Shrunken jeans, too-long hems and ill-fitting closet items are some of a girl's greatest woes. But without the cash for a visit to the tailor and a (totally justified) fear of needle-wielding machinery, who can blame us for making do with less-than-ideal store-bought fits? We've got great news, collegiettes—never again will you have to sacrifice style for the lack of a sewing needle. These five easy fixes will make at-home hemming a no-brainer, leaving you with perfectly shaped and structured outfits every time.

1. Hem Tape ($1.67, Walmart)

Hem tape is a double-sided adhesive with strong lasting power and extreme ease of use. A go-to tool for both adjustments and repairs, hem tape comes in a ton of varieties and can be purchased for both temporary and permanent solutions. And the usage possibilities truly are endless. Any area a tailor could hem— such as pant legs, shirt sleeves and skirt lengths—can be altered in minutes. Just be sure to read your package for specific instructions and check out this simple go-to guide. 

2. Extenders ($9.99, Sears)

Have you ever slipped into last year's favorite jeans only to realize you've outgrown them? We have, and it's heartbreaking. Never experience that pain again, thanks to the ingenious invention of waist extenders. Fasten them to your waistband button and instantly gain an extra inch of breathing room—no tailor or dreaded denim shopping spree needed! Need some extra room elsewhere? No problem. Extenders can be found for any button-fastened bottom, as well as for bra bands!

3. Bobby Pins ($1.69, Walgreens)

If you weren't convinced that bobby pins were the universal lifesaver, you will be now. Thanks to the fashion experts over at Man Repeller, we now know that bobby pins are fool-proof tools for all of your nipping, tucking, adjusting and fastening needs. Temporarily crop a hem, keep structured lines in place—possibilities abound.

4. Fashion Tape ($5.99, Walgreens)

Anyone who's worn a strapless gown to prom knows the beautiful power of "boob tape." But there's way more behind these magic double-sided stickers than a no-slippage night of dancing. Have a button-down shirt that awkwardly bunches, leaving gaping holes between buttons? While some might make the trip to the tailor to get the shirt fitted just right, if you're anything like us, you don't have time for that. Instead, just seal down those slits by sticking on some fashion tape. Anytime you face aggravating bumps and gaps (or just want a more form-fitting feel), reach for your fashion tape for an unbelievably quick solution. 

5. Fabric Glue ($9.61, OfficeSupply.com)

If you have a bit more patience, try fabric glue on for size. Different formulas are designed for specific materials, meaning that no matter where your rip or unraveling hem exists, there'll be a glue out there to fix it. And when you're sick of repairs, use the stuff to add fun and flirty additions to any outfit—embellishments and patches can be slapped on without any need for sewing.

Believe it or not, there are plenty of stress-free (and ridiculously cheap!) alternatives to professional alterations—who knew? So if you're all about that DIY, stock up on these essentials and enjoy your new collection of long-awaited, perfectly-fitted and seamlessly mended outfits. 

Your first semester at college is going to be full of surprises and lessons. Things are going to happen that you never would have expected, and you are going to learn more about yourself and adapt, change and grow in the process.

But don’t get scared! Your first semester is also going to be one of the most fun times of your life. Plus, it will be much less intimidating if you know what to expect. So to help you prepare, here are the 15 things you are sure to learn during your first semester (and what you should take away from them!).

1. You won't wear a fraction of the cute clothes you brought to college

Most college girls give this piece of advice to their friends, siblings and classmates; however, few actually take it seriously. Read our lips: You will not wear all the clothes you are trying so hard to stuff in a single suitcase.

“I literally packed my entire closet, and by fall break I had already taken a huge portion of it back home,” says Kate Lowes, a sophomore at the University of Dayton. “From all the college apparel they give away to the fact that people basically live 24/7 in sweatpants, there was no need for the majority of the stuff I brought. I realized that I should have packed more of the basics—like tennis shoes, yoga pants and sweatshirts—rather than all dressy outfits.”

What should you take away from this? Quality over quantity. For example, with how much you’ll likely be wearing leggings, it may not be a bad idea to invest in a durable pair.

2. The laundry room is a dog-eat-dog world

No matter how nice your dorm-mates may seem, the kindheartedness and pleasantries all end in one place: the laundry room. If you’re not on top of your game in the laundry room, you’ll probably experience what many a collegiette before you had to go through. From stolen clothes to your laundry getting dumped on top of a machine because you were just a minute late getting it out of the dryer, it’s best to follow a strict schedule in the laundry room. Be timely, be quick and, of course, be courteous to others.

3. There is great beauty in a free and reliable ride

For most collegiettes, freshman year means saying goodbye to your beloved car from high school as well as your parents driving you everywhere free of charge. You’re either going to have to put your faith in the campus shuttle system to actually run on schedule or you’re going to have to keep your car on campus and become the honorary campus driver for everyone and their brother. And that means watching your shopping money get eaten up by the gas tank. Either way, you’re going to realize how good you had it being able to borrow your parents’ car on full and bring it back on empty like it was no big deal.

Bringing your car to campus, however, is not always a bad idea. In fact, “I think it will be one of the best decisions I make for this upcoming school year!” Kate says. Having a car on campus gives you an easy way to get groceries or go to work, and it’s also a great way to escape whenever you need a breath of fresh air. If bringing a car to campus works for you, then go for it!

4. Shower shoes are not a suggestion; they are a requirement

College showers are breeding grounds for bacteria. You’ll learn soon enough that shower shoes are an absolute must if you’re living in a dorm, especially if your campus cleanliness is lower than most. Wearing flip-flops in the shower will keep your feet and your floormates’ feet safe, which will add to the overall health of your floor.  Not to mention that you will soon become “that girl” if you’re the only one going barefoot down the hall in your towel. Bottom line? Wear the ‘flops!

5. Your first home-cooked meal of your first college break will probably make you cry

Coming home for break during your first semester at college will make you realize that there is nothing better than a home-cooked meal.  “Thanksgiving really did it for me,” Kate says. “Just being with my family and having my parents make dinner like they used to every night was so comforting. It was a way for me to feel so at home... and escape from the same cafeteria salad I had been eating for weeks!”

As heartwarming as it is to come home to a familiar meal, college is a great time to work on providing for yourself and getting creative with what’s available in your campus cafeteria. If your school doesn’t have the healthiest choices to pick from, then get crafty in your dorm! See what kind of appliances are allowed in your room and rack up a great list of dorm recipes to use on a daily basis.

6. You won't stay besties with the girl you attached yourself to during orientation week

The girls in your orientation Facebook albums and Instas are going to be way different in December than they were in August—and that’s okay. You shouldn’t feel like the girl you instantly became best friends with because you both were paired up for some orientation week activity (and were also both in a mad rush to find someone to sit with at lunch) has to be your best friend for the next four years—or even the next four months.

True friendships grow organically and can’t be forced because you room with or have the same class as someone. Marie Mikhail, a sophomore at John Carroll University, has some great advice. “Start making new friends right away,” she says. Although it’s somewhat scary to think about, it really is as easy as just introducing yourself to people on your floor or in your dorm and figuring out whom you really click with. Some of the best relationships are created with your roommates and neighbors. Don’t underestimate the comfort they can bring to your life. Get to know and love them, even if they aren’t your BFFs!

7. Not everyone's standards for personal hygiene are the same

You probably haven’t lived in such a confined living space with such a high number of females until your first year of college. Unfortunately, the people who live on your floor won’t all have the same definition of the word “clean,” and without awkwardly pointing out to them that they ought to be more hygienic (which you really shouldn’t do), there’s not much you can do.

There’s nothing more disgusting than watching someone leave the bathroom without washing her hands, cough without covering her mouth or not wash her hair for weeks on end. It’s even worse if that person is your roommate. But you will learn to live with it. Buy some hand sanitizer and suck it up, ladies.

8. College isn’t always exciting

It really only takes until the second or third day for you to realize that college is nothing at all like how it is in the movies. College is not a constant state of partying or perfectly sunny days on the quad.

“We all hear about the fun parties and activities … but ask any established college student and they will tell you about the immense amount of studying that must be incorporated daily,” Marie says.

While you can definitely push yourself to stay busy (and free yourself from the library) by joining organizations and clubs or even going Greek, you should also be prepared for the somewhat repetitive daily routine you will grow to have. Included in this is a lot of Netflix and, yes, sadly, studying.

9. You will realize you took having your own room for granted

Except for the maybe the quad, a college campus is typically not full of wide-open spaces and private rooms for your leisurely use. Rather, it is full of cramped dorms, busy common rooms and jam-packed libraries. You will never appreciate your childhood room more than when you enter your first midterm week and find yourself fighting for a study spot not populated by half the student body. Should that ruin your college experience? Absolutely not!

From cute DIY projects to color-coordinating decor with your roomie, there are so many ways to make the most out of your dorm room. Marie decided to take the opportunity to turn her cramped dorm room into a festive home away from home. “My roommate and I used every holiday as the perfect excuse to spice up our room with decorations,” she says. “For Christmas, we decked out our room with hanging ornaments around the room, lining the walls with lights and wrapping our door with holiday wrapping paper.” What better way to bond with your roomie and make your living space a little more fun?

10. There are good professors and there are very, very bad professors

You should always firmly believe that you are the greatest influence on your grades, but by your first semester, you’re going to learn that there are some professors who aren’t making things easy for you. While no professor would purposefully tank your grade or have a vendetta against you making it on the dean’s list, many have higher expectations than your high school teachers had. This makes it quite hard to attain the straight As you’ve always been used to receiving.

