Although the Twittersphere is pretty much a rules-free zone, there are still some major dos and don’ts (mainly don’ts) to keep in mind if you don’t want to make all of your followers hate you. Are you guilty of one of these common Twitter faux pas? If so, maybe think about saving that 3 a.m. drunk tweet to your drafts instead!

1. Your alcohol consumption

“Woke up on the bathroom floor this morning. It was one of those nights! #hungover”

If you got totally wasted last night and you didn’t tweet about it, did you really get wasted? Constantly tweeting about your alcohol consumption is one of the biggest Twitter faux pas, and frankly, we’ve had enough of it. Let’s be real, those “I-have-no-idea-what-happened-last-night” tweets are only acceptable during the first few weekends of college. After that, it just seems like you’re trying way too hard to convince people that you have an enviable social life.

2. Drama with your boyfriend

“I’m so sick of you disappointing me. Seriously, why do I even try?? #imdone”

We assure you, the fight you’re having with your boyfriend is not the VMAs—meaning it doesn’t need to be live-tweeted. Admittedly, watching other people’s drama unfold via social media can be pretty entertaining, but there are only so many passive-aggressive subtweets that we can take.

3. Your workout

“Headed to the gym again today! #feelingmotivated #getfit”

We get it; you exercise. Really, it’s great that you’re into being fit and healthy, but on the list of things we care about, your exercise regime falls somewhere between calculus and our best friend’s brother’s dog’s horoscope. You enjoy your 7 a.m. ab workout, and we’ll enjoy sleeping in.

4. Everything you eat  

“Just made myself the best breakfast. Blueberry pancakes, fruit and yogurt, yum! #nomnomnom”

Although you may feel the need to describe how amazing your panini was, keep in mind that the details of your lunch are only slightly more exciting to read than, say, the periodic table or a Stephanie Meyer novel.

5. Your pets

“Aww, look how cute my cat is when she sleeps! #meow #obsessed”

We know you think your pet is the cutest thing ever, but the rest of us would prefer to not see multiple pics of your cat or hear about Fido’s latest antics. And if you’re one of those people who have a Twitter account specifically for your furry friend, please reconsider your life decisions (psst… animals can’t talk).

6. Useless info about your day

“Sitting in my comm class, can’t wait for it to be over so I can get lunch! #hungry”

Twitter makes it incredibly easy to share what you’re doing, where you are and who you’re with at every moment of every day – and that can be annoying for those of us who really don’t care that you just took a shower or went out to lunch with a friend. A little self-regulation never hurt anybody! 

7. TV show spoilers

“Still trying to get over the fact that Walt died at the end of Breaking Bad. #spoileralert”

Tweeting a TV show spoiler is equivalent to being that guy in the theater who shouts out what’s going to happen before the end of the movie. You don’t want to be that person. Please exhibit some common courtesy and don’t tweet key plot points to House of Cards.  

8. Excessive hashags and emojis

“Too excited for this weekend!! JJ ;) <3 #weekend #party #leggo #yolo #cantstopwontstop”

Like most things in life, hashtags and emojis are only okay in moderation. Unless you want your tweet to look like it was written by an overexcited preteen, please keep your emoji use to a minimum (no more than two per tweet, please!) and don’t use more than one or two hashtags. Speaking of which, if we never see the phrase #sorrynotsorry again, it will be too soon.

9. Virtual PDA

“I have the best boyfriend ever! #loveyou #solucky”

Twitter PDA is the virtual equivalent of making out with your boyfriend in between every single class in high school. Don’t be that couple. A cute tweet every now and then is fine, but if your significant other doesn’t know how you feel about him or her without an online declaration of love, you may need to reevaluate your relationship.

10. The weather

“First snow of the year! #snowday”

We appreciate your concern for those of us without windows, but for the rest of the population, your precipitation-related tweets are completely unnecessary. Nobody needs or wants to read 15 identical tweets in a row about how it snowed last night. And just for the record, tweeting about other people tweeting about the weather isn’t any less annoying. 

11. Emotional rants

“My alarm didn’t go off, so I was late to class and I look like a mess. Having an 8 a.m. class is the WORST. #FML”

We get it, you’re in a glass case of emotion right now, but do all of your followers really need to read your angry, five-tweet-long rant about the professor you hate or the fact that it snowed again (see number 10)? If you really need to vent, spill it to a friend or write in a journal. Just keep the drama offline. 

12. Longwinded personal conversations

“@friendsname OMG wasn’t last night the best night ever? I’m still laughing about that guy at the bar with the shirt lol”

Please don’t force us to scroll through your entire novel-length Twitter conversation, especially when it’s composed of nothing but inside jokes that are irrelevant to the rest of your followers. When you and your besties start reminiscing about that hilarious thing that happened last night, you’re essentially being that loud table at the restaurant. That’s what group text messages are for, people!

13. Humblebrags

“I can’t believe how many guys were hitting on me last night. Like, can you not? #ugh”

What is a humblebrag, you ask? According to Urban Dictionary’s fantastic definition, humblebragging is “Subtly letting others now about how fantastic your life is while undercutting it with a bit of self-effacing humor or ‘woe is me’ gloss.” Seriously, there is nothing worse than a “yay me!” tweet thinly disguised as a complaint. You’re not fooling anyone.

In conclusion, some simple rules to remember are as follows: If everyone else is tweeting about the same thing, make sure that your tweet has a unique spin. Funny is good, but original is better! And of course, if you can’t tweet anything nice, don’t tweet anything at all – text it to your best friend instead.

Whether you’re in high school or about to graduate from college, watching a fictional movie about high school can be a great way to escape the stress of everyday life. We all have our favorite classic high school films that remind us of the great times we had — or are still having — with our friends during our teenage years. These movies will remind you of all of the great things high school has to offer.

1. Mean Girls (2004)

This is probably the most classic high school film of our generation. With Lorne Michaels as a producer and a Tina Fey-penned screenplay, you know it has to be funny. But this movie is more than just cheap laughs: It has a heartfelt message and shows that being unkind is never a good idea, a lesson particularly relevant to high school-aged women. You can never watch Mean Girls too many times—people really do still quote it in college—so plan a girls’ night in with your friends to watch this classic film.

2. The Breakfast Club (1985)

The ‘80s were before most of our time, but it was a decade when tons of classic high school movies were produced, and The Breakfast Club might be the best one. A group of strangers from various high school cliques come together for a day of bonding and troublemaking, learning more about each other and having meaningful conversations along the way. Even though they only spend a day together, they dispel the stereotypes they each held about each other and form unexpected bonds.

Whether or not you identify with the characters, you’ll love hearing their stories and seeing how they interact with people who are incredibly different from them. From Molly Ringwald’s popular-girl Claire to troubled criminal John Bender (Judd Nelson), the five high schoolers get to know each other during their time in detention.  You’ll meet tons of people in college who you might not have much in common with, so being able to get along with people of various personalities is a useful skill.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

We recommend reading the book before seeing this film, because the novel’s author, Stephen Chbosky, wrote its screenplay. The movie is set in the ‘90s, but the lessons protagonist Charlie learns are timeless.

After his friend Michael’s suicide, Charlie has trouble fitting in until he meets dynamic duo Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson). They guide Charlie through first romances, the high school social scene, and self-discovery. If you’re going through a struggle of your own, or if you just want to hear a great ‘90s soundtrack, you’ll love this film.

4. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

“Bueller? Bueller?”

You’ve probably heard someone recite this quote when a room is filled with silence, but if you don’t know its origin, it’s time to brush up on ‘80s movies and watch Matthew Broderick at his finest. Though your high school experience likely didn’t include the antics Bueller and his friends got into, you’ll love seeing him go out of his way to cheer up his friends, even if that entails missing a few days of class.

5. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

The sitcom adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew was great, too, but we’re partial to the ‘90s film. Heath Ledger showed his sweet side, and a pre-Inception Joseph Gordon-Levitt was an adorable nerd.

Whether it’s the endearing friendship between Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), or Kat (Julia Stiles) learning to get along with her sister and father, the relationships develop over the course of the film in a way that makes us sympathize with each of the characters in their own way. Most of us can relate to their struggles, whether it’s fighting with your parents or disagreeing with your siblings. Seeing these characters interact will help remind you that what you’re going through is totally normal and that you can always mend broken relationships by showing you care.

6. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a coming-of-age story about high school students over the course of a school year. Brad Hamilton's (Judge Reinhold) life goes into a dangerous downward spiral after his girlfriend, Lisa (Amanda Wyss), dumps him. The film also follows several other characters through dramatic issues, including a visit to an abortion clinic.

Hopefully, your high school experience was much more tame—and safe—than the Ridgemont High students’ experiences were!

7. Clueless (1995)

Alicia Silverstone stars as Cher, the lovable high school student who just can’t seem to get her life together. She and friends Dionne (Stacey Dash) and Tai (Brittany Murphy) navigate relationships, academics and the high school scene—often unsuccessfully—though they learn valuable lessons along the way. And let’s not forget Paul Rudd as Josh, Cher’s adorable love interest.

Clueless is also a favorite movie among fashion lovers. Hey, it’s okay if the film was the first place you heard of Azzedine Alaia. Cher’s signature plaid skirt and knee socks continue to inspire fashionistas today: Wildfox Couture recently produced a Clueless-inspired lookbook for their Spring 2013 collection. If you want to watch a “chick flick” with your friends or just relive the glory of the ‘90s, Clueless is on Netflix Instant, so there’s no excuse not to re-watch it.

8. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Vote for Pedro! Napoleon Dynamite isn’t the deepest movie, but it’s quickly become a cult classic among collegiettes of our generation. The simple comedy of watching Napoleon (Jon Heder) struggle through a day of high school without Chapstick or fighting with his nerdy brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) can be the perfect way to de-stress and zone out after a midterm or finishing a long paper. If you want a mindless comedy about day to day high school life, Napoleon Dynamite is a safe bet.

9. Grease (1978)

Even past its thirtieth anniversary, Grease continues to be a favorite among viewers of all ages. The sweet romance of Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and Danny (John Travolta) is timeless, even if her poodle skirts aren’t. The film is more than just romance, though.

In Grease, we see the very real struggles that many students face, including the heartache of long-distance relationships, realizing you might have a different life goal than you originally intended and even the scare of teen pregnancy. These are issues that girls still deal with today, and Grease will help you remember that you’re not the only one going through something tough. Your friends will be there for you if you reach out to them.

