beliefs still find fault in the way the matter has been handled.

Secondly, interestingly enough, this new policy will have no effect on Wheaton faculty and staff, including decision spokesperson Paul Chelson.    

Where do you stand, collegiettes? Did Wheaton go too far?

You spend a lot of time at your desk getting those assignments done — or skillfully avoiding them. That’s why it’s so important to personalize your workspace, so that it can also be your happy place. Whether you’re super feminine or just dig a minimalist look, here are five ways to style your dream desk so that you can have your most productive (and stylish!) semester yet.

1. The Bohemian Desk

If you’re a free spirit with a serious case of wanderlust, a boring desk won’t do! You need a desk with lots of fun, eclectic accessories — with plenty of space for your anthropology textbooks. If the Free People catalog is your go-to-guide and you have a penchant for making flower crowns, this one’s for you.

Get the look:

• Mason jars: Fill them with paperclips, writing utensils and flowers for some extra boho flair.
• Perch: We love this magnetic wall-mounted container from Office Depot® OfficeMax® that will allow you to keep desk knick-knacks and supplies off your desk to save room.
• Wall art: Not everything on your wall has to be functional! You’ll study better in a beautiful space, we promise. Frame your favorite posters or get some thrift store paintings for a funky, vintage look.
• Bright containers: Keep all of your food and drinks in spill-free containers that looks as cute as they are practical—we love these Sistema® to-go containers from  Office Depot® OfficeMax®. The bright colors will add a pop to your workspace.

2. The Creative Desk

Calling all art school students! You do not do well in bland, colorless spaces — so make sure your desk is full of life. If you would rather be in the paint studio than math class, look no further. This desk is modern, innovative and totally hip — perfect for you.

Get the look:

• Magnetic board: You’re a big thinker so you like to see all of your ideas right in front of you. Make it easy with a giant white magnetic board over your desk. Add a few Perch magnetic wall containers at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores or online along with pictures and inspirational quotes!
• Contemporary art: Don’t even look at the Monet posters in your campus bookstore. You need something bold. We love these cool two-tone paintings that you can easily make yourself. Frame them and lean them against a wall for a casual vibe.
• Cute backpack: No matter if you’re an art history major or a creative writer, we know you’ve got a lot of stuff to lug around campus. Office Depot® OfficeMax®  has the most fun polka-dot Jansportâ backpack for the perfect mix of functionality and style. 

3. The Feminine Desk

Hey there, girly girl! If you love pink as much as we do, this is your dream desk. Colorful and filled with personality and charm, this desk will set the scene for your most productive nights. Why go to the school library when your own desk is so much cuter?!

Get the look:

• Vases: Stick a bunch all around your room while you’re at it. Pro-tip: While we love fresh flowers as much as anyone, fake ones are way more dorm-friendly and require less upkeep!
• Pink desk chair: Why not make your chair the focal point of your desk? We’re totally digging this pink Brenton Studioâ chair at Office Depot® OfficeMax® stores or online.
• Chic backpack: College girls have a LOT to tote around campus. Store everything from your calculator to your economics textbooks in this Kenneth Cole backpack
• Green rug: With a green, fuzzy rug that looks like grass, you’ll basically be having your own pink and green garden party while you work. Sign us up!

4. The Minimalist Desk

You need the minimalist desk look if you’re super chic, crazy-organized, and love black and white. You’re probably on the Dean’s List every semester and you love clean spaces almost as much as you love your A-studded transcript. Make your semester your most productive yet with this sophisticated desk set-up.

Get the look:

• Highlighters: You basically invented color-coding. Highlight your heart away with genius clear-view Sharpieâ highlighters to keep your lines precise. Pick up a few today at Office Depot® OfficeMax®  stores or online !
• White accessories: Make your space clean and super chic with a white lamp, coffee mug and chair.
• Notebook: You’re going to need something like this Stellar Notebook with Spine Guard from Office Depot® OfficeMax®. It has a place for your class schedule, student ID and even comes with colorful page flags for even more color-coding!
• Sleek pens: Why use pencils when you can get sleek lines from pens like these? We love these TUL Fine Point gel pens that come in every color!  

5. The Rustic Desk

Okay, so you’re kind of a hipster. From your extensive collection of plaid shirts to your black-rimmed glasses, you’re into the rustic vibe. Make your desk match your personality with this cool desk.

Get the look:

• Old school camera: Works great for your photography class and as a desktop accessory!
• Black and gold binders: You’re going to love these Divogaâ mini-binders. They look sharp but are super convenient for all of your notes. Pick yours up at Office Depot® OfficeMax® stores or online 
• Apple-shaped sticky note dispenser: We’re literally obsessed over this Post-itâ golden apple from Office Depot® OfficeMax®. Totally unexpected, but so much fun for your desk.
• Bold initial art: Make a statement with your first initial! We love it on the ladder next to the desk.
• Perch: We’re convinced everyone needs one of these magnetic wall mounts containers! Keep your spare glasses case in it along with more gold notebooks.

Which desk is your favorite, collegiettes? Use these tips to make your desk both functional, stylish and totally you! 

Think you’re prepared for college romance?  Until you can spot the most notorious campus couples,think again!  Read below for HC’s guide to the top ten duos you’ll get to know in your four years.

1. The Couple Who’s Already Booked the Campus Chapel

These “romantics” are engaged or soon-to-be.  They lovingly refer to the children they do not have, and they’ve already spent at least one year of major holidays together (including, but not limited to, the Fourth of July).  If they seem on a different track than most couples, it’s because they are.  Expect them to skip out on fraternity ragers for quiet weekends at (ugh) bed and breakfasts.  But hooray for true love, right guys??

2. The Sorority Sweetheart and the Frat Star

These Greek gods have all the social connections and one or both of them is most likely a chapter president.  They’re pretty.  Like J.Crew catalog pretty.  And while there’s always underlying drama with these two, you’ll never see them miss a big social event!

3. The Activists

Remember way back when Summer got all vegan-y on the last season of The O.C. and started hanging around that Che guy?  THEY WERE THIS COUPLE.  They always have a cause, and it always involves wearing really similar pants.  Find them planting sustainable foods in the campus garden, having sit-ins to stop wildlife clearing in order to build new dorms and, most importantly, biking everywhere.

4. The All-Americans

Imagine if David Beckham and Hope Solo dated . . . this is the couple with enough athletic scholarship money between them to finance a comfortable suburban home.  These two are gifted in the abs department.  My one request?  Stop working out at the gym together; it just makes everyone else want to give up.

