Starting college can feel like a whirlwind: getting new class schedules, meeting new friends, getting used to a roommate, figuring out your meal plan…the list goes on and on! Luckily, most schools have an orientation program to help you through the transition into college and teach you the basics to survive freshman year.

While your school’s orientation may be awesome, there are certain things that you won’t learn until you actually dive into college life. We’ve asked real collegiettes about things they wish they knew as freshmen to help make your life easier!

1. Get off campus and explore

It’s possible you’re still getting a little lost on campus (where’s the library again?), but take advantage of your school’s surrounding area as soon as you can.

“At orientation, I wish I would have learned about how much there is to do in the town surrounding [my] campus,” says Caitlin Duncan, a junior at University of New Haven. “It took me an entire semester to finally get off campus and explore, and I regretted not [doing] it sooner!”

Do a quick Google search or ask your RA about that cool sushi place downtown or check out a street food fair in the city. College is not only about making a campus a home, but also stepping outside your comfort zone and adventuring to new places.

Want to get off campus but don’t have a car? Research public transportation in your area or see if your school provides a shuttle service. “I learned how to take the city bus and that got me everywhere freshman year,” Caitlin says. “A lot of schools also have shuttles that take [students] to areas of interest off campus for free! It’s definitely a good idea to learn about transportation around [your school].”

Of course it’s important to learn how to get from your classes to the dining hall and back to your dorm, but don’t be confined to campus for too long. There are a lot of great things nearby so go out and explore!

2. Go out on weeknights occasionally

We’re not saying you should blow off all your studies to go to a party on a Tuesday, but every once in a while it’s okay to go out during the week. After all, when else will you ever partake in weeknight three-dollar drink specials and not be judged for it?

“Understand that not all schools party on the same night,” says Iris Goldsztajn, a senior at University of California, Los Angeles. “When I was a freshman, I assumed that things would be the busiest on Friday and Saturday nights, but it turns out that Thursdays and random week nights from time to time are the big party nights at UCLA!”

So when your 8:30 p.m. class gets cancelled or St. Patty’s Day falls on a Monday, get your work done and head to the party. Your schoolwork should always come first, but it’s fine to have a little fun during the week every once in a while.

3. Do your laundry at night

Make your mom proud and actually learn how to do your laundry. Trust us, you will run out of socks and your sheets will get smelly eventually, so it’s better visit the laundry room at least once a week to avoid cluttering your room with dirty clothes.

To make laundry day more bearable, take it from Krista Jaworski, a junior at St. Joseph’s University, and do your laundry at night. “I always go late at night because I’m up and it’s usually empty,” she says. “You can do multiple loads at a time too. Just make sure you set an alarm so you know when it’s done!”

Be sure to stock up on quarters (if your laundry machines take them) and detergent. If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to do multiple loads, wash everything on cold. “Sometimes I just want to do one load and be done,” Krista says. “So I don’t separate my darks and lights and just wash everything on cold. That way the colors don’t bleed.”

If you know you usually stay up until midnight every Wednesday, do your laundry around 10 p.m. the same day. You can finish your work while everything washes and dries; multitasking at its finest!

4. Hit the gym in the morning or early afternoon

You’re super excited to start on your school year fitness goals only to get to the gym and realize that every machine is taken. By the time you actually on the treadmill, you have 15 minutes before you have to go to class. Talk about annoying.

It’s great the students want to utilize their schools’ facilities, but crowded gyms can really kill our patience. The trick is to hit the gym when the time is right to guarantee a full workout.

“The time to go to the gym is between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.,” says Elodie Jean-Philippe a junior at Duke University. “People usually have class during those times.”

You can also opt for a later dinner and go to the gym during prime dining hall time. It may take a couple weeks to figure out when most people are too busy to workout, but eventually you’ll figure out when the gym is the least crowded If you’re new to gym equipment, make sure you make an appointment with an on-campus trainer. They will walk you through how to work out safely and effectively on the machines!

5. Actually meet your professors

You’ve probably heard this tip a million times, but getting to know your professors actually helps in the long run. Not only will you do better in class, but you might also make long lasting connections with them.

“Take advantage of you professors’ office hours!” says Lindsay Fuce, a sophomore at Gordon College. “Even if you just go to introduce yourself, they’ll appreciate making the face-to-face contact.”

Especially if you go to a school with large class sizes, it’s important to get to know your professors. You never know when you’ll need help with an assignment or a recommendation for an internship. Plus, professors have a wealth of knowledge and understanding of college life. They can be great resources as you go through your four years.

“I’ve really loved my professors so far,” Krista says. “I never thought I would become close to any of them, but they’re really cool people and have helped me a lot.”

So when your professor mentions his or her office hours, make a note. Showing up for a quick conversation can go a long way.

6. Get to know your library  

Every school’s library is different, but there are certain secrets that seasoned collegiettes know. You will study in your library at least once, so make sure you know what’s up.

“One day when you don’t have study, go to the library and just explore,” says Deanna Manniello, a recent graduate from Villanova University. “Figure out where the outlets are. Find the quiet spots early in the semester and do some research about cool amenities, like being able to reserve a classroom or rent out a charger.”

You’ll find that people flock to the library during midterms and finals, but if you go throughout the semester or scope it out a few times, you’ll know to make a beeline to the second floor to grab a comfy chair or that there are writing tutors available to proofread your paper. It’ll make your studying way more enjoyable if you know your way around the library!

Whether it’s when to hit the gym or tips for getting off campus, there are some things that you won’t learn at orientation. But if you keep these six pieces of advice in mind, you’ll be rocking your freshman year in no time!

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 contend with finding all your new classes…

4. …and probably wandering into a wrong classroom or two.

5. After months of idleness, you’ll suddenly be forced to listen to lectures and take notes again,

6. and all those syllabuses 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. Though you’ll probably settle into a routine within a couple of weeks,

facing a little beginning-of-the-semester craziness is almost inevitable.

Gun control is, to say the least, a seriously hot button issue in today's political arena. It seems that both sides of the argument can never seem to find a point of compromise. But gun control advocates are about to get some serious star power backing their efforts, in the form of hugely popular comedian Amy Schumer. Schumer recently joined in the debate a mass shooting last month killed three people in a Louisiana movie theater during a screening of Schumer's new film Trainwreck. The event marked the second incident in the past five years of a mass murder in a movie theater setting (the Aurora, CO shooting that killed 12 people and injured 70 happened in 2012). Schumer and the film's director, Judd Apatow, both expressed their horror at this latest shooting incident, but it was an open letter from Sara Clements (whose mother managed to survive the Sandy Hook massacre) that prompted Schumer to take serious action. 

Schumer is teaming up with her cousin, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, to help bring forth a new three-tiered gun control public initiative. Unlike previous attempts at legislative action, this plan will focus mainly on background checks and mental health screenings, which are among the first many blame when mass shootings like the ones in Louisiana and Colorado occur (a majority of such attacks were attributed to mentally unstable or dangerous perpetrators gaining access to firearms when they shouldn't have been able to under current laws). The two Schumers will also urge the Department of Justice to require states to release info regarding how they handle "involuntary mental health commitments." 