10. Rushmore (1998)

This Wes Anderson classic follows the life of Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a student at Rushmore High who’s not exactly at the top of his class. Fischer over-applies himself in extracurricular activities, particularly in his production of plays. Fischer is a genius and an overachiever but doesn’t apply himself in his classes, and he eventually has to face the consequences.

Rushmore is complex and has a lot going on, not to mention the fact that it’s beautifully produced and has an amazing soundtrack. If you’re a Wes Anderson fan or want to become one, Rushmore is a great place to start.

Do you have a favorite movie about high school? Let us know in the comments section.

When applying for jobs, we all know the obvious moves you should absolutely avoid. Whether it’s typos in your resume, showing up late for an interview or dressing inappropriately, there are things a professional collegiette just never does. However, there are a lot of things you may not have given a second thought to that could be deterring employers. Her Campus spoke with the experts to find out employers’ biggest pet peeves that could be hurting your chances of landing the job.

1. Talking about money before you get the job

Of course, money is important. If a position doesn’t pay enough, you may not be able to take it. However, Lesley Mitler, president of the career coaching service Priority Candidates, Inc., says if you haven’t gotten the job yet, don’t talk about money! Mitler says that saying things like, “I wouldn’t take this job for X amount” or even bringing up money at all in a first interview is a real turnoff for employers.

Not only is it presumptuous to bring money up so early, but it also tells the employer that money is your priority, not doing a good job. Express your interest in the job and the company, and wait until you’ve landed the position to discuss the salary!

2. Being unprofessional on social media

Social media is an easy way for employers to learn about you, whether you want them to or not. While you probably know to hide those photos from last night’s party from the public, you might not think about the subtler things you’re doing online that employers find unattractive.

According to Neal Schaffer, author of Maximize Your Social, “You are what you tweet.” While you might think you’re fine as long as there’s nothing blatantly bad on your social media profiles, you should rethink the messages you’re sending out to the world. “Your branding, the way employers perceive you, will be based on what they can find [out] about you in your social media profile,” Schaffer says.

For example, Schaffer says, “You may be really upset that you had to deal with a customer service issue with a major brand, but if you complain a lot about that issue, some employers may see that as a sign of immaturity [and] impatience.”

You may want to express your frustration and tell your friends to avoid a brand that’s given you trouble, but it’s best to tell them in person instead of whining online. Before posting anything publicly, ask yourself, “What will an employer think when they see this?” If you’re about to tweet about how little motivation you have to get your homework done, look at it from an employer’s perspective. Why should they hire someone who lacks drive? Even a seemingly harmless tweet can send a bad message.

Schaffer says that to catch an employer’s attention, “[Share] content that is compelling and very relevant to your industry, so that when a potential hiring manager sees you, they see that you already ‘get it.’” If you’re passionate about fashion, share news about your favorite designers or your thoughts on a recently released collection.

Engage with people and brands that inspire you. If you tweet an article on your favorite blog, mention the blogger in your tweet. Emily Miethner, founder of FindSpark, a community for young, creative professionals, says to “follow companies in the industries you’re interested in long before you apply.” By getting started early, you can build up your knowledge of these brands and the industry as a whole, which will prepare you for any future interviews and applications.

The moral of the story? Think before you tweet, collegiettes! Putting some extra effort into your online presence will really help you stand out. Always approach your public profiles from an employer’s point of view and share content that would make you want to hire you!

3. Taking notes

You may think taking notes is a good thing to do during an interview; in a way, it shows you’re organized and you care about details. However, Mitler says the impression it gives off is just the opposite.

“I think that’s really off-putting, first of all because you’re trying to form a relationship with the interviewer, yet, you’re acting like you’re in a classroom,” she says.

Mitler says to think of an interview like a date. You wouldn’t take notes on a date, would you? “You’re supposed to be able to listen and remember things, and if you still have questions about things that were discussed or things that were said, you can always ask those questions later on,” she says.

So next time you go to an interview, leave your notebook behind. Pay close attention, try to take mental notes and form a bond with your interviewer. That will do more to help you get the job than note-taking ever could!

4. Disguising a strength as a weakness

Answering the “What’s your biggest weakness?” question can be difficult. You always feel like you have to recover from your weakness to save your image and show the employer you’re worthy of the job, but Mitler says trying to spin a weakness into a strength is one of her biggest pet peeves. “I want to hear about a weakness, a true weakness,” she says.

If you typically answer this question with something like, “I’m a perfectionist,” it’s time to reconsider. We all know perfectionism isn’t really a weakness—what do you genuinely struggle with?

If employers ask about your strengths, they want to hear about your strengths. If they ask about your weaknesses, they want to hear about your weaknesses! Show them that you can acknowledge your flaws.

Rather than trying to humblebrag by giving a weakness that’s obviously a strength, tell the interviewer about your real weakness, and then tell him or her how you’re improving upon it. If you struggle with organization, tell your interviewer how you’re training yourself to set reminders and enter events into your phone. Even if your weakness is that you have difficulty admitting to your faults, tell potential employers what steps you’re taking to try to fix that!

Admitting that you aren’t perfect can actually make you a more appealing candidate in the eyes of a potential employer; it shows that you know when to seek help and take actions to fix your own mistakes. Employers don’t want to hire someone who is going to try to cover their own tracks and glaze over issues.

5. Always having all the answers

Similarly, an inability to say “I don’t know” when you really don’t know the answer to a question can be unappealing to employers. “If you’re somebody who can’t say ‘I don’t know,’ you’re probably somebody who’s going to work there and try to cover up anything you don’t know by pretending that you do,” Mitler says.

Employers want to know that if you truly don’t know how to do something or if you need help with something, you’re going to ask for help. They want you to be independent and self-sufficient, but not to the point of coasting along without knowing what you’re doing and potentially harming the company as a result. “Sometimes employers will actually ask questions that they don’t think you know the answer to just to see if you can say, ‘I don’t know,’” Mitler says.

For example, if an interviewer asks you about software that he knows you have zero experience with, don’t pretend like you know exactly what he’s talking about. You don’t want employers to think you can do something that you have no idea how to do, and they can usually tell when you’re bluffing. Don’t be afraid to say something like, “I’m not familiar with that particular program, but I’m a fast learner and I do have experience with X, Y and Z.” Don’t lie to your interviewer; tell him you don’t know but show him how you can make up for it.

6. Not being on LinkedIn

We cannot stress the importance of LinkedIn enough. According to Schaffer, not having a LinkedIn profile is one of the biggest mistakes college students make when it comes to social networking. “That’s where most employers are, and a LinkedIn profile gives you the ability to say, ‘Hey, this is what I’ve done, these are the people I’m connected to, these are the recommendations I have,’” he says.

Imagine this: You are one of hundreds of applicants for a job. An employer picks up your resume and is interested enough to do a quick Google or LinkedIn search to find out more about you. When she comes up with nothing, she’ll think you aren’t putting in the effort to get yourself out there professionally.

Miethner says LinkedIn is a great resource for students. “If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you’re missing out on huge opportunities to tell your story and share your experiences,” she says.

It’s the easiest way for an employer to find additional information about you. Be sure to include links to any special projects you’ve done at work or at school, articles you’ve written, videos you’ve made or anything else relevant to your field. And definitely don’t be afraid to ask your managers for recommendations so potential employers can see how awesome you are!

Reading recommendations on LinkedIn is so much easier for employers than calling your old boss. If they can’t access that information easily, they’re probably going to move on to the next resume rather than digging around to find out more about you. Setting up your LinkedIn profile shows employers that you’re in the know and you really care about your career.

Miethner says that if you’re going to use LinkedIn, you have to be smart about it. She says to “always send a custom LinkedIn invite message.” This shows employers and connections that you’re putting some thought into it and not just mindlessly adding everyone you meet. Plus, if you’re connecting with someone you don’t know very well, you can remind him or her whom you are. But Miethner also warns against adding connections through the app on your phone—it doesn’t let you customize the message!

If you want to go a step further, think about starting your own website. Platforms like WordPress offer reasonably priced domain names and are pretty straightforward to use. You can post your resume and a portfolio or other information that employers might want. Plus, it shows that you take initiative and you’re tech-savvy.

7. Not doing your research

You should always prepare for an interview by doing research on the company beforehand. You should never ask a question in an interview if the answer is easily accessible online! But the real question here is, are you researching the person who might be employing you?

You might think that by asking an interviewer how she got to her position, what she studied in school or anything else about her background shows interest. But Mitler says this could work against you in an interview. “You don’t ask them about their background if they’re on LinkedIn,” she says.

These days, pretty much all this information is available online. Plus, employers are typically notified when you check them out on LinkedIn, so they know you’re doing your homework. Even if they can’t see you’ve viewed them, you can show them you know your stuff by asking about their specific experiences. Instead of asking, “How did you get to where you are now?” try asking something like, “How did working for Company X prepare your for your current position?”

So, collegiettes, before you send out any more applications or go to interviews, take a moment to reevaluate your job-search strategy. Filter your social media, fill out your LinkedIn profile and prepare answers and questions for interviews. We’re sure you’ll blow those employers away!

Taylor Swift said it best: we collegiettes have a sixth sense for sniffing out bad boys. Troublemaking is about more than just being the unwashed, tatted up, leather-clad guy on the motorcycle (although anyone who reminds you of Russell Brand in any way should probably be given a wide berth). We’re talking about the guys who aren’t quite so obvious about their womanizing, the sensitive artists, and the quarterback types who, underneath their shiny nice guy exteriors, just might be Charlie Sheens in training. We asked real collegiettes and Dr. Carole Lieberman, renowned psychiatrist and author of Bad Boys: Why We Love Them, How to Live with Them and When to Leave Them, to weigh in on the seven sure signs that he’s a heartbreaker.

He’s a last minute, late-night caller

You know that your guy has free time during the week – last we checked, watching hockey wasn’t an academic requirement – but he waits until 10:00 p.m. on a Friday night to ask you to hang out. At first you’re flattered and, of course, pumped to get to spend time with him. It isn’t until the next weekend, when it happens all over again, that you think to yourself, “Why didn’t he make plans with me earlier?”

