Admit it: You spent the heart-pounding season finale of Pretty Little Liars sitting on your couch trying to contain yourself as you watched the plotline unravel before your eyes. And, let’s be real here—this was undoubtedly the best season finale thus far. This episode was definitely a jaw-dropper and left many of us with copious amounts of unanswered questions, as per usual. A lot of people screamed, some of us may have even cried, and some may have just been at a loss for words. But we were definitely on an emotional roller coaster throughout the entire episode. Let’s take a look at how some PLL fans reacted to the breathtaking finale. 

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My sister, who is three years my junior, has had sex. I, however, have not. When this happened and she told me, I wasn’t all that surprised. She was always the one with a boyfriend, the one with more experience and the one who my extended family liked to interrogate about her dating life (after attempting to interrogate me with poor results, I think they realized her romantic life was more exciting). This rarely bothered me. I knew my time would come and I knew that I would have my fair share of romantic endeavors. That was until I realized that, among my group of friends from high school, college and beyond, I had become the last fish in the barrel. That is to say, I am the only one who has yet to have sex.

All of a sudden, knowing my younger sister had passed this supposed “milestone” became too much for me to handle. I was no longer the cool, collected, secure-in-herself older sister I had always been. I was constantly thinking about my “virginity,” to the point where I felt like I was wearing it like a red flag. It gave me anxiety to feel like the last one, to feel like all of my friends had lapped me in the proverbial race that represented how I saw romance.

So much of our society is predicated on the prowess of coming in first (no pun intended). We are constantly compared to, ranked among and analyzed alongside one another. It seems totally logical, because it’s the way we have been brought up to see the world, but if we take a step back, we can see that it doesn’t really make that much sense. After all, how are we expected to enjoy or reflect on any of what we’ve done if all that matters is how it looks in comparison to someone else and the things they’ve done? If it’s about coming in first (or at least not coming in last), time is of the essence. Everything is timed, and we’re all pitted against each other.

If we’re looking for love in our romantic endeavors, this certainly doesn’t seem like a way to it. And even if we’re not, it still doesn’t really make sense that we’re viewing this as a competition. We reduce romance to this arbitrary end result, and lose any ability to enjoy our experiences in the process. Even if sex and dating aren’t about finding “the one,” even if it’s about satisfying desires or just having fun, what’s the point in doing any of that if it’s just for the sake of ranking yourself?

Related: How Often Are College Women REALLY Having Sex?

As I started to settle into the knowledge that I was the last “virgin,” I came to realize that that wasn’t a way of seeing sex or romance or passion or courtship that I was comfortable with. I came to realize that whether or not I had had sex meant nothing.

So, this article that I’m writing is about a lot of things. It’s about how I think that “virginity” isn’t a great way to conceptualize your first time. It’s about how “first time” isn’t something we should be racing toward in an effort to out-compete one another, but it’s also about how you shouldn’t feel obligated to wait if your first time having sex is something you want to do. It’s about how I came to realize that it really didn’t mean anything that I was the last “virgin” among the people I knew, unless I wanted it to.

It’s about how, in an effort to live your life without regrets, you should make these experiences ones you’re proud of. It’s about how that means different things for different people. You can absolutely be proud of something that your friend might find completely embarrassing or regrettable. You can be proud of something I might seem to denounce in this piece. My ultimate message, though, and what I hope you take away from reading this, is that it’s about you.

While looking for pictures to accompany this article, when I searched “virginity,” the most common result was some varying image of a single flower. An orchid, a rose and other singular flowers I am not capable of identifying with my limited botanical experience came up. They all had this one thing in common—they are pictured alone.

This struck me as slightly ominous at first, and perhaps if I had a different understanding of virginity, that meaning would have resonated with me most. Maybe these pictures have some relation to the notion of “deflowering,” another highly problematic term that requires another article in its entirety for me to grapple with. So, at first, I was perplexed. But then I realized that this was the exact point I was trying to make.

Regardless of how you conceptualize your first kiss, your first time or any of your romantic endeavors, what I believe is important is the notion of you and “your.” At the end of the day, you are the one with the memories and the power to feel good (or bad) about them. You are the one to whom your experiences belong, and you can’t let anyone take that away from you. Not younger sisters, friends nor society at large.

I know that this topic may seem tired. I know I might sound like an inexperienced weirdo shouting into the void, like I’m sitting here petulant and whiny about how no one has had sex with me. I certainly know I’m not the first person to have written about this topic, but, given the amount of time I still spend thinking about how my sister had sex for the first time before I did, I feel like a reminder might be necessary. And this isn’t just a reminder that terms like “deflowering,” “v-card swiping” and “cherry,” to name a few, are completely arbitrary.