5. The Reality Show Drama Couple

Okay, so maybe they don’t have a reality show, but they break up and get back together enough times to make one happen.  Find them at the bar, alternatively slurring insults at each other and furiously making out.  Don’t even THINK about trying to get mixed up in this one.  Remember what happened when Ronnie tried to hook up with other girls behind Sammi’s back on The Jersey Shore? Yikes.

6. The Power Couple

They’ve got matching ambition and the 4.0’s to prove it.  This is the couple who will go from trading notes in the library to trading notes on the Senate floor.  If you end up in a class with them, expect that they will dominate—they are each other’s biggest competition.  Like the Obamas or the Clintons (though some of these romances work out better than others...).

7. The High School Sweethearts

Every freshman floor has at least one girl pining away for her high school boyfriend.  They Skype constantly, and he comes to visit about every other weekend.  When they’re together, expect them to hibernate in her dorm; when they’re not, expect her phone to be attached to her hand at all times.  This couple often bids their relationship adieu over the notorious Thanksgiving Break (“The Turkey Dump”), but some manage to stick it out for the long haul.

8. The Orientation to Graduation Couple

These crazy kids met the first day of college and have been dating ever since.  They were among the few freshmen to pair off right away and are among the even fewer who stay together.  While they may not keep dating after college, they are certainly tagged in an obscene amount of Facebook photos together from the duration.

9. The Law Student and the Co-ed

There’s always one sorority girl who finds her frat boy counterparts to be too immature.  Enter the older law student/med student/local businessman who’s still into 19-year-olds! While their love isn’t traditional, it is mutually beneficial.  You can find them out at nice dinners and swanky bars.  Just don’t call him a Sugar Daddy!

10. The Best Dressed Duo

Even if they go to school in the middle of Iowa, they dress like it’s New York Fashion Week every day.  They shop together, and they probably both have really good hair, seemingly without trying.  Find them around campus looking like they’re posing for a fashion shoot. You will never find them repeating outfits.

Forget about first exams and getting to know your randomly picked roommates… one of the most intimidating things to navigate as a newly enrolled freshman collegiette is the on-campus dating scene. In high school, it was easy to meet guys who already lived in your hometown. But in college, the dating rules are different, and it’s not always so easy to meet guys. Where can you find these collegents? How do you impress them? How do you avoid being dismissed by them as just another frat party-hopping freshman girl? We’ve asked girls and guys across the country about the first-year college dating scene to bring you this tell-all guide on how to meet guys as a freshman girl(and how not to be that freshman).

Where to meet him:House parties

Maybe it was his slick dance moves or his mad flip-cup skills, but whatever it was, it’s thrown you head over heels for this Campus Cutie. So how do you get his attention? Katie King from Western Michigan University says that steering clear of the row upon row of frat houses and opting instead to hit up house parties can be a great way to meet older college guys and stand out from crowds of freshman girls. “A ton of freshman girls go to the frats, but that is what kind of makes you stick out as a freshman,” Katie says. “Talk to tons of people and try to go out with them. House parties are usually the best place to meet older guys.” House parties tend to be a more intimate setting for meeting guys: there are usually fewer and therefore, it’s easier to chat up that cutie!

How to impress him

Be fun and flirty! Just remember that there’s a fine line between being the life of the party and being “that party girl” (LiLo, anyone?). Zachary from Wake Forest University says you should be careful about hooking up with too many guys too quickly or you’ll end up with a reputation that reaches all the way to the upperclassmen. “I guess if hooking up is what you’re all about, then have at it,” Zachary says. “But it doesn’t make you look good when you’ve hooked up with all my friends by the end of fall semester.” In other words: keep it classy, collegiettes!

Where to meet him: Tailgates and games

Sure, we’re all swooning over the quarterback of the football team or the captain of the ice hockey team, but what about that cute friend of a friend you meet while tailgating? Tailgates and sports games can be the best places to meet guys (the ones who aren’t sweating up their uniforms)!

How to impress him

If there’s one thing that guys love to talk about, it’s sports, so why not strike up a convo about the game, the teams playing, and the players on the field? Even if you know zip about the sport, take that as your opportunity to chat him up for info like Emily from the University of Mississippi did. Emily met her freshman year boyfriend through her sorority sister at a tailgating party. “Tailgating is big down here at Ole Miss,” Emily says. “But it’s funny, because coming from New England, I really didn’t know a whole lot about Southern football teams. So he tried to explain what was going on out on the field, we ended up talking for the whole game, and he asked me out. We’re still dating three years later and now, tailgating is our favorite thing to do!” If all goes well, you'll have a date for next game! And even if he’s from another nearby school and you’re rooting for opposite teams, that only brings up the opportunity for you to use this perfect betting line: “If my team wins, you’re taking me to dinner!”

Where to meet him: Dorm halls and study lounges

If you’re looking for guys, what better place to start than with the guy next door? Kema Christian-Taylor from Harvard University says that the common room in the dorm was always a hotspot for scoping out hotties. “I would always go down to my dorm's common room, no matter what the hour!” Kema says. “It was rarely ever empty, and def a hot spot on Friday and Saturday nights after everyone had finished partying, but didn't want to go to bed yet!”

How to impress him

The great thing about dorms – and especially dorm lounges – is that there is always something happening right down the hall, whether a group of your guy hallmates are watching a movie or playing a video game (in which case, you can show off your mad gaming skills at Mario Kart playing as Yoshi)! Dorms are a great way to meet, get to know, and hang out with other guys who are living in your dorm.

Where to meet him: Classes and labs (or in-between)!

If that broodingly handsome cutie in your chemistry class is making eyes at you across the lecture hall, spark some chemistry of your own by approaching him in class. Amelia* from the University of Michigan says that even waiting in between classes can be a perfect time to approach guys. “I would grab a quick bite to eat in between classes sometimes and random guys would come sit by me,” she says. “One time I was reading a magazine and a guy approached me and said, ‘[T]alking is more fun than that, right?’ I laughed and let him sit with me. Although it never went anywhere, I did enjoy talking to him.”

How to impress him

There are plenty of ways to approach a guy in class. Nab him as your lab partner, work on a group project with him, or, as Claire from Ohio State University suggests, “Ask for his notes!” Offer to study for the upcoming exam with him. While you’re at it, offer to meet him for coffee post-cram sesh or pre-lecture. As girls, we can be intimidated by asking a guy out, but being upfront and confident is always sexy. “There’s no harm in making the first move, ladies!” says Bill Feldman from Emory University.