Katrina, a recent grad of the University of Connecticut, once asked herself the same question. "I spent nearly all of my sophomore year trying to date a guy who would only text me on weekend nights to meet up, usually when he was inebriated,” she reveals. “It’s definitely a red flag when he needs liquid-courage (or even beer goggles) to hang out with you. Needless to say, the ‘relationship’ went nowhere and eventually just fizzled out."

Dr. Lieberman isn’t surprised when guys like the one Katrina dealt with don’t turn out to be keepers. On only hearing from your crush after sundown, Dr. Lieberman says, “This means you’re his last-minute girlfriend – the one he calls after the others have turned him down. Or, at least, you're not very high on his priority list. If he only calls at night, he’s looking for a booty call – not for a real date who he'd have to talk to or spend money on.” Needless to say, if you’re not number one on his list of ladies – or if he has a list of ladies at all, for that matter – he isn’t worth your time.

He goes MIA

In the modern era of cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, there’s hardly any way a college kid could slip off the radar. Yet, somehow, that troublemaker of a guy you’ve been texting has successfully managed to go missing. He doesn’t text, he doesn’t call, and he doesn’t answer any of your messages (which hopefully weren’t very many).

Then, days or weeks later, he’s back out of the blue, asking you to hang out. No explanation, no excuses – or else, incredibly lame ones. What gives?

After dealing with an MIA guy once before, Katey, a collegiette from the University of Texas at Austin, doesn’t fall for the disappearing act anymore. “Everything would be fine and we'd see each other often, and then every two or three weeks he'd drop off the face of the earth - no calls, texts, anything,” Katey explains. “I’d see other girls uploading photos of him on Facebook from bars or clubs, and there was even one photo of him shirtless in the girl’s bedroom. Then, on Monday, I would finally hear back from him. When I called him out on it, he’d get super defensive and say the girl was his cousin (if this is true, he had a lot of cousins) and that I was insecure and horrible for not trusting him. Looking back on it, I was super naive for believing him.”

“When a guy is MIA and doesn't even care enough to craft a really good excuse, it means he was with another girl or girls, and proud of it!” says Dr. Lieberman. “And if you’re thinking, ‘Yes, but he came back to me,’ it might just mean that he likes [having] a harem, not that he's seen the error of his ways and likes you best. Or, the other lady may have realized – quicker than you – that he's a jerk.” Don’t let yourself be the last to know when the signs are already loud and clear!

He badmouths all of his exes

There are two simple explanations behind your boy-toy’s trash-talking: first, that he’s perfect. Of course all of his last relationship’s problems were his ex’s fault, not his, because he’s infallible. Case closed. The other more likely explanation is that he’s self-righteous, critical, and would rather take a punch than a rejection.

“This is a guy who has very poor self-esteem and cannot stand the idea that a woman would end a relationship with him, even if he was a jerk with her,” concludes Dr. Lieberman. “He has to criticize his exes as a rationalization for why they’re not together anymore, implying that he broke up with them – not the reverse.”

No one likes listening to a whiner, and why hang around a guy who only focuses on the negative? Chances are he’d say similar things about you if you were to date and break up, and you definitely don’t want to be the next ex whose dirty laundry he airs in public.

He disses your friends

The golden rule of girl code: friends over flirts, always. It’s one thing if he’s disrespecting girls that he’s chosen to be with – the insecurity and blabber mouthing are never good signs, but he might regret dating those girls for legitimate reasons. It’s entirely another if he’s disrespecting girls that you’ve chosen to be with: your BFFs.

“If your guy implies that your friends aren’t cool enough, you can bet he’s really thinking that about you, too,” says Dr. Lieberman. “It means he’s just settling for you temporarily, and making plans to find someone he thinks is cooler.”

Kelsey from Boston University saw this particularly tricky breed of troublemaking firsthand. “My ex-boyfriend used to bad-mouth some of my closest friends to me – he even unfriended some of them on Facebook!” she recounts. “As a girl who considers my friends one of my best assets, I will never put up with that attitude again!”

You chose your best friends for a reason. Whether they’re witty, friendly, or wonderful wingwomen, they’ve earned your stamp of approval. If a guy says your friends aren’t worth your time, he’s not just questioning them; he’s also questioning your judgment. Definitely not okay.

He guards his phone with his life

It’s the most obvious sign in the trouble-spotting handbook: if a guy is secretive about or protective of his phone, he probably has something to hide. Chances are, whatever he’s hiding isn’t something that Prince Charming would approve of.

“This is a red flag waving in your face,” Dr. Lieberman says. “And the worst part is that if you sneak a peek and he catches you, he’ll become infuriated and blame you for not trusting him – even if you were right and his texts show he’s got a secret girlfriend on the side who he seems to like a lot more than you.”

If your guy is ignoring phone calls and texts, paranoid about letting you scroll through his pictures, and just acting sketchy in general, he probably has a skeleton in his closet. Or, more likely, another girl.

He immediately gives you pet names

Honey. Baby. Sweetie. If it sounds sugary, cute, and fitting for a fluffy new puppy, it’s a pet name.

“You may be flattered by his pet names at first, but then think about how impersonal they are,” reminds Dr. Lieberman. “Any girl could be ‘sweetie.’ Is he really seeing you?”

Erica, a recent grad of the University of Michigan, isn’t a fan of the nicknaming. “This new guy I met a few weeks ago refers to me as ‘sweetheart’ and ‘babe’ and I don’t like it,” she admits. “It’s too cheesy. [It] makes me feel like he doesn’t actually care about me and is just trying to be cute.”

The important thing to remember is that, though it may be an adorable name, it isn’t your name. Who’s to say he isn’t calling other girls by the same one? In the worst cases, it can be a way to avoid calling one girl by another girl’s name by accident. Yikes.

He’s only got guy friends

While it’s generally much easier to date a guy who isn’t attached at the hip to his best girl friend – none of us envy Cameron Diaz in My Best Friend’s Wedding, competing with best friend and all-around awesome lady Julia Roberts – it’s not promising when you’re dating a guy who has no girl friends at all.

Dr. Lieberman can spot this troublemaker a mile away, and collegiettes should be able to as well. “This is a guy who only wants to be around women for one thing: sex,” she explains. “If you’re not gonna give him any, he doesn't want to waste his time pretending to want to get to know you.”

A guy without any lady friends probably isn’t getting good dating advice, might not give women the respect they deserve, and almost definitely won’t be willing to sit through The Notebook with you when you’re sick. Cross him off the list.

Whether you’re looking for an FWB or the love of your life, you want to steer clear of the John Mayers and Harry Styles of the world. When you can tell that he’s trouble, steer clear! There are plenty of other guys on campus who will mean it when they say that they want to get to know you, and we’d bet big bucks that they’d give anything for you to give them the chance to do it.

1. You've befriended employees of the school, like janitors and cashiers, just from how often you encounter them.

2. Random underclassmen recognize your face and already know your name before you introduce yourself.

3. You know exactly which professors are generous with extensions and which ones are sticklers.

4. You're so over the novelties about your campus that the office of admissions likes to flaunt, like that abstract art piece or an especially expensive academic building.

5. You hate that your younger friends are just freaking out about their summer plans while you're freaking out about post-grad plans a.k.a. the rest of your life.

6. You've been to every type of party and can rate them based on venue, drink selection, crowd and exclusivity.

7. You aren't afraid to joke around with certain professors like you would with your friends.

8. You have a stockpile of school T-shirts you never wear but you own because they were giving them out for free.

9. When you tell underclassmen how old you are, they make no effort to hide their astonishment.

10. You're exhausted by how eager the younger kids are about socializing and going out.

11. Whenever your college makes a change, you reminisce about how old times were better and say: "Back when I was a freshman..."

12. Now that you're 21 and you don't have a birthday to look forward to, you envy the underage youngsters.

13. The dating pool is especially small for you — it's slim pickings because you either know too much about the guys' (bad) reputations, or they've all already dated one of your friends.

We’ve all heard that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, and a recent study out of the University of Missouri shows that a lot of college students are heeding that very advice. Out of 170 undergrads surveyed, 35 percent had sex with someone other than their ex-partner—that is, engaged in rebound sex—within a month of their breakup.

But what does that mean for collegiettes? There’s no doubt that rebound sex is a thing that happens, but when it comes to whether it will help or hurt you, things get a little murky. So, should you or shouldn’t you? Let’s break it down!

Why do we do it?

There are tons of ways you can try to get over a breakup. You can pull an Elle Woods and watch a bad romance movie, only to scream, “Liar!” at the sexy male lead and chuck a box of chocolates at your TV. You can stay in your sweats for a week and develop an intimate relationship with GrubHub, or you can gather your girls and drain your local bar of its tequila reserves. You could get over your ex the healthy way, or you could try something else entirely!

But despite the many options, a sizeable chunk of post-breakup collegiettes will likely choose a more physical course of action: rebound sex.

“I think for some people, it’s the kick in the pants they need—literally!—to help them believe that life will go on after a breakup,” says MJ Acharya, the founder of BrokenHeartedGirl.com, a place for the brokenhearted to seek support. “Imagining yourself with another person can be hard to do, so just putting yourself in a position to physically connect with a new lover can help kick-start your brain into imagining a future full of possibilities with another person.”

The dangers of rebound sex

Getting to a place where you can see yourself with another guy sounds great, but before we get there, let’s get the bad news out of the way: rebound sex isn’t all good.

The potential risks of engaging in rebound sex when you’re hot off a breakup and, consequently, emotionally vulnerable may seem obvious: you might get attached or find out that your emotions can’t be so easily plugged by a one-night stand. But according to Lisa Steadman, relationship expert and author of It's A Breakup Not A Breakdown, if you’re hoping to get over your ex this way, you might find that rebound sex has the exact opposite result — you might wind up thinking about your ex even more than before.

“[After rebound sex], we can go, ‘Now I have all these feelings coming up that are making me think about my ex and what we used to have and how I miss him,’” Steadman says. “[You could think], ‘This guy didn’t touch me the same way,’ or, ‘this guy didn’t treat me the same way, and I really miss my ex. I think I’m going to text him or call him.’ And that’s where the rebound turns into more of the breakdown.”

Another risk associated with rebound might have less to do with the what and who, and more to do with the when. The participants in the study who engaged in rebound sex did so within the first four weeks following their breakup, something that Steadman says might stunt the healing process, or at least set you back a few steps.