This is a reminder that, in the world of romance, in my experience anyway, we often forget to put ourselves first. We forget that, like Christina Yang says, we are the sun. We let other people’s standards get mixed up with how we feel about ourselves, and end up not feeling too good about ourselves! This means that it’s necessary to rethink how we feel. We have to set our individual standards straight so that, when the time comes to have sex or to evaluate how we feel about having sex, we are comfortable with the terms, with ourselves and with how we feel. Only then can we be remotely comfortable with whoever else is involved.  

When I first sat down to write this, I wanted to effectively preach my position about how virginity is meaningless. And I still believe that—virginity is a concept that was made up to make women feel bad about themselves. To slut shame, in effect.

But my opinions are meaningless if they’re that one-dimensional or one-sided. After giving this more thought, I understand that there are religious, personal and other reasons why people want their “first time” to be special. Hopefully this piece has made clear that I don’t want anyone to feel bad about making that a reality. I hope your first time is special if you want it to be! I know people at all positions on the spectrum. Friends who thought they didn’t care if their first time wasn’t “special,” friends who thought they didn’t care but then realized they did after the fact and friends who did have sex for the first time with people they loved.

All of these experiences are relative, and I’ve told all of these friends the same thing. I’ve told them that, no matter how they choose to deal with the events, I’ll support them, and that no one else has any dictation over how they classify these experiences. Just them. If they feel good, that is all that matters.

So have sex with all of the people you want, or wait for Mr. or Ms. Right. Be in between, have sex with a handful of people you do or don’t like, love or don’t love. Just remember that the power is in your hands, and that, though the power that societal standards possess may seem immutable, no one has the right or the ability to decide how you feel except for you.

If you graduated recently, chances are you’ve started, or will soon start, paying back those loans that helped you finance the best four years of your life. Even if you’re in the midst of a grace period (which is usually between six and nine months), that time passes quickly and before you know it, you’ve got to start making monthly payments. Some days it can seem daunting, but you don’t need to have aced Econ 101 to successfully manage your loans. Just follow these tips to knock those debts out without losing your mind!

1. Know your options

Before you start handing over the minimum payment each month, do your research to see if that’s the best payment option for you. You may qualify for one of the following that will reduce your payments or even cancel your debt.

Cancelation or deference

Every type of loan is different but some federal loans, such as the Perkins loan, may qualify for cancellation if you work certain jobs such as a teacher, nurse, or librarian. If you’re going back to grad school you can often defer your payments until you’re done with your second degree. No matter what your career/life path is, be sure to call your lender and see if you qualify for any sort of cancellation or deference.

Consolidation

If you have multiple federal loans, you can consolidate them, making repayment easier. This basically means that all your loans will be added up, and the interest rates averaged out, so that you only have one payment due each month. One thing to watch out for is that consolidating can end your grace period immediately, so don’t do this if one or more of your loans is not yet in repayment.

Lower payments

If you have dependents, or a very low salary, it may be beneficial for you to sign up for an income-based payment plan. This option is available on federal loans, allowing you to pay a reasonable portion of your salary each month for up to 25 years (at which point, any remaining debt is forgiven). Studentaid.ed.gov is a great resource for figuring out which repayment plan is best for you. Another way to lower your payment is by refinancing in hopes of getting a better interest rate. Most of us applied for loans before we had built up any credit, which means that we may now be eligible for better rates. Many private lenders offer this option (it is not yet available on federal loans) so check with your lender to see if you qualify. However, be aware that these new rates will not be fixed, and unlike federal loan interest rates, they could go up without warning.

Communication

Talking to your lender is always a great option, and being honest with them about your other financial responsibilities and how this particular loan fits into that can result in a fairer repayment plan. “Because I have loans from multiple lenders, the original repayment plans wanted me to pay far too much on each loan individually,” says Alexandra Patterson, who graduated with her Master of Science in Library Science from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2014. “By being upfront with the lenders about my other financial responsibilities, we were able to come up with a more reasonable repayment plan.” Additionally, it may be a good idea to negotiate your payments sooner rather than later, so you know how much to budget for loans each month.

2. Make your payments

Now that you’ve figured out which payment plan is best for you, it’s time to start paying. This might be the scariest part, but it doesn’t have to be bad!

Start paying now

Even if your first payment is not yet due, starting to pay your loans immediately is beneficial. During your grace period, if all you can spare at the end of the month is $10, put those dollars toward your loans. This will help you later if you refinance, by giving you a lower monthly payment.