Where to meet him: Student clubs and off-campus activities

You might be the shy type, or maybe you’re not into the party scene on campus. It’s still easy to meet guys thanks to student clubs, sports teams, and other extracurricular groups. Odds are that you’ll want to start writing for your college newspaper, or maybe you’ll want to try your hand at juggling – either way, there are countless different groups for you to join, and freshman year is the perfect time to do so!

How to impress him

Joining as many social organizations as you can is the best way to meet guys who already share the same interests as you. You’ll know that you’ll have at least one thing in common and you can impress him with your skills. Even if that first date with him doesn’t work out, you at least found a group where you can do something you enjoy (and possibly where you can meet other guys who love dancing, foreign films, or kayaking just as much as you do).

What’s most important to keep in mind about freshman year is that as a freshman, you should experience all that the college dating scene has to offer. When there’s so much to discover about being a new collegiette on campus, serious boyfriend-hunting shouldn’t take a big priority. And if you do snag a Campus Cutie your first year, don’t be distressed if the relationship doesn’t work out. It can be limiting being tied down in a relationship, anyway, and college can be the best time in your life to live it up as a single lady!

*Names have been changed for anonymity.

As proud feminists, there are just some things we’re tired of hearing. So allow us to educate those people who continue to say stuff that really rubs us the wrong way with these 13 things not to say to a feminist.

1. “I don’t believe in bringing men down.”

Guess what? Neither do we. Feminism is about equal rights, not one side winning out over the other.

2. “The wage gap is totally justifiable.”

Um, actually it’s not.

3. “You’ll never get married.”

If a man can’t accept our thirst for equality, then we’d rather stay single.

4. “Cat-calling means you’re hot.”

Sorry, but we don’t feel the need to be whistled at and ridiculed by strangers on the street to boost our confidence.

5. “That’s women’s work.”

This comment often involves a kitchen or maternal joke. We’re not laughing.

6. “Guys can’t be feminists.”

Actually, they can. Here are a few shining examples: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Legend, Harry Styles and Daniel Radcliffe.

7. “But you’re so girly.”

We can still wear makeup and shave our legs as feminists, you know?

8. “Sexism isn’t nearly as bad as it used to be.”

There's been progress, but it’s still a completely ongoing struggle. And we have a long way to go.

9. “I think men and women should be equal. I’m not a feminist, though.”

Yes, you are.

10. “Why are you angry all the time?”

So when women talk about the things that bother them about society they come off as angry? It’s not like we’re burning our bras in protest; we just want to have a discussion about equality.

11. “So you object to chivalry.”

EVERYONE should be polite. Manners are great, so please feel free to open the door for us or take something heavy off our hands.

12. “Men face discrimination, too.”

Everyone is discriminated against in some form, but in this case we’re concerned about deeply ingrained institutions and attitudes that keep women from achieving equality.

13. “Men and women are equal now.”

Not even close.

Oh, freshman year. It's the most exciting time of your life! You can wipe away your high school past with a new group of friends and completely recreate yourself. You can stay out as late as you want and eat as many desserts as you want without parents nagging. And no one is around to tell you not to leave that 10-page paper to the last possible minute, so you can procrastinate as much as you want. The world is your oyster, and every decision is exclusively yours to make!

But beware, collegiettes – this newfound freedom can lead to some mistakes. With so much independence, you’re bound to make a misstep somewhere along the line. But Her Campus has your back! We asked collegiettes to share their freshman year regrets to help you learn from their mistakes.

1. Losing the balance between your college life and your home life.

One of the most common problems collegiettes have during their freshman year is trying to balance all the new relationships in their life. With new friends at college, old friends back home, families trying to check in and an overload of schoolwork piling up on your desk, it’s hard to give everything and everyone the attention they need. Remember that even with all the excitement on campus, Mom and Dad need some time with you, too.

“I think my biggest mistake… was not keeping in contact with my parents and home friends as much,” says Anna, a senior at Marist College. “It's so easy to get carried away at school, especially with your new friends, difficult classes and weekend activities. Mom and Dad need a little reassurance that you're alive [and] well and still love them.”

Luckily, there’s an easy fix here. Set aside time once a week to give the parental units a quick phone call. There’s no need for a lengthy Skype chat; just give them the chance to hear about what's going on at school. Your going away to college is an adjustment for them too, and they’ll be excited to share in your new accomplishments at school. Collegiette or not, you’ll always be their little girl.

2. Prioritizing your social life over your schoolwork.

In college, the pressure to do well in class and make friends outside the classroom can lead to time management mistakes. Do you stay home and study, or do you head out to the frat party with the girls down the hall from you?

“When you first get to school and you want to make friends and you want to go out, you have to keep in mind that you do have schoolwork,” says Meghan, a senior at Iona College. “I wanted to go out and not miss anything. But your friends will always be there, and you need to learn to balance school and your social life.”

You can avoid feeling panicked during a test that you didn’t study for because you were too busy having fun by allotting yourself certain nights to go out a week. Plan out what nights you can hit the town and which you need to stay in to study by checking your syllabus ahead of time for assignments and tests. Tell your friends you would love to spend time with them, but you really need to write a paper that night. And you can always grab a couple of people from your classes and head over to the library for a study session – coffee and gossip breaks are bound to lead to friendship!

3. Studying the same way you did in high school.

In high school, you may have found that the slightest bit of effort was enough to keep your GPA sky-high. But college is an entirely different animal. Simply skimming through your notes won’t be enough to get you a passing grade on a college test. Participation is often a part of your grade in a college course, so daydreaming won’t fly as well as it did when you struggled through high school senioritis.

It’s inevitable that you’ll have one class that you’ll struggle with. But know that in college, it’s up to you to push through it and do well. You have the ability to make elaborate outlines for tests and papers, set aside specific library study times for yourself and reach out to classmates for help and group study sessions – so do it! Don’t sit around gloomily and dwell on bad grades when you could be working to fix them.

4. Attempting to do it all.

Wake up. Go to the gym. Shower. Run to class. Library time. Group project meeting. Class. Quick snack. Dance rehearsal. Test cramming session. Go out? One of the great struggles of freshman year is dealing with managing a schedule that used to be monitored by your parents. No one is around to tell you if you might have put too much on your plate, and this can lead to taking on way more than you can handle.

“I think my biggest regret was not knowing my limits,” says Nicole, a senior at Marist College. “Everyone says college is the perfect time to try new things, which I would not argue with; however, you can't burn the candle at both ends. I tried too hard to be an amazing student who was super involved while going out every weekend or more. My advice would be to take freshman year with an open mind, but remember to take care of yourself first.”