“There’s no substitute for being in the breakdown of your breakup,” she says. “You can’t avoid the pain. There are five stages of it—the denial, the anger, the bargaining, the depression and even the eventual acceptance—and you can’t shortchange yourself by trying to skip over those steps.”

Meaning? Rebound sex might seem like a good distraction the day after you get dumped, but in the long run, it might be better if you wait until you’ve healed on your own first. 

Alternatives to rebound sex

Want some serious post-breakup catharsis without the sex? We have good news: you have options when it comes to getting that boost and letting off some newly single steam.

“Maybe it’s rebound kissing or a rebound make-out session,” Acharya suggests as alternatives that run a smaller risk of attachment or regret. “And if that’s not something the person would normally do, she could just put herself on an online dating site to just garner attention from prospective mates in order to help her visualize herself in a future that doesn’t include her ex.”

And if those options still sound a little daunting, there’s always the option of just going to a bar and getting your flirt on with your best girl friends, no physical contact necessary!

Or for those collegiettes who don’t even want to think about guys right now? Steadman suggests getting a Breakover. That’s right, a breakup makeover.  “Nothing makes a woman feel sassier than a new ‘do,” she says.  

If you already have a ‘do you love, find something else that involves pampering and treating yourself. Self-love is a crucial step in the breakup recovery process!

Still want to rebound? Things to consider

Even with the potential pitfalls, there’s no denying that rebound sex is popular for a reason. Steadman describes it as a great ego boost: a way to reenter the market and remind yourself that your ex isn’t the only one out there. Not to mention, it’s probably been forever since you slept with someone besides your ex, and admit it: things were getting tired with him anyway.

It might also be a great distraction.

“I'm so pleased that I did, because although I'm no longer in contact with the guy I had sex with, for a few weeks I was excited again,” says Jasmine Walker, HC campus correspondent for the University of Manchester. “I… had something to talk to my friends about other than my ex-boyfriend. I was completely distracted by what I'd done, what I'd learnt and how sex could be with someone else but still feel good.”

So if you decide you are willing to take the risk, there are things to keep in mind to make sure you have the most positive experience possible.

“I think it's important to self-analyze,” says Acharya, who also wrote The Breakup Workbook: A Common Sense Guide to Getting Over Your Ex. “If you're typically not a one-night-stand kind of girl, then chances are, having a one-night stand could potentially diminish your self-esteem. In this situation, you want to feel good about yourself afterward.”

Another invaluable resource for safe rebounding? What Steadman calls the Boohoo Crew, a group of friends, who will make sure you don’t make any bad decisions while you’re still in the bad stages of your breakup. You know, the ones who are going to make sure you don’t drunk-text him or beg him to take you back—or, in this case, make sure you don’t have sex with someone new until you’re ready.

“Be sure that when you’re going through a breakup, you surround yourself with people who have your best interests at heart and who really want to help you through it,” Steadman says.

And of course, no matter the type of sex you’re engaging in, Steadman reminds you to stay safe and always be prepared. You don’t know where your rebound has been!

At the end of the day, how you go about your breakup should be about one thing: finding acceptance and the ability to move on. If you take your time to do that, you’ll learn why your breakup might have been one of the best things that ever happened to you.

“You’re free to be yourself, you’re free to move on, you’re free to meet someone who’s more suited for you, and those are all the upsides of a breakup that we often forget when we’re thinking about revenge or rebound sex,” Steadman says.

Still not convinced? Just trust the process.

“I've been in the breakup business for 10 years, and the old saying is actually true: ‘Time heals all wounds,’” Acharya says. “It's what you do in that time that will either make you come out of your breakup a bitter person—or a better person. Strive for the latter.”

It’s that time of year when the question, “What college are you going to?” is enough to send you into a full-blown panic attack. You’ve worked towards this final decision for the past three and a half years, filled out the applications and written countless personal statements. You may be feeling like your life has turned into a big waiting game that your entire future depends on, but it’s your senior year, and it’s time to live it up!

Instead of spending your afternoons waiting for the mail delivery and your nights anxiously thinking about what you’ll do if you get a rejection letter, throw yourself into other activities that will ensure you end your senior year in the best way possible and enter the next chapter of your life fully prepared.

1. Visit schools you haven’t seen

You may not know which college you’re going to end up at yet, which gives you all the more reason to get pumped about lots of different schools! Visit the ones you applied to that you haven’t had a chance to check out in person yet. That way you can start imagining the next four years at different campuses. Plus, knowing you have so many great options will make waiting for those acceptance letters less nerve-racking!

2. Rank your choices

At this point in the game you probably already know which school is your number-one choice, but there’s always a slim chance that for whatever reason, your dream school isn’t the school you’re going to end up at in the fall. Therefore, it’s important to have a good idea how the rest of the schools you applied to stack up. When deciding where the other schools fall on your list, consider things such as location, majors offered, price and where you can see yourself spending the next four years. This will take your mind off of waiting by helping you realize all of the great options you have!

3. Go outdoors

There’s no better way to ease your nerves than by spending some time in nature! With the temperatures rising, it’s a great idea to go on fun adventures with your friends to a scenic hiking trail or to the beach. Having fun in the outdoors will get you out of the house and your mind off those acceptance letters. Go during mail-delivery hours to avoid anxiously awaiting the mailman for hours on end.

4. Make a photo album

The end of your senior year is all about reminiscing about all of the amazing times you’ve had in high school, and what a better way to do this than by making a photo album? It’s something you’ll cherish when you’re away at college and feeling homesick, and now that you’re all done writing essays for your applications, you have some free time on your hands! Instead of using this time to worry about admissions letters, document your high school years with a fun photo album.

5. Plan a senior trip

Plan a trip with all of your best friends to guarantee the perfect ending to your high school experience. All the excitement of doing something fun with the people with whom you’ve spent the last four years will ensure you spend ample time with the people you’ll be seeing less of next year. Plan a road trip to the nearest beach or a city you’ve always dreamed of visiting. Invite your best girl friends so you can split up the costs and the driving.

6. Take senior portraits

Taking senior portraits is basically a right of passage. Use your newfound free time wisely by getting these beauties taken if you haven’t gotten them already. Get your mind off of admissions letters by getting creative! Take your time in selecting different outfits that display your personality. Let your personal style shine in these portraits that are sure to hang in your parents home for years!

7. Do some spring-cleaning

It’s time to seriously distract yourself by getting organized! Color-code your closet, rid your wardrobe of the clothing you haven’t worn in six months, clean out the dust bunnies and start deciding which outfits you cannot survive without as a collegiette. Not only is this a productive way to get your mind off of admissions letters, but cleaning can also be a stress reliever!

8. Make congratulatory cookies

On the inside you might not be happy for your friends who have already heard back from their colleges, but you should be supportive anyway! Distract yourself during this time by making your friends congratulatory cookies. They’ll love the thoughtful gesture, and some good karma while waiting to see if you got into the college of your dreams can’t hurt your chances!

9. Prepare to move out

Assuming that at least one of the admissions letters you receive is going to be an acceptance, you will probably be moving out of your parents’ house in the near future. Start making a list of things you’ll need to take with you to college (coffee maker: check!). Getting excited at the thought of moving on to a new stage in your life will take the pressure off of anxiously waiting to hear back from schools!

10. Update your wardrobe

In high school, it may have been acceptable to wear pink every Wednesday or throw on furry boots with every outfit imaginable. Collegiettes, however, are oftentimes much more fashionable. Get a great pair of boots, replace those logo T-shirts with a cool chambray shirt or even invest in a great everyday lipstick. Feeling like you fit in on campus rather than feeling like the new kid can help you transition into your college years seamlessly.

11. Shop for the perfect prom dress

Retail therapy is a great stress reliever. As a pre-collegiette with prom approaching in a few short months, you now have the perfect opportunity to get a jump-start on this anxiety cure. Search the web, the mall and hidden boutiques to ensure you’ll have a prom dress that doesn’t give you wardrobe nightmares two years from now and that no one else has! Focusing on fun things such as prom will ensure that you spend the end of your senior year enjoying all that high school has to offer rather worrying about the future.

12. Apply for scholarships

Applying for scholarships can take your mind off waiting while easing some of your financial worries as well. You’re at the top of your game when it comes to filling out applications, so why not fill out a few more while you’re at it? Choose a few you’re interested in and get started. Laura Bauman, a second year at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, says that “whether it's through your school, your possible future college, your community or random ones off of a scholarship website, it’s good to start [scholarship applications] early and apply for as many as possible!”

13. Just keep studying

Even though senioritis is probably getting the best of you right now, it’s important to keep your grades up prior to graduation! If they drop significantly, college admissions officers could revoke your acceptance. After all of this waiting, that would be a complete nightmare. Instead of mentally checking out early, throw yourself into researching a topic you’re into for an upcoming paper, get an A on your next math test and enjoy the classic novel you’re reading for English. School will get a lot tougher in the near future, so enjoy it while it’s less stressful! You can also use this time to brush up on good study habits that will help you in college.

Rather than wasting the next few weeks waiting anxiously and stalking the mailman, do a few or all of these things to get your mind off of receiving your acceptance letters. It’s out your control at this point, so why not live it up in the meantime? 

After writing an outstanding cover letter and perfecting your resume, you finally landed an interview. Congratulations! There’s hard work ahead, though, and interviews can be intimidating. After all, your career is on the line. But with enough preparation, you can calm your nerves and impress your interviewer. Follow these steps, and you’ll be set for your next interview.

1. Research the company

First, research the company you’re interviewing with. You should have done some research before writing your cover letter, but make sure to refresh your memory and check out specifics. “Look at the company’s website, and check if they have a Facebook or LinkedIn page, or another social network they might be on,” suggests Carlyn Crowe, an Internship Coordinator at Drake University. “That can give you an idea of how involved the company might be.”

Then do some basic research about the specific person or people who are interviewing you. Make sure you know who will be conducting your interview. Call or email ahead of time to ask if you will be interviewing with one person or a team. “You don’t want to walk in and be surprised when there are 10 people in the room and you thought it was going to be just one," Crowe says.

For added comfort, look up your interviewer on Facebook or LinkedIn. “It can give you a feel for who they are and what they look like,” Crowe says. “It helps your comfort level when you go into the interview so you know what to expect.”

However, don’t bring up personal information that you find on Facebook in the interview—talking about their kids or a vacation they took will sound super creepy, not impressive! Reading about the interviewer’s job on LinkedIn, on the other hand, can give you a leg up in knowing what the company or department does.