Pay more

Try to pay more than the minimum amount each month so you can be debt-free sooner than the typical 10-year repayment period. Paying more than required can also be handy if you fall on hard times later on. For example, if your minimum payment is $100 a month, but one month you apply $1,000 toward the loan, you’ve technically paid for ten months so your next payment isn’t due until much later. However, if you keep paying at least $100 a month after that point, you’ll be ahead of your payments and have a ten-month grace period if you do encounter tough times. Most importantly though, paying more now means that you will be paying less interest on your loans in the long run. The difference can be thousands of dollars, so remember that if it seems like those extra $100 won’t make a dent… or if you feel they would be better served “investing” in your closet. Alexandra follows this logic and generally pays $50 to $75 more than her minimum payment each month. “It seems like a lot each time I do it, but I like knowing that I will have my loan paid off a little sooner,” she says.

Focus on one loan at a time

One strategy recommended by experts is “rolling” the debt “snow ball,” which can be helpful if you have multiple loans and don’t, or can’t, consolidate. What this means is that you pay only the minimum on all your loans, including non-student loans such as car loans, except for one. You then throw all of your remaining available funds towards that one loan, paying more than the minimum each month, until you pay it off completely. When you finish paying that loan (hooray for you!), you immediately transfer all available funds to another loan, while keeping the others at their minimum payment. Some people recommend starting with the debt that has the lowest dollar amount, so it’ll get paid off quickly. Others recommend starting with the loan that has the highest interest rate, so you pay less interest overall. Either way, it can be a good strategy to aggressively pay off at least one loan at a time. This is just one method however, so do some research and find the one that works best for you!

3. Make the process even easier to manage

Now that you know how to repay your loans, here are some tips to make your life, and your payments, a lot easier.

Tax refunds

Perhaps the only fun part of paying back student loans is the tax refund at the end of the year—which can reimburse up to $2,500 of the interest paid on your loans. When you’re living frugally to pay off loans more quickly, it can be tempting to spend your tax refund on a much-needed vacation or a pair of shoes you thought you’d never be able to afford, but it’s a good idea to use your refund check towards your loans because the more you pay now, the less you’ll have to pay overall. “Sure it would be nice to use my tax refund check for something more fun but every dollar I can put towards my loans means less I have to pay later,” says Alexandra.

Automatic payments

Setting up a payment to be automatically taken out of your bank account at a certain time is a great way to make paying loans a little less painful. This auto-debit monthly payment is Senior Vice President & Publisher of edvisors.com Mark Kantrowitz’s, number one piece of advice for recent graduates repaying college loans. “Not only will you be less likely to be late with a payment, but most lenders will reduce your interest rate by 0.25 percent or 0.50 percent,” he says. To do this while “rolling the snowball,” use automatic payments for all loans but the one you choose to focus on; instead, pay as much as possible toward that one first.

Budgeting

Budgeting is important no matter what, but especially when you have to pay back debt. It’s crucial that you have enough to pay your loans, thereby avoiding default, while also being able to pay other expenses like your rent and bills. This might mean you have to turn down some fun outings and say no to shopping sprees, but it is important to start your adult life on the right financial foot. It may also be wise to evaluate the amount you’re paying in certain areas of life, like food and rent, to see if there’s anywhere you can cut back, making your loan payments fit into your budget. Finally, budgeting can help you determine how much you can afford to be automatically taken out of your account, or help you find extra money to put towards your loans. It can be hard to know where to start when setting a budget, but there are free apps like Mint and Google Doc templates to help you to set your budget.

The most important thing you can do for your loans is to pay them. Treat them as your number one financial responsibility and think of the fun you’ll have with that extra money when you’re done!

Most of us are under the impression that Harry Styles is our one ~true love~. Sadly, he can only belong to one person, and despite all the rumors, it's looking like that person might actually be Kendall Jenner.

During an interview with Capital FM, Selena Gomez pointed out that she's the only single one in her girl squad. "Taylor's not single, Gigi's not single... neither is Kendall," she said. Did she just out her girl? Whoops.

Regardless, somebody needs to give us some solid answers, because we need to know whether or not Harry is still on the market. Important stuff.

Plus-size models aren't typically featured on the cover of fitness magazines (or most mainstream magazines, for that matter), but Women's Running is changing that with this month's cover model, Nadia Aboulhosn.

WR originally reached out to fashion designer, blogger and model Aboulhosn for a feature on fitness/fashion influencers. However, she had such a great energy that the WR team decided to put her on the cover instead. As a full-figured woman, Aboulhosn's cover photo is a realistic depiction of an everyday woman running, rather than a professional athelete typically portrayed on a fitness magazine cover. This makes for a more inclusive representation to encourage all women to run and stay active. As WR editor-in-chief Jessica Sebor put it, "You don't need to be an Olympic marathon runner to get the physical, emotional and psychological benefits of staying fit and healthy."