There’s no rush to join every single club and go to every single event on campus. Slowly see what you’re interested in and see if you can handle the demands of what you want to do. Eventually, you’ll learn what you can and can’t handle and how much you can take on.

5. Partying too hard.

A huge part of freshman year is attending the many parties that college life has to offer. They’re bigger, better and filled with way more cute guys than your average high school party. But many freshman collegiettes struggle with knowing their own limits and partaking in dangerous binge drinking. College women are 50 percent more likely than men to exceed both the daily and weekly drink limits recommended by the National Institutes of Alcoholic Abuse and Alcoholism (scary!). This can lead to embarrassing nights that you can’t remember, regrettable hook-ups and even more dangerous situations, like alcohol poisoning.

“One of my hardest adjustments as a college student was learning limits and boundaries when it came to partying and drinking,” says Melissa, a senior at the University of Delaware. “My first night at the University of Delaware was definitely a ‘learning experience.’ It was my first time to a frat party with tons of new people and free alcohol everywhere I turned. As the night went on, I found myself throwing common sense out the window and doing some things I definitely regretted the next morning.”

As scary as some mistakes can be, they can always be learned from. “I realized it is so dangerous to get out of control and unaware of my surroundings, especially because it was my first night as a freshman and I didn’t know who my true friends were yet,” Melissa says. “I learned from my drunken antics to become more responsible and not depend on anyone to be there for you if you need help in a dangerous situation. It is so important to have responsible fun while still focusing on what you are [at college] for – a degree.”

Know that it’s always okay to have a girls’ night in with some pizza, nail polish and movies if going out isn’t your thing. But if you’re heading out on the weekends, always bring a friend and stick together throughout the night. Going out should be about meeting new people and creating amazing memories, not risking your health or your life by not knowing your limits. Take it slow and set boundaries for yourself before the night even begins. If you tell yourself in advance, “I’ll only have two drinks,” or “I won’t hook up with anyone,” you’re more likely to keep your own promise to yourself than throwing caution to the wind and having an “anything goes” attitude. Always eat a full dinner if you know you’ll be consuming alcohol (skip the salad in favor of carb-heavy pasta), and alternate alcoholic drinks with water throughout the night. You’ll thank yourself when you wake up in the morning hangover- and regret-free.

Take the advice of these collegiettes with you during your freshman year of college. Life is about making mistakes and learning from them, but you’ll be ahead of the game by heeding the wisdom of collegiettes who’ve been through it before. Have fun, good luck and be smart!

Confession: we’re still not over Taylor Swift starting a clothing line... one that we can’t even shop. But our understandable rage spiral gave us the time to dream up 15 other celebs who should definitely come out with a clothing line. Like, right now!

1. Mindy Kaling

We see a collaboration with The Mindy Project’s all-knowing costume designer, Salvador Perez, in Ms. Kaling’s future.

2. Kate Middleton

Affordable and classy, Kate’s line would share her unparalleled wisdom with the world—okay, preferably the States.

3. Emma Stone

Whether it’s red carpet or street style, Emma has got this whole fashion thing down. The clothes she’d design would be the perfect mix of both personas.

4. Miranda Kerr

Sure, we can’t all be supermodels. But Miranda’s sense of style is made for the everygirl. Her line of flowy sundresses and knockout denim would slay.

5. Danielle Brooks

As if we weren’t already in love with Danielle’s fierce character on Orange is the New Black, her #LoveYourShape campaign with People StyleWatch has left us majorly inspired. This line of clothing would obviously celebrate women of all shapes and sizes.

6. Olivia Palermo

Who else could pull off swapping a traditional wedding dress for shorts on her big day? Olivia’s more than capable of putting her own special twist on tired styles, and we need that kind of magic in our lives.

7. Jessica Alba

Jessica is already running her own empire of baby products, and she also recently launched a women’s beauty line. So why not add clothes to the mix? We—and our closets—would be eternally grateful.

8. Chrissy Teigen

No one melds high fashion and casual pieces quite like Chrissy does. We trust that she could provide outfits to take us from day to night in an instant.

9. Jaden Smith

Jaden is the only guy to make our list for a reason. Lately, Will and Jada’s son has been making headlines for wearing gender-neutral clothing, and we couldn’t be happier! This is fashion’s next big move, in our opinion, and there’s more to it than just borrowing your boyfriend’s shirt. That’s why we’re completely willing to let this expert lead the way.

10. Jennifer Lawrence

J. Law always looks stunning on the red carpet thanks to her partnership with Dior. But it’s her everyday ensembles as of late that’s been catching our eye. Can we please look as chic as she does when she’s running to the grocery store?

11. Amy Schumer

This funny lady continued to prove her comedic genius with Trainwreck, but she also showed off her style savvy during the film’s press tour. Her body positive attitude and standout wardrobe would make for quite the collection.

12. Lupita Nyong’o

Red carpet goddess right here! What a world it would be if Lupita could pass a little bit of that eye for fashion she’s so well known for our way.

13. Meghan Trainor

She’s all about that bass. (Sorry, is that reference feeling a little dated?) Anyway, we’re thinking poppy pastels and her all around bootylicious-ness might be the singer’s inspiration for a would-be clothing line.

14. Jamie Chung

Jamie understands clothing in a way we may never achieve. From crop tops to leather jackets to every imaginable iteration of denim, her style screams ultimate cool girl. And it would be so much easier to copy her if she just designed the kind of clothes she would wear herself.

15. Gina Rodriguez

This Jane the Virgin star is a pro at dressing for her body. And if she’s too busy to have her own TLC makeover show, the next best thing would be providing the necessities to help us play up our shapes.

Which stars would you like to see come out with a clothing line, collegiettes?

When you first arrive, college can seem like a total zoo. There are countless types of people you’ve never seen before, each more ridiculous than the last, and, without a keen discerning eye, it can be impossible to distinguish between the lions and the leeches of college life. But even though there are thousands of students on your college campus, there are 10 people that you’ll meet within your first week, without a doubt. These 10 species are present on every single campus across America, and, if you can spot them quickly, you can learn to navigate the wild safari of college life like it’s a petting zoo. Her Campus is here to help you classify the 10 people you meet in college—see if you can find any of these creatures on your campus!

