Candy

You can also fill them with Ecstasy. Or Tylenol PM. Or Saltines.

Candy is a pretty safe, cheap, and generic choice for gifting because who the fuck doesn’t like candy? Whether it’s a King Size Hershey bar, a box of those quasi-romantic Russell Stover chocolates, or a Pez dispenser featuring Snoopy in a Santa hat (which I have gotten from a friend and it was awesome), it’s hard to go wrong with something sweet and tasty that will undoubtedly make your friends feel fat.

Alcohol

If you and your friends do drink, you can never go wrong with Alcohol™, the gift that keeps on giving. Actually, it only gives for one night until you have to buy more, but that’s a moot point. Either way, a bottle of alcohol is sure be useful for at least one evening (or hour) of drunken college debauchery.

If you’re buying for a few of your friends, don’t concern yourself with buying the largest, most expensive bottles you can find. Most liquor stores will have miniature bottles behind the counter that you can pick and choose if purchasing a handle is too expensive (or if you’re just indecisive). You can also buy your friends six-packs of their favorite beer at your local grocery store.

And if their favorite beer is Bud Light, then stop hanging out with them immediately.

If you’re not 21, buying alcohol may be can be problematic depending on the reliability of your cool senior-friend-that-has-a-car or your fake I.D. from Bumbletwat, Indiana, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give this sort of gift in spirit. Your friends are probably always in need of Solo cups, ping-pong balls, and decks of cards, so even if you can’t get your friends completely sloshed as a token of your appreciation, you can at least remind them of it.

Holiday-Themed Gifts

Besides being a time of giving and love and all of that crap, Christmas is also a time for holiday parties and ugly sweaters. If you’re struggling to find something practical, you can always go for something that upholds the Christmas spirit whilst remaining almost completely useless. This can be anything from a one dollar beaded necklace with little reindeer on it or something almost useful like some cheap, plastic shot glasses decorated with drunk Santas on sale at your local Target.

Now on sale! Buy 7 copies of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” for $3.99!

DVDs

I’m a big fan of giving my roommates and closest friends DVDs of our favorite movies and TV shows. And before you ask, yes, this is usually done selfishly because if I buy my friend an awesome movie, maybe I’ll be able to watch it anytime I want! So maybe DVDs aren’t the cheapest gifts (unless you’re buying from the ‘$5 and under’ bin at Walmart), but they make a practical, long-term investment for both you and your buddies.

You can, of course, buy these as gifts for people with no intention of ever borrowing them, but where’s the fun in that? Who do you think you are, Mother Teresa? Neil Patrick Harris*?! BING CROSBY?!?!?

Condoms

While there’s a chance your school gives out free condoms from your student health center, there’s also a good chance that those condoms expired in 2007 and have less lubricant than your cafeteria’s sorry excuse for chicken burgers.

Unless your friends have either chosen to remain a virgin, use alternative forms of birth control whilst in a long-term relationship, or suffer from crippling anxiety disorders that will only worsen with this bold reminder that they’re not getting laid, then gifting condoms are always a safe choice (pun definitely intended). Buy a box and stick a bow on it. Now it’s fancy. You’re welcome.

*I don’t know about you, but Neil Patrick Harris just seems like a really upstanding guy. Now that I’ve said that, I really hope some scandal doesn’t break through in the weeks leading up to Christmas because I don’t want to have to take that statement back.

“Happy Holidays to all and I am awesome.” – Neil Patrick Harris (probably)

The post The Best Christmas Gifts to Get Your College Friends appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Things to Consider:

“Question #1: Was Napoleon a huge bitch? Please explain.”

What kind of class are you in?

There is a big difference between studying for a chemistry exam and studying for a history exam. Some subjects, such as mathematics and the sciences, are looking for specific answers to questions while other subjects, such as political science and sociology, are looking for an explanation of principles.

Classes that focus explicitly on problem-solving may not be beneficial for study groups because the process is not as easy to solve verbally within a group, which is what study groups mostly do. Nevertheless, if you genuinely believe that group work will be beneficial for you, then there’s a good chance it will be.

What is the format of the test you’re taking?

Is your test a multiple choice test ala high school exams or your most recent psych evaluation? Or is it primarily essays? Multiple choice questions will likely involve your group strategizing the easiest way to memorize facts while essay questions suggest a group in which an open discussion of the material will be most helpful.