The best thing to do is to take advantage of (accurate) professor review websites and figure out what type of learning environment and professor works best for you. “Don’t just blindly sign up for your classes based on the times you want,” Kate says. “Be sure to actually check which professor teaches the class and whether or not his or her teaching style will be beneficial to you.”

11. Everyone comes from different backgrounds

You aren’t going to college with all the same people you went to high school with—and you shouldn’t expect the same types of people to be there. Not everyone is the same, comes from the same background or will be interested in the same things as you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends. In fact, some of the best friendships can come from people who have had very different experiences from each other.  Take advantage of all the new experiences you’re going to have and don’t limit yourself; try to meet as many people as possible.

12. Stuff piles up quickly if you don’t prioritize

You’ll realize during your first semester that you really cannot push things off in college. The time between the beginning and the end of the semester is broken up by midterms, tests, quizzes, projects and your social life. That basically means that if you’re not on schedule with homework, studying and outside reading, you’ll find yourself scrambling to catch up.

“Without planning and organizing in college, life is practically chaos,” Marie says. “If you don't plan ahead and organize your work, it is easy to find yourself missing deadlines and not being as successful as you had planned.”

So what does all this mean? College is obviously a time for fun, friends and Friday nights, but it’s also a time that will shape the rest of your life.  Basically, you need to figure out what the best balance of school life and social life is for you. Oh, and it would probably be a good idea to invest in a planner.

13. Finding the friend who will house you when you’re sexiled or let you cry on her shoulder will make all the difference

At some point or another you’re going to have an “I miss my parents” breakdown, an “I shouldn’t have hooked up with that guy” breakdown, an “I don’t know what I’m doing with my life” breakdown or an “I’m drowning in homework and my roommate always snores and I have been living in sweatpants and I need my dog” breakdown. It’s only natural. While the first few breakdowns will probably entail you trying to hide your sobbing from your roommate, life gets a whole lot better when you find that one girl or that group of friendswho will be there to support you and will always help you eat your feelings by scarfing down a pizza with you on a weekday at midnight. But just remember, getting frustrated, having breakdowns and getting stressed out is totally normal in college. And that’s what your friends are there for.

“College is such a transitional period for everyone, and with this period comes many new adjustments,” Marie says. “It is very important to have a friend that you can vent to and confide in. At the end of the day, it is comforting to know that there is someone there for you who will listen and understand you.”

14. Social media will make you believe that everyone else is having a better college experience than you

It’s really unavoidable: You are eventually going to become envious of how great of a time it looks like your peers are having. This primarily comes from what you see on social media; pictures can deceive you into thinking that everyone else has more friends than you, is more popular than you or is making more of their college experiences than you are. Social media can make you feel left out and can even make you question if you picked the right school.

So, what should you do? If you find that Instagram and Facebook are making you feel down, try a social media detox. Try to remember the times before likes, favorites and retweets dictated your social standing, and, most importantly, realize that you cannot allow envy or worry to lessen your college experience. Put down your phone and go make some memories of your own!

15. College flies by

No matter how painful finals week is or how slow some days seem to go, your first semester flies by at a crazy speed. You’re only a freshman for a short period of time, and in three more short years, you’re going to be an upperclassman wondering where all the time went.

“Before you know it, all of the activities, the seemingly never-ending work and all of the fun memories will be over,” Marie says. “So make sure you enjoy the ride while it lasts!” We couldn’t agree more!

Between her star-studded concerts and Instagram posts that are the actual definition of squad goals, it’s hard to believe that there are any famous faces missing from Taylor Swift’s crew. By now, we all know the story of how Katy Perry and Taylor went from being frenemies to enemies. However, there are obviously a couple other friendships whose mad love turned to bad blood as well. Here are 9 ex-friends whom you may or may not have heard a record-breaking single about. 

1. Carrie Underwood

At the 2013 Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood made a joke at Taylor’s expense in regards to her recent split with then boyfriend, Connor Kennedy. When asked by her co-star, Brad Paisley, if she thought they would ever get back together, Underwood replied, "Never, never, never,” which was a mocking reference to Swift’s single “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” When later asked about why the camera didn’t show her reaction to the joke, Swift quipped, “They don’t pan to you if you’re not laughing.”

2. Demi Lovato

It seems that in the classic new BFF vs. old BFF battle, Taylor won. Back in 2010, a video circulated the Internet of Demi Lovato replying, “Ask Taylor” when asked about her former best friend, Selena Gomez. While there has never been an all-out feud, Demi has definitely fired a few shots at Taylor over the years and as we know band-aids don’t fix bullet holes.

3. Miley Cyrus

Before her days of swinging on wrecking balls and twerking, this ex-Disney darling was also a good friend of Taylor’s. They performed together at the 2009 Grammy Awards and Swift even made a cameo in Hannah Montana the Movie. Recently, Miley Cyrus posted a face-swap of Justin Bieber and Swift on Instagram and dissed Tay’s “Bad Blood” music video in her latest Marie Claire interview. Taylor has yet to respond to the criticism from Cyrus, but we think that the upcoming VMAs would be the perfect platform for revenge.

4. Kellie Pickler

Back when Taylor was singing about teardrops on her guitar and rocking cowboy boots on red carpets, she and Kellie Pickler were the best of friends. They were the ultimate country music babes and were all but inseparable on every CMA carpet. Although there was never a public falling out, it seems that everything has changed since Swift’s crossover to pop music.

5. Ashley Greene

At the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, Ashley and Taylor bonded over mutual ex, Joe Jonas. However, a boy band boyfriend must have been all that the pair had in common because they haven’t been seen together since.

6. Zac Efron

While we couldn’t fully support a Zaylor relationship at the time (we were totally stuck on Zanessa!), their adorable duet on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show simply cannot be forgotten. This is one friendship that we were truly sad to see go.

7. Justin Bieber

The two pop stars were reportedly super close before Justin decided to break Taylor's BFFs heart. After all of the Jelena drama, it seems that Taylor has a very low Bieber tolerance these days.

8. Chord Overstreet

Although there was much speculation that the two dated, Overstreet’s brother insists that the two were just good friends and got along really well because of their outgoing personalities.

9. Katy Perry

We could explain why these two are no longer friends but is that really necessary?

Which of these friendships do you miss the most, collegiettes? 

Nude nail polish is a timeless staple that anybody can wear and rock. Young and old, edgy and feminine, black and white, and anybody in between can pull off this classic look. It is all about finding the right color for you—and that's the hardest part. The perfect nude can lengthen your fingers and make them glow! Unfortunately, the wrong color will do just the opposite. Instead of getting frustrated by sampling tons of different nail polishes that all almost look the same, let us help you by giving you a great place to start.

For Light Skin

• Zora by Julep ($14)
• Rose Abstrait by YSL ($27)
• Daisy Bloom by Cover Girl ($5.99)
• Act Your Beige! by OPI ($9.50)
• Nostalgia by JINsoon ($18)
• Linen by Sally Hansen ($4.29)

For Medium Skin

• Nude Beige by Burberry ($22)
• Eva's Nude by L'Oréal ($4.79)
• Mambo by Essie ($8.59)
• Neutral Beauty by Sephora by OPI ($8)
• Modern Love by Deborah Lippmann ($19)
• Paris Chic by LCN ($14)

For Olive Skin

• Incognito by Dior ($27)
• Spring Rose by Gucci ($29)
• Caramel by Dolce & Gabbana Beauty ($25.50)
• Nonfat Soy Half Caff by Sephora by OPI ($15.89)
• Tea and Toast by butter LONDON ($17.25)
• Not Just A Pretty Face by Essie ($8.50)

For Dark Skin

• Smokin' Hot by Essie ($8.50)
• Nude No. 5 Lauren B. Beauty ($18)
• Skin Deep by Sonia Kashuk ($4.79)
• Chocolate Mousse by O.P.I ($9.50)
• Dea by Zoya ($9)
• Brooch the Subject by Essie ($8.50)

You do not have to perfectly match your nail polish to your skintone. Go a shade or two lighter or darker for an intentional by polished look. Use a shimmery, high-shine, or matte finish to show off your personality. You can even ombré your nudes if you feel so inclined. Nail polish is a style and a look that you can personalize.

What nude colors have been working for you based on your skin tone?

For a lot of new collegiettes, freshman year is their first time sharing a room with someone else. While dorm life and roommate bonding are wonderful experiences to have and are trademarks of college life, they can also be the source of some drama.

Roommate trouble isn’t uncommon, and there are plenty of ways to solve any issues that may arise. Lucky for you, we’ve got your go-to guide of some common roommate problems and ways to fix them, complete with advice from collegiettes!

1. She’s messy

Everyone has a different standard of cleanliness, so it’s not unlikely that you and your roommate may disagree when it comes to the state of your room. It’s safe to say that the both of you will have to make compromises and work a little harder to keep your space clean now that you’re sharing it.

Alex*, a junior at New York University, says that she’s dealt with messy roommates for a couple years. “Sloppy roommates can be a problem, but it’s one of the easier roommate problems to fix,” she says. “There are tons of ways to talk to your roommate and let her know that she needs to be a little bit cleaner. Everyone can be messy at times, so it’s an understandable problem that’s generally easy to approach if you do it right.”

If your roommate’s messiness is bothering you, it’s best to step up and talk to her about it instead of letting the issue go on.

How to deal

Make a chore schedule. No one likes forcing themselves to do chores, but trust us, you’ll be thankful you did it. A cleaning schedule is a great way to divide responsibilities and make sure that your room is clean on a regular basis. It’s best to come up with the schedule at the beginning of the year so you can stick to it – no excuses!

If cleanliness problems arise throughout the semester in spite of the chore schedule, take it up casually with your roommate. The conversation doesn’t always have to be awkward – it can be a quick, “Hey, do you mind picking up your side a bit? My parents are visiting!” or even just a short note on your whiteboard while she’s at class.