1. The Future Master of the Universe

For these students, college is just a stop on the way to The Real World, and a career in finance, business, medicine or law. They can’t be bothered with such petty concerns as class, parties and campus events when they have a future to create. They’ll spend every waking moment talking about the internships they’ve applied for, comparing GPA’s and poring over grad-school acceptance books. Every weekend, they jet off to the city for interviews, missing all the fun of college on the way. You’ll see them strolling around campus in three-piece suits and furiously emailing on their smart phones while balancing Venti black coffees. Look out for them in business or pre-law frats, on the board of the Inter-Fraternity Council or in Student Government. And watch out for these slippery characters in class—they may never attend, participate or pay attention, but they’ll find a way to get all the notes and study their butts off, until they can walk away with the “A” that will buy them a ticket straight to Goldman Sachs.

2. The Environmentalist

This ubiquitous species, formerly known as “tree-huggers” and now known as “green” or “sustainable," wants YOU to know the Inconvenient Truth of climate change. They’re not satisfied with carrying around their name-brand eco-friendly water-bottles or designer reusable grocery bags; they need to get the entire campus to take action. They will not rest in their journey toward a “greener future," lobbying, campaigning and generally shaming everyone on campus into ditching the Easy Mac for locally grown, organic produce and powering our rooms with wind energy. This person has a cause to promote, and they’ll never let you forget it. You will see them EVERYWHERE—posting flyers all over the quad, writing impassioned guest columns for your school newspaper and using every available second of class time to garner support. You’ll find them in the Environmental Club, at the local food co-op or farmer’s market and at Starbucks, plotting their crusade on our nation’s carbon footprint over $4 lattés in disposable paper cups.

3. The Vampire

This guy may live on your floor, but you probably won’t see him after the first-night getting-to-know-you meeting. He’s almost always either pre-med, an engineer, an architecture student or a computer science major, and he will NEVER leave his room if he can help it. His blinds will always be down, his room will always be silent as a tomb (except the constant sound of clicking keys), and after a few weeks, a strange smell may start emanating from under the door (when you’re that busy, who has time for cleaning or laundry?). He exists solely off Pop-Tarts and Red Bull, and it’s impossible to tell whether he ever sleeps. If you’re lucky, you may see him venture out of his lair, but he will invariably have a 7 a.m. lab or a project that keeps him at the studio until the wee hours of the morning, so it will be tough to catch a glimpse of this elusive species.

4. The Sorority Clone

This girl is very rarely seen without at least two or three others just like her, eating salads at the dining hall or walking in a herd, talking and texting at the same time. She lives in a uniform: black leggings, flats, and a hoodie emblazoned with her sorority’s letters (and in the winter, a puffy down coat). She will NEVER go anywhere alone—she won’t sign up for a class unless she knows a friend will be taking it too; she won’t show up to a meal without an entourage; and she’ll roll up to the library in a car full of five other sisters. If you sit behind a bunch of Sorority Clones in class, you’ll be deafened by the incessant and hushed conversations about formals, mixers, and “drama". Her favorite words are “legitimately,"“actually," and “honestly", and she uses them to emphasize every observation she makes, no matter how mundane (“This is honestly the fattiest fat-free Italian dressing I’ve ever had, legitimately.”) Get her on her own and she may be able to snap out of it, but only if she can manage to tear her eyes away from her iPhone.

5. The Irono-clast

This student, almost always an art, history, philosophy or English major, is just a little bit too cool for you. He wears sweater vests, bow ties, boat shoes and horn-rimmed glasses, but only because they’re retro. His favorite word is “ironic," and he uses it to great effect in class, just to let everyone know that nothing he says is meant to be taken entirely seriously. He’s been watching Mad Men since the first season, unlike the rest of us, and he USED to listen to Vampire Weekend before it got way too mainstream. He probably writes for the arts section of your school newspaper, or else he contributes esoteric poems to a campus literary journal, so he can say he’s a published writer. Look for him, not in Starbucks, but in an underground, little-known organic coffee shop, where he’ll probably be discussing the finer points of Keats or else tweeting constantly from his smartphone. 

6. The Great Participator

You’ll remember this student in every single class you take. Great Participators have an answer, comment or opinion for every question, whether right or wrong. They’ll keep their hands up for so long they’ll have body-builder-toned arms, and they’ll go off on so many tangents they’ll sound like they’re getting over a case of mono. If they’re a member of any gender, cultural, political or geographical group, they will always find a way to tie any point made in class to their background— “As a _____, I can personally relate to the readings because of the author’s sense of ______.” They will make the same point several times in a class period, and vary only slightly from that point throughout the semester. If anyone else makes a point, they’ll be sure to one-up you with their personal opinion, whether or not it has anything to do with what has just been said. But as much as they participate, they may not be so outgoing outside of the classroom—this is often a girl or guy you’ll see acting perfectly normal, even shy, in social situations or at a dorm meeting, and they can even be the person sitting alone at the dining hall, reading the newspaper and enjoying a solitary sandwich.

7. The Athlete Adonis

These guys and girls are the A-List celebs of any college campus. They’re your newspapers’ bold-faced names, your stadium headliners, your paparazzi targets. Between their jam-packed season schedules and their godlike status on campus, to see one up close is as exciting as running into the entire cast of Gossip Girl on the street. No matter the time of day or year, they will be wearing their sports uniforms or warm-ups, and you’ll never see them without an embroidered gym bag—in your school’s colors, of course. If a few live on your floor, you may get the distinct insider privilege of befriending a member of the game-day glitterati, in which case you will become the envy of all your friends (and maybe score a few sold-out tickets!) These gods and goddesses not only have their own teams, schedules, and wardrobes, but they have their own houses and parties too. If you’re able to score a coveted invite to a basketball party or a blowout at the hockey house, you know you’ve moved up into the upper echelon of college society. If you’re looking to sight one of these sparkly celebs, start hanging out at your campus gym, be sure to frequent the sportiest, frattiest bars in town, and take big introductory classes—you’re bound to find a few sitting together in the back.

8. The Creep

You’ll mostly see this guy at an open frat party, snaking their arms around girls from behind and grinding with them without any invitation. He’s of an unidentifiable age, and he might not even go to your school—but if anyone asks, he’s a junior. No matter what. He could be a 24-year-old financial analyst who’s visiting his old frat house, or a 17-year-old townie from the local high school, but he will insist up and down that he’s a junior in X frat, and all the guys at the party are “his boys." He’ll offer to buy you a drink, hound you for your number, and invite you up to “his place” (which could very well not be his place at all).  If you make the regrettable mistake of succumbing to a Creep’s advances, you’ll need to ignore his sketchy 1 a.m. texts for weeks to shake him. Avoid this type at all costs—he’s the guy at the party wearing a white track jacket, with spiked hair and a chin strap, carrying two drinks—one for him and one for his prey.