What’s the group dynamic of your class?

Do you get along with the other students? Chances are, if you secretly daydream that you’re punching every single classmate in the face, there’s a good chance your study group might not go over so well. If you are friends with at least a couple of other students, then a study group may be helpful. However, be careful if you’re too close with the students in the class; if everyone is best friends, there’s a great chance distractions will be plentiful.

Will anyone even show up?

There’s a big difference between a study group with just two students, a study group with five students, and a study group with twenty students. I’ve found that study groups with between four and ten students are the most helpful; too many students leads to isolated conversations that feels like class itself while too few students can make it difficult to keep on track.

Studying Tips

Look at all this learning happening!

Take advantage of the room.

When you pick a room, try to find one with a ton of space to write, such as a room lined with chalkboards or whiteboards (whiteboards are preferable, if you can find a room, because it’s much easier to read). Use them to take notes that everyone can copy down or type up (or take a picture of on their iPhones) so that everyone can have the same information for the test.

Distractions are inevitable, so turn them into something useful.

There’s always going to be a point where the conversation takes a turn towards something completely unrelated (i.e.: “Did anyone watch last week’s Homeland?” or “Has anyone else tried Quaaludes?”), and while these distractions can be a welcome break after many hours of cramming information into your skull, it’s important to make sure things get back on track. Don’t be afraid to steer the conversation back towards the topic at hand.

Find dumb ways to remember things.

While everyone has tricks to help them remember important items for class, it can be helpful to come up with new hints and tricks to memorize details that work for everyone. Sometimes, dumb analogies and segues between test material and side conversations can help you remember facts, and if everyone’s on the same track and using the same tricks, it may keep you from struggling during your test.

Finally…

Study groups can be a bit of a gamble; one the one hand, you can have a better shot of understanding the material for your test, but on the other, if your study group doesn’t work out, you may have wasted precious time that you could have spent studying by yourself. Ultimately, I’ve found that study groups can be helpful and a lot of fun just as long as you try to eliminate distracting side conversation and keep on track of what you need to learn.

The post How To Make Sure Your Study Group Isn’t A Complete Waste Of Time appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Sociology and/or Women’s Studies Classes

These classes are great because most sociology and women’s studies classes are discussion-based and not solely fact-heavy. These classes can provide an interesting, new perspective on how to analyze the world around you by asking why and how things are they way they are instead of just screaming “It is what it is – now deal with it!” (like your parents used to scream to you whenever you weren’t permitted to eat cookies for dinner).

These courses are also cool because your studies can easily be put to the test by simply paying attention to your surrounding environment. Did that girl just flash a bartender to get a free beer? Looks like the over-sexualization of the female body gives into the patriarchy once again…or an audition for Girls Gone Wild – I’m not sure which.

Government/Political Science Classes

It probably would have been more interesting to take a government course during this past semester due to the election season. Nevertheless, taking a government course next semester could still be really interesting, especially if the class intends to go into the specifics of current policies and how our president hopes to revise them. Even if you’re not particularly interested in politics (I know I’m not), it’s always helpful to have some idea of what’s going on in the world around you, and government classes can be incredibly exciting during these trying times. It will also make you feel like less of a dumbass when someone brings up politics at a party and you actually have something to say in response other than, “Barack Obama? My grandmother says he’s the Muslim one, right?”

“Does your grandmother watch a lot of Fox News?”

Art Class (in some form)

Whether it’s visual arts, film studies, music, or performance arts, taking an art class could be a really great way to branch out and learn to assess things around you from a different perspective. But be warned: many students go into the assumption that taking an art class will be “easy.” Just because art classes have a different way of evaluating success does not mean that these classes are any less difficult. So maybe you won’t have very many sit-down tests, but I can tell you that having to memorize a monologue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream is definitely a more time-consuming process. You should really only try to take an art class if you’re willing to commit to your professor’s vision of artistic success.

