School is back in session for many colleges and universities across the country. Freshmen go in with wide-eyed wonder and seniors just want to get it over with. Meanwhile, alumni, like myself, become a bit nostalgic. While I wouldn’t want to go back to my demanding course schedule and bi-annual struggles with financial aid, I would love to go back for even a couple of days for a few of those key collegiate experiences, and even fill in the gaps with the ones I missed.

The beauty of the college experience is that it can be incredibly unifying. We’ve all had to scrape enough quarters together to wash a pair of jeans and probably even slept on a mysterious couch to ensure a safe arrival home the next day. And every school has their own set of unique traditions, like riding the Sooner Schooner at an OU football game, jumping in Mirror Lake at Ohio State, participating in CalTech‘s ditch day, or unleashing Northwestern‘s “the scream” on the Sunday morning before finals. You should take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way – no matter how ridiculous it may seem at the time.

Whether a freshman, sophomore, or fifth-year senior, we want you to have a classic college experience, and so we’ve put together our picks for a college student bucket list. You’ve got (at least) four years to accomplish the items on here, but you’ve got your entire life to conjure up the incredible memories that each item will no doubt deliver.

1. Live in the dorms.

2. Take a nap in the “quad”.

3. Order a pizza and eat the whole thing.

4. Stay up all night cramming for an exam.

5. Become friends with one professor. Read the rest of this entry »

With summer approaching, young people across the country will begin preparing for fun in the sun. While some focus on obtaining a “beach ready” body, many young men and women desire to have a sun-kissed complexion. Going to tanning salons for a quick UV fix is not uncommon, but holds serious health risks that most young people brush off.

Surveys have concluded that while young people are aware of the risks of tanning, the desire to have a tan outweighs the known dangers. In a study done by the American Academy of Dermatology, 92 percent of those surveyed said they knew how dangerous tanning was, but 65 percent admitted they still feel better when they have a tan. With skin cancer being the most prevalent form of cancer among Americans, the risks are not a joke and many states are passing tanning related legislation to force teen skin safety.

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Let’s face it. As college students, we never get breaks. A lot of us have to use Spring Break as a time to get caught up on the tasks that are impossible to complete when school is in session.

If you know you’ll want to get your to-dos out of the way, check out ways you can make your Spring Break even more productive.

Make a list: Start by jotting down your most important honey-dos. Think about all those errands you’ve been wanting to take care of. Maybe you need to get your oil changed, or maybe you haven’t had time to file your tax return. Whatever your to-do list consists of, you’ll feel better knowing that you took care of those tasks before going back to school.

Make appointments: Whether it be your dentist, auto mechanic or hairstylist, start making appointments with them now so you can knock them out during your Spring Break. Some doctors’ offices might already be booked up for the week. See if you can get referrals to other doctors that have open slots.

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If you’re afraid of falling asleep at the wheel during your Spring Break road trip, then I’ve got the perfect solution. Find some songs to keep you peppy while your friends are dozing off in the back seat. Whether you’re headed to Vegas or Mt. Rushmore, listening to those songs that either you or your parents rocked out to in high school will make that crammed car ride more bearable.

To get you started, check out this list of songs to add to your road-trip playlist:

Highway to Hell- AC/DC

Take the Money and Run- Steve Miller Band

Life in the Fast Lane- The Eagles

Drive My Car- The Beatles

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Skin disorders and diseases are a very real threat, exacerbated by prolonged periods of time in the sun. Skin care is often far from the minds of spring breakers but let’s face it, melanoma is not a souvenir that you want to bring back from Cancun. Save yourself the grief (AKA wrinkles, age spots and cancer!) and take a few of my favorite sunny-time skin care tips:

• The sun’s rays are at their peak between the hours of 10:00 and 4:00. There’s no need to become a self-proclaimed vampire, but try to avoid direct exposure to the sun during this time.

• If you must be outside during peak hours then be sure to protect your skin. Wear a high quality sunblock, reapply it as needed and don’t neglect any part of your body that’s exposed. I often use a lower SPF on my face to avoid that greasy feeling but it means I must remind myself to reapply it more often. I like to use tinted moisturizer with SPF. It eliminates the need for foundation which gets messed up every time you reapply your sunblock anyways. Hats, loose clothing, and sitting in the shade can help but they don’t completely block the sun rays from your skin.