2. Understand the job description

You should have seen a job description before you applied for the job, so before your interview, be sure to review it. Doing so can help shape your responses to the interviewer’s questions.

“It will help you organize what you're going to talk about in your interview,” Crowe says. “They might ask you questions where your answer may not be the best way to showcase your skills. Looking at the description and thinking about ways to tell them how your skills match that can help you.”

If you know the qualities and skills needed for the position, you can tailor your answers to show how you possess and can utilize those skills and characteristics on the job. For example, if you know the position requires you to work with Microsoft Excel, you can talk about how you’ve used the software past internships, projects, or classes.

3. Rehearse your answers

There are some questions you can assume the interviewer will throw your way—for example, they’ll probably ask about your strengths and weaknesses, your previous work experience, and your involvement on campus.

For predictable questions like these, practice your answers as much as possible. “Practice, practice, practice,” Crowe emphasizes. “You don’t want to ramble on. It’ll help you be concise and cover what you want to say.”

Of course, the interviewer may also ask questions you didn’t anticipate. To prepare for these, Crowe suggests thinking of specific examples of accomplishments or challenges you’ve faced in your field of work. Draw on experiences from classes or past internships or jobs to demonstrate your skills and qualities. Bring a notebook that has a few bullet points to remind you skills that you want to showcase. This will show the interviewer you’re prepared and that you really want the job!

4. Plan questions to ask your interviewer

At the end of the interview, you know you’ll be asked, “Do you have any questions?” Don’t be caught off guard—have a few questions in the back of your mind. (You could write these down in your notebook, too!) But make sure you don’t ask these “illegal” interview questions.

“Ask how you fit into their team, how you can expect to get feedback on your work, and what kind of projects they're working on in the future,” Crowe suggests. Ask questions assuming that they’re going to hire you. What would you want to know if you stepped into the job on the first day? You can also ask what the timeline for filling the position is, so you know when you will hear back from them.

5. Choose your outfit

Don’t scramble for an outfit a few hours before your interview—choose your outfit a few days before to avoid another stressor the day of the interview. Planning ahead also gives you a chance to iron or dry clean your clothes, if necessary. Choose your accessories, too. Are you going to wear jewelry or bring a purse?

“Something like a pair of black pants and a simple top is ideal—something that won’t distract the person interviewing you,” suggests Kathryn Marwitz from Drake University. “Pick something you’re comfortable in. It should obviously be professional—nothing too low-cut. And if you know you’re going to be nervous, don’t wear something you’re going to be really hot in.”

For more ideas, read HC's tips on what to wear to an interview.

6. Find out where you're going

There's nothing worse than being perfectly prepared, then being late because you got lost or stuck in traffic. Definitely bring a GPS or print out directions. If you can, drive by the location of the interview a day or two before. This will also give you the chance to scope out a place to park if you’ll be driving. Give yourself plenty of time on the day of the interview!

Of course, getting to the interview can be difficult if you don’t have your own car. If you are going to take public transportation, like a bus or train, give yourself even more time than you think is necessary. Lizzie Callen, a collegiette at the Art Institute of Chicago, deals with public transport dilemmas often because she lives in a busy metropolitan area. “It’s definitely more stressful, but since I don't have a car, it's all I have!” she says. “I would definitely map things out and leave earlier than you think. For a recent interview, ended up leaving 45 minutes earlier than I really needed to, just so I knew that if somehow there were delays I would have some time to spare.”

If your interview is over the phone or Skype, read HC’s tips on phone interviews and Skype interviews for more tips.

7. Print important documents

Even if you know your interviewer already has your resume, it can’t hurt to print out an extra copy—or a few extras, if you’re interviewing with a group. Also, bring a list of references and a business card if you have one.

Depending on the internship you’re applying for or your major, you might also want to bring your laptop or a tablet to pull up electronic examples of your work. If you have a portfolio of writing or design samples, be sure to bring extra copies of your clips to leave behind. “That way, they can put your samples with your resume,” Crowe says, which will help the interview remember you even more clearly.

The bottom line: Don’t wing it! Knowing how to ace an interview is crucial to your professional success, so take it seriously. Your preparedness will impress the interviewer because they’ll know just how much you want the job. If you start planning a day or two in advance, you’ll be able to calm your nerves and rock the interview. Good luck!

We’ve all had those days when we feel invincible. You feel like a rock star as you walk to class, and you know nothing is going to stand in your way of being awesome.

Then a rock falls on your head.

Or at least that’s what it feels like when a full-fledged headache takes over, throwing off your concentration and your ability to do anything for the rest of the day.

In order to understand what causes headaches, it helps to understand what a headache actually is. When the chemicals in your body become imbalanced, your nerves become more sensitive, says Dr. Huma U. Sheikh, a doctor in the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This sensitivity causes a headache.

Sheikh says there isn’t really any explanation as to why an imbalance of chemicals causes the nerves to become more sensitive, but a headache is a way for your body to alert your brain to that imbalance. A migraine is a more intense headache that is related to genetics. They often come along with other symptoms like nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light or smell.

Headaches and migraines might seem like they come out of nowhere, but if you take a step back and look at your daily activities and habits, you’ll probably find some standard triggers that are causing your headaches. Once you’ve identified the problem, you can prevent your headaches from ruining another all-star day!

1. You’re dehydrated

Water makes up about 60 to 70 percent of your body. So when you don’t drink enough water, you get dehydrated. This makes your blood thicken, which leads to impaired circulation of blood to the brain, which is a major cause of headaches.

“[When you’re dehydrated], your body’s not in its usual balance, and that makes the nerves feel irritated or oversensitive,” Sheikh says. “The way they respond is by letting you know that something is off, and that’s through a headache.”

It’s easy to get dehydrated when you’re exercising or when it’s hot outside, but it can also happen in the winter due to dry air. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, you should still aim to drink those recommended eight glasses of water per day.

To make it easier to drink enough water, Dr. Alexander Mauskop, founder and director of the New York Headache Center, suggests flavoring your water with lemon or grapefruit juice. You can also carry a water bottle with you throughout the day and track how much water you’re drinking.

Sheikh says that H2O is the best liquid to drink on a regular basis to prevent dehydration, but if you exercise frequently, it’s also important to replenish your body with electrolytes found in drinks like Smartwater and Gatorade.

2. You’ve had too much caffeine

Coffee and caffeinated sodas might keep you awake so you can finish your homework, but too much of them could do more harm than good. Although small amounts of caffeine might relieve a headache, excess caffeine can have the reverse effect by causing withdrawal headaches. Mauskop says that a good daily amount of caffeine is between 50 and 100 mg, while too much caffeine is more than 150 mg per day.

Things get tricky when you start mixing in sources of caffeine other than coffee, tea or soda. Many people might not realize that Excedrin, a popular medicine for headache relief, contains a small dose of caffeine. This over-the-counter pill can be very effective in relieving headaches – in fact, it’s one of the pills recommended by Sheikh – but taking it in combination with other caffeinated beverages might put you over the edge in terms of caffeine intake.

To prevent yourself from going overboard, keep a record of how much caffeine you consume and at what time during the day you consume it. Mauskop suggests limiting yourself to one or two drinks of coffee, tea or soda per day, and make a note of how much caffeine is actually in each of those drinks. You can also find other ways to get that energy boost without caffeine.

3. You drank too much alcohol

You go out to a party. You drink a few drinks… then a few more… and then you wake up with a hangover. These kinds of headaches are usually expected after an almost-too-good night out, but why does a fun night have to be punished by a not-so-fun morning?

Similar to caffeine, small amounts of alcohol won’t be a huge problem, but you will be more prone to having a headache when you drink excessive amounts of alcohol. It can be difficult to say exactly how much alcohol is “too much” because it depends on factors like your weight and how much food is in your stomach to absorb the alcohol. But Mauskop says that for someone who is prone to migraines, even just a sip of alcohol can be too much. He says that generally, more than two drinks could lead to a headache.

Dr. Mauskop is also the creator of Migralex, a pill that aims to replenish your body with everything it lost after a night of drinking. One of the major components in the pill is magnesium, which helps prevent and relieve headaches in many different ways. It opens up the blood vessels, works on serotonin receptors and relaxes muscles. Magnesium is often lacking in a college student’s diet because alcohol, in addition to stress, caffeine and chronic illness, depletes magnesium, Mauskop says. The recommended daily intake of 400 mg of magnesium per day can be easily be taken as a supplement pill, and it’s also found in vegetables, nuts and fish.

4. You’re stressed

Sometimes it seems like stress is synonymous with college life. Sheikh acknowledges the fact that it’s difficult to live a stress-free life in college, and in fact, most women begin getting headaches when they start college. But headaches are caused not only by stress, but also by everything that comes along with it, like lack of sleep and poor nutrition. When you’re stressed, you might not eat as healthily as you should, and you might have an irregular sleep schedule. All these factors throw off your body’s chemical balance and can lead to a headache or migraine.

Although it might be difficult to devote time to anything other than studying at times, exercise is one of the best ways to combat stress. Mauskop recommends doing aerobic exercise for 30 to 40 minutes three to four times a week. Meditation is also very helpful in calming your body and clearing your mind. If you need some guidance for meditation, Mauskop suggests doing yoga. This combines exercise with meditation, working your body and relaxing your mind. Sheikh explains that when you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which in turn release stress. Endorphins really are good for you, as they help you de-stress and fight headaches.

5. You’re PMSing

Ahh… good old PMS. If it wasn’t bad enough already, it can also give you headaches on top of the cramps and bloating. Sheikh says that especially with migraines, hormones play a huge role in causing the pain, and when your body goes through PMS, there is a shift in estrogen that brings your body out of its normal balance. Many women know when they’ll get their period because they find themselves getting headaches a few days beforehand.

Sheikh says premenstrual headaches can be treated similarly to everyday migraines or headaches by taking over-the-counter headache relief medicine. But it’s important to make sure that it’s really your period that’s causing the headache, and not a bigger medical problem. She first suggests keeping a headache diary so you can verify the cause of your headaches. Once you’ve confirmed the problem and the pattern of your headaches, Sheikh suggests then taking Motrin a day or two a few days before you’re expecting your period. This is a preventative measure that could decrease the chances of a headache occurring.