If the problem gets to be more serious, then consider approaching her about it. Remind her that it’s your space, too, and it’s her responsibility to help keep it looking nice. If the problem gets way out of hand and your roommate gets angry or aggressive about it, consider taking the problem to your resident adviser (RA) or another member of Residence Life – they’re there to help you with housing and roommate issues, so take advantage of their assistance!

2. She’s mean

Even if you and your roommate have the same sleep schedules, are both tidy and respect each other’s belongings, problems can still pop up. Some roommates simply just don’t get along.

Katherine, a senior at the University of Rochester, says that one semester she was randomly assigned a roommate who appeared to hate her for no reason. “Whenever possible, she would get up and leave when I entered a room; if we were hanging out with a group of people, she would make faces anytime I said anything and she only spoke to me if she had something mean or condescending to say,” Katherine says.

Eventually, Katherine took their problems to a mediator and began to get them sorted out.

How to deal

Communicate with your roommate and with others, if necessary. “My advice … would be to communicate about the little things early on, because they can escalate quickly and become unbearable,” Katherine says.

No matter what it is that’s bothering you, it’s best to address it sooner rather than later. If your roommate is making mean comments, ignoring you or just plain being disrespectful, try to nip the problem in the bud and address it as soon as you can. This will save you from months of frustration and an awkward, overdue conversation that would otherwise happen at the end of the year (or never!).

“Even if you're good about communicating, you might end up with a roommate who dislikes you and isn't afraid to show it,” Katherine says. “I coped with this by reaching out to other people. My mentor helped me see that the negativity my roommate had towards me said more about her than it did about me, and my friends helped me put things in perspective by finding the humor in the situation.”

If you’re having issues that even the two of you can’t figure out, consider taking the problem to an RA or counselor. He or she can act as a good mediator and help soothe the tension or even help you relocate if the problem is getting out of hand.

3. She’s absent

When you pictured your dorm, you may have imagined you and your roomie hanging out, eating snacks and watching chick flicks every night. While that’s not a completely impossible scenario, it’s not always the case.

When collegiette Ivy first came to Keene State College, she was assigned two roommates. A few weeks later, though, it seemingly dwindled down to just one. “[One of my roommates ended up] sort of moving into someone else's room and would come back to our room only when she needed clothes or when she was drunk and got in a fight with her new ‘roommates,’” Ivy says.

Absent roommates can be tricky, as they’re usually absent for their own reasons. Some girls get invested in their new significant others, make friends in a different building or are simply too busy to hang around the room. There’s nothing wrong with a busy roommate, but it can be kind of a bummer hanging out by yourself when you come home from class!

How to deal

If your roommate’s absence bothers you, try inviting her to hang out on the off days when she does come back to the room. Ask her what she’s been up to lately. If she’s not giving much of an answer, don’t pry, but do be wary. You want to make sure she’s not getting herself into a bad situation!

If you’re truly worried about your roomie and where she might be, encourage her to talk with your RA. She could be getting into a sticky situation with a controlling boyfriend or girlfriend or staying out too late and crashing at other people’s rooms who aren’t exactly wanting her there. If you have the chance to have a chat with her, make sure she’s not getting into any unwanted situations. If she is, try to help her out or direct her to the RA or another member of Residence Life who can help her out in her situation.

4. She’s always in the room

While having a roommate who’s never there can be a bummer, so can having a roommate who’s constantly in the room. It’s always fun to have some roomie bonding time, but you’ll need a break from each other once in a while. It’s easy to get sick of each other when you’re sharing a small space for at least a whole school year!

How to deal

If your roommate is in your room around the clock (except for class time), you might want to have a chat with her. If it’s the case that she’s simply not involved in anything else or doesn’t have many other friends, encourage her to commit to something on campus. Perhaps even consider taking her to a meeting of a club or organization that you’re a member of. Clubs, organizations, sports or on-campus jobs can be a great way to spend your time, get involved and meet new people. You may be able to get your roommate involved while scoring yourself some alone time!

It could be the case where your roommate is more introverted and less involved on campus, so your room is her natural retreat. If this is the case, steer her toward the library or student lounges on campus, or bring her along to one of your club meetings.

If she’s not responding to your suggestions, remind her that there are plenty of other places on campus to hang out and get work done. If it’s necessary, remind her that your shared room belongs to you as well, and that you’d appreciate having the room to yourself once in a while.

5. She’s nocturnal

In college, it’s likely that your sleeping patterns will be all over the place – until you get into a good routine, at least. There are some classes that start as early as 7 a.m. and others that end as late as 10 p.m., so it’s easy to see that students’ schedules may vary by quite a bit.

This was the case with Kira*, a third-year student at Northeastern University, and her freshman-year roommate. “I went to sleep with the lights on every night and then woke up at 7 a.m. as she was just going to sleep,” Kira says.

How to deal

If you’re not a heavy sleeper, this is something you’ll have to take care of, as you shouldn’t be compromising sleep for your roommate’s convenience. It’s understandable that based off of clubs and class schedules, your sleeping patterns will differ, but you might have to work to find common ground when it comes to bedtime.

If your roommate’s sleeping schedule becomes a problem, first try to communicate with her about it; she may not even know it’s been bothering you. Consider sitting down with her and going over your schedules, trying to figure out the best times you can have some down time – maybe even consider designating specific quiet hours or bed times if it’s necessary. If it’s something she can’t necessarily fix herself, seek out resources like the library or a student lounge during the day to give her some peace and quiet, and ask her to do the same for you at night. If you just want to stay in your room, think about the alternatives, like sleeping masks or earplugs.

6. She borrows your belongings often

For some new college students, having a roommate is like having the sister they never had growing up: double the closet space, sleepovers every night and tons of clothes to share. For others, a roommate is just a roommate, and their belongings are personal, not to be shared or borrowed. No matter how you treat your property and privacy, you should make sure your roommate is on the same page.

How to deal

As soon as you’ve settled in, you should discuss boundaries with your roommate. This could even be done while you’re crafting your roommate contract or cleaning schedule. Make sure you tell her specifically what you’re comfortable sharing and what you’d rather keep to yourself. This can range from sharing clothes to sitting on each other’s beds and chairs. Everyone treats her privacy and property differently, so make sure to remain open-minded and respectful!

If a borrowing issue arises as the semester continues on, you will have to address it. If she happens to borrow a scarf off the back of your chair for a day, simply mention that you’d rather she didn’t do it. If she repeatedly goes through your belongings to pick out her favorite things to borrow, you may want to consider having a more serious conversation about personal belongings. If the issue persists even after the conversation, take it to an RA, who may be able to help you out.

7. She brings in a “third roommate”

“The more the merrier” isn’t always a true phrase, especially when it comes to sharing a relatively small space. Unfortunately, some roommates don’t think about this and bring in friends and significant others to hang out – all the time.

“I live with three other girls, and we were all best friends, but [my other roommates and I] don't talk to one of them now,” says collegiette Joanna*. “She had her boyfriend move in with us for the summer without asking us, so he is at our place 24/7, [eating all our food and leaving dirty dishes].”

While the occasional visitor may be welcome, it’s not cool to let your friends in all the time, especially so often that they essentially become new roommates.

How to deal

Joanna says that communication is key, as it is with so many other roommate problems. “I let her know first semester that this wasn’t okay with me, and things were much better second semester,” she says. So, right off the bat, make sure you address the issue.

While it might feel a little awkward telling your roommate to kick her friends out, she has to realize that your room is a shared space. If you’re having trouble coming to an agreement, look at your schedules and find a way to fit in times or days where it’s acceptable to have guests. For example, let her know that she’ll have the room to herself and she’s free to have friends over if and when you go home for the weekend. The night before a huge exam, on the other hand? Probably not.

While your experience sharing a room may not always go smoothly, it will, all in all, be rewarding. As long as you’re communicating effectively with your roommate and letting her know of any issues that arise, your relationship shouldn’t suffer. Roommate bonds are like no other relationship and can last a lifetime, so don’t let silly little habits get in the way of an awesome friendship!

*Names have been changed.

Naturally, going back to school means making a major shopping trip first. As if you don't already have a closet full of cute clothes, a new school year means you just HAVE to have a bunch of fresh outfits... right? To make back-to-school shopping a little easier on you and your wallet, we compiled some of the best deals this week from your favorite brands and websites. Take advantage of these sales before they're gone, and we hope they make you feel less guilty about splurging on back-to-school gear!

1. American Eagle 

AEO Cross Strap Tank Dress Regular price: $39.95 Sale price: $34.99

For a limited time, American Eagle jeans are buy one, get one 50% off (equal or lesser value). Jeans are an absolute necessity in every collegiette's wardrobe, so it's a good idea to invest in multiple pairs. AE is also offering free shipping online on new arrivals and an additional 40% off of clearance items. This simple tank dress, combined with a cardigan or jacket, serves as the perfect transition into fall! With triple the deals, we triple dog dare you to shop at American Eagle. 

2. Gap Factory

Factory Graphic T Regular price: $22.99 Sale price: $16.99

Now until September 30, receive 15% off your Gap Factory purchase of $75 or more if you present this coupon. We're loving their assortment of casual tops and tees, like this one above. It's a comfortable option to wear to class or while lounging around watching Netflix.  

3. Old Navy

High-Rise Compression Crops Regular price: $29.94 Sale price: $24

It's hard enough mustering the courage (or motivation) to go to the gym, but Old Navy's up to 40% off active wear deal can make your workouts more bearable. Shop this sale for sports bras, leggings and workout tops so you never have an excuse to skip out on going to the gym ever again. Who wouldn't want to hit the treadmill in these unique neon leggings?