Amy Schumer has never been afraid to say what so desperately needs to be said, and she doesn't draw the line at even something as controversial as gun control. We admire her determination and wish her and Sen. Schumer the best of luck, because these types of senseless attacks cannot and should not continue happening. 

Between the #DoItForTheInsta trend and throwing it back every Thursday, it’s no secret that we spend a great deal of time on social media. But how much is too much? We talked to experts and collegiettes about the pros and cons of unplugging, to help you figure out if you should deactivate those accounts for good.

Why you should disconnect

Social media can be distracting

Spending time browsing your newsfeed can distract you from getting that paper written—shocking, we know. “Because they’re tailored to our interests and there’s always something new that will interest us, it can be hard to focus on things we have to do that are not that immediately fascinating,” says Joanne Cantor, Ph.D., the Outreach Director of the Center for Communication Research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

It’s happened to all of us—we sit down to work on an assignment, check our Facebook and, before we know it, it’s 2 a.m. and we have yet to open a Word doc. But are social media the problem, or would we just find other ways to procrastinate without them? For Lindy Olive, a senior at Auburn University, the answer is clear. “I have personally deactivated my Twitter and Facebook a number of times,” Lindy says. “I believe I have more productive and positive days when I am not on social media. I don't feel the need to have my phone glued to my hand and refresh the page over and over again.”

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, agrees that our social media habit deters us from dealing with more important things. “It can be very time-consuming, and pull students off of essential work or even the time needed to avail themselves of other opportunities,” Dr. Ramani says. So next time you don’t feel like doing your homework, go for a walk or talk to a friend—you will feel much more rewarded and ready to take on whatever school threw your way this time.

They can’t replace a real interaction

Why do we use social media when we’re hanging out with our friends? None of us truly have an answer, yet we know intuitively that we should really put our phones down for the length of that fro-yo date. “Social media can sometimes interfere with face-to-face interactions,” Cantor says. “You either don’t seek them out, or you keep looking down at your iPhone while having a face-to-face interaction, which really diminishes the connection.”

So, what happens if we compromise the quality of our interactions? Simply put, we miss out on many of the benefits that come with having a meaningful conversation. “Face-to-face interactions have benefits that electronic connections can’t have,” Cantor explains. For instance, a friend’s smile can actually make us feel better. As for body language and shows of affection (like hugs), which obviously don’t come through on social media, they enrich our relationships in a way that staring at a computer (or smartphone or tablet—we see you) never will. And in the long run? “Research shows that a few close relationships are much more likely to lead to happiness than many superficial relationships,” Cantor adds.

Obviously, social media aren’t all about below-average interactions; there’s also the stalking. For Dr. Ramani, “it is like ‘artificial sweetener’—it is not a meaningful substitute for the real thing. It allows a manufactured look into only a sliver of the life of others, and does not give us the deep, holistic, and authentic connection that is needed (rather than just a superficial one).”

Ingrid Marquardt, a senior at Boston College, definitely reaped the benefits of disconnecting when she went on a service trip to Appalachia. “We weren't allowed to/[were] highly encouraged to not use our social media,” Ingrid says. “I ended up getting to know the people in my group a million times better—we're still close to this day! I don't know if I can attribute how close everyone got to the [lack of phones] on its own, but it was a contributing factor.”

But unfortunately, Facebook-stalking and substituting online conversations for physical ones are not the only ways that social networks can harm our relationships. “Finally, it has turned all of us into a ‘brand,’” Dr. Ramani says. “Social media often results in people commodifying themselves—trying to sell their point of view, lifestyle, whatever—it is a very one-way method of communication and lacks the reciprocity and mutuality that close relationships require.” When does the list end?

They are full of negativity

By now, you’ve probably heard about how social media can hurt your mental health. You might have experienced it yourself—when your Instagram picture doesn’t hit 11 likes fast enough or you see pictures of your ex with a new girl. Lindy certainly did. “I deleted [my accounts] just because I realized how much junk and negativity is poured out from social media,” she says. “If you haven't deactivated your accounts before, you should give it a try. It brings awareness to how much time you spend on social media and how much it can actually affect your life.”

Lindy is right; the consequences are very real. “There are also phenomena like FOMO and social comparison which can often result in decrements in self-esteem, anxiety, and self-doubt,” Dr. Ramani says. So not only can you waste a ton of time and compromise your friendships, but you can also end up feeling much worse about yourself after working your way through all of that girl from camp’s pictures one too many times.

How to do it

So we just scared you a little bit, and you want to give disconnecting a try. But how do you go about it? For Cantor, “how difficult it is certainly depends on the person and how she uses it. The more ingrained the habit, the harder it should be to break.”

So if it’s going to be that difficult, is it even worth it? Elissa Sanci, a senior at the University of New Haven, thinks so. “Last summer, I went a week without using Instagram,” Elissa says. “Overall, I found the experience to be really great. It was hard at first, but worth it in the end.”

Put things in perspective

For Jadaia Wyatt, a sophomore at Old Dominion University, realizing that detaching from social media isn’t the end of the world after all really helped her put things in perspective. “As hard as it seems to us [tech-savvy] teens, it was actually VERY refreshing for me,” Jadaia says. “Over the course of that weekend, I learned that it's okay to not have to tell the world your every move or keep up with everything Kim K. is doing. I finally took some time to do the things I enjoy and was completely fine with not checking my Snapchat or Twitter.”

So if you take time to notice what you actually do on social media, you might realize that they are not as indispensable as you think—and it will be that much easier to take some time off.

Ask your friends for help

If you want to disconnect temporarily but don’t trust yourself to stick with it, try this awesome trick from Kasia Jaworski, a recent Villanova University graduate. “I didn't fully deactivate my Facebook, but during finals one year, I had my friend change my password and delete the app off my phone,” Kasia says. Why didn’t we think of that?

Set limits for yourself

Dr. Ramani believes that we spend way too much time online and says that “people should study in Wi-Fi-free zones, disable their accounts during crunch times, and be sure they strive to real face time instead of pseudo-time via likes and retweets.”

Obviously you don’t need to drop off the face of the (virtual) Earth, but considerably reducing your social media use might be just the change you need. “I am naïve if I think people will unplug entirely, especially young people, so setting limits may be more realistic,” Dr. Ramani admits. This might involve “having only set times you check it, disabling it from your phone, making deliberate efforts to spend real time with people. And having digital detox periods of 24 to 72 hours or longer.” Whatever works for you!

For Cantor, finding the right balance is key. “I’m not sure I would recommend detaching totally, but I would recommend making sure that time on social media is sufficiently limited so that it doesn’t interfere with work, study, or interpersonal relationships,” she says.

Choose which accounts to deactivate

Sometimes the problem can be a certain platform, not social media as a whole. “Last summer I deactivated my Twitter account for three months and then reactivated it again when I joined the Her Campus team,” says Kasey Overgaard, a senior and campus correspondent for HC at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. “After my time off of Twitter I actually saw a huge difference. I rarely ever use it or look at it anymore, and I feel a lot less disconnected from the world and people around me.”