6. You’re wearing the wrong glasses or contact prescription

An incorrect glasses or contact prescription can cause you squint so you can see more clearly. Squinting causes muscle tension around the eyes and forehead, and that can lead to a headache, Mauskop says. Whether you’re squinting to see a computer screen up close or a blackboard from the back of a classroom, an incorrect prescription puts unnecessary stress on your muscles, which causes pain.

Even if you’re not squinting at the computer screen, your eyes might be closer to the screen than they would be if you were wearing the proper prescription. So although laying on your back with your computer on your chest might be super comfy in bed, Mauskop says that small distance between the screen and your eyes is not comfortable for the muscles around your eyes and forehead. He suggests that you keep enough distance between your eyes and the computer screen to allow you to sit up straight with your computer on a desk.

If you find yourself squinting to see things up close or far away or bringing things so close to your face that you can smell them, it might be time to go to the eye doctor. Set up an appointment with your eye doctor to get an up-to-date prescription so you can relieve yourself of this headache trigger. Plus, it’s nice to be able to see things clearly!

7. You have a sinus infection

Although sinus pressure might not always be a trigger for headaches, it can be more harmful for people who are prone to migraines.

“For people who get migraines, it’s like a straw on the camel’s back,” Sheikh says. “Everyone has the ability to get a headache, but people who get migraines have more straws on the camel’s back, and any little thing that’s off can make them more prone to get headaches.”

Mauskop says that sinus infections aren’t an extremely common cause of headaches, but they can cause sinus headaches. When this occurs, a sinus infection fills up your sinus cavities with fluid and pressure, making you feel stuffy and congested. You can identify a sinus infection by the thick, green discharge that will come from your nose.

If you have a headache because of a sinus infection, you need to know if it’s viral or bacterial, because the two are treated differently. A doctor or your campus health center can be helpful in determining this. “Most infections and colds are viruses, and that can’t be solved from antibiotics,” Dr. Mauskop says. Instead, you can irrigate your sinuses, take a decongestant or apply heat to your sinuses with a warm compress, and, as always, drink lots of fluids. If the sinus infection is bacterial, then antibiotics can help the situation.

Even if none of these triggers seem to apply to you, you might still find yourself prone to headaches and migraines—and that’s normal. Sheikh says that even with preventive measures, approximately one in five women will experience migraines.

“There are medications you can take, either when you have a headache or when you want to prevent them from even coming,” she says. These over-the-counter medicines include Advil, Tylenol, Motrin or Excedrin. “But in those cases when you feel like you’re not able to control them on your own, it’s important to speak to your doctor.”

Sick of eating cereal and ramen for lunch and dinner? Want to spend less money eating out and finally start cooking for yourself? Put down that frozen pizza, because HC’s Health Editor, Sammie Levin, is here to share her daily eats so you can get ideas for healthy, satisfying meals that are easy enough for any time-strapped collegiette to make. After you read Collegiette Eats, your taste buds, wallet and waistline will thank you.

No matter where you're headed, if you're traveling over spring break, it can be tough to maintain a balanced diet. Unless you're going to Canyon Ranch or something, in which case, your life rocks. With a different schedule, little control over what you're eating, excessive drinking and a lack of sleep, you may find it challenging to stay healthy over break. But it's not impossible! Slipping these seven goodies into your suitcase can help you out. I'm currently in Argentina for break and I brought a few of these since they are my go-to travel snacks, and they've definitely come in handy. 

1. Single-Serve Nut Butter

You may luck out and be at a hotel or resort where the breakfast has a ton of healthy options, like an omelet bar or oatmeal with fresh fruit. But if you find yourself at a place with a skimpy continental breakfast or no breakfast at all, you'll want to come prepared. You may be inclined to skip breakfast (or just sleep through it) altogether over spring break, but your best bet is to start the day off with a mix of protein and fiber to get you going. 

Having single-serve packets of nut butter will come in handy because you can spread it on a piece of fruit or toast or stir it into some yogurt for a quick breakfast or snack. It's a better alternative than butter or cream cheese because it'll give you a boost of protein and healthy fats that will help get you through the day without any bloating on the beach. Sound good? Justin's and Barney Butter make a variety of different nut butter "squeeze packs" that you can find at Whole Foods or order online. 

2. Chia Shots 

You may think you're already going to have enough shots over spring break, but I have one more kind to add to the mix: chia shots! These shots contain healthy omega-3's (and no chance of a hangover), so you can get your superfood fix on the go. You can order them online through The Chia Co. Take a few packets and stir the seeds into your water - they'll expand and get a gel-like consistency that makes water fun to drink. Or, nonchalantly (i.e. when no one is watching because they might think you're a little crazy) dump one into your piña colada or daiquiri. 

If you want another way to get omega-3's during spring break, these portable flax packets have your back. Flaxseed also has fiber, which is good for any digestion issues you may encounter over break. You can order these "paks" online, or maybe find them in your local supermarket. Stir a pack into a smoothie or yogurt, or sprinkle them over a salad or soup. 

4. 100-Calorie Almond Packs 

Almonds, like all nuts, can be difficult to control your portion sizes with. They are so tiny and addicting that you just keep reaching for another handful, which adds up quickly. Having a pre-packaged serving size makes it a lot easier! Emerald Nuts and Blue Diamond make 100-calorie packs in different varieties. They're super easy to throw in your bag, so go nuts (see what I did there?). 

5. Emergen-C

We're all well aware that a week in Cabo, PV, PCB and the like may not leave you feeling your best by the end of it. Partying, not sleeping enough and being surrounded by tons of college kids means prime conditions for getting run-down or sick. So ward off the germs with some good ol' Vitamin C. Take a few packets of Emergen-C to mix into your water bottle. A packet a day keeps the doctor away... maybe? 

6. Crystal Light Packets 

Another good drink mix-in to bring is sugar-free Crystal Light packets. If you're somewhere where you don't have a lot of control over what drinks are available, having these packets on hand means you'll always have a low-calorie chaser to fall back on if the only other options are sugary soda, punch or juice. At just five calories per eight ounces, these packets will help you ensure that your pre-spring break gym efforts don't go to waste. Plus, you have to mix it into water, so they'll also help you stay hydrated, which is especially important while drinking in the sun. 

7. LARABARs 

If you find yourself really hungry in between meals, you don't want to have to resort to whatever you can get your hands on, which probably won't be the healthiest fare. Pack a few LARABARs, which are all-natural bars made from fruit and nuts, for those times when you need a more substantial snack or a light breakfast. They come in a bunch of tasty flavors - my favorites are Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte and Peanut Butter Cookie. You can find them at Whole Foods and other health foods stores, and some regular supermarkets. 

Spring break is only a little over a week long, so if your diet takes a hit, then it's really not the end of the world. But if you come prepared, you're more likely to be able to stay on track, so pack some or all of these items for a healthier break! You didn't put in double the time at the gym for nothing! 

On an average day, you’re running from class to class, trying to find time to eat something (bonus points if it’s something healthy), meeting with professors and classmates and coming home at the end of the day… to do more work. With a schedule like that, who has time for a beauty routine that takes longer than it does to chug a large latte with an extra espresso shot? Not anyone taking a full course load, that’s for sure.

That’s where our latest beauty discovery comes in. Biotera Ultra Color Care 5-in-1 Cleansing Conditioner is basically every busy girl’s dream. It does literally everything in one step: it cleans, conditions, detangles and makes your hair all shiny and soft. Needless to say, we want it. Actually, scratch that. We need it.

Using products that do multiple things at the same time, like this one, is our ultimate beauty time-saver. What’s yours? At Her Campus, we’re dying to know what you do to save time in the morning but still look like a superstar when you walk out the door (any tips we can get, we’ll use!).  If you tweet your favorite beauty time-saver with the hashtag #BeautyTimeSaver and tag @HerCampus and @zotosprofesh in your tweet, you could win an amazing gift basket to speed up your morning routine!

Enter by March 25 to win! We’ll select two winners who will get an amazing gift basket that includes:

• Biotera Scalp Refresh Dry Shampoo
• Biotera Color Care Dry Shampoo
• Biotera Ultra Color Care 5-in-1 Cleansing Conditioner
• A GMJ professional hair dryer
• A $50 AMEX gift card 

Talk about fabulous! Send us your tweets, collegiettes, and let’s all save a little more time on our beauty routines! 

When Avery* took a sociology class her freshman year at UNC-Chapel Hill, she was interested in the subject matter—but she found herself way more interested in the cute TA who taught it.

“He was an interesting guy with a lot of the same beliefs and values that I had,” she says. “He was also a bit older and his maturity was really refreshing (since in high school I was in a relationship with a guy who was going nowhere and was so immature).”

Avery started wearing V-neck shirts and makeup (which she never wore normally) to attract her TA’s attention. She started going to his office hours to ask questions about his research. But soon after, the conversations got more personal. “I would then ask questions about his life and what he wanted to do after school, what the tattoo on his wrist meant, etc.,” she says. “He was nice to me even though I think he knew I was flirting. I think he liked the attention.”

Eventually, the TA asked her if she would write a recommendation letter for an award he was applying to, and if she wanted to be his assistant over the summer for his research. But when the award and his money to hire an assistant fell through, so did his and Avery’s flirtation.

Although Avery and her TA’s relationship never developed into anything physical or seriously emotional, what if it had? Student/professor affairs are nothing new; Martin Heidegger and John Nash (the subject of A Beautiful Mind) both had infamous relationships with students. Similarly, in 2010, UNC-Chapel Hill professor Monty Cook resigned after it was discovered that he had been sexting with a student. But these relationships are also banned at most schools, which makes them dangerous… or, for some collegiettes, intriguing.

Could a student/TA or student/professor relationship ever work out? We talked with two relationship experts to figure out why collegiettes and professors start relationships, the dangers involved in such relationships, and if they could ever actually be healthy.

Why do collegiettes do it?

For those of you whose professors are older than your parents and wear really unfortunate suspenders, you might be wondering why any collegiette would be interested in pursuing such a relationship. But there are a variety of reasons as to why collegiettes would want to start a flirtation or relationship with their professor or TA, and every situation is different. It could be that the student just thinks her professor is attractive, or it could be that she is seeking out personal validation. Some collegiettes take an older, wiser man finding them attractive as a huge compliment.