4. ASOS

Cath Kidston Blossom Hand Cream Trio Regular price: $10.50 Sale price: $8.40

Back-to-school beauty products are just as essential as back-to-school clothing is. ASOS is currently offering 30% off all beauty products. Our daily beauty regimens call for a multitude of products, so buy all your makeup, hair and skin products in bulk to stock up for the upcoming school year. Check out their adorable makeup bags, too! These lotions will keep your skin moisturized, and the pretty packaging makes them double as fabulous room decor. 

5. Ann Taylor

Printed Romper Regular price: $129 Sale price: $99.99

Shop Ann Taylor for 50% off all sale styles! This romper caught our eye because, despite its fairly simple pattern, the buttoned front gives it a polished touch. As an added bonus, if you register as a student on the Ann Taylor website with UNiDAYS, you can receive 15% off your future purchases in-store and online. Sign us up! 

For even more savings, check out our list of the top 41 stores with student discounts to see which of your favorite stores offer extra deals with your student ID. Happy back-to-school shopping! 

The biggest struggle when it comes to natural, textured hair is the styling. Regular products aren't as moisture-intensive they need to be. Good products are extremely expensive. And let's not even get started on the salons! Sure, we can go to our typical black salons, but sometimes we just want that higher end service with the high quality results, which can be extremely hard to find.

The Good Hair Salon has heard our prayers to the hair gods and is gracing us with exactly that—and at an affordable price! Created by Anthea Kelsick and Folake Oguntebi, two friends who graduated from Stanford, the goal of the salon is to make a difference in the hair industry and change how people think about hair.

"We believe good hair is healthy hair. Whether your hair is kinky, curly, coily, wavy; whether it's relaxed, natural or somewhere in between, if it's healthy, it's good!" says Team Good Hair.

Good Hair is innovative, amongst other things. It's good for your hair, schedule, wallet and the world. The salon specializes in textured hair; you can get your hair done in less than 90 minutes, the pricing is totally transparent and it is run in a socially responsible way.

Their process is extremely simple:

1. You meet with a hair therapist who will talk about your hair and give you tips and product recommendations in addition to talking about what style you want.
2. They wash your hair based on the personal recommendation for your hair type.
3. For an additional cost, you can get a cool curl/shine treatment and/or a trim for split ends.
4. They style your hair. You can choose between different styles such as "Good to Go" which is a wash-and-go treatment or "Crazy Sexy Good" which is a voluptuous wavy treatment—and these are just a few examples of many.
5. They talk in detail about what they did so that you can keep your style going at home.

Want to learn more about this awesome new salon? Watch their crowd-sourcing video below! 

They've already raised more than they needed, so hopefully Good Hair becomes a huge success and we have our fingers crossed that we will be seeing a salon closer to our own hometowns.

“You’re not normal.”

I heard that statement a lot growing up, never from any of my classmates or friends though--only adults. I’ve heard it from family members, teachers and even some of my sister’s caregivers. The first time I heard it was a huge reality check for my 7-year-old brain. I had just finished a typical day in my life as a first grader, full of crayons, cafeteria food and recess. After school, I was taken to meet my parents, sister and teacher in a meeting room. It was near the end of my sister’s IEP meeting (and for those who don’t know, an IEP is what children with disabilities receive in school, in order to individualize their education to fit their needs) and I remember glancing out the window at the playground, watching some kids play on the swing set. My teacher must have followed my gaze, because she knelt down and whispered in my ear, “You’d rather be out there, huh? If you were normal, you could be.” I was too little to understand what it meant at the time, but years later, those words still leave me feeling outraged.

My twin sister was born with a rare neurological disorder called Rett Syndrome. To put it into simple terms, it affects the X chromosome gene, thus only girls born with the disorder survive, since boys only have one X chromosome, and girls have two. My parents say that after we were born, they were always concerned because my sister was developing at a slower rate than I was. Though she did form some words and learned to walk, girls with Rett Syndrome slowly lose the capability to perform these actions. She wasn’t diagnosed until we were 3-years-old. I remember going to some hospitals out of state, but at that point in my life, I was only concerned about whether or not the restaurant we were going to afterwards served pancakes and chocolate milk.

My sister cannot walk, she is nonverbal and she needs help to perform daily living tasks. She also has epilepsy (a seizure disorder). To many people, that’s all they see. To me, she’s a smiley, social girl who loves shopping, playing music, listening to boy bands and making annoying noises early in the morning just to wake me.

I know I’m lucky, I was born healthy. In other people’s eyes, I’m not “normal” because I have a twin sister with special needs and the effects it has had on my life.

My parents made the decision to enroll my sister and me at an online charter school, when I was in the third grade. Again, I don’t remember much because I was so little, but I do know that my parents had a big battle with our school. My sister at the time was in general education classes for the majority of the day, and the school was not accommodating with her needs. I guess I was pretty much oblivious back then. As a 7-year-old should be. There was nothing abnormal about my family; it was my reality. When I was older, I found some journals my mother had kept from back then, detailing everything that had happened, and what I read made me sick to my stomach.

When I started online school I was excited. What kid wouldn’t love the option of going to school in their pajamas? Over the years though, I learned to hate it. I watched all my friends go to football games, parties and prom. I felt like I was standing on the sidelines watching everyone play the game of life while I tried to make do with what I did have. I’m a dancer, so I’ve grown up with some amazing girls that I have known for practically my entire life. I honestly don’t think I would still be here today if it wasn’t for some of the friends that I have met at my dance studio. In high school, I won dance competitions, I was an assistant dance teacher and I was president of a couple clubs at school. My home life is what made me feel like the odd one out. I’m used to caregivers always being in my house; therapists come and go, nurses are in and out; my mom jokes that we need a revolving door. I’ve been to a lot of hospitals, I know lots of medical terminology and I’m no stranger to dealing with seizures. I know the names of adaptive equipment, and I can tie down a wheelchair in a van faster than you can tie your shoes. People in my life laugh; they said I would grow up a loser, I will never get a stable job, that I must be socially awkward, and other rude comments. A nurse told me once that I seemed to be such a happy person, despite what I have to deal with. I took it as an insult. Yes, I have to help take care of my sister a lot; has no one else in this world ever cared or looked after a family member? Why does everyone feel the need to give me such pity?

The comments of those who enter my world don’t cease to get better, even now in college. I’ve even been told that if I will never be my own person, and that no one will ever want to marry me because “I’m a package deal” – just because I have to take care of my sister when we’re older. We get stares in public, and I’ve even had people straight up ask me why I care about my sister. Just because she has a disability.

One of the best feelings ever was starting college, and taking a class for special education majors. Lots of other people were just like me--siblings of those with special needs. People who got it. People who understood.

It doesn’t matter who you are. As people grow up they start to realize that others’ opinions don’t matter. This is something I’ve really started to understand since I started college. People who say cruel things just don’t understand, and I feel sorry for them because life is too beautiful to live it with a closed mind. My sister has taught me so much. She’s taught me to always work and adapt with what you have, even if it is not ideal. She has taught me to fight for what you love, and what you are passionate about. She has taught me to always stay positive, in a world of criticism.

Eventually, you’ll find people who make you happy to be yourself. I grimace when I hear the term “normal” now. Society’s view on “normal” was never met for me. We all create our own realities, and thanks to my unique life, I’ve had so many experiences that I otherwise would not have been able to have. For that, I am thankful. Who wants to be normal when the view from above proves more enriching, and powerful? Always count your blessings; there is a reason you live the life you were given.

Whether you're getting ready to take your first little, your big is turning 21 or you just want to spread the sisterly love, the summer is the perfect time to get crafty! We rounded up the cutest DIY sorority gifts you can make right now, from picture frames to wine glasses.

Clues

Candy Letter

Candy letters are a classic of big-little week and the perfect way to tell your little how much you love her, without revealing yourself. If you need help creating your letter, you can follow these tips.

Two Truths & A Lie

Confuse your little with a good ol' game of two truths and a lie! We love the idea of rolling up your clues and tying them with a ribbon.

Letters

Sparkly Letters

All you need to make these cute letters is some Mod Podge and a little glitter. You can find the full instructions here.

Floral Letters

These adorable letters are so easy to make and SO cute. Make them for your sorority letters or your sister's name—they're great either way!

Canvases

State Pride Canvas

Flaunt how much you love your state with this personalized canvas!

Lilly Pulitzer Print Canvas

Love Lilly prints? You're in luck! You can totally paint this iconic flower pattern, thanks to these 10 easy steps. Make your canvas extra personal with your sorority's letters or your favorite quote!

Quote Canvas

There are so many inspiring sorority canvases on Pinterest and Tumblr, but how do they look so professional? It's actually much easier than you think, if you follow one of these tracing techniques.

Photo Frames

Lilly Pulitzer Frame

It's true—sorority girls love Lilly. If the canvas wasn't enough for your preppy side, learn how to paint this super impressive pattern!

Instagram Frame

If you're skilled with a paintbrush, free-hand this awesome Instagram frame!

Word Art Frame

Express your inner poet by painting a frame a plain color and writing cute messages across it with a paint pen.

Pin Boxes

Embellished Pin Box

You can get super creative with a pin box. Try decorating it with a Sharpie and fixing the embellishments of your choice to it with Krazy Glue!

Pearls & Letters Pin Box

A great alternative to wooden letters is to paint yours on the box directly. Bonus points if you line it with rhinestones or fake pearls.

Wine Glasses

Glitter Wine Glass

Mod Podge is a girl's best friend. Use the sticky stuff to glam up a wine glass or two. See this blog for more details.