Although Kasey had a great experience breaking away from Twitter, the same didn’t work nearly as well with other platforms. “I recently tried to quit Facebook and Instagram for a while, but have failed miserably so far,” Kasey says. “The week that I did succeed at avoiding my Facebook and Instagram I didn't feel much of a difference, but a week isn't a very long time. I kind of feel like since I don't use Facebook and Instagram that much, it's not a big deal or problem.” So figure out which channels are hindering you from being your best self, and try deactivating just those ones. Results guaranteed!

Go cold turkey

So you just read all of that, and you still want to disconnect all the way. If you think it’s best for you, you should absolutely do it! For Lindy, “quitting cold turkey works very well for social media. You'll eventually forget about it and feel sorry for everyone walking around with their phones glued to their hands. It's kind of liberating that way, really.”

She makes it sound so simple, but is it really? Apparently, it is! “The only thing I really had a problem with was just getting out of the habit of typing the word Facebook in the address bar when I got on the computer,” Lindy explains. “After you deactivate the account, erase social media websites from your browser history or obviously delete the app. That way when you try to type it in and it doesn't immediately appear, you'll have a quick reminder that you deactivated it. When [the URL and your login information] are already saved in your browser history, it makes the habit hard to quit because it's so easy to get back on.”

Basically, if you’re serious about disconnecting, you need to get rid of anything that will make it more difficult for you, and you’ll be good to go!

The benefits of social media

Of course, social media aren’t all bad. “There are too many benefits to list,” Cantor says. “Social media help us stay in touch with people who are too far away to see personally and/or too busy to interrupt. And we can get much more up-to-date information about people, places, things, movements that we’re interested in. There can be emotional benefits of feeling connected to friends and family, and cognitive benefits of hearing about issues that concern you.”

If you’re thinking of deactivating your accounts, Kasia suggests that you either do it permanently or not at all, because reactivating can be stressful, but she also sees plenty of advantages to social media. “[Deactivating] was good because it helped me focus during exams more, but I was BOMBARDED with notifications when I went back on,” Kasia says. “I personally like having social media to keep in touch with people and see what they're up to. So when I didn't have it and then got back on, I felt like I had missed a lot, considering some of my high school friends and I exclusively interact on these sites.” So if you’re not online 24/7, staying active on Facebook and Instagram can be a welcome addition to your life, much more than a problem.

When it comes to laying off social media, there is no right answer. If you decide to disconnect, it will be much easier than you think with these tips! But if you don’t feel the need to get rid of that Twitter profile or Snapchat account... we'll just put it this way: moderation is key!

Are you a high school student looking for a new amazing opportunity? You’re in luck—the Her Campus High School Ambassador Program is now accepting applications! If you are interested in journalism, digital media, marketing, public relations or writing, this position is perfect you.

Being an ambassador has so many perks—like gaining valuable work experience and making awesome new friends, to name a few. Need more convincing? Read on for 7 reasons why you should apply to be a Her Campus High School Ambassador now!

1. The assignments are totally manageable

Assignments are given on a weekly basis. Typically, they are assigned Monday morning and are due the following Sunday night. All of the assignments can be handled by any pre-collegiette and can be completed with ample time to spare within the week. You can even reach out to other members of the High School Ambassador program if you need help. Plus, once you’re finished you’ll have some fantastic new clips to add to your portfolio!

2. You'll be part of an amazing network and meet tons of other brilliant teens 

The High School Ambassador program consists of high school students from all over the globe. Whether you chat in the Facebook group or you end up peer editing each other’s work, you are guaranteed to meet teens who are hardworking, focused and ambitious just like you. The program’s Facebook group is a great way to keep connected, to share your ideas and thoughts, or even to ask for help with your assignments. You’ll become part of an incredible and supportive community (and you’ll all totally like each other’s HC-related social media posts, of course).

3. You will be exposed to even more opportunities beyond Her Campus

With the wide variety of connections and partnerships within the Her Campus community, you will be exposed to so many exclusive opportunities. For example, in the past, ambassadors have been offered the chance to join Keds online fashion community. Fashionistas were selected to work with Keds to inspire new styles and exchange opinions. Being an ambassador will open up doors that will provide you with these kinds of exclusive opportunities and help you achieve your professional goals.

4. It looks awesome on your resume

Mentioning that you were an ambassador for the #1 global community for college women will certainly give your resume a boost! College admissions officers, internship hiring managers and potential employers will all be impressed to see that you have gained professional experience in your field of interest prior to graduating high school. And when you list all of the skills you’ve acquired through your position as a High School Ambassador, your resume will definitely stand out from the rest!  

5. The skills you learn are beneficial and practical

The program covers areas such as marketing, journalism, writing, editing, blogging, public relations and design. These areas are crucial to thrive not just in the media, but in any industry! It’s not often that students are able to obtain these skills as early as high school, so take advantage of this opportunity while you can. Past assignments for this program have included writing articles, developing marketing plans and pitching product ideas. The assignments are practical and will provide you with relevant and meaningful experience. So when you get your first college internship, you’ll already have all of these skills up your sleeve!

6. You're eligible for discounts at Her Campus conferences

Whether it’s Her Conference or Her Conference: High School, if you're a High School Ambassador, you can bank on discounted tickets. Plus, you'll get the chance to meet all of the people you've been chatting with in the Facebook group IRL! You’re welcome.

7. You'll be a part of a company that has been recognized by Glamour, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Lucky, Cosmopolitan, Business Insider and so many other prominent publications.

That’s right, Her Campus has been recognized by all of these famous media outlets and then some. Her Campus was even ranked as one of the best 100 websites for women in 2013. This global community has over 6,000 contributors and over 250 campus chapters around the country (and in the U.K. and Brazil!). Her Campus is growing and expanding every single day—and you have a chance to be a part of that.

The High School Ambassador application closes on September 1, 2015. Be sure to submit your application, and spread the word to your friends and peers! We are so excited to meet our ambassadors for the 2015-2016 school year. Good luck, pre-collegiettes!

You’ve likely heard Ronda Rousey’s name a lot over the past few days. After all, the UFC fighter did beat Bethe Correia in just 34 seconds at UFC 190 over the weekend, returning the “don’t cry” barb her trash-talking opponent had walloped her way before the match even started.

And while the powerhouse is still riding out her victory, she’s got something else to celebrate: a starring role in her very own biopic. Because who better to reenact some of her most infamous fights than Rousey herself?

The film will be based on Rousey’s New York Times best-selling book, My Fight/Your Fight. Her meteoric rise to fame is the focus of her autobiography, but few specifics are known about what details will make it into the movie. What we do know is there’s plenty to tell, from starting out as the youngest competitor of her kind to earn a spot in the 2004 Olympics in Athens to becoming a worldwide sensation just a decade later in a largely male-dominated sports landscape.