9. The Floor Mayor

This eager-beaver species is obsessed with rounding up your floor for get-togethers. The first week this is nice — after all, you may not have a set social group yet, and the Mayor’s always looking for a group to go on a party-crawl. But after a few weeks he can get pretty annoying, when you’re trying to study at 11 p.m. on a Wednesday and the Mayor’s screaming through the halls that “everyone on this floor is so BORING!” While it’s fun to get close with your floor, by no means should your dorm-mates be your only social circle, and the Mayor appears to have no friends outside of your R.A.’s domain. It can get kind of awkward when he appears at your door every Friday night, rounding up the troops for a floor outing, and you’re planning a night out with other friends. He’s always super-friendly on your floor, but he may be quiet or shy in class or at a party. Look for him in the TV room or study lounge at all hours, hosting an impromptu pizza party or a game of catch in the halls at 2 a.m. And be sure to pop in his room—the door’s always wide open—to pay your respects to your tireless leader.

10. The Party Animal

You may think you’re a pretty fun girl, going out a few times a week, maybe even sleeping out some nights if the night gets pretty crazy, but you’ve got nothing on the Party Animal. She goes out five nights a week, and takes Sunday and Monday to recover before starting again on Tuesday. You’ll spot her in class (never before 10 a.m.), in sweatpants and oversized sunglasses, clutching her Starbucks like it will save her life. She somehow manages to coast by in all her classes despite a grueling partying schedule, and even after the most toxic of hangovers she’ll bounce back by 10 p.m., shimmying her way into the hottest campus bar (with a fake ID, of course) in a trendy outfit and sky-high heels. She’s friends with all the bouncers, all the frat guys, all the bartenders and all the athletes, and you kind of want to be her, just a little bit. Then you see her throwing up on the sidewalk, or dancing on a table with her thong in full view, and you’re grateful for your relative sanity.

Pinterest has become a namesake in the ever-evolving market that is social media, as well as a vessel that showcases that new recipe you’ve been dying to try out or perhaps those new leggings that were just released online. And now, Pinterest wants to expand opportunities for both women and minorities.

In a blog post on Pinterest’s website, co-founder and CEO Evan Sharp details the company’s mission to bring in more women and people of color onto their staff in 2016, according to Jezebel. The company wants to increase its engineering sector to have 30 percent of women and eight percent of minorities, as well as implement the “Rooney Rule” which calls for one person of each underrepresented race and one woman to be interviewed for any possible leadership position. For non-engineering spots, Pinterest wants to increase the percentage of underrepresented people of color to 12 percent.

The company has already hired Susan Kare, who has worked extensively on Apple logos, to head their product design. “By sharing these goals publicly, we’re holding ourselves accountable to make meaningful changes to how we approach diversity at Pinterest,” says Sharp. “Over time, we hope to help build an industry that is truly diverse, and by extension more inclusive, creative and effective.”

Hey collegiettes!

We know you love reading HC on your laptops, your smartphones, and your tablets... but now you can truly curl up with HC because our first-ever book, The Her Campus Guide to College Life, just hit stores!

Order your copy online here or head to your local Barnes & Noble! And be sure to check out our upcoming schedule of book signing events and see if we're coming to your area!

The Her Campus Guide to College Life: How to Manage Relationships, Stay Safe and Healthy, Handle Stress, and Have the Best Years of Your Life covers everything you need to know to rock college, from how to get along with your roommates to how to avoid the 'freshman 15', deal with tough professors, snag internships, decide whether to study abroad, and much, much more.

Whether you're already an upperclassman or are just getting ready to go off to college next fall, this book has everything you need to survive and thrive on campus when it comes to all aspects of your life. Our book also includes handy resources like a template roommate contract, dorm room grocery list, and more.

Want a sneak preview? Read an excerpt from our book here then order your copy!

I can't wait to hear what you think!

HC Love,
Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, Co-founder, CEO & Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus

By now, we all know that our faces need some love and care to stay youthful. But are eye and forehead wrinkles the only aging signs we need to prevent? Apparently not!

If you've strolled down any skincare aisle, you'll know that there are tons of products hitting the shelves that guarantee a youthful glow for all sorts of places. Not sure where to start? We'll work our way down from that dewy face and let you know exactly how you can care for the rest of your body like an age-defying expert.

1. Neck

That fast-aging facial skin? It doesn't stop at your chin! In fact, the skin on your neck is some of the thinnest on your body, making it incredibly vulnerable to dryness, sagging and even wrinkles. 

Prevent aging on your neck with the same age-defying products you use on your face. Or, invest in a multi-purpose cream like L'Oréal's Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Golden Balm For Face, Neck & Chest ($13.99, Target), which targets thinned skin from the chest up. Talk about efficient! 

2. Hands

Hands do a ton for us, so shouldn't we be returning the favor? With delicate skin and tons of daily wear and tear, our hands need thorough protection to stay supple. Antioxidant-filled hand creams can protect your collagen from damage-inducing sun exposure, while retinol-rich varieties promise to repair. But when it comes to hands, even creams that are simply ultra-nourishing can make all the difference, as hydration can keep the skin on your hands from becoming dry, cracked and loosened. 

Get pampered with Burt's Bees Naturally Ageless Skin Smoothing Hand Cream ($11.99, Drugstore.com), which boasts antioxidant-rich pomegranate oil as one of its ingredients.

3. Legs

Cellulite is nothing to be ashamed of—it isn't dangerous, it's incredibly common and it can appear no matter what your weight is. But if you're still not about the bumps, aging skin won't help. While no product can guarantee to prevent cellulite, your chances of acquiring it increase with age and anti-aging ingredients can definitely delay the process. Prevent dimpling by getting into the habit of applying a hydrating, collagen-building and firming lotion. The best ones contain caffeine, which stimulates your skin and leads to temporary tightening, or co-enzyme Q10, which is well-regarded as a smoothing and toning tool. And while these products won't cure cellulite that's already sprung up, they'll work to temporarily smooth and lessen dimple definition. 

We love Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Firming Skin Butter ($7.49, Walgreens) for it's chocolate-y scent, luxurious feel and the rave reviews its received. Complete with Q10, it's a lotion that's hard to beat!