Greek Letter Wine Glass

You can paint any message or picture your heart desires on a wine glass. These instructions are all you need to get started.

Lineage Wine Glasses

Use the technique above to achieve these glasses for your sorority fam, or free-hand them if you feel comfortable doing so!

Big-Little Baskets

Painted Cooler

If you have a little more time on your hands, why not make a sorority cooler your next project? It will make a great gift for a fall tailgate, or you can use it to present your little's gifts! Check out this awesome step-by-step guide on how to create the perfect design.

Personalized Crate

A crate is a much simpler, yet super cute way to display gifts for big-little week. Simply paint a wooden crate any way you want and fix wooden letters to it!

Paddles

You can make any paddle you want with this guide. To get you started, we chose a couple of our favorite designs.

Photo Paddle

We love the simple candy stripes on this paddle, and a photo makes the perfect finishing touch!

Daisy Paddle

We're obsessed with these letters on daisy petals!

What will be your next crafting project, Greek collegiettes?

Click here to download a printable version of this list!

We at HC know there are few things more daunting than packing up your life to move into your (really tiny) dorm or apartment at college, especially if you’re a freshman. What do you need to bring with you? What sounds like a great idea to pack now, but will just end up unused and taking up precious closet space? What if you forget something important (hello, health insurance card) and you can’t get it until Thanksgiving?

Lucky for you, we know exactly what you need to bring to college. Just use this all-inclusive checklist that covers everything from bedding to food to medicine, and you’re guaranteed to not have any of those awful “oh-no-I-forgot-X-important-thing” moments on move-in day.

Click here to download a printable version of this list!

Bedding

• Bedbug-protecting mattress cover
• Duvet and duvet cover or comforter set
• Foam topper
• Mattress pad
• Pillowcases
• Pillows
• Sleeping bag or air mattress
• Throw blanket
• Throw pillows
• Twin XL bed skirt
• Twin XL sheet set (and an extra set)

Room

• Additional seating (beanbag chair, folding chair, comfy chair, etc.)
• Adhesive hooks and strips (that come off cleanly)
• Alarm clock
• Area rug
• Bed risers
• Bedside table
• Bulletin board and/or dry erase board
• Closet organizer
• Coffee table
• Curtain rods (if needed)
• Curtains
• Dorm trunk
• Floor lamp
• Full-length mirror
• Futon
• Hangers
• Jewelry organizer
• Jewelry safe
• Over-the-door storage units
• Photos
• Picture frames or photo clips
• Push pins/magnets/whiteboard markers
• Shoe rack
• Skirt hangers
• Space bags
• Stepladder
• Trashcan
• Underbed storage
• Wall art (posters, wall decals, etc.)
• Wonder Hangers

Laundry

• Bleach
• Color catchers
• Drying rack
• Fabric softener
• Garment bag
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Laundry detergent
• Laundry hamper or bag
• Lingerie bag
• Lint brush
• Portable stain remover pen
• Quarters
• Sewing kit
• Stain remover

Food

• Bottled water
• Bread
• Bulk snacks (candy, granola, dried fruit, etc.)
• Cereal
• Coffee
• Coffee creamer
• Easy Mac
• Granola bars
• Instant hot chocolate
• Instant oatmeal
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Popcorn
• Ramen
• SK Energy Shots
• Soup
• SpaghettiOs
• Sugar

Kitchen Supplies

• Blender
• Bottle opener
• Broom
• Can opener
• Chip clips
• Coffee maker (if your school allows it)
• Dish towels
• Dishes (bowls, plates, cups)
• Dishwashing soap
• Disinfecting wipes
• Duster
• Dustpan
• Glass cleaner
• Hand soap
• Microwave (if your school allows it)
• Mini fridge (if your school allows it)
• Mini vacuum
• Mugs
• Oven mitt
• Paper plates
• Paper towels
• Plastic wrap
• Reusable water bottle
• Sealable plastic bags
• Sponges
• Swiffer
• Tinfoil
• Toaster (if your school allows it)
• Trash bags
• Travel mug
• Tupperware
• Utensils
• Water boiler
• Water filter pitcher

Bathroom

• Air freshener
• Bath pouf
• Bath towels
• Bathrobe
• Bathroom cleaning supplies (if you need them for your dorm: i.e., drain cleaner, glass cleaner, rubber gloves, shower cleaner, sponges, toilet brush, toilet cleaner)
• Bathroom rug
• Hand towels
• Loofah
• Scale
• Shower caddy
• Shower cap
• Shower curtain and rings (if needed)
• Shower mat
• Shower organizer (if your school allows it)
• Shower shoes
• Tumbler/cup
• Upgraded showerhead (if your school allows it)
• Washcloths

Toiletries

Products

• Acne medicine/cream
• Antibacterial gel
• Bar soap
• Body wash
• Conditioner
• Deodorant
• Eye cream
• Face wash
• Hair gel
• Hair mousse
• Hairspray
• Lip balm
• Lotion
• Makeup
• Makeup remover
• Moisturizer
• Mouthwash
• Nail polish
• Nail polish remover
• Shampoo
• Shaving Cream
• Sunscreen
• Toothpaste
• Wax

Supplies

• Blow dryer
• Bobby pins
• Comb
• Contacts, solution, and case
• Cotton balls
• Cotton swabs
• Curling iron
• Diffusers
• Eyeglass cleaner
• Eyeglasses and case
• Floss
• Hair clips
• Hair curlers
• Hair straightener
• Hair ties
• Hairbrush
• Hand mirror
• Headbands
• Nail clippers
• Nail files
• Pumice stone
• Razor
• Round brush
• Sunglasses
• Sweatbands
• Tampons and pads
• Tissues
• Toilet paper
• Toothbrush
• Toothbrush holder
• Tweezers

Clothing

• Athletic sneakers
• Bathing suits
• Belts
• Bras
• Casual dresses
• Casual shoes
• Costume clothing for theme parties/extracurricular events
• Dress tape
• Everyday purse
• Flats
• Flip-flops
• Formal clutch
• Formal dress
• Gloves
• Going-out clothes
• Going-out purse
• Gym bag
• Hats
• Heels
• Jeans
• Jackets
• Jewelry
• Leggings
• Little black dress
• Long-sleeve shirts
• Pajamas
• Pants
• Pea coat
• Professional clothing (dress, dress pants, button-down shirts, skirts, blazers, shoes, purse)
• Rain boots
• Raincoat
• Regular boots
• Scarves
• Semi-formal dresses
• Short-sleeve shirts
• Shorts
• Skirts
• Slippers
• Snow boots
• Socks
• Socks for rain boots
• Spanx
• Sports bras
• Sweaters
• Sweatpants
• Sweatshirts
• T-shirts
• Tank tops
• Tights
• Underwear
• Watch
• Winter coat
• Workout clothes
• Wristlet
• Yoga pants

Tech

• Batteries
• Camera
• Chargers (phone, laptop, camera, etc.)
• DVD player
• DVDs
• E-reader
• Ethernet cable
• Extension cords
• External hard drive
• Flash drives
• HDMI cable
• Headphones and spare headphones
• iPod/MP3 player
• Keyboard
• Lap desk
• Laptop
• Laptop Case
• Microsoft Office
• Portable phone charger
• Printer
• Printer ink
• Printer paper
• Recording device for lectures
• Router
• SD card for camera
• Spare cables
• Speakers
• Surge protectors
• Tablet
• TV
• TV stand
• Video game consoles
• Video games
• Wireless mouse

Documents

• Bank documents
• Car registration and insurance information
• Checks
• Copy of birth certificate
• Copy of Social Security card
• Credit card
• Debit card
• Driver’s license
• Emergency contact list
• Enrollment documents
• Financial aid documents
• Health/dental insurance cards
• Lease (if you have an apartment)
• Passport
• Product warranties
• Renters insurance (if you have an apartment)
• Student ID

Desk/School Supplies

• Address book
• Backpack or tote bag
• Binder clips
• Binders
• Business cards
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Cards/notes to send home
• Clicker (if you need one for class)
• Desk chair
• Desk lamp
• Desk organizer
• Envelopes
• Erasers
• File folder for important documents
• Folders
• Glue
• Highlighters
• Hole punch
• Index cards
• Journal
• Laptop fan/stand
• Leisure books (one or two)
• Letter opener
• Notebook paper
• Notebooks
• Notepads
• Paper clips
• Pencil case
• Pencil sharpener
• Pencils
• Pens/colored pens
• Planner
• Portfolio/portfolio case for interviews
• Post-it notes
• Rubber bands
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Stamps
• Staple remover
• Stapler
• Staples
• Tape
• Textbooks
• Three-hole punch
• Wite-Out

Medical

• Allergy medicine
• Aloe lotion
• Antiseptic wipes
• Bandages
• Birth control
• Blister bandages
• Cold and flu medicine
• Condoms
• Cortisone cream
• Decongestant
• Eye drops
• First aid kit
• Hot and cold packs
• Humidifier
• Insect repellent
• Multivitamins
• Over-the-counter pain medication
• Prescription medicine
• Prescription refill information
• Retainer/mouth guard
• Rubbing alcohol
• Supplements (iron pills, etc.)
• Thermometer
• Thermometer covers
• Throat drops/lozenges
• Throat spray
• Upset stomach medication
• Vaseline

Misc.

• Art supplies
• Beach towel
• Bike
• Bike helmet
• Bike lock
• Board games
• Duct tape
• Earplugs
• Fan
• Flashlight
• Lightbulbs
• Luggage tags
• Musical instruments
• Pepper spray (if legal in your state)
• Playing cards
• Religious materials
• Safety pins
• Safety whistle
• Sleep mask
• Sports equipment
• Suitcase
• Tool kit
• Travel bags/travel organizer for toiletries
• Umbrella
• Vacuum
• Weekend bag
• Yoga mat

Click here to download a printable version of this list!