“Young women naturally seek affirmation from those with more experience and power from others who appear to have more,” says Julie Orlov, a psychotherapist and the author of The Pathway to Love. “It is easy for young women to look up to their professors as men with wisdom, power, and appeal.”

Orlov says the fact that such relationships are typically off-limits could also be a reason why they’re so intriguing to some collegiettes. Okay, we know that equating a chem professor with Edward Cullen could be a bit of a stretch, but just think of Twilight—part of the reason why the story is so fascinating to readers is because of the forbidden nature of their relationship.

“There can be an allure of feeling special from engaging in a forbidden relationship,” Orlov says. “Unfortunately, this is the worst place for a college student to seek out power, validation, affirmation, and attention.”

Why do professors and TAs do it?

It’s not just the collegiette making the decisions here—professors and TAs could also find benefits aside from just physical ones in dating one of their students. “Unfortunately, there are TAs and professors with poor boundaries and a need to feel powerful, admired, and attractive at the expense of students,” Orlov says. They are “taking advantage of young women with less power, life experience, and ability to set clear and healthy boundaries.”

Julie Kleinhans, a radio show host and life coach for teens and young adults, says that the feeling of being dominant to a student can be a reason why professors and TAs have relationships with students.

“Every situation is different, but for a lot of men, it might be that sense of control: having certain power over the younger female, having a sense of, ‘if I have this relationship with you, then I can determine your grades,’” she says.

What are the consequences of student/TA or student/professor relationships?

You might be thinking: “Well, my TA is only a grad student—that’s not so inappropriate, is it?” But even a TA who is just a few years older than a collegiette could feel that he has power over her because he’s her teacher, and that power dynamic is unhealthy in any relationship.

“Any time there is a significant discrepancy of power between partners, there is one person taking advantage of the other,” says Orlov.

There’s also the fact that your professor or TA controls your grades, Kleinhans points out. If the student decides she ever wants to end the relationship, the professor or TA could seek out revenge by giving her a low grade in his or her class.

But ending the relationship could also prove disastrous for the professor or TA, since most schools forbid student/teacher relationships. “If it was the student that was dumped,” Kleinhans adds, “she might decide: ‘You know what, I’m going to make this public. I’m going to sabotage his career.’”

The problems involved in a student/teacher relationship could affect a collegiette negatively for the rest of her life. Kleinhans says that young women who have bad relationship experiences with older or more powerful men tend to continue to attract men that she feels subordinate to, causing her even more emotional harm in the future.

“Whatever we perceive through our experiences, that’s going to affect what we create in our future,” she says. “It really could do a lot of damage in terms of how she perceives herself in relationships in the future.”

Could these relationships ever be healthy?

Is it possible that a relationship with a TA or a professor could end well? Some student/professor relationships even end up in marriage, such as John Nash’s. “If it happens to be a relationship that started because both the TA or professor and the student realized, ‘Wow, we just have so much in common,’ and it is a natural type of relationship that blossoms through great conversation and mutual interest, then that’s a different story,” Kleinhans says.

However, Orlov warns that healthy relationships between students and instructors are very rare, and, for the most part, the dangers of such relationships outweigh any potential benefits.

“In the end, there is more to lose. Most students end up feeling hurt, taken advantage of, and violated from the boundaries that have been crossed,” she says. “Although there may be an isolated incident where two people have consented to a relationship that has grown into a more equal and reciprocal relationship down the line, I believe this is very much the exception.

“The rule is that these relationships are unbalanced, unhealthy, and inappropriate—and every professor and TA knows better!” she says.

What should you do if you’re crushing on a TA or professor?

So your TA or professor is young, knowledgeable, and kind of (okay, really) attractive. What should you do about it? Flirt and see what happens, or avoid at all costs?

Although a TA or professor may be smart and attractive and seem more mature, in most cases, it’s probably a good idea to just accept them as Econ 101 eye candy and nothing more while you’re still taking their class. Aria and Fitz might have made it work in Pretty Little Liars, but in real life, dating a professor or TA could have serious emotional consequences—not to mention, such relationships are usually banned by college rules. And any fulfillment you may get from an older man finding you attractive likely won’t be worth it in the end.

Brittany*, a junior at College of Charleston, had a crush on one of her professors but decided that the risks of acting on her crush outweighed the possible benefits. “It's all good fun to have a fantasy about an instructor, but I'd just feel super weird acting on it,” she says. “It seems like it would ruin the grandiose concept of an illicit fling... and the fact that he had a wife didn't put my mind at ease, either!”

But what if you’re no longer in your cute TA or professor’s class? Recent University of Alabama grad Caroline* thinks that once you’re no longer in that class, dating a former TA or professor shouldn’t be off-limits. “If the professor is not married, there’s no reason not to… because we’re all just people,” she says. “They are regular people just like you and your friends—especially with the trend of going back to grad school at an earlier age, TAs are usually only a few years older than juniors and seniors.”

It’s up to you to decide if the relationship would be worth it and will be fulfilling—not harmful. If you’re crushing on one of your instructors—which Orlov says is totally normal, so don’t be embarrassed by it!—Kleinhans advises to look deep within yourself and evaluate why you’re considering pursuing a relationship.

“Am I feeling that I want a physical partner? Does it have to be this partner?” she advises you ask yourself. “What is the reason and what is the feeling that’s coming from you that makes you think this relationship would be something to pursue?”

No romantic situation is black-and-white. Ultimately, it depends on what you’re feeling, how strong your feelings are, and why you’re having those feelings. It’s up to you to decide whether a relationship with a TA or professor would end in happily ever after or heartbreak.

Have you ever found yourself crushing on a TA or professor? Tell us about it in the comments below!

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, collegiettes, and so is your chance to score a cute lad! Here are a few Saint-Paddy’s-Day-inspired pick-up lines that might just bring you the luck of the Irish. 

1. Come over to my place and I'll show you me Lucky Charms.

2. How would you like to help put the Irish Spring back into me step?

3. Top of the morning to you... actually, I'd like to be on top of you in the morning.

4. Why don't you come catch a leprechaun with me. Maybe together we'll get lucky!

5. I’m Dublin my efforts to get you to go out with me.

6. It doesn't take a Guinness to realize you're the best-looking guy here. 

7. Irish you were my lover.

8. My lips are like the Blarney Stone - kiss them for good luck.

9. St. Patrick’s Day is like Valentine’s Day with beer, so let’s drink to love.

10. Hey baby, you make my shamrock shake.

11. Kiss me, I’m Irish.

One of the most seminal and nerve-wracking parts of the college process just received a total facelift. On Wednesday, the College Board released a statement outlining numerous changes they plan on making to the SAT, changes designed to better reflect material taught in high schools. David Coleman, president of College Board, commented that college admission tests in general have “become disconnected from the work of our high schools.”

In an effort to even the playing field, Coleman said that there would now be fee waivers available to low-income students to allow them to apply to four colleges for free. Other changes to the actual test include an easier vocabulary section that is more applicable to the college curriculum. The math section will now cover a broader range of materials and allow calculator use on only a portion of the math section.

The infamous essay has been made optional and the test will be scored out of 1600 rather than 2400 points (like it was prior to the college classes of 2010). There will only be two sections: math (maximum score of 800) and evidence-based reading and writing (maximum score of 800). Students who choose to sit for the essay will receive a separate score. The point penalty for getting questions wrong has also been eliminated.

Coleman pointed out that these changes are part of an effort to relieve some of the pressure high school students and their parents feel when preparing for the SAT, acknowledging the emotional and financial toll the test can put on families. The revamp was also aimed at increasing the popularity of the SAT, which has experienced a decline in recent years as the more academically relevant ACT test has gained momentum.

These changes will arrive in Spring 2016, giving high school students plenty of time to prepare for the new test. The collegiettes at Her Campus want to know what you ladies think: is the new SAT going to be a better judge of success in college or are these changes lowering the standards for college acceptances? Let us know how you feel in the comments below!

Tired of having to sort out the “nice guys” from the “bad boys”? Want to move up from one-night stand to full-time girlfriend, but unsure of how to do so? Stop worrying, because Real Live College Guy Dale is finally here to help with all of your collegiette love kerfuffles and help steer you clear of any unnecessary drama during your brief but ever-important time in college.

It makes sense that the guys I meet out at parties or in bars typically aren't looking for a relationship or for more than just hooking up. Are there places around college campuses where a girl might be more likely to find a guy actually looking to settle down? – Looking at Lancaster

Looking,

I don’t know a lot of people who are looking to settle down in college. As is frequently touted, college is about finding yourself and finding what’s best for you. College students are, for the most part, looking to party and to find out what they like and dislike in a person before they figure out whom they eventually do want to settle down with. Think of it like tasting a bunch of different ice cream flavors: you’re bound to find ones you really like and ones you don’t like at all, but in order to find that one flavor you really love, you have to try a lot of other flavors first… and that can take some time.

The people I know who do settle down while still in college are people who met in high school or people who started dating earlier in college as opposed to later in college.

But don’t fret. There are a couple of options out there!

What are some things you enjoy doing? Do you like books? Do you like dancing? What about cooking? Think about your hobbies and try to meet people who participate in those hobbies. Instead of looking for guys at parties (most of whom are going to be too wasted to remember your name the next day anyway), find some guys in places that don’t involve alcohol or loud music. You might consider joining a club or intramural sport to aid your search.

As strange as it sounds, you might also consider online dating. Being a college girl, you’re bound to run into a few (a lot) of questionable guys while using online services, but if eHarmony commercials are anything to go by, you might have some luck finding a guy to settle down with there.

But when it comes to finding people on college campuses, I think you’re going to be hard-pressed. It isn’t an impossible task by any means, but “settling down” isn’t something that a lot of students are focused on.

It goes back to that old saying of “a watched pot doesn’t boil.” The more you look, the less likely it is to happen. Do some scouting, sure, but don’t go on dates for the sole purpose of looking to settle down.

Time management is one of the hardest parts of college. You’ve got to balance a full class schedule, assignments (like that Russian novel you should have had finished last week), eating (the cookie you snuck from the dining hall), working it off at the gym, social events and the ensuing drama. You’re strapped for time, and you’ve got to use every moment to the fullest, especially when it comes to your workout routine. Here are a few simple mistakes we all make at the gym and how you can fix them to be a lean, mean, time-efficient machine.