You don’t have to worry about Rousey’s acting skills either. She’s already had scene-stealing roles in The Expendables 3, Entourage and Furious 7, and is set to star in the upcoming action-thriller Mile 22. So while some are already dubbing her the female Rock, we’re pretty sure this fighter is beyond compare.  

Are you eager to see Ronda Rousey star in her own biopic, collegiettes?

It’s August, and the number one thing on all of our minds is going back to school. We’re already thinking about acing our classes, scoring that amazing internship and impressing the cutie in our English Lit class. In order to do all of this, though, we’re going to need some awesome new clothes. While purchasing a whole new wardrobe may seem like an impossible fantasy, one lucky collegiette will have her dream come true!

We’re teaming up with South Moon Underto give away a $500 shopping spree! You can redeem your prize online or at any of the 24 South Moon Under  locations on the East Coast. As a bonus, South Moon Underis throwing in a ton of other prizes to help you prepare for Back to School 2015.

The full list of prizes includes a $500 shopping spree at South Moon Under a S’well 25 oz. Sparkling Champagne water bottle, metallic temporary tattoos from Flash Tattoos, a Herschel chambray backpack, five packs of hair ties from Kitsch, Ban.do ‘I am very busy’ agenda, pens and file folder, Aid Through Trade beaded bracelets, a Rifle Paper notepad and weekly desk calendar and portable chargers from Free People.

Enter to win the ultimate back to school giveaway right now! Happy shopping, collegiettes. 

After a few (very short) months of soaking up the sunshine, fall semester is almost upon us. Are you looking for the perfect way to end your summer before you head back to school this fall? Don’t worry, collegiettes—we’ve got you covered!

We are giving away two tickets to one of the summer’s most anticipated events: the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival. Located at the Jones Beach Theater in New York, this festival features 40+ artists including The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Skrillex, Nicki Minaj, Kygo, Lil Wayne, Jason Derulo, American Authors and more. This festival is two days long and will take place on three different stages throughout the venue.

Worried about who you’ll pick to come to the festival with you if you win? Don’t be! The rest of your friends can get their tickets to this two-day music-lover’s dream here.

Don’t wait to figure out how you’ll end your summer with a bang this year—enter to win your tickets to the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival now! 

Billboard Hot 100 Giveaway

Becky G is all about building up the suspense. When she posted this mysterious tweet a few days ago, her fans were decidedly thrown off.

Most assumed that she would be releasing an album or, better yet, marrying Austin Mahone. But the "Shower" singer proved both of these (totally plausible!) theories wrong with this next clue.

The suspense was finally lifted when the show Empire's official Twitter offered this exciting update.

Becky G, who has already appeared on a handful of TV movies and shows—including Disney Channel's Austin & Ally—will guest-star on Empire's second season. In a short interview, the now-actress told HollywoodLife that she loved playing her character Valentina, a "feisty mean girl," because Becky is so not like that IRL.

We can't wait to meet Valentina on this second season, starting September 23rd!

College can get pretty stressful, and sometimes all you want to do after class is snuggle up in bed with your favorite show on Netflix. We picked our favorite loungewear items so that you can be cozy AND look cute for your date with Ian Somerhalder.

1. Bootcut Yoga Pants

These are yoga pant royalty ($35.95 at VS PINK). They are so flattering and so comfortable that you’ll never want to wear jeans ever again.

2. Talk Too Much PJ Set

Ward off the morning people and the Netflix detractors with this cute PJ set ($12.90 at Forever 21) that gets straight to the point.

3. Knit Sweater

This sweater ($39 at Brandy Melville) is the perfect balance of pretty and cozy, so you can come straight from class and curl up in front of a good movie.

4. Wool Slippers With Fur Pompoms

If there’s one thing you should invest in this fall, it’s these beautiful slippers ($115 at STYLEBOP). Your toes' comfort and sheer happiness is well worth the price.

5. Challis Sleep Pants

These jazzy pants ($14.99 at Target) are just what you need to get out of your plaid-PJ rut.

6. Caffeine Supply Eye Mask

This sleep mask ($16 at Forever 21) knows your soul.

7. Kimono

This kimono ($49.50 - $52 at Victoria’s Secret) is the definite proof that you can be comfy and sophisticated all at the same time.

8. Champagne Glasses Crew Socks

With socks like these ($6 at Nordstrom), nobody can blame you for staying in on a Friday night.

9. Monogrammed Quarter-Zip Sweatshirt

What’s better than a cozy sweater monogrammed with your initials ($34 at Etsy)? Not much, if you ask us.

We collegiettes love our Netflix time, but the right loungewear can make it SO much better. So snuggle up in one (or all!) of these pieces this fall and you’ll have the least stressful year ever—promise!

Today marks the 12th anniversary of The O.C.'s TV premiere. Where has the time gone?! But even more than a decade later, these characters are still the wisest teenagers (and parents!) ever. Here are just some of the lessons they taught us.

1. Food preferences matter

All great relationships are founded on a shared appreciation for Mexican food.

2. Always make time to exercise

Bonus points if your activity of choice is fun to say. Yogalates.

3. You don't have to be an adult all the time

Have fun, stay young!

4. Family is family

For better or for worse.

5. Sometimes, your parents are your best friends

They always want to help.

6. You don't have to stick to one holiday

Because you want your menorah AND your ugly Christmas sweaters.

7. In love, timing is everything

SO frustrating!

8. Be yourself

Because the right person will accept you just as you are.

9. Dream big

"If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough."

10. Own your actions

You're a boss, girl.

11. You can sleep when you're dead

"Caffeine. Need. Caffeine. NOBODY TALK TO ME."

12. Nobody messes with your music

Don't stop belieeevin'!

13. Perfect your elevator pitch

You never know who could land you your next internship.

14. Things will work out in the end

Preach it, Summer!

15. Ain't no romance like a bromance

...but also there is hope:

This could totally happen, okay?

What did The O.C. teach you, collegiettes?

As the summer winds down, all we can think about is how busy things are going to get soon with the arrival of fall semester. Between classes, extracurriculars and (ideally) a social life, our planners are packed already! But that definitely doesn’t mean that you should skip on your workout routine just to make sure everything else fits into your schedule.

It can be hard to find the time for both a cardio workout and a strength-training workout when you’ve got a ton of other commitments on your plate—so why not get both workouts out of the way at once? With this Women's Running workout, you’ll tone your upper body and get your cardio in for the day, all in 30 minutes or less. Sounds good to us! 

The town which harbors your college is a very important aspect of the college experience. It's the reason why every year around the same time, millions of families hop in their minivans and truck off to visit potential colleges. In fact, we're not sure we can remember anything else about senior year other than college visits...oh wait that's right, there was that whole SAT/ACT thing too...and lots of homework abandonment. Your college town says a lot about how epic or dreary college life will be for you. Is it in a major city with lots to do on the weekends, or smack dab in the middle of the boonies? Will you be afraid to venture out of your dorm room at night, or barely spend any time on campus at all? 