Aboulhosn posted the cover shot on her Instagram page with a heart-warming and inspiring message. The caption starts with the story of her hilarious and adorable reaction seeing the cover for the first time. “I was in the airport last night flying from Florida back to LA and went in the store, saw it, and started crying. This elderly couple next to me was like...whats wrong? I'm like THIS IS MY FIRST MAGAZINE COVER AFTER WORKING NON STOP FOR 5 YEARS! I'm glad no one was around to see it Bc snot was every where, I was sweating.”

She then opened up about overcoming self-doubt and persevering even when things don't go the way you plan. “When I got the email I still didn't believe it was going to happen,” she confessed. “I for sure thought last minute something was going to happen and I wouldn't be on the cover just solely off the fact that things have turned wrong for me so much of my life when I'm almost about to have something, I get disappointed or let down. I'm never satisfied and feel like I could always be doing more.”

She went on, “But seeing my cover made me calm down and enjoy this moment that's such a milestone for me and my career.”

Not only does Aboulhosn look absolutely incredible, but she also inspires us to work hard for whatever we aspire to achieve. 

Kudos to Women’s Running for featuring Abouldhosn as the cover model and giving her the ability to share her story. We can only hope that other magazines will follow suit and present more diverse body types on their covers, changing societal perceptions of what “models” should look like.

Bachelor fans, have you ever wondered what happens to the stunning engagement rings for all the couples that didn’t last? In a recent interview, host Chris Harrison set the record straight on what really happens to to that pricey bling after a breakup.

“They’re on a necklace and I’ll wear it around sometimes. I have, like, 20 different engagement rings,” he said.

We did believe him for a second. But in all seriousness, Harrison confirmed that the rings actually do get returned to Neil Lane as part of the show's contract. "After a certain number of years you get the keep the ring anyway, but if it’s months, then—you know, it’s a 10 or 15 or 20 thousand dollar ring, it comes back."

Let’s hope Ben and Lauren won’t end up returning their engagement ring anytime soon.

So you probably already know by now that Netflix is planning on releasing its own adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Well it looks like there's more good news to look forward to because this week, it was announced by Deadline that Neil Patrick Harris has just signed on to play the iconic role of Count Olaf in the show. 

The Netflix show, which will be based off of the book series, will follow the lives of the Baudelaire children: Violet, Sunny and Klaus. After the siblings lose their parents in a fire, the trio is sent to live with their evil relative, Count Olaf, who goes out of his way with attempts to steal their inheritance. Harris has some pretty big shoes to fill, as Olaf was originally played by Jim Carrey in the 2004 film. But Neil Patrick Harris and the role of Count Olaf are like a match made in casting heaven, so we're sure he'll do a phenomenal job.

The series is narrated by Lemony Snicket, who, it was also announced, will be played by Patrick Warburton of Family Guy.

They will be acting alongside Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes, aka Violet and Klaus. 

Netflix has apparently ordered 13 episodes of the series, which is set to begin filming in Vancouver this month. We can't wait to see how one of our favorite childhood series comes to life!

If you are a girl’s first girlfriend, you probably have so many questions. If she only dated men before or identified as straight, you might be thinking, “Does she really like me? Will this last?” If your relationship is new, it’s normal to have a lot of questions, and there are also some issues that can arise precisely because it is a same-sex relationship. We’ll help you break down three common problems that might come up if you’re a woman’s first girlfriend, and how to deal with them.

1. Your girlfriend may be figuring out her sexuality

This is especially true if your girlfriend identified as straight or only dated men beforehand. If you’re someone’s first girlfriend, it’s possible that she didn’t realize she was attracted to women before—or she knew, but still hadn't come out or chosen to label herself.

If this is the case, you might be dealing with the question, “Is she gay, straight or bisexual?” This is such a personal choice, and it all comes down to how she feels. She may want to label her sexuality now or take some time to think about it. She also may not want to use labels at all.

If you’ve been dating women or identified as queer in the past, you might feel insecure now that you have a girlfriend who isn’t sure. Lucy Hallowell, a writer for AfterEllen, cautions people to be sensitive to their partner’s feelings. “They may not be one hundred percent comfortable with what dating a woman means for their identity,” Hallowell says. “It can be anything from no big deal for them to a totally earth-shattering experience.”

Macey Lavoie, a recent graduate of Westfield State University, says that she didn’t realize she was bisexual until she started dating a woman. “I realized that I liked other girls physically,” she says. “Another big part about it, for me, was realizing I need someone I can mentally really connect with above all else.”