If there was ever a moment to ask yourself WWBWD (What Would Blair Waldorf Do?), the first day is of college is definitely it. Whether she was ruling Constance from the steps of the Met or making NYU and Columbia her own, B always managed to take hold of the school scene with confidence, awe-inspiring style and a little bit (okay, a lot) of scheming.While we can’t all waltz to campus with a BFF like Serena or a #MCM-worthy boyfriend like Chuck Bass , Blair definitely supplied us with enough advice to channel our inner Queen B.

In order to avoid being another queen’s minion, here are some secrets that Gossip Girl wouldn’t tell you (but we totally will) on how to channel your inner Blair and be oh-so confident on your first semester on campus. 

1. One does not simply rain on Blair Waldorf's parade.

Don't let any summer regrets hold you back from letting your personality and potential shine.

2. If you don't have a Blair minion-level goal list (complete with a binder), you are probably doing first semester wrong. 

Set goals for your first semester and know what your expectations are for yourself even before your first day.

3. Don't let the Chuck Basses and Serena Van der Woodsens of your campus hold you back.

Once you have set those goals, don't let anyone or anything stand in your way of achieving them. 

4. If Blair could get used to Brooklyn, you can get used to your new campus. 

Even if you are a little nervous at first, just know that everything is going to work out. 

5. As B told Little J, you have to be cold to be queen. 

Not everyone that you meet is going to want to be your friend, and that's all right. Kill them with kidness anyways. 

6. To be honest, Queen B was so much fiercer when she was reigning all on her own (sorry, Chuck)!

If college meant parting ways with your SO, know that you don’t need a guy  in your life to realize your full potential

7. A day was truly wasted if Blair didn't figure out a way to make her ideas her reality. 

College goes by quicker than anyone wants, so always be ambitious. Don’t sit around and think about joining that club that you’re interested in, just go for it!

8. "Incapable" and "Blair Waldorf" were never used in the same sentence.

As a freshman, people might underestimate you. Exceed expectations and show everyone just how fabulous you are

9.  Remember when Chuck had to run Blair's fashion show because of her sleep deprivation? Try not to get to that point. 

Your schedule might be busier than you’re used to and there are going to be times when you feel slightly overwhelmed. It’s possible that all-nighters will become very familiar to you, but make sure that you set aside a little bit of time for yourself as well. 

10. You can make a Columbia out of an NYU if you need to. 

While total domination with scheming and minions is probably not the best way to approach your first semester, making your school your own and figuring out where you fit in is a must.

11. And if you learned absolutely nothing else from Blair Waldorf just remember...

But leggings are still totally fine. 

Good luck with your first semester, collegiettes!

Chatting with your new college roommate for the first time can sometimes be, well… awkward. You may try to play it cool as you make small talk about dorm decorations and majors, but chances are you’re putting a lot more thought into that convo then you’d ever let on. Inspired by the College Humor gem “Yo, Let’s Text For a While And Then Maybe Hook Up,” Her Campus presents to you our take on the first interaction you may have with your new roomie.

We positively believe that what we wear can be a fitting expression of our personalities. But there are some essential outfits that we all need in our closets. Below, we’ve got 13 college uniforms that every collegiette has to have.

1. The library outfit

The library seems like one of those places where no one’s really paying attention to what you have on, but that doesn’t mean you should slack. Do consider the obstacles you need to dress around: unbelievably uncomfortable chairs, the always frigid temperatures, and the dust-covered books that no one dares touch.

2. The going out outfit

Whether you’ve got a date or are heading out to a party, a flirty LBD is your bestie in nearly every night on the town scenario.

3. The it’s-early-but-I-need-to-look-put-together outfit

When you have an 8 a.m. class, it’s easy to just walk out the door in what you slept in the night before. But there are some days when that’s just not acceptable. You’ll need relaxed denim and a cute top to help you ride out the pain of a morning that demands relentless coffee refills.

4. The group hang outfit

Ever been in a situation where you like someone and your friends set up a group hang so the two of you can realize how right you are for each other? You can’t exactly dress as if you’re going on a date, but you still need to work it. It’s like halfway between trying too hard and not trying at all. We think it’s called trying?

5. The I-procrastinated-so-I-pulled-an-all-nighter outfit

You were up all night, and the results are not pretty. It’s on you to get up, get going, and look good doing it.

6. The polished professional outfit

This one’s for the inevitable day you’re forced to step out of your student role and prove to some slightly older adult that you’ve got what it takes to be a professional. This could mean interning, giving a presentation in class, or going on an interview. Regardless, you’re going to rely on your trusty black blazer and other expertly fitted pieces until you can slip back into your comfier collegiette duds.

7. The last-pieces-of-clean-clothing outfit

Don’t get caught in the laundry room wearing a stained, oversized sweatshirt you stole from your parents’ closet. You can still look chic wearing the simplest pieces in your wardrobe.

8. The sick day outfit

Everybody gets sick, but often in college we don’t have time to be under the weather. This does make for the ideal time to wear your favorite lazy outfit without feeling any shame.

9. The weekend—5 percent studying, 95 percent Netflixing—outfit

If you’re going to lay in bed all day, you might as well wear your… PAJAMAS!

10. The school pride outfit

The first thing every new college student must do is buy a school shirt. That way when you’re off to the big game, you won’t stick out like a sore thumb among a sea of your school colors.

11. The leggings are pants outfit

On day one of college orientation, we were told leggingsare pants. Despite what the real world says, we’re sticking by it.

12. The rainy day outfit

In the nine or so months you spend at school, there will be rain. Rain boots, an umbrella, and a raincoat are all necessary to stay perfectly dry even on the dreariest of days.

13. The doing-it-all-and-making-it-work outfit

College is all about multitasking, so most of all you need clothes that will work in lots of different settings. Prepare to take on the world, collegiettes!

What other essential college uniforms do you swear by?

Summer is over and it's time to head back to campus. How can a collegiette slay during her first semester back? Trend-driven statement pieces, obvi! There is no need to purchase an entire new wardrobe; here are five stylish pieces that will take your outfits to the next level.

1. The bomber jacket

Do you want an alternative to your leather jacket? Bomber jackets are a staple piece that can help you recreate different looks over and over again. With tons of different colors and styles, this fun and flirty piece is a must-have this fall. It's so versatile; you can totally wear it to class, work or a night out! Reinvent your look by pairing a stylish bomber jacket (we recommend one in an of-the-moment color, like this burgundy piece from ASOS, $39.41) with a vintage pair of jeans, classic ankle boots, a deep V-neck tee and simple jewelry.

2. Style comeback: bucket bags

Morgan Pitts, the creative mind behind cosMORGpolitan and #BlackGirlsWhoBlog, cannot stop raving about bucket bags for the upcoming season. The hippie-chic bag is back and we no longer have to beg our moms for hand-me-downs. “Bucket bags are a great choice to wear with a shirt dress,” Morgan says. For an effortless style that can be as dressy as you want it to be, you are guaranteed to turn heads with one of these updated classics, like this faux leather bag from Forever 21 ($24.90).

3. Raw denim

Denim has always been a go-to in every girl’s closest, but the new trend—frayed and distressed hems—will have all eyes on you. No matter whether you go for a light or dark shade, this laid-back touch will carry you through every season this year. Slip on your favorite pair of distressed denim—we're loving the Cropped Boyjean from Madewell ($59.99)—and with a quick change of shoes and a new top, you can create plenty of outfits to get you through the week!

4. Lace-up ballet flats

Add more to a classic ballet flat with a pair of pointed lace-ups, like the Tie-Up Leather Ballerinas from Zara ($69.90) that will have you looking polished in no time. “Paired with a lace dress, they are elegance and comfort tied into one,” Morgan says. Plus, they go with almost everything! These shoes are already all over your Instagram feed; now, it's time you join in on the fun! 

5. Bold printed top

Wearing a bold print doesn't mean wearing a print that's all-out crazy. You can still sport a bold pattern that stands out in a classic way! Mix prints with this striped top from Topshop ($65) and a patterned midi skirt, or pair the piece with your favorite skinny jeans for a sleek streamlined look. 

Get ready to be the most stylish collegiette on campus this fall! Whether you #DoItForTheInsta or you just love looking polished for class, these five pieces are the way to go.

Fall is seriously the best—you can whip out your riding boots and oversized cardigans, and the PSL makes a comeback in your local Starbucks. But with a new school year comes new issues to deal with: homework, staying healthy and surviving on a college budget, to name a few. How are you supposed to upgrade your cold weather wardrobe when you’re broke from buying all those textbooks? Don’t worry, collegiettes—we have you covered!

We partnered with Cambio, a platform for, and built, by women (just like Her Campus!), to give away the ultimate #BUILTBYGIRLS Back to School Swag Bag.

#BUILTBYGIRLS is a movement that challenges young women to believe they can be anything they want to be and build anything they want to build. The goal of the #BUILTBYGIRLS movement is for young women to be builders, creators, innovators—the protagonists in their own lives.

The lucky winner of this #BUILTBYGIRLS giveaway will get a Barbour Women’s Beadnell Jacket in Sage (to ward off the cold and look chic doing it), a pair of Lyssé Vegan Leather Leggings and Biku Embroidered Top (because you have to stay fashion-forward somehow), a signature brass bracelet from The Brave Collection (a beautiful piece handcrafted in Cambodia), the HC Book (so you can deal with every #CollegietteProblem) and an adorable and comfortable HCXO t-shirt.