Well, Livability.com just released a ranking of what they perceive to be the 10 best college towns to live in, based on census data, the article editors' experiences, testimonies and the impact the college has on the town's culture. The top 10 towns (from last to first) are as follows:

10. Bowling Green, KY: Home to Western Kentucky University

9. Lincoln, NE: Home to University of Nebraska

8. Columbia, SC: Home to University of South Carolina

7. Gainsville, FL: Home to the University of Florida

6. Cambridge, MA: Home to Harvard, MIT and other smaller schools like the Hult International Business School and Lesley University

5. Denton, TX: Home to University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University

4. Berkeley, CA: Home to UC Berkeley

3. Columbia, MO: Home to University of Missouri

2. Durham, NC: Home to Duke University and North Carolina Central University

And most shocking of all, ranking in at number one is (drumroll please) Manhattan! Just not the one in New York...the one in Kansas. Dubbed by locals as "the Little Apple," it's home to the Kansas State University Wildcats. Cue up the "High School Musical" playlist por favor!

Most people reading this list might not have even heard of some of these towns before, but after checking out the full list of explanations here, I'm sure that you'll be itching to visit the next chance you get! 

Let’s be real: The only reason smartphones are cool is because they come with emojis. Sometimes these cute little pictures can say things better than words can, and we all feel accomplished when we have an entire conversation exclusively in emojis. While we all have our favorites (thumbs up, girl in red dress, pizza slice), there’s a whole world of emojis out there that we could be using. Here are the 10 most underrated emojis, what they mean and the perfect times to use them.

1. Straight lipped smiley

Otherwise known as “neutral” face, this is the perfect response when you’ve realized you studied for four hours for a test that’s actually next Wednesday. It’s also appropriate when your roommate tells you that she’s hooked up with her ex… for the third time.

2. Shadowy figures

As one of the creepier emojis, shadowy figures mean that you’re up to something sneaky. You can also throw it in when you spot your friend in a crowd and want to freak them out with an “I see you” text. And of course, it’s great shorthand for social-media-stalking your crush.

3. Preach hands

While we do use the preach hands often, we don’t use them nearly enough. Whether your friend tells you that the new Beyoncé song is killer or you’re going to Chipotle, the hallelujah hands are the perfect way to say “heck yeah.”

4. Cactus

This seemingly random emoji actually says a lot. You can use it when you’re feeling uncomfortable or awkward about a situation. Make a joke that no one friends funny? Awkward cactus. Getting hit on at the bar? Cactus = "SOS please save me." 

5. Flames

You're on FIRE. Not literally of course, but it’s great for when you’re killing the game or think something is extra hot. Ideal for when you ace your midterm, find the perfect dress for formal or have a conversation about Ryan Gosling.

6. French fries

You’re at the bar, your phone is dying and you want to suggest ordering late night food when you get home. Also good for when it’s that time of the month, and you’re really craving something salty. Until we get a taco or burrito emoji, the French fries emoji is a solid alternative to the overused pizza slice.

7. Red balloon

While it's perfect for Instagram collages for you friends’ birthdays, the free-spirited red balloon needs to be used more often. It’s ideal for when you’re kind of like “whatever” about something and just going with the flow. Plus it's just really cute and fun! 

8. Money with wings

Being broke is something we can all relate to, and now there’s a perfect emoji to express it. It’s a quick way to say that you spent too much money at the mall or remind your roomies that it’s time to pay rent. Bye, bye paycheck. 

9. COOL

As opposed to the thumbs up when we actually think something is cool, the COOL emoji is a sarcastic reply when we’re not down for something. Like when you’re forced to third wheel with your friend and her SO or when someone’s going to be late to your group project meeting again, you can always reply with a COOL.   

10. Copyright

For the times when you text something brilliant or think of an awesome new word, the copyright emoji gives you credit when you deserve it. It’s for when you want to leave your mark and let everyone know that you were the one to start the trend. You go, Glen Coco.

While we'll still use classic smiley face and pizza slice emojis, it's always good to change it up with the hundreds of emojis we have at our finger tips. Happy texting, collegiettes!

They say it takes 21 days to build a habit. In a mere three weeks, we simple humans can repeat a routine to the point of habituation—the most effortless form of behavior. But you can’t build a habit without first making a resolution. So here’s where it all starts: for the upcoming year of college, we’ve put together a list of nine back-to-school resolutions to get you started on your own list of to-dos. Seriously—follow our advice and your upcoming school year will be made in the shade. We can’t promise a date with Ryan Gosling by the end of September (especially now that he's going to be a dad), but we can promise you you’ll be handling a day planner like a champ.

Part 1: The Academic

1. Get to know your professors beyond introductions

Isn’t it remarkable that you spend upwards of five hours a week with each of your professors—more than some of your best friends—and yet all you know about them is their last name, preferred facial hair growth, and apparent preference for Diet Coke over the regular kind?

Building real relationships (please just not the romantic variant) with your professors starts with simply introducing yourself to them privately within the first couple days of class. From there, attend their office hours, ask questions in class, show up at their public lectures—display an interest in their work, and they’ll probably return the interest in your development as their student. Think of the research opportunities! Think about how much more inclined they’ll be to grant you that extension! Think, collegiettes, of how much more likely they’ll be to excuse that week-long absence when you were in Cabo in bed, sick with pneumonia.

2. Start keeping a day planner

As the saying goes: “The faintest ink is better than the best memory.” A day planner is the proverbial string around your finger, except a thousand times more effective than tying a string around your finger (seriously, who thought that was effective? What do you do if you can’t remember why there’s string around your finger? What if you can’t tie a knot with one hand? So many questions).

Mostly you just need a day planner so that you can be all, “One moment, darling. Let me just check my schedule,” the next time somebody asks you out. You can’t just go about frivolously accepting every coffee date and brunch engagement you’re invited to--you’re very in-demand, you know. Buy a planner and start acting like it. 

3. Make at least two friends in each of your classes

Here’s the thing: you need to stop being a loner in your classes, and you need to stop now. Loner is one little letter away from loser, and you are not that. Why did we stop making friends with everyone in our classes? Seriously—in second grade, you invited your entire class to your Backstreet Boy B-day Bash and it remains the wildest rager you’ve ever thrown. Why did those days have to end? Befriend a few people in each of your classes, and you won’t only be covered on things like missed notes, you can also have study parties, which is invariably the best way to study: in party format.

Oh, and let’s not forget the opportunity for commiseration. When you think you’re screwed for an upcoming final, nothing quite pacifies you like a quick call to a friend in your class to hear that she’s totally not prepared either (is that bad?).

4. Actually show up for morning lecture

We know all your excuses, and we don’t care. You were up late partying. You can just get the notes later from a friend. You don’t learn anything in this lecture anyway. An extra hour of sleep would just be so much more beneficial. Please—your attempts at reasoning away your morning lecture are more tired than you are.