On both sides of the relationship, this can be a confusing time. If your girlfriend is the one trying to figure out her sexuality, give her space, and offer to just listen if that’s what she wants. If you have insight into how you knew you were queer, you could also be a good resource for her. You can help your girlfriend figure out how she feels because you've been through the process yourself. Even if your SO ultimately decides she doesn't care about labels, or that she identifies differently from they way that you do, it's still helpful for her to have you as a support system.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Coming Out in Your 20s

2. Your girlfriend may not be out to everyone

Coming out is something that many couples go through together, especially if one or both partners weren’t out before the relationship began. If you’re someone’s first girlfriend, this may or may not be the case.

If it is, and your girlfriend is coming out for the first time, try to act as a support system rather than pushing her to come out earlier than she’s ready. “Let your girlfriend take the lead,” says Hallowell. “If she's ready to come out, you can be there or support her in the ways she needs. That may mean a pep talk before or a hug afterward. Try to remember coming out is something she needs to do for herself and realize it's not really about you.”

Although it may be difficult, especially if you have already come out, as long as your significant other being closeted isn’t hurting you, you should really try to be supportive. Your SO may be coming out in stages as she feels comfortable, and it will be different for every person or group she comes out to. Sometimes, friends and family react differently to this news depending on their personal beliefs, and it's helpful to be a steady source of support as your girlfriend navigates the situation.

Dana Piccoli, an entertainment critic and pop culture writer for AfterEllen, warns people against making their partner feel like they have no choice but to come out. “Think back to when you were coming out,” she says. “What would have made it easier or more comfortable for you? Pressuring someone is not helpful.” Even if it may be hard to be patient, especially if you've been out for a long time, it's not healthy for your relationship if you make your girlfriend feel like she has to come out in order to be with you. 

However, if being with someone who isn’t out is hurting you emotionally, you need to take a closer look at what you’re willing to deal with. Your girlfriend may not feel comfortable coming out for months, even years, and it’s not up to you to tell her when to do so. If you can’t be on board with that, it might be better to reevaluate the relationship. Try to decide if being with someone who isn’t out is a deal breaker or not, and then make the decision without putting any pressure on your girlfriend.

3. You and your girlfriend might be in different places sexually or romantically

Whenever you’re in a new relationship, there is always a period of learning about what the other person likes and wants in a romantic and sexual relationship. This is true if you’re someone’s first girlfriend, their fifth or their seventh.

Still, it can be especially difficult to deal with this if you have been with other women and she hasn't. It can cause insecurity in the relationship if you’re not careful. Your SO may or may not like public displays of affection, but your insecurity can turn your girlfriend not wanting to hold hands into, "Is she actually into me or not?" very quickly, if you let it. 

Try to remember that your girlfriend might also be feeling insecure, because she may not have as much experience romantically and sexually with other women. Macey says this was something she dealt with when she was new to dating women. “You’re still understanding this new part of you, or part you haven’t explored, and here you have someone who has already dealt with that,” she explains.  

It’s important to build a conversation around this instead of letting it cause insecurities for each of you. Talk about each of your likes and dislikes, both in romance and in sex, if you plan to have sex. Are you asexual or celibate? Have you had sex before, or do you want to? Do you like public displays of affection? Do you hate being showered with gifts? These are all starting points for conversations you can have in this new relationship.

“Communication is key,” Piccoli says. “Don't be afraid to talk about the things that make you nervous, or scared, or happy or turned on.” Luckily, this is one aspect of a new relationship that tends to be universal, so try to shut off the insecurities that may come from being someone’s first girlfriend. Any new relationship is about learning what makes you and your SO happy, and that’s what you should try to focus on, instead.

It can be difficult navigating a relationship where one partner has never been with women or identified as queer before, but with a lot of patience and support, this can be a great bonding experience for the two of you.

Earlier this week, actress Olivia Wilde spoke with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM show, revealing that she was considered too old to play the role of Leonardo DiCaprio’s wife in the 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street. To put this absurdity in perspective, Wilde just turned 32 and Leo is 41.

"The funniest thing I heard recently was, I had heard for a part that I was too sophisticated," Wilde explained to Stern. "I thought, 'Oh, that sounds nice. I like that feedback. I didn't get the part but I'm a very sophisticated person.'"

Nice compliment, right? That’s what Wilde thought. Unfortunately, “sophisticated” is the friendly word for old in the Hollywood sphere, as the actress would later figure out.

As you may already know, the role went to 25-year-old Aussie babe Margot Robbie instead. Of course, there are no hard feelings. Wilde praised Robbie’s performance on Stern's show and again on Twitter.

Fortunately, the director of the film, Martin Scorsese, recognized Wilde's talent and cast her in his television series, Vinyl, which is currently in its first season on HBO. For Wilde, the whole thing was kismet.

You know what they say—everything happens for a reason.