Ready to have your happiest, most stylish school year yet? Enter to win the #BUILTBYGIRLS Back to School Swag Bag now!

Cambio Giveaway

Whether it’s building your career, working toward a higher degree, or enjoying your favorite hobbies, it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. While staying organized is a great way to prioritize tasks, a big reason why you may be feeling stressed and scatterbrained is because your work-life balance is a little out of whack. It’s important to take care of yourself because if you don’t, it will affect every other aspect of your life. Being able to separate work from home is a craft all on its own, so we’ve compiled a list of ways you can achieve the perfect work-life balance.

1. Unplug

You might not believe it, but unplugging once in a while is a great way to achieve harmony between work life and personal life. When you come home from work, make it a point to do something that isn’t work-related. If you’re at a desk clicking away all day, try to stay off the computer at home and give your eyes a rest from staring at a screen. Take this time to go for a run, read that book that’s been on your list for the past couple of months (whoops), or spend time doing what you love.

Now, more than ever, it’s super hard to unplug 100 percent. We all like to take a break from whatever we’re doing and scroll through our social media feeds, but this results in even more time staring at the screen and less time taking in what’s physically around you. When you unplug, do your best to fully commit to leaving your phone (or iPad, laptop, etc.) behind for a few hours.

"Having moved from New Jersey to Colorado last year to serve a year with AmeriCorps, I knew I wanted to meet new people, try new things, and see new places," says Taleen Terjanian, a 2010 graduate of Rutgers University. "As much as I attempted to fully immerse myself in these new experiences, I was still attempting to balance relationships with friends from around the world and couldn't help but feel that I wasn't giving 100 percent to anyone."

Taleen took her unplugging to another level and deactivated her Facebook account for a little while. "With hundreds of loved ones sharing stores, news, and life updates, it became incredibly difficult to keep up with each and everyone 'virtually,' all while focusing on the job hunt post AmeriCorps, and completing applications," she explained. She put her Facebook on hold and focused on what she needed to do without the social media distraction at her fingertips.

2. Stay away from work email

We know it’s hard, but your work email should stay at work. If you’re always logged into your Outlook inbox outside of office hours, your boss and fellow co-workers may always run to you with last minute things, creating the mentality that you are available 24/7… which isn’t very healthy. It’s great to be eager and enthusiastic about your job, but if you feel like it’s getting in the way of your personal life (like, if you find yourself checking your inbox during a family dinner), then it’s definitely time to log out.

Logged into your work inbox on your phone? Turn notifications off during evening hours and on weekends—that way you're not tempted to grab your phone every time you hear that unmistakable, "You've got mail!" tone. Whatever is in your inbox when you leave the office can wait for the morning.

3. Use your weekends to relax

So many people forget to do this, but use your weekends to relax and let loose! You've worked hard during the week, so it's important to use Saturday and Sunday (though we sometimes feel like we need a weekend from our weekend) to unwind and kick back.

"I used to work on weekends, too, and I learned that using them to rest is more effective for the upcoming work week," says Sarah Yu, a graduate student at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

You'll feel more physically and mentally refreshed and ready to take on Monday after a little bit of rest.

4. Create your own work space

If you're a freelancer, or find yourself working from home, separating your professional life from your personal life can be that much harder. You don't have an office to drive to, so whether you're answering emails from bed or sending reports from your couch, your home becomes your primary workspace.

To get a change of scenery, head to your local library or hang out at a coffee shop during working hours. That way, when you are home, you can focus on having it be your personal space to unwind.

5. Designate working hours

If you must do work from home, designate days and times when you'll take on a few office tasks.

"I designate days for work in case I have to bring home tests or lesson plans," says Janice Lyczkowski, a 6th grade integrated reading and language arts teacher at Community Middle School. "But I end up forcing myself to put stuff away and stay connected to real life and what's going on around me."

Designating a specific day (Sunday) and time span (8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) to alleviate your work load is a great way to stay productive in your career without completely sacrificing your time off.

6. Limit "shop talk" with your co-workers outside of work

Friday night happy hours and heading to a restaurant during lunch are totally fine, but make it a point to separate your work life from your personal life by limiting how often you engage in office chatter outside the office.

"It's awesome to be friends with your co-workers, but you'll most likely end up talking about work while you're with them," says Sarah. "When I was interning, my fellow interns and I would go out for dinner and in addition to small talk, we talked about work and it wasn't restful at all."

If you do have a close work buddy, try doing something that doesn't have anything to do with work. And do your best to avoid shop talk, too!

We should all strive to achieve the perfect work-life balance. Not only will it help you avoid burnout in your professional life, but you'll achieve peace in your personal life as well. Disconnect from your work email when you're not in the office, use your weekends for relaxing and unwinding, and—if you're a freelancer who works from home—make sure your work space is separate from your living space. You got this!

Name: Natasha Shine-Zirkel

Age: 29

Job Title and Description: Chief Marketing Officer at Rounds

College Name/Major: Irvine Valley College in South Orange County, California/Business Administration with an emphasis in Business Management and  The IDC Herzliya/Marketing major and Finance minor

Website: www.rounds.com
 

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

Natasha Shine-Zirkel: As a member of the executive Rounds management team, I am heavily involved in the ongoing business operations with our CEO. My main responsibilities that my job consists of are running the marketing and business development side of things. There’s no such thing as a typical day, but in the span of the day I generally work on a variety of different projects.

For example, I could be working on an analysis of our user acquisition, planning out our next college campus campaign, going over a press release, building a strategy for penetrating new markets, assessing our ASO standings and researching and writing new texts for A/B testing, managing our social media channels, attending management meetings, working on due diligence, interviewing final candidates for different HR positions, the list goes on!

What is the best part of your job?

NSZ: The best part of my job, and about being in a startup in general, is being able to do a little bit of everything. I love hands on work and thrive in an environment where I get to explore different marketing and business opportunities.
 
 

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

NSZ: My first taste of marketing was during my teenage years. I was attending community college and waiting tables at a number of restaurants. When my boss opened a new restaurant, I helped market the restaurant and build the catering department. Waiting tables was a form of marketing and sales - you understand the type of customer you have in front of you, and you change your sales pitch, your tone and the way you interact with them accordingly.

Afterwards I moved to Israel and started studying at the IDC Herzliya where I completed a marketing internship as part of my scholarship volunteer hours. In my last year of studies, I started working at the Zell Entrepreneurship Program, a venture creation program for excelled students. Being the program coordinator, it gave me my first look into the world of entrepreneurship and what the startup high tech scene had to offer. My first “entry-level” job out of college was at an internet payment service provider doing compliance, a job that I really didn’t like, and to be honest, wasn’t very good at. But, when you’re in college, I think you have this perception that upon graduation, the offers just start to flood in. Well, that doesn’t happen, and I got nervous, so I took the first job I was offered. That was a mistake. After eight months I decided enough was enough. I thought about taking some time off to maybe travel for a month as I had been at college for six years and then directly into the workforce with no break. So I decided to look for a project that would challenge me in an environment where I could hone in on my marketing skills.

At the time, Rounds had just launched their beta site and were looking for young Americans to be active users on the platform and introduce new users to it. The hours were part-time and it sounded like fun, so I started looking into it. But the more I found out about Rounds, the more I loved the idea, and the more ideas I had. So when I came for my interview, they were interviewing me for an active user position and I was interviewing them for a marketing manager position. They had no intention on hiring someone in marketing prior, but I won, and together we were able to build the position for me from there.

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

NSZ: Not necessarily about my industry but about the psychology of being a woman in business. Firstly, being brought up in London and raised in America, I have English mannerisms and an American mentality, which are totally different from the very “in your face” and honest Israeli business (and personal) culture. Secondly, I’m surrounded by men all day, and it took me a while to find my own voice. Thirdly, like many other women I know, I have struggled with the imposter syndrome. Constantly fighting with other people’s perceptions of me, what I know, and what I think I know. It took me a long time to feel comfortable and really understand where I’m at.

And lastly, I’m a very emotional person. Some may consider that a negative, but over the years I’ve come to realize that’s just who I am. It’s not naivety or immaturity; it’s just a part of me. I’ve worked hard on dealing with my emotions in the workplace, bettering my reactions to things, and most importantly, just accepting that’s part of what makes me, me. I always tell my colleagues, the moment I start being less emotional and start caring less, is the moment we have a problem!

What words of wisdom (well-known quotes, an anecdote from your boss) do you find most valuable?

NSZ: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” - Thomas Edison

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

NSZ: Wow, I’ve probably made a lot, but I learned from all of them! I think that learning about oneself and your skill set is an important part of being a good employee, manager and entrepreneur. You’re not going to be good at everything; no one is. But it’s really important to know your strengths and weakness - play on your strengths, try and improve your weaknesses and surround yourself with people that even you out. It’s really okay not to be good at everything, but just know where you stand.

What do you look for when considering hiring someone?

NSZ: Passion for the product, someone who really gets what we’re trying to achieve and believes in it. Someone that fits in with the company culture and meshes well with the company dynamics and team. Someone that gets on well in a team but can work independently. Someone creative that shows initiate and can execute and not just strategize. I look for doers that want to work hard, learn and grow.

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

NSZ: I would tell them to pick a company or product they are passionate about, a team they like and respect and a position that challenges them. I believe you make your own luck; don’t wait for other people to give you opportunities, work hard to earn them and go and get them for yourself. Don’t let the imposter syndrome or your insecurities get in the way of what you deserve, and what you can achieve. And try and communicate with the people around you the best you can. Whether that’s to your manager, your team members, or the people you are managing, having good communication skills is key (and that goes for any type of relationship). 