Sure, you’re exhausted, but by skipping out on morning lecture, you’re only creating more work for yourself later, whether it be listening to a recording of the professor, thus adding taking notes to your workload, or scrambling at the last minute before an exam to make up that day’s material, which you just never got around to catching up on. Get up! Greet the day! (Grab some coffee!)

5. Get excited about learning!

A good education at a North American university is something we should be incredibly grateful for, not consider a task to be checked off on the to-do list of young adulthood. It sounds clichéd, but if you look for the excitement in learning, you’ll probably find it (buried under a few textbooks, probably, but it’s there). It’s all about perspective, and a fresh outlook on your studies will help you become reinvigorated by what you’re doing, not just its necessary role in carrying you to graduation.

Field trips didn’t have to go down with high school. Take your own trips outside the classroom to places relevant to your field. If you’re in an art history class, keep tabs on touring exhibitions and take a road trip to see one. If you’re in a law class, visit the court room and observe cases for an afternoon. A college education is a privilege; try not to forget that.

Part 2: The Social

6. Find a haunt

Hemingway had Les Deux Magots, Warhol had Studio 54. If you’re going to really be someone, you have to find yourself a haunt and frequent it more than you should. Go somewhere so often the employees know you by name—middle name, even. Spend so much time there that years from now when you tell stories about “the college days” or come back to your college town for a brief visit over a long weekend, you’ll refer to that place as your old “stomping ground” and wax poetic about this one incredible time you had there with that group of friends that one night November of junior year.

7. Revamp your nightlife

You know that corny magnet on your fridge that’s all, “Never settle for the ordinary!”? Actually start listening to it. Don’t settle for a mediocre social life. Just don’t do it. Mediocre social lives are for mediocre people, and you are most certainly not one. We’re not saying you should go on a bender every weekend and wake up Monday morning on a park bench suspiciously devoid of shoes and all remaining dignity (if you’re going to have a fabulous social life, it’s important you remember it the day after). What we are saying is that we get it: girl is busy. But girl is never too busy for a little socializing here and there, so make it count, even if it’s a simple, quiet night in with board games and a close group of friends. There’s no excuse for a boring evening. Make a night of making your night better than ordinary, whatever that means to you.

8. Join/Start a club

Clubs just aren’t what they used to be. It used to be that a collegiette had little variety to choose from when it came to school clubs, and hovering above membership seemed to stand the perpetual threat of the hazing paddle, which could shock even the most lionhearted out of taking a chance on Horticultural Society. But that was then. No one’s hazing you these days for dropping into a weeknight meeting of the Wine-tasting Society, or Gamers’ Guild. And if your college truly doesn’t have the club you desire—Harry Potter Fan Fiction Writers, huh?—start it yourself!

Part 3: The Domestic

9. Feng shui your room

Feng shui is the promotion of positive energy within a space through adherence to a spiritual set of spatial considerations. More simply, arranging and maintaining your room in accordance with feng shui principles will keep you calm, and calm is good—just ask the thousand-plus people you know with a “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster hung in their room. They would agree.

So where do you begin? Start with bringing a little life into your room with a potted flower. Open your windows. Order things in pairs, which feng shui states appeals to the human yearning for order and unity. Decorate your walls with inspiring images so your dreams are reinforced visually everywhere you look. Most of all, keep your room clean to preserve the chi. A cluttered room makes for a cluttered mind, and you cannot afford to let it get messy up in there.

When you form a resolution you make the decision to render that thing real and concrete and more than a fleeting idea of something you might do at some point, sometime, when you’re done Instagramming that pic of your boat shoes. Heading back to school is a new start unlike any other, and the next great opportunity for a renewed you—specifically, you-as-student, a variation of yourself which could admittedly use a little resolve every now and again.

Our days of Limited Too hauls may be (regretfully) over, but that doesn't mean every iconic look from our tweenhood is a thing of the past. All it takes is a blast into the past for some totally relevant outfit inspo, courtesy of some of our adored tween icons.  

1. Miley Stewart

Hannah Montana's outfits? A little too showy. Miley Stewart's? Every tween girl's dream. While we're suckers for the surfer style she frequently sported, Miley Cyrus's alter-ego on Hannah Montana looks especially copyable in this episode. Between the beachy waves, embroidered gauze top and boyfriend-esque jeans, our hearts are throbbing with envy. Why? The all-natural and boho vibes she's channeling fit in perfectly with today's trends.

2. Sabrina Spellman

One word: velvet. The costumers of Sabrina the Teenage Witch showcased velvet minis on a pretty regular basis, and who can blame them? Sabrina's endless LBDs, mesh-infused necklines and sleek bodycon looks may have been too mature for us to mimic back then, but now they're the definition of chic when it comes to standing out during a night out. Also note the progressive half-up topknot, a 'do that's currently driving beauty experts wild.

3. Lizzie McGuire

Take it from Lizzie—trends are so mainstream. Our parents may have cringed when our #1 role model debuted a punk-inspired wardrobe, but the inner rebel in all of us drooled. It's no wonder that dip-dyed items and subtle nose rings are now staples in collegiette fashion, being just the right blend of cool and edgy. And again with the half-up hair! Swoon. 

4. Missy Johnson

We'll be the first to say it: Missy "Meany" Johnson of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide is absurdly under-appreciated. While we definitely aim to share her confidence and go-getter attitude, what we really want in on is her flawless closet. Classic headbands and blush everything? Yes please. There's a reason prep culture has never gone out of style—find us a vintage-inspired polo like Missy's and we'll never take it off. 

5. Zoey Brooks

We're always getting lectured about establishing a personal brand—a way to differentiate ourselves from the crowd, all while staying true to our one-of-a-kind personalities. While every single one of Zoey 101's female leads mastered personal style (think: Quinn's quirky antics and Dana's rocker-chic wardrobe), we're especially drawn to Zoey's look. Mixing sporty with girly, Zoey could rock a tee or a mini skirt with equal prowess. We like to think that we too can embody such style, as we work to blend collegiate apparel and night-out ensembles into our wardrobes. And of course, nothing beats Zoey's personalized key necklace. If we didn't have to return our own room keys, we'd be all over that.

While the K. Jenners of today are leaving their mark on this generation's tweens, we're still not over our own childhood faves. So pop in a Disney Channel DVD and relish in your fashion-filled past—our younger siblings don't know what they're missing.

As we make our way back to campus this fall, our favorite cozy sweaters and brown boots will slowly inch their ways back into our wardrobe, while we sip on pumpkin spice lattes and study away. Along with fresh fashion and a new semester, we can also look forward to fall beauty trends, which give us permission to finally break out the mulberry lipstick and gray nail polish.

Every season brings new trends, so this fall, we want to make sure your beauty look is the chicest on campus. With these totally up-to-date tips, you may even find other collegiettes messaging you for the latest beauty advice!

1. Statement-Making Black Eyeliner

Seen At: Chanel, Versace and Marc Jacobs

When it came to eyeliner on the Fall/Winter 2015-16 runways, designers were all about that charcoal vibe. Models were seen with intense geometric black eyeliner designs, which were purposely as abstract as possible. Big and bold liner designs were center stage, and even Kendall Jenner nailed the trend at Paris Fashion Week during a Chanel show, bringing black winged eyeliner to a whole new level.