One of the most empowering things in this world is when a group of strong women gets together to support a cause, which is exactly what Michelle Obama is making happen.

The First Lady rounded up vocal powerhouses like Kelly Clarkson, Lea Michele, Janelle Monae, Missy Elliot, Kelly Rowland and Zendaya to collaborate on “This Is For My Girls.”

"This Is For My Girls" is a song about female empowerment, supporting the Let Girls Learn and Girl Rising initiatives. These campaigns are meant to spread awareness and bring about change for over 62 million girls internationally who don’t receive the education they deserve. Worldwide, there are upwards of 20 countries that still discriminate against the idea of girls receiving an education.

Unfortunately, girls can be prevented from going to school for many different reasons such as conflict in the area they live in, unsanitary water (which girls often collect—a task that can take as long as six hours), adolescent marriage (40,000 girls under the age of 18 are forced into marriage every day, and 90% of them will get pregnant between ages 15 and 19), and/or being forced into work (some begin working as young as 5 years old).

The song was written by Diane Warren, who has been Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-nominated and has won a Grammy. Her most recent hit? “Til It Happens to You,” which she co-wrote with Lady Gaga.

“This Is For My Girls” is now available on iTunes. Plus, you can go to Girl Rising to sign the pledge to help #62MillionGirls receive the education they deserve. Because if we don’t help our sisters, who will? 

The White House is looking a little less white these days. The White House's first transgender staff member, Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, was hired in August as the director of outreach and recruitment in the personnel office. On Monday, the White House reported to BuzzFeed News that Freedman-Gurspan has been promoted to Outreach and Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel and Associate Director for Public Engagement.

Refinery29 reports that Freedman-Gurspan will act as the liaison for LGBT issues. She has extensive experience in transgender policy, having worked as a policy advisor at the National Center for Transgender Equality and a legislative director for the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

“President Obama has said he wants his administration to look like America, and they have moved to include trans Americans," Mara Keisling, executive director of the NCTE, told BuzzFeed News. "Raffi’s skills and personality make her the exact right person for this important job."

This is a celebratory moment and a step toward equality for both the community and government.

Whether it’s over the phone or over a college break, moms seem to always have a lineup of questions that would put the Spanish Inquisition to shame. By now they really should know that not only did curiosity kill the cat, but that collegiettes often tend to stretch the truth when it comes to relaying information about our social lives. Regardless of whether you are giving your mom the 101 about the cutie in your history lecture or you accidentally slipped up and dished about a late night out, the mom vs. social life conversation is sometimes a tricky one to navigate. Any collegiette who has had this conversation with her mom will be able to relate to these stages all too well.

1. When the conversation starts, she is super excited to hear about everything that you have been up to since the last time you two talked.

2. She wants to know every little thing that is happening in her favorite daughter’s life.

3. You tell her about your classes, your friends and your extracurricular activities as she listens intently.

4. She seems slightly confused (maybe even suspicious) about why you’re staying up until two in the morning most nights when you have 8 a.m. classes.

5. Then, it happens. You accidentally let it slip that your party-to-studying ratio might be a little bit party-heavy and her interest level is instantly increased to 100—and maybe not in a good way.

6. You try to back track by saying that you actually don’t really go out that much, but she’s not buying it.

7. She insists that you can tell her because, you know, she’s a cool mom.

8. Initially, she seems happy to hear that you actually have friends and that your Netflix account gets a break.

9. It seems to be going well, so you tell her about all the parties you and your friends have gone to and what frat houses you wouldn’t be caught dead at.

10. Everything is fun and games until she asks you how you have time for all of these parties with a full class load on your plate...

11. And how much sleep you REALLY get.

12. She then figures out how to tie in the fact that you never call her as an added attack bonus.

13. In an attempt to distract her from the fact that you are obviously failing as a daughter, you start telling her a hilarious story from one of your nights out.

14. Given the fact that she isn’t cracking up, you can tell that a lecture is brewing.

15. To prove to her that you actually do own clothes other than leggings, you show her one of your super cute “party” outfits, but she doesn’t seem impressed.

16. She keeps pointing out the fact that you are an adult and all that she wants is for you to make good choices.

17. At this point, you decide to steer the conversation in another direction and tell her about the guy that you have been dating.

18. Of course if you tell a mom about a boy, she’s going to want to know everything.

19. She tries to be nonchalant about it, but she obviously wants to know if you’re being safe.

20. Cool mom might make a cameo appearance again and you’re not sure how to feel about it.

21. But then the mama bear you know and love resurfaces.

Despite the ups and downs of the conversation, you are so glad that you can tell your mom anything and still have her unconditional love and support. However the next time she asks what you’ve been up to, you might want to be a bit more cautious about how much you let on.