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Beach towel? Check. Flip flops? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Swimsuit? If you still haven’t picked out a swimsuit for your Spring Break vacation, read this list of the hottest swimsuit trends before you decide to buy one.

Animal prints: Whether zebra or leopard, animal prints are one of the hottest trends. If you don’t want to go too bold, pick a bikini that has a solid color on top or bottom.

Polka dots: Flirty and sweet, you can’t go wrong with polka dots. Once again, if you’re afraid of wearing too much print at once, mix-and-match with a solid color.

Tropical prints: Feel exotic even when you’re at the neighborhood pool with these vibrantly-printed swimsuits. Tropical prints are not uncommon for beachwear. To make your own statement, pair your tropical bikini top with striped bottoms.

Retro one-pieces: One-pieces are wardrobe-malfunction-free, and they’re super-hot this year. Have fun with bright floral prints or tone it down with a more simple print or solid color.

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Spring break trips can go from fun and relaxing to disastrous and stressful in an instant. Losing your wallet or spending all morning hung-over can really destroy your trip.

Before you pack your bags for sunny Cancun or glitzy Las Vegas, read these tips on how to avoid common mistakes that come with Spring Break vacations.

Sunburns: Everyone wants to have a glowing tan when they come back from Spring Break, but sun blisters and peeling skin can ruin your holiday. Skip the sun lotion and slather on some sun block that has an SPF of no less than 30. Be sure to read the directions and re-apply as needed.

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Spring Break is almost here! However, if you are like me, your semester has been way too busy to plan ahead and make reservations at your favorite Caribbean island for the week. Also, let’s face it, we are college students and that might be a little too steep for our budgets.

So, what are we to do for a fun Spring Break? Two words: road trip! Road trips are a great option for Spring Break because they can be done quite cheaply (four friends splitting a Motel 6 and gas money does not add up too quickly), you get to spend a lot of time with the people you are with (so make sure you like them), and you can see a lot of the country that you might not have seen before (this land is your land, so get familiar with it).

Now that you have decided to go on a road trip for Spring Break, it’s time to decide where to go. Here are the top five road trip destinations for college students:

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Just like with colleges, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to selecting the right diet that meet your weight loss goals. For college students, choosing a diet depends on a variety of factors including financial and practicality.

Perhaps you’ve put on the Freshman 15 or perhaps you need to start thinking about your New Year’s resolution, but no matter what your motivation for dieting, here are three of the best diets for college students.

Weight Watchers Online: This famous weight loss program has a plan for everyone, including college students. While most of the Weight Watchers programs require that you attend weekly support group meetings and have weigh-ins, the beauty about the Weight Watchers Online plan is that everything is done – you guessed it, online.

How it works

As a Weight Watchers member, you receive a set number of Weight Watchers POINTS you must follow in order to meet your weight loss goals. Foods with lesser POINT values are low in calorie and healthier for you while foods that pack a calorie punch will be assigned a higher POINTS value. No foods are off limits with Weight Watchers, giving high marks on its practicality ranking. You can log in to a secure online account and access all of the education still found in meetings. It won’t interfere with your already crammed schedule and it gives you all the tools that Weight Watchers offers such as support, recipes, menu planners and much more.

Cost

As a Weight Watchers member, you pay a monthly fee. The weight loss giant often features online coupons or discounts.

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Traveling is a great way to learn about the world around you. Unfortunately, it’s also usually pretty expensive as well. Unless you are booking your trip with STA Travel.

STA Travel is a travel agency that has been helping students travel around the world for 30 years. STA Travel offers more than just basic travel information; STA has everything you need to plan your student-budget-friendly vacation, including flights, tours, hotels and hostels, and information concerning how to get around when you are abroad.

In addition to everything you need to actually travel, STA offers other valuable products and services. For example, if you want to plan a side adventure during your vacation, STA can organize everything you need so that you do not have to. When I was in Europe, I tried to organize a side trip to Barcelona, Spain, and failed miserably because I just did not have enough information. If I had traveled through STA, I am sure they could have made it a much easier process. Read the rest of this entry »