Skipping Your Warm-Up

There are plenty of excuses we make to bypass warming up—it’s a waste of time, it looks silly, you need to snag the elliptical/treadmill while it’s open… But let’s not fool ourselves, collegiettes: skipping a warm-up is the equivalent of putting off research for a term paper. It’s going to make starting really tough.

Why It Doesn’t Work

Warming up prepares your muscles for the activity they’re about to do, which relies on the muscles contracting. Hopping on the elliptical or another machine without warming them up leads to strain and serious injury that will set your fitness routine back. “Warm-ups are preventative…but also start increasing heart rate for the workout,” Sue DenHerder, a ACSM-certified personal trainer in the Boston area, says. Basically, warming up gives you a head start on the workout. Instead of playing catch-up for the first ten minutes of exercise, your body is acclimated to the work it needs to do. And you know what that means? Your workout starts off less grueling so you can push harder for longer and really get the most out of your time.

How to Fix It

Warm-ups don’t have to be complex or lengthy. Take five minutes at the beginning of your workout to just get moving. Try jumping jacks, jogging in place, jump rope—simple exercises that will heat your muscles and get your heart pumping. If you’re more familiar with gym lingo and exercises, add in some squats or lunges.

Falling into the “Steady State” Workout

Obviously our lives are jam-packed with daily challenges. Just getting ourselves to the gym is one. Why make the workout hard too? Why not multitask, get some reading done, or enjoy a magazine? Because when you’re not 100% focused on your workout, you’re not getting the most out of it.

Why It Doesn’t Work

Workouts, like most parts of life, fall under the “you get out what you put in” category. Doing the same routine without pushing yourself gets you on a never-ending treadmill or elliptical plateau. “Going at the same level, same speed for 30 minutes doesn’t help you. If you’re not breathing hard and working to get through the exercise, you’re not taking full advantage of the workout,” DenHerder explains. Kristen McGill, an AFAA-certified personal trainer and Fitness Specialist at Emerson College points out, “Some women fear ‘getting big’ and therefore might continue to do the same routine week after week. Using the specified time periods/target heart rates can ensure that time is being used effectively. A low intensity workout a couple times a week may not allow an individual to achieve the results they are looking for.” Just so you know, 121 beats per minute (BPM) is considered moderate intensity for a 20-year-old woman and vigorous intensity is 160 BPM. Reaching this range is ideal for your workout.

How to Fix It

Switch up your routine. Shake things up on the elliptical and treadmill; before starting, set a plan based on cycles of work and recovery. Run for one minute, increase the resistance to a steep incline, walk for one minute and repeat, adjusting the resistance according to your walk/run pattern. Don’t have a timer? Use your music and alternate running and walking every song, adjusting the resistance accordingly. If you only use the elliptical or treadmill, try some of other machines in the gym. Just make sure you learn how to use them before getting started!

Sticking Exclusively to Cardio

Running, jumping, stepping and all of that good stuff are, undeniably, an important part of getting and staying fit. But cardio is not the end-all-be-all. Equally important is building muscle through strength training.

Why It Doesn’t Work

Cardio workouts target (surprise!) the cardiovascular system, meaning your heart and lungs, first and your muscles second. Cardio exercise is known for high calorie burn. The thing is, the best way to boost calorie burn is by building muscle. “The more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn during exercise and at a resting state,” DenHerder says. Extra bonus of including strength training to your routine? Muscles are denser than fat, so building muscle makes clothes fit better and tones your body instead of just slimming it down.

How to Fix It

McGill says to include a resistance/strength training routine “2-3 days a week to begin, potentially working 2-4 days a week. This includes working all major muscle groups with a series of either resistance machines or free weights depending on flexibility, experience and current health state.” If you’re just starting out, don’t be afraid to ask a trainer to help you get going with the machines or a free weight routine. Depending on your strength and the weight you’re using, aim to do 10-15 repetitions of each exercise. For added fun and motivation, bring a friend and try a weekly weight training routine together!

Limiting Your Core

Crunches and basic sit-ups are often still thought of as the best way to get a flat stomach, no matter how hard fitness advertisements for various ab-machines try to de-bunk this myth. Sadly, we still seem to think these moves are the key to getting rid of our bellies, so we do them. And then we do more. And more. Yet we may not see the results we expect. What gives? 

Why It Doesn’t Work

Like with most exercises, sit-ups and crunches are good and do engage part of your core. Key word: part. Abdominals are a 360-degree muscle group, including the rectus abdominus (the “six pack” we’re all after), internal and external obliques (the elusive side abs), and the transverse abdominal (wrapping from front to back). If you’re looking to make the most of your time at the gym, it just makes more sense to do one exercise that works all of the abs instead of just part. Crunches simply don’t justify the time and effort they consume.

How to Fix It

Enter: the plank!

No, not planking a la the crazy internet phenomenon. There’s no lying down with this exercise. Get into a pushup position with your arms supporting your body, hands under your shoulders…and hold it. “Start by holding the position for 20 seconds and build to a minute. Sounds easy, but you feel the burn,” DenHerder says. Try adding it in three or four times a workout and you’ll see what she means. Push-ups, a great variation of planks, are another exercise that hits all parts of the core with the additional bonus of your shoulders and chest. The key to a good pushup lies in keeping your spine straight, not dropping your head down or arching your back. Also important is hand position; most people tend to go too wide, when your hands should be just outside your chest, under your shoulders.

What Does an Effective Workout Look Like?

Try this 20-minute workout that blends cardio and strength training and alternate it with your other routines. If you have more time, just do a few more rounds, and make it fit your schedule.

Warm Up

• 1 minute jogging in place
• 30 jumping jacks
• 15 squats
• 15 toe touches (bring your leg up straight in front of you and touch your arm to it)
• 1 minute jumping rope (you don’t need rope, just follow the motions)

Round 1

• 20 squats, while holding weights (try 10-15 lbs. to begin, heavier if that’s too easy)
• 20 second plank (slow count ladies, even if it hurts)
• 20 jumping jacks

Repeat round 3-4 times.

Round 2

• 20 shoulder presses, with weights (try 5-10 lbs. to begin, heavier if that’s too easy)
• 20 bicycles (lie down with your hands behind your head, bring your left elbow and right knee to meet over your body, do the same with your right elbow and left knee)
• 1 minute high knee run (try to bring your knees up like you’re tucking them to your chest)

Repeat round 3-4 times.

Stretching & Cool Down

“Stretching should be used in order to avoid injury and optimize results with all your training. Generally, you should hold a stretch anywhere from 10-30 seconds, and be sure to stretch out all major muscle groups. Repeat this 2-3 times for each muscle group,” says McGill. Be sure to dedicate the time to proper muscle flexibility, even if you can only afford 5 minutes of it. Stretching doesn’t have to be a gym-only activity, so there’s no reason not to do it. Be good to your body and reward it for working hard for you and making the most of your workout.

Getting and staying fit is just as much a part of a healthy college life as all the other things you have to do. Don’t treat it like a torture, but a chance to take some “you time” and challenge yourself beyond the books.

Got more tips to make your workout better? Let us know in the comments section!

After watching countless episodes of Greek, reading articles and getting advice from your sorority friends, you feel like you’re ready to take on sorority recruitment. But after going through the rounds of the process, you come out without a bid. Unfortunately, life isn’t actually an episode of Greek (as much as we wish it were), and not every collegiette ends up in a sorority after rushing.

However, all hope is not lost for those who still want to experience Greek life! There is a lesser-known way to join a sorority called continuous open bidding (COB). If you didn’t receive a bid, or maybe you decided to join a sorority after rush has ended, COB could be your chance to go Greek.

What is continuous open bidding?

Continuous open bidding is an informal process that some sororities use to take in new members. This process gives collegiettes a chance to join randomly throughout the year in a setting that is relaxed and easy. COB has no set guidelines or formal structure, and it can happen at any time of the year for several different reasons.

Sororities choose to use this process for several different reasons. Susannah Hine, a Kappa Alpha Theta sister and a senior at the University of California, Irvine, says, “Sororities normally have to COB if they are below quota (due to girls graduating, not getting enough girls in fall, girls deactivating, etc.) and they have room to take more girls.”

If you’re interested in joining a newer sorority on campus, it is likely they will have COB as well. “My sorority has continuous open bidding because, as the newest sorority on campus, we are looking to meet the general size of the other sororities on campus,” says Katie Naymon, a sister of Kappa Alpha Theta and a junior at John Hopkins University.

How is COB different than traditional rushing?

Unlike formal recruitment, there is no “rush week” and no formal invitation of acceptance. Sororities are responsible for reaching out to girls and inviting them to participate.

You also don’t make the rounds to different houses, so if you have your heart set on one particular sorority, COB may be a good option for you. “I think that COB is great for girls who know that they want to be in a certain sorority and don't want to have to go through the recruitment process for the others on campus,” Katie says.

How does COB work?

Sororities choose whom they want to participate in COB a few different ways. For example, they can choose from those who rushed and didn’t make it into a sorority. If they were interested in you before but you didn’t make the cut for some reason, they may ask you to come to a COB event to get to know you better. If you didn’t rush but you would like to be considered, most schools have a list that you can sign up for in order to be chosen. Also, if you have friends in a sorority already, they can sometimes recommend you if you let them know you’re interested in joining.

Once you get invited to a COB event, you get to know the sorority and the members and are then able to choose to continue. You get to skip the entire process of recruitment and go right into pledging.

Why should you participate in COB?

The rush process can be intimidating for some girls. “I really recommend [COB] for anyone who is a little freaked out by the process of formal recruitment,” says Christina Madsen, a senior in Alpha Chi Omega at Barnard College.

With so many other people fighting for limited spots, it’s easy to find yourself struggling to show off your dazzling personality and the reasons why you would be a great asset to the sorority. “It's how I joined my sorority,” Christina says. “For me, it was just so much more comfortable than formal recruitment. Formal recruitment is a great process, but for some people it can be a little hard to show a sorority how great you are because it can be exhausting or intimidating.”

COB allows the process of joining a sorority to be more intimate. Because it’s informal, you’re able to relax and connect with the members more than if you were to do formal recruitment. “COB really gives potential new members a chance to come out of their shells and get to know us,” Christina says.

If you want to get to know a sorority in a more intimate setting without a hundred of other rushees, continuous open bidding is your in!

If you have ever thought about joining a sorority but were wary of the recruitment process, participate in continuous open bidding! It may be the perfect way for you to go Greek.