The start of fall semester always comes with the excitement of moving in to your new place—minus the actual moving in part. Whether your school is down the road or across the country from your house, the hassle of trucking your stuff around has hardly gotten easier since freshman year: 50 pounds of luggage doesn’t feel any lighter, your pile of stuff hasn’t gotten any smaller, and you still haven’t figured out that Undetectable Extension Charm. We know you’re frustrated, and our nerdy Harry Potter references probably aren’t helping. But don’t drop out just yet—first try Her Campus’s recipe for making move-in day as painless as possible.

Be ready

Good things may come to those who wait, but an easy trip to your first day back at college isn’t one of them. If there’s anything you know you can do before move-in day to prepare, get it out of the way now. Go through the stuff you threw in your basement when you moved out last spring; throwing out and replacing old or broken items and amenities now will save you the hassle of hauling them all the way to campus and hunting for necessities there. Forward your home mail to your campus mailbox, and make sure any textbooks you ordered online arrive at the right place depending on their delivery dates. Preparing well now will save you time and space—both of which you should worry about in physics class, not your new apartment or dorm.

Pack right.

“Be super light with packing,” advises Annie Robinson from North Toronto Collegiate Institute. “If you don’t need it, don’t pack it. Be ruthless with whatever you don’t need.” The easiest way to make sure you don’t over- (or under-) pack is to write a list of everything you truly need before you get started—and be honest with yourself! It’s okay to pack the classic essentials and your newest back-to-school fashion finds, but as a general rule, avoid packing anything perishable, messy, or easily replaceable. Harper Yi from at The College of William & Mary moves by the principle, “Just buy it when you get there.” There are exceptions, says Harper, but only the well-justified ones fly, like specific items you can’t get at school: “I only pack Asian food that is easy to find where I live [at home] since there are tons of Asian grocers back home, but none near my campus,” she says. Check out OneBag.com for additional tips on how not to set foot on campus with loads of luggage Elle Woods-style.

Keeping your bags light is a start, but “professional” packers know to pack strategically, too. Tempted to throw all your stuff into your suitcase and deal with the inevitable wrinkles in your favorite top later? Resist the temptation and instead use those critical thinking skills you keep chatting about in cover letters to streamline the move-in process.“I packed my clothes on their respective hangers,” says Emmanuel College collegiette Hyanna Cardoso. “It took me less than an hour to move into my dorm. I just removed them from my closet [at home], folded them in half, place them in a box (in order of my closet) and voilà”

Get help

Take advantage of the resources around you. One tried and true option is to rent a U-Haul, but an even easier answer might be right in front of you. Many schools offer services to help students with move-in day, like storage space and golf carts (or attractive members of the football team). Look for off-campus resources, too; Katherine Mirani from Northwestern University found a particularly convenient program while shopping for the start of the school year: “I used this Bed Bath & Beyond program where you can pick out the stuff you want at a store in your hometown/city, then pick up the stuff at the store closest to your school. It worked out really well and saved me a ton of shipping issues.”

Even if you’re working solo, there’s no need to bear all the weight.“I always used a moving dolly to haul around my stuff,” says UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Michelle Lewis. “It makes [moving in] a lot easier than carrying everything.”

Dress the part

Just when we were starting to daydream of the perfect move-in, Harper snaps us out of it with more of her sensibility. She makes a point to “not try to look cute on move-in day. You’ll be carrying stuff in, probably in the August heat, and if you try to impress everyone with how cute you look on move-in day, you will inevitably have makeup running down your face and sweat-soaked clothes.” Well, that daydream turned into a nightmare. A better approach, says Harper, would be to “wear sensible clothes, get your stuff moved in, take a shower, change, and then get ready to mingle.” That doesn’t mean you have to dress like Yoda—just adopt the same attitude you would while studying: choose something comfortable and functional that still looks cute enough to wear around campus on your first day back.

Make space

Space Jam isn’t just the movie we miss most from the 90’s; it’s also what we call an unfortunate side effect of poor planning and a move-in malfunction. To avoid claustrophobia and a scene from Hoarders, try the following tips for making the most of your tiny dorm or apartment.

• Either before you leave home or once you get to campus, check out local convenience stores or specialty shops like the Container Store for neat space-savers and stackable crates.
• Loft your bed for extra storage or desk space underneath. Ask your RA or the residential life office to provide the necessary tools.
• Invest in products like the Space Bag, which sucks up all the air surrounding your clothes and reduces the space they hog in your closet.
• Consolidate your items. Useful tech gadgets like surge protectors, for instance, can save you time you’d otherwise spend untangling wires and searching for outlets.
• Be creative. As Harper advises,“Maximize zero space. Your rain boots? You can stuff socks into them. Your shoe boxes? Put some camisoles in them. This saves space and trips down to your car when you move in.”

Settle in

The exhaustion that follows a hard day’s work may tempt you to throw up your hands in frustration with your first-world problems and retire early for the day. But trust us—the time to get settled and make your space livable is now, while you’re in the move-in mode and you still have the time. Use organization methods like color coordination to keep your stuff straight, and label your boxes and drawers to save yourself prep time in the morning, especially for the first few weeks while you get used to your new place. And have fun! Each new school year brings another chance to decorate the walls with your personality. Annie suggests Dormify.com for “interior design must-haves and advice.”

Our six tips are sure to make your first day back less of a hassle so you can get your real school year started sooner. So stop dreading move-in day. Follow our recipe on how to make your first day back easier and we guarantee you’ll like the way you move.

With your busy schedule, organizing your life can seem impossible. But with these supplies, staying on top of everything will be a piece of cake! Check out our favorite back-to-school essentials.

1. Student Advantage card

Living on a student budget can be rough, but with a Student Advantage card, you can save tons of money on things like entertainment and transportation. Joining the program is super easy, and one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Now we can afford to splurge on Sunday brunch!

2. Kenneth Cole Puffed Purple Backpack 

We don’t need to tell you that a backpack is a college essential, but functional doesn’t have to mean boring! Carrying your books around campus won’t be a drag anymore with this cool puffed purple backpack by Kenneth Cole available at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores or online at officedepot.com/college!

3. Office Depot brand Stellar Notebook with Spine Guard 

This ridiculously practical notebook features a document pocket, a slot for your student ID and a removable ruler and page flags, so you’ll never forget anything you need for your intensive study session. Plus it comes in six bold colors and three different formats, so there’s one for every collegiette!

4. Vera Bradley Smartphone Wristlet

Do you drop your phone a lot? Us, too. Prevent the cracked screen nightmare with this adorable wristlet ($48 at Vera Bradley) that doubles as a phone case and a card holder, so you’ll never be fumbling for you key card again!

5. Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 Laptop Bundle

Did your old laptop die on you? That could be an issue for the school year. Give this Dell computer a try! You’ll be obsessed with how light and versatile it is — it’s a laptop and a tablet at the same time! Trust us, the tablet feature makes it SO easy when you need to draw a quick diagram during chemistry class! Shop Office Depot and you can get the Dell laptop bundle, which gets you a 15.6” touchscreen, powerful AMD A8 processor, 6GB of memory, 1TB of hard drive space, Microsoft Office 365, McAfee Internet Security and a Microsoft wireless mouse! You can get ALL of this for only $399 (that’s a $330 savings!) through September 20 at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores or online. For qualified devices purchased at their stores beginning August 2, get a free upgrade to Windows 10 installed by a Tech Services Associate — a $49.99 value. Talk about an amazing deal!

6. ban.do Mobile Charger

Speaking of things dying, you love your smart phone, but that thing dies at 4 p.m. most days and it’s a total struggle. Outsmart your phone’s sub-par battery life with this sparkly mobile charger ($30 at ban.do) and you’ll be texting your friends into the night.

7. 808 Canz Bluetooth Speaker

Whether you need that “focus” playlist to get things done or you’re trying to get pumped up for a party, the right sound system can make all the difference. With this super practical Bluetooth speaker, you can play your music anywhere straight from your phone.

8. Sweetheart Minimergency Kit

We’ve all had to deal with blisters and stains at some point, but what do you do if you’re stuck on campus all day? Because imagining everything that could go wrong would be exhausting (and pretty depressing, honestly), Pinch Provisions does it for you! This super cute and teeny kit ($16 at Pinch Provisions) has everything you need when you’re on the go, so you’ll always be prepared for any emergency.

9. Lilly Pulitzer Tumbler With Straw

You’ll save the earth and money when you order your iced coffee in one of these pretty, preppy tumblers ($15 at Lilly Pulitzer). That’s right, most coffee shops offer a small discount when you bring your own container—that’s just one more reason to be eco-conscious!

College doesn’t have to be that stressful—we promise! These cute and practical finds will make your life so much easier. Have a wonderful year, collegiettes!

Meet Moana, Disney’s newest and first Polynesian princess. Disney presented some new concept art, previews and music for the princess and her story at the D23 Expo last week. Dwayne Johnson was at the expo and will be voicing the character Maui, a demi-god, in the film.

The movie, which is being directing by John Musker and Ron Clements, best known for making films such as The Great Mouse Detective, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Princess and the Frog, is promising to be filled with adventure and a strong female lead. Moana sets out on an adventure on the open ocean. She encounters all sorts of interesting characters on her journey, including Dwayne Johnson’s character, the demi-god Maui.

Of course what Disney princess would be complete without a few animal sidekicks? Moana’s are a pig named Pau and a rooster named Hei-Hei, both of which you’re sure to fall in love with.

The music and vibes of this film sound amazing and it will definitely be a long wait until the film is released in November 2016. Until then, there's time to watch all the other Disney princess movies in preperation!