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris are a power couple if we've ever seen one. But apparently, not everybody is interested in power couples. In an interview with Q Magazine, The 1975's Matt Healy revealed his thoughts on his short (very short) interaction with Taylor Swift, which weren’t as pleasant as you may think. 

Once rumors came to light that he and Taylor may have been briefly involved, Healy was briefly thrown into the public eye.

“…I mean, I got on E! News and people were like, ‘Who’s Matt Healy?’ so that was cool,” he said.

It got worse. “If I had gone out with Taylor Swift I would’ve been, ‘Fucking hell! I am NOT being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend,’” he went on to say. “You know, ‘FUCK. THAT.’ That’s also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing.”

So, uh... dating a strong, successful woman makes you less of a man? We totally get that dating someone at Taylor's level of fame comes with its own set of concerns, but none of them should have to do with personal pride and whether being in a relationship with a powerful woman would "emasculate" you.

If you've been keeping up with the presidential election, you'll know that Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have been running a pretty close race this past week. Five states held primaries on March 15, and Clinton took Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio by storm. She also won Illinois by a narrower margin. On Wednesday, Clinton was ahead in the Missouri primary, with 310,602 to 309,071 votes for Sanders. With a difference of less than 1 percent, state officials have delayed announcing Clinton as the victor. In fact, Sanders is eligible to call for a recount—But will he?

According to the The Washington Post, Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver says that the campaign hasn't come to a decision yet, because the number of votes don't necessarily translate to delegates' support. “If it’s not going to make a material difference in the delegate count, we’re not going to put people through it,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Sanders is still issuing an optimistic message. "With more than half the delegates yet to be chosen and a calendar that favors us in the weeks and months to come, we remain confident that our campaign is on a path to win the nomination," Sanders said in a statement issued on Tuesday night. But keep in mind that the reality of the numbers is that Hillary now leads by 314 delegates after March 15. Sanders will need to win by enormous measures in order to overtake Clinton's delegate support. 

Colleges and guns are often the worst fear of students, teachers and parents, so an overreaction to a toy lightsaber is understandable—although slightly comical.

Students and staff at Farmingdale State College on Long Island in New York were told a gun was on campus on Wednesday. They were urged to stay safe and "shelter in place" while police investigated a report that someone was assembling a rifle in the school parking lot, according to the Associated Press. The call came in at around 9:40 a.m.

According to college spokeswoman Kathryn Coley, the rifle was a Star Wars toy and police concluded that he wasn't a threat to anyone. And by 10:45 a.m., the school had posted on their Facebook page to announce that the situation had been resolved and that there was no threat.

According to the Farmingdale Patch, a representative of the college said on Twitter that the school was never actually on lockdown—Police were just checking the situation out, and quickly found out that the threat was simply a lightsaber.

The growing fear of mass shooters, especially on college campuses, makes these incidents likely to happen frequently. It's pretty disturbing when a lightsaber being mistaken for a gun is bigger news than an actual gun on campus.

A new report by University of Michigan assistant professor Seth Carnahan and Temple University assistant professor Brad N. Greenwood finds that women with conservative bosses are not as likely to get promoted as women with progressive bosses.

According to the The Washington Post, Carnahan and Greenwood built on this previous research by analyzing promotion rates at the nation's top 200 law firms between 2007 and 2012. They looked through tons of documents to do this analysis. They also determined that if a male in the group of partners donated more money to Republicans than Democrats in the past 10 to 12 years, they were considered conservative, and if you flipped it the other way they were considered liberal.

According to the Post, women are already half as likely as men to be promoted to partner. And in general, women are less likely to be promoted than their male colleagues, according to other research. But when the woman's career is overseen by a conservative male boss, the gender gap promotion widens massively by 80 percent. 

But it gets worse. The Post adds: "The study finds that women are more likely to leave the law firm if their bosses are Republican donors. Furthermore, conservative male bosses are less likely to serve on diversity committees, and less likely to pick women for their client teams, compared to liberal male bosses."

It's looks pretty bleak, but we can't pretend this is shocking. From the rhetoric we've seen spouted by Republican politicians about women, especially this election cycle, the conservative movement in America still has a long way to go with regards to women's rights. Conservative views of gender are having real world consequences for women's careers, as well as other marginalized groups. If we get into the nitty gritty of this, how do conservative bosses treat women of color? Or LGBTQ+ people?

There hasn't been a high-profile study of that yet, but the results probably wouldn't be good. 

Tuesday was a big day for presidential candidates—The Republican field narrowed with the announcement of Marco Rubio’s campaign suspension, while the gap between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton continued to widen.