4. Feet

Dry, flaky feet are a total nuisance—if you've ever struggled with an impossible dryness-induced foot itch that you can't scratch because it tickles too badly, you'll feel our pain. Moisturizing is key to keeping those toes happy. Cracks can be prevented with daily hydration, and the posy-pink bottle of Soap & Glory's incredible Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream ($10, Beauty.com) packs a punch with deeply enriching macadamia oil.

Another surefire sign of aging are calluses. But you can officially say goodbye with the help of products containing alpha hydroxy acid, which fights skin buildup for smooth (and properly shaped!) feet. Try Miss Oops Pedicure in a Bottle ($18, Missoops.com).

5. Everywhere!

Okay, so we may have tricked you. There aren't just a few areas that need anti-aging protection—your whole body needs it! But if you're traumatized by the thought of different products for each and every skin category, don't fret. There's one quick and easy solution for intense aging prevention—sunscreen! Whether you're headed to the beach in the middle of August or about to descend the slopes at your favorite winter ski resort, sunscreen is a must. Anytime you face the possibility of sun exposure (so, everyday) you need to slap on some SPF. It's your number one shield from UV radiation, which we all know wreaks havoc on our skin, and prevents the collagen damage that leads to sags, wrinkles and dark spots. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, sunscreen has got your back for it all. Spritz on some L'Oréal Paris Advanced Suncare Quick Dry Sheer Finish Spray ($7.97, Walmart) for a formula that dries almost instantly and keeps your skin replenished with antioxidants all day long. 

So stop spoiling just your face and take a dip into the fountain of youth—you and your body deserve it.

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.

1. Make a college packing list

2. Find affordable transportation

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.

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! 

3. Don’t forget your travel essentials 

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.

4. Bring your BFF—or your mom

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!

5. Sit back and relax

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 legroom you need, so why not take a power nap before the craziness of welcome week begins?

6. Get some noms

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?!

7. Enjoy the view

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.

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

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

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

2. Put soda can tabs on your hangers

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

3. Hang your shoes

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

4. Keep your pens in check

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

5. Store your jewelry in style

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

6. Turn your dorm into a salon

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

7. Lose the cords

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

8. File your notebooks

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

9. Find the perfect laundry hamper

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

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

The first week of college is full of opportunities to meet new friends (and SOs!). You’re entering a social scene where you know few (if any) people, and that means the dating pool is a whole new ballgame. From the vast number of guys you’ll meet during orientation week or first week of classes, you’ll probably find a few who pique your interest. But before you go wild with the new selection of guys and girls at your disposal, beware of these love don’ts that many freshmen commit during their first few weeks at college, and remember these love do’s so you can make the most of your college dating experience!

DON’T Get too Serious About the First Person You Meet

You met a cute guy or girl! Now you’re wondering when he or she will text you back, what he’s doing this weekend, and if the two of you will end up dating… but hold up! While being open to a relationship is a good outlook to have, remember that you’re only one week into college. Is your new crush really that amazing, or are you attached to the idea of security and familiarity that comes with being in a relationship?

If you do feel a real connection, that’s great! Continue dating or hanging out (or whatever you want to call it), but Adam LoDolce, dating coach and Founder of Sexy Confidence, says that you shouldn’t close yourself off to other options too soon, even if you’ve hooked up. “You've just been introduced to a whole new world—you’ll limit yourself if you settle down too quickly,” he says. There are plenty of people on campus you haven’t met yet, and college is a time to develop and explore multiple relationships—not just the first one you establish.

If you realize that you’re only attracted to the idea of this guy, then tone it down. You can stay in touch and remain friends with him, but give yourself some distance and time to get to know other people. Even at smaller colleges, you’ll be meeting new people all the time, so don’t feel compelled to attach yourself to the first guy who catches your eye.

DO Say Yes to Actual Dates

Yes, real dating does exist in college! “When a guy you may be interested in asks you out on a date (like, actually asks, ‘Do you want to go out to dinner?’ or, ‘Can I take you on a date?’), say YES,” says Marni Battista, founder of Dating With Dignity. She recommends girls accept the gesture over more common dating techniques in college, such as the casual party invite (because, for all you know, the guy could have texted many girls the same thing). When a guy tries to get to know you on a personal level (outside the party scene), it shows genuine interest that likely goes beyond physical attraction.

However, be cautious and sensible when dating new people. “Make sure you know the guy you’ve agreed to go on a date with, and make sure the place you’re going is near other people and not too far from home,” Battista says.

DON’T Compare Your Love Life to Your New Friends’

Is your roommate staying home every night to talk to her boyfriend? Or are a group of your new, single friends on the hunt for flings? It can be tempting to seek an active love life if everyone else is, but remember that you’re responsible for shaping your own college experience, and you should do whatever is best for you.

“Peer pressure is the name of the game, so don’t fall for it and stand your ground,” says Battista. It’s perfectly fine to move at your own pace when dating or choose not to date at all. Socialize in a way that you are comfortable with, for your own reasons and on your own timeline. Incoming freshmen hail from all backgrounds, so don’t feel pressured to copy someone else’s lifestyle.

If you’re feeling down because your friends all had a crazier night than you during Welcome Week, Battista says, “Trust that the amount of regret and/or hangover you’ll be feeling tomorrow will be minimal compared to your friends.”

DO Set Clear Boundaries

The first week of college is unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean your hook-ups have to be. Don’t think you have to push the boundaries of what you’re comfortable with just because other people in college have more experience than you, or you think it’s “what everyone does in college.”

“People (especially men) are testing the boundaries of what they can get away with. Your job is to set your boundaries and establish a personal comfort zone with the other sex,” Battista says. So before you even put yourself in a hook-up situation, set your boundaries so you can clearly express them to a guy when you’re in the moment.

“If you don't want to go too far physically, let your guy know your limits in advance,” says Briana Morgan, a senior at Georgia College. In your normal state of mind, this sounds manageable. However, many college hook-ups begin at parties where alcohol is involved, and that affects how articulate you are. If you plan to drink, do so responsibly, because too much alcohol can also impair your judgment and compromise the boundaries you set earlier.

DON’T Expect a Relationship From a Random Hook-up

So you ended up going home with the hot guy or girl you were flirting with all night—score! But a few days have passed and he or she still hasn’t contacted you. What gives?

We hate to break it to you, but maybe your hook-up was just that: a hook-up.

The college dating scene is no stranger to miscommunication (and straight-up players), so prepare yourself mentally and emotionally if you do decide to hook up (being physically safe is a given). If the idea of a no-strings-attached hook-up doesn’t sit well with you, don’t hook up. Nothing can ruin your arrival at college like being depressed over a crush (we’ve been there!). The post-hook-up lull is distracting and can discourage you from putting yourself out there again to meet people who are actually worth your time.