Whether you prefer to use a pencil, liquid or marker-style liner, you can easily recreate the look at home with a few simple steps. First, don’t think too much about making the lines totally even; often with winged eyeliner, we spend so much time making sure the lines are on fleek that it can get overwhelming. This fall, however, you won’t need to stress about perfect lines, since the more dramatic the look is, the better. The desired look is supposed to appear more messy and smudgy than the traditional cat eye, so seriously, it's better to avoid perfection!

We recommend using the Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner ($7.99, ULTA) for an easy way to make bold lines with minimal effort. The marker-style applicator gives you total control and precision over the liner, so you can create as many eccentric designs as you desire. As for usability, incorporate this trend into your Friday night going-out routine or for other fun celebrations where you don’t have to worry about looking super professional.

2. Natural, Low-Maintenance Hair

Seen At: Chloe, Tom Ford and Gucci

When it comes to the runway, we often imagine hairstyles that are unique and totally all-out, so we were a bit surprised when we noticed some simple styles on the catwalk this year. Gucci and Tom Ford, among other designers, put their models on the runway with simple waves or smooth, straight locks rather than extravagant braids, bombshell curls or show-stopping hair color. Sure, you may need a few strokes of a flat iron to get locks that are completely smooth, but hours spent styling hair are now totally taboo. When paired with barely-there makeup, the world of high-fashion suddenly seems a bit more attainable.

During the summer months, it’s easy to part from our beloved flat irons and curling wands. We can embrace the natural texture of our hair, whether we’re content with the waves the salt water at the beach gives us, or we are just too busy to bust out the hot tools when we’d rather be out and about with friends. But when the fall comes around, it’s harder to give styling tools a break and work with your natural texture. Luckily, we know exactly what to use to stay as minimal as possible.

A new product that’s perfect for the days when you just want to let you natural hair do its thing is the “Don’t Blow It” styler from Bumble and bumble ($30, Sephora). It lets you air dry your hair without sacrificing a fab style by giving your locks a look that's defined and frizz-free.

For smooth and straight strands, we recommend using the Keratin Smooth Serum from TRESemmé ($5.99, ULTA) to put unruly hair in line and create major shine. And when you’re craving beachy waves, try the Beach Babe Texturing Spray from Not Your Mother’s ($5.99, ULTA).

3. Smudged and Sultry Smoky Eyes

Seen At: John Richmond, Nicole Miller and Diane von Furstenberg

Meanwhile, the smoky eye has gotten an upgrade as well. The look is now a bit less defined and a little more subtle. A token rule for any great smoky eye? Smudging the makeup is not only acceptable, but actually brings a desirable lived-in feel to the look, just like the eyeliner mentioned earlier. Cara Delevingne rocked such shadow while walking in the same Chanel show as Kendall, making her overall look edgy without being sloppy.

The key to achieving this take on the smoky eye isn’t necessarily to have a highly pigmented and black-based look, but instead to focus on blending and shading a variety of dark shadows. This will still bring the intensity you crave when creating a smoky eye, but with a little less drama.  

To avoid looking like a raccoon while you slay, we suggest investing in the Sephora Pro Blending Brush ($20, Sephora) and a palette that includes various shades of black and gray, such as the Naked Smokey Palette ($54, Sephora) from Urban Decay. This way, your look will have some dimension and extra oomph without making it look like you have a black eye.

Finally, pair it with a nude lip such as the Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes from NYX ($5.99, ULTA) and a simple mascara such as the Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara ($9.99, ULTA) for a complete look that will totally amp your #selfiegame.

4. Barely-There Makeup

Seen At: Mila Schon, Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors

The concept of “no-makeup-makeup” means something different to every collegiette, but an easy guide to achieving the look is to keep it simple with just a bit of foundation and mascara.

Another popular fall trend is to chill on the contouring—whether it’s “clown contouring” or Kim Kardashian inspired— and just embrace your natural features. Designers such as Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabbana loved letting their models walk the stage with fresh faces, which let the clothes (and the girls' natural beauty!) do all the talking.

The natural look can be achieved through a variety of different ways, such as going completely bare-faced (extra time to sleep in!) or just defining your brows and lashes while concealing any blemishes. For the latter, we recommend the Brow Wiz pencil from Anastasia Beverly Hills ($21, ULTA) if you’re stuck when it comes to finding the perfect brow product.

5. Fire-Engine Red Lipstick

Seen At: Antonio Berardi, Vanessa Seward and Ashley Williams

A timeless tradition that will shine even brighter than usual this season is the classic red lip, a total makeup essential. Models on the runway shined this year with fire-engine red lipstick, while keeping other makeup minimal so that the vibrant color could take center stage. Nothing amplifies an outfit or a collegiette’s sense of style quite like red lipstick does.

For a matte finish, try Ruby Woo from MAC ($17, Nordstrom), a cult-favorite among makeup artists and celebs such as TSwift. If you prefer a bolder look with shine, reach for Heatwave by NARS ($27, Neiman Marcus), an eye-catching color that Kate Bosworth adores. The best part about red lipstick is that is goes with almost anything, and can be worn at many different occasions and events. It’s definitely a trend that we fully support!

On campus, we love pairing red lipstick with fluttery, baby doll lashes using a mascara such as "They’re Real" Lengthening Mascara from Benefit Cosmetics ($24, ULTA) for va-va-voom volume. Finish the look by making sure your complexion looks ***flawless using your go-to concealer or foundation. Our favorites are the Mineralize Concealer from MAC ($21, MAC Cosmetics) and the BareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation ($29, ULTA).  

Feel free to get creative and have fun with each of these fall beauty trends, and hopefully you’ll find a favorite that you can rock all season long. As always, no matter what you choose, we know you’ll look fabulous.

The Princeton Review has a high following among pre-collegiettes thanks to its yearly college ranking releases. And although they may not embody full accuracy (we're still trying to figure out how our schools made—or didn't make—some of those lists), incoming students rely on them to gauge their fit, and more importantly, for (questionable) bragging rights once accepted.

So, what's the scoop? This year there's a total of 62 lists to peruse (you're welcome for this week's procrastination plan) covering everything from the quality of the classroom experience to the quality of the food. Of course, there's one very special list every tail-gating, bar-hopping and fiesta-throwing school's been anticipating: Party Schools.

And the winner is? The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  With an enrollment of almost 33,000, it's no wonder the campus offers a high dose of liveliness! And as part of the Big Ten, you can bet your best shot glass that the Fighting Illini throw some thriving tailgates—is it too late to transfer?

Not-so-coincidentally, the university also made lists entitled Lots of Beer and Lots of Hard Liquor, coming in at #5 and #3 respectively. As for its competitors, University of Illinois beat out Big Ten rivals University of Iowa (#2) and University of Wisconsin (#3), as well as preppy Bucknell (#4) and pride-filled Syracuse (#5), among others.