NBC News did the math for Sanders following Tuesdays primary and states that he’s losing 859 to Clinton’s 1,577, with the goal to win 2,383 delegates in order to receive the Democratic nomination. 

Sanders didn't win any states Tuesday night, which included primaries in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio—Clinton won four states outright, and Missouri has so far been too close to call. However, The New York Times reports that there are several states coming up that could lead to more delegate wins, including North Dakota, Oregon, Montana, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky. The issue is that still, Sanders would need the support of largely rich and diverse populations in states like California and New York, and he hasn't been doing well with those demographics. He would also have to have big wins across the board, winning by many more percentage points than he has been.

Sanders’ team admits garnering this large number of delegates may be a challenge, but that in fairness that’s what the whole race is.

“It is what it has always been, which is an uphill fight,” Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver told Buzzfeed News.

The next primary will take place Tuesday, March 22, and includes Arizona, Utah and the Idaho Democratic Caucus.

As Nicki Minaj would say, “Shout out my haters, sorry that you couldn’t faze me.” It looks like Zayn Malik has taken on this mentality with his new song “BeFoUr,” which appears to be addressing all of his ex-One Direction fans and is maybe even trying to take a stab at his ex-bandmates. I mean, the letters F and U stand in bold in the song’s title, so we think it’s pretty clear that this song is basically a cold screw you to everyone who doesn’t support Zayn’s choice to go solo. With lyrics like, “So say what you wanna say, what you want / Shame is you won’t say that to my face,” there’s a very definitive message Zayn is sending out to all of his ex-fans.

It's not just 1D lovers he's speaking to, though—we're thinking this song has a little message to his former bandmembers, too. "Now I'm gonna stay in my zone / I'm tired of picking that bone," he sings.

We're not complaining—he can stay in his zone all he wants. We've loved everything he's put out so far, so we agree... haters, back off!

"I'm currently in prison because of Uber." That was a direct quote from a lawsuit purportedly written by Jason Dalton, a 45-year-old Uber driver who went on a shooting rampage Feb. 20 that killed six people in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Yesterday, Reuters reported that Dalton had filed a $10 million federal civil rights lawsuit against the company. His reason for filing the lawsuit was apparently that the ride-sharing company "ruined his life" and didn't invite him to any corporate parties.

The only problem? The lawsuit is fake, Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas told the Detroit Free Press. "He didn't send it, didn't authorized it, and didn't know who did, either," Matyas said. "He said he had no knowledge of it."

That didn't stop the lawsuit from causing problems in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan, the Free Press reports. Lawyers there were trying to figure out what to do about the lawsuit and whether any law had been broken, before they realized it wasn't even real.

This is one of the weirdest stories so far this year, and it's a continuation of one of the most tragic stories. Let's hope the rest of Dalton's journey to justice is uneventful.

Time Magazine has released its second list of the most influential people on the internet. This list, though unranked, contains the top 30 most savvy social media users who have created a platform for themselves with widespread reach.

Both Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West made the list, which makes sense, since together and apart, they have followings that could make up the population for an entire country. With Kim's work in everything from reality television to "Kimojis," and Kanye's creative career and notorious Twitter rants, they're an internet power couple for sure. Those online outbursts are clearly paying off.

Our favorite grandma on the internet, Helen Van Winkle, who you might know as Baddiewinkle, also made this list. She went viral on Instagram, and is known for posting photos of herself in crazy outfits that, until now, we thought only a millennial could love. 

We love that many YouTubers made the list. Laci Green, Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (PewDiePie), and Lilly Singh (Superwoman) were all featured for their rise to fame using only social media websites to get their voices heard.

Everybody's favorite inspirational Snapper made the list, too. DJ Khaled definitely made a splash when it comes to social media this year. He's still being quoted and referenced online for his iconic life advice.

Caitlyn Jenner was featured on Time's list as well. After she used social media to reveal her new identity via the Vanity Fair cover, platforms like Twitter and Instagram have become a staple in her sharing her story with fans. Her presence on the list gives us hope for internet users being accepting and welcoming to change!

An odd addition to the list is Donald Trump. Although the presidential candidate does have social media, it's debatable whether he's always the one using it, and whether or not what he says is influential. Also, he's not the only candidate in the running who has been utilizing social media to gain support. If anyone, Hillary Clinton has been trying to take advantage of social media the most. (#relatable?)

There are a number of people who were noticeably missing. Although she isn't solely an internet celeb, Taylor Swift has always been active on social media to interact with her fans. She was, up until recently, the most followed person on all of Instagram, which seems like enough to make her an influential internet person.

          

We're also noticing that Kylie Jenner, who has essentially taken over the internet, is missing (for better or for worse). If there's anybody with online fame, it's her. What do you think of Time's list?