Briana Morgan, a recent graduate of Georgia College, says, “If you're interested in more than just hooking up, make that clear from the beginning.” By being clear and upfront about your intentions, you’re saving yourself time, effort, and potential heartbreak.

DO Make Yourself Approachable

It’s kind of hard to get someone’s attention (let alone flirt!) if he or she is glued to his phone. You wouldn’t want someone to close himself or herself off like that, so return the favor and leave your phone in your purse when you’re in a social environment. If you’re always looking at your phone screen, you aren’t able to use one of the easiest ways to break the ice: eye contact! Without a distracting screen in front of you, you’re more likely to be aware of your surroundings and make a connection with someone. “If I could go back now and repeat orientation, I would make sure I wasn't on my phone texting all the time. It probably turned a lot of people off,” says Shira Kipnees, a senior at Franklin & Marshall.

Another way to make yourself approachable is to break free from your girl posse. A large group of girls can be intimidating to approach, so occasionally stray away to give that cute guy a chance to talk to you!

DON’T Cling to Your High School SO

In the first few weeks of college, a long-distance SO can be both a gift and a curse. On one hand, he or she acts as a source of security while you’re far away from friends and family. On the other, he or she can prevent you from seeking other opportunities to socialize. “One mistake that I learned from my freshman year was that I spent a good part of orientation texting my boyfriend or Skyping him or talking to him on the phone,” says Shira.

Even though you’re not pursuing other guys, a high school sweetheart can still limit you in areas outside of the dating world. Shira says even though she did make great friends when she started college, it took time because she was really shy. Instead of getting out of her comfort zone to make friends, she would turn to her SO.

Our best advice for balancing a long-distance relationship and college life is to accept that you will be uncomfortable when you don’t know many people yet—but you shouldn’t use this as a reason to retreat to your beau. In fact, embrace your independence! It means you’re making yourself available for new experiences and new friends. Sure, texting your boyfriend is a safer option, but do you really want your college experience to be the same as high school?

DO Make Some Platonic Friends

Remember that not every acquaintance has to be in the running to be your next SO. Learn to appreciate the company of people as they are, not based on a “boyfriend material” checklist. And, who knows—if it’s really meant to be, maybe a “friends first” situation can eventually turn into something more!

Caleb Frank, a senior at Kansas State University, says that guys look for a female friend who they can talk to and trust. “She needs to be somebody who is fun and energetic,” he says. He adds that it doesn’t hurt if the girl is willing to be a wingwoman for her guy friend. (Besides, isn’t that what all good friends do?)

The first year of college is a great time to establish those lasting friendships. Soniya Shah, a senior at Carnegie Mellon University, says, “Do take advantage of everyone being so friendly! This is a great time to meet as many people as you can, whether it's in the dining halls, at orientation activities or just around the dorms.” LoDolce suggests that you try and talk to at least five new people per day. The more people you meet, the better your chances at finding that go-to friend!

DON’T Put Dating Before Schoolwork

It’s easy to get carried away in the fun, new dating scene of college, but remember the main reason you’re at college: to get an education! It may seem like easy sailing at first when your classes haven’t really gotten difficult yet, you’re going to parties multiple times a week, and you’re meeting new guys, but as soon as your first exam or major assignment pops up, you’re going to wish you had adopted a better work/fun balance. It’s fine to enjoy yourself on the weekends—just make sure it is not cutting into your study time!

The first week of college is a scary and exciting time for all freshmen, so we hope these do’s and don’ts will make navigating the college dating scene easier. If you do find yourself in a dating disaster, know that it will eventually pass and that there will be plenty of other campus cuties to pursue. So best of luck on your search, collegiettes, and above all else: have fun and stay safe!

No friend group would be complete without someone who is just as goofy as she is fierce. That’s where the bomb.com Hanna Marin comes in! Her wardrobe gives the clueless Cher a run for her money and her sassy one-liners let us know her smarts are highly underestimated. With a dreamy beau at her side, a killer stare that could turn anyone to stone and a kicka** attitude, this pretty little liar is a force to be reckoned with.

Hanna’s head may be in the clouds more than the books (sooo she’s no Spencer Hastings) and she’s probably not getting down and dirty (okay, not an Emily Fields either). But there’s plenty to appreciate about this fashionista (shall we say, Aria Montgomery-esque). You just may be the Hanna Marin of your friends if you’re the life of the party who always has something snappy to say! These 22 signs will let you know for sure, but read carefully! There can only be one Hanna in the group and we wouldn’t want that precious title being thrown around loosely!                                                                                                              

1. You can’t help but speak before you think

A case of word vomit, perhaps?

2. You tend to put your own spin on a classic saying

3. Hitting the books is not really your thing

4. But you’re much smarter than you let on

5. Which explains why your witty one-liners pack a mean punch!

That one will definitely sting in the morning!

6. You never underestimate the power of a good pair of heels

7. In your eyes, any occasion is an opportunity for you to look your best

8. So your every move is calculated when it comes to your fashion choices

Erm, isn't that like the point of Pinterest anyway?

9. You always speak your mind

10. You and your cellphone are attached at the hip

11. But not as attached as you are to your beau

#Halebforever #relationshipgoals

12. You do NOT play when it comes to your girls

13. And you hate to be left out

14. Your mom is most definitely your rock

15. Your sass is always written all over your face

And so is your excitement:

16. You have your not-so-bright moments

17. And you have your fair share of insecurities

18. But you’ve completely transformed yourself into a total "it girl"

19. You’re not afraid to tear it up on the dance floor

20. Caffeine practically runs through your veins

21. And there’s never a dull moment when a bombshell like you is around

Shall we say life of the party?

22. Basically, you’re the total package!

Beauty, brains, personality and all! 

Things have changed a lot for Zooey Deschanel in the past year. She and her then-boyfriend Jacob Pechenik started dating in August 2014, only to announce the actress'pregnancy in January. Within weeks of this exciting baby news, the couple also got engaged!

Zooey gave birth to a baby girl on August 3rd, her PR rep told Entertainment Tonight. As for the wedding, it was a top secret ceremony, so we don't get to swoon over the dress or the venue. Boo!

In other news, Zooey's movie Rock the Kasbah, produced by her new husband (that's how they met!) and co-starring Bill Murray, Bruce Willis and Kate Hudson, is set to hit theaters this October. Watch the trailer for this improbable comedy below.

We are so excited for Zooey—congrats to the happy family!