Overall, there are tons of benefits associated with party schools: incredible social opportunities, abundant stress-busters and the opportunity to master those bartending skills you've been practicing, for example.

But apparently, the ranking isn't as highly esteemed among the older crowd, and particularly administrators (c'mon, guys!)  University Chancellor Phyllis Wise referred to the ranking as "insulting,""disappointing" and a "psuedo-ranking" in a statement to CNN. Meanwhile, school officials seem especially concerned that the ranking will ruin their students' credibility as hard-working students destined to succeed. Apparently, they've forgotten their golden years—the most successful and enviable students are those who can masterfully balance work and play!

Overall, we give a big kudos to all winners, especially those ranked in some...unique...categories—Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians, anyone?

And to #1 champ, University of Illinois, we know exactly what this prestigious award calls for—a boatload of celebratory parties, obvs. Bring on the orange and blue, Illini, and don't forget to send our invitation!

Here’s the cold, hard truth, collegiettes: summer is coming to an end. You just finally got the perfect tan after weeks by the pool, and it’s already almost time to head back to school! Worried about losing your new sunkissed look by September? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

We’ve teamed up with Benefit Cosmetics to give away just the makeup you need to look bronzed and beautiful all year long. With Benefit’s Do the Hoola bronzing kit, you’ll get a sneak preview of Benefit’s new soft-matte liquid bronzer for the face, “Dew the Hoola,” which you can only get in this kit until it becomes available in stores next year!

This kit (available exclusively at Sephora) comes with Dew the Hoola (the soft-matte liquid bronzer for the face), Hoola (Benefit’s iconic matte bronzing powder), They’re Real mascara in black, Benebalm conditioning lip balm and Ultra Plush lip gloss in Hoola. With these supplies at your disposal, five lucky winners can hoola their way to hotness in no time!

Don’t wait—enter to win this makeup kit now!

Benefit Cosmetics Giveaway

So you’re attracted to guys AND girls. Not only is the world labeling you as confused, but you’re slightly confused about what to call yourself, too. There are so many labels in the LGBTQ+ community that you can’t even begin to list them. While a label definitely shouldn’t define you, figuring out your sexuality on a personal level is super difficult.

Let’s start with the two labels you’ve most likely heard of: bisexual and bi-curious. Both sound basically the same, but with slightly different connotations. Not sure which one fits you better? Here are some questions that you should be asking yourself.

1. Which label fits my personal experience?

The two labels have different meanings to different people. However, Dr. Sharon Horne, a professor of counseling psychology at University of Massachusetts-Boston and a researcher of both LGBTQ+ and college student mental health concerns, defines them for us as distinctly unique. “Bisexuality is an orientation that captures the propensity to be attracted to more than one sex, although it’s rarely distributed evenly,” she says. “In other words, if someone is bisexual and attracted to both men and women, it’s rarely split 50-50.”

So if you identify as bisexual, you might be attracted to both genders, but there’s a likelihood that you might be attracted to one more than the other. It’s important to remember this is subject to change at any given time and isn’t totally set in stone. “Bi-curiosity is a term used to describe a propensity for attraction to other sexes that differ from their primary attraction without identifying as bisexual,” she says. “It usually suggests limited sexual experience with the sex that they are curious about.” Basically, bi-curiosity means you have a tendency to like people from both sexes, but you either prefer this term over "bisexual" or you don’t have much experience with someone of the same sex.

These are both things to consider when trying to decide which label fits you best. If you’ve kissed a girl (and liked it) then you might consider identifying as bisexual. However, if you’ve just fantasized about girls, then bi-curious might be the label for you.

2. Which label do I feel most comfortable taking on?

Just because you have never experienced anything physical with another woman (or female-bodied person), doesn’t mean you automatically have to identify as bi-curious. Similarly, just because you’re hooking up with a girl, doesn’t mean you have to identify as bisexual. These definitions are not by any means set in stone, and like most labels, can actually be very limiting in terms of defining your sexual experience.

Aly*, a junior at St. John’s University, says that she’s identified as bisexual since she was 15, even though she had never even kissed a girl. “Bi-curious just didn’t fit what I was feeling,” she says. “It wasn’t a matter of me being curious about girls, I knew I liked them. It was just a matter of finding a girl I wanted to be with and who wanted to be with me.”

While the two terms have different meanings, it’s ultimately up to you to figure out which one fits you the best. They aren’t mutually exclusive, but they can play a big part in how you present yourself to others.

3. Do I have to stick with this label for the rest of my life?

The most simple answer is no. Just as you’re not the same person that you were five years ago, your sexuality can change, too. Sexuality falls on a spectrum, which means you can be super attracted to men at one point in your life, then super attracted to women at another. “Identifying in college can be beneficial and can have drawbacks,” Dr. Horne says. “Some of the benefits include finding community with others that may share [your] sexual orientation, and a sense of pride about self-awareness and expressing that sexual identity.”

But Dr. Horne also warns that the “bi” label isn’t always respected in the LGBTQ+ community. “It could open [you] up to discrimination and stigma that [you] may not be prepared to counter if [you don’t] have enough social support, and it could narrow [your] social circles depending on the environment,” she says.

With that being said, if you are attracted to women at some point in your life, but end up marrying a man, for instance, you are still totally entitled to label yourself as bisexual or bi-curious. You don’t stop being attracted to other men once you get married, so why would you stop being attracted to other women? Once you have had these experiences and you are still attracted to these people, your identity doesn’t disappear once you commit yourself to someone of one sex or the other.

There is so much stigma both in the LGBTQ+ community and among straight people that you have to be either super gay or super straight, but people grow and change, as does their sexual orientation, and it's nothing to be ashamed of!

4. Do I want to experiment?

Dr. Horne encourages you, no matter what you identify as or what your experience is, to experiment however you like. If you try to suppress how you feel, you might have some unfortunate consequences to deal with emotionally. “We know from research that hiding one’s sexual identity when one has a firm self-awareness can have very negative effects on physical and mental health, but this is different from a woman exploring sexual identity without being certain of her sexual attraction,” she says. “In comparison to men, women often take more time before they adopt sexual identity labels, and women also have more shifts, or fluidity, in their identities over time.” So remember that this is your time to explore and find yourself!

When some people hear the term “bi,” they automatically assume that the girl can’t make up her mind or she just doesn’t want to label herself. But Dr. Horne advises that you shouldn’t feel pressured to label yourself at all.

“What’s the rush? It’s your identity, no one else gets to decide it, and it’s not set in stone for all time,” she says. “If it feels like the right identity for you, then by all means claim it, and there is a lot of support for that congruence between self-representation and one’s internal sense of attraction, and at the same time the 20s are a time of fluidity and exploration. There’s nothing wrong with saying that you aren’t sure of your identity at this time but you find yourself sometimes attracted to x, y or z!”

There is so much power in being able to own your identity and be comfortable in knowing who you are. There is no wrong or right way to tell people who you are, as long as you’re not invalidating anyone else’s experience.