Niche-Specific Classes

“In MARKETING 207: The Rise and Fall of Lindsay Lohan, we will discuss how personal choices affect the stability of your career opportunities…”

These types of classes may not be within a specific subset of a major or minor, so they may be a bit more difficult to find. For instance, one class at my school was a discussion-based English class that analyzed the literary and artistic qualities of graphic novels; another government class that my friend took resulted in him writing a fifty-page paper on how the monsters and bad guys in horror films represent American fears during different political eras (i.e.: McCarthyism in the 1950s, post-9/11 terrorist fears in the 2000s). These classes tend to be very specifically inclined towards a particular subject, but if you can find a course that focuses on a subject you’re especially interested in, they can be fascinating to take.

Writing/Presentation-Intensive Classes

Two of the most important skills you will learn in college are writing and public speaking, so it can be incredibly useful to take part in at least one class that will either require you to write a bunch of essays over the course of the semester (and actually grade you on your writing quality alongside your ideas) or require you to make a bunch of public, class presentations. These classes will likely contain very heavy workloads, but they will be worth it in the long run – trust me, learning how to speak and write eloquently is crucial for finding a job after you graduate. After all, who would employers rather hire – the one who speaks eloquently and can write a decent cover letter, or the one who avoids eye contact while talking about that chemistry class where he accidentally made crystal meth?

Class with the craziest professor on your campus

This guy.

Every college campus has at least one professor who is notorious for being a crazy motherfucker whom students either completely love or completely hate. It’s definitely worth seeking these professors out and taking a class with them, regardless of their area of expertise because there is a very good chance that they will change your life.

The post The 6 Classes You Should Take in College appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Alright. It’s time we got into a serious discussion about one of the most taboo topics on college campuses: sexual assault. This discussion comes in the wake of the recent (and justified) uproar over last week’s article printed in The Amherst Student, Amherst College’s student-run newspaper, in which rape survivor Angie Epifano discussed her horrifying experience and the atrocious way in which Amherst’s administration responded to the assault. It can be read here. It has also been reprinted here at In the ‘Cac after the Amherst site crashed due to the large number of hits the article received. For those that have not read the account, I highly recommend reading it in its entirety, although be warned, it is NSFW for those who are highly sensitive to the issues described.

It would be too easy to respond to this case by describing it as an isolated incident, but college students can only live in ignorance of these issues for so long. Sexual assault is very real and unfortunately, quite rampant across college campuses; statistically, one in four women are raped by graduation; the number of adult men who are sexually assaulted is a number significantly harder to track. But I do not intend to spew statistics in your face. The fact remains that sexual assault is a major issue on college campuses and that this needs to come to an end right now.

Angie’s story is not only common due to the frequent nature of assaults, but the Administration’s response is also fairly standard. After all, what school wants to advertise themselves as a site for wanton rape and misogyny? Apparently, rape survivors are easier to sweep under the rug than the tarnished image on college brochures.

Either way, no matter the consequences of sexual assault on college campuses, it must be a combined effort between the Administration and students to change the rhetoric in which sexual assault exists.

Stop Calling Rape A “Women’s” Issue

A common fault of many nay-sayers, including the Amherst Administration and staunchly conservative Republican candidates, is treating sexual assault as if it is a problem reserved only for women. There are a few things wrong with this: 1) calling rape a “women’s” problem implies that it is a trifle that only women can find important because women are oh so silly, (as in, “Hey, I ran out of lipstick! This is a women’s problem!” or “Does anyone have any tampons I can use?”) 2) it completely ignores men who are victims of sexual assault, and 3) most importantly, it provides men with an excuse to not take sexual assault seriously.

In regard to my third point, it’s crucial that we stop naming sexual assault a pesky women’s problem and instead recognize it as a human problem. There is no denying that most sexual assault victims are women and the vast majority of offenders are male. That undeniable truth does not suggest a women’s problem if men are primarily the guilty party.

However, the mistake people make is taking the unfortunate reality of these statistics and turning it into a male vs. female fight. The worst thing we can do to combat sexual assault is to isolate men from women and play the blame game. If there is any hope for an end to sexual assault, it is up to both men and women to unite and address the issue as fellow human beings.

End Slut Shaming

I don’t mean to extend my quota for making Mean Girls references for the second time this week, but Tina Fey has a great line near the end of the movie: “You all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores.”

Slut shaming goes hand in hand with sexual assault because it suggests disgrace and disdain for female sexuality. Of course, slut shaming could hardly exist without the double standard in which it’s totally socially acceptable for guys to sleep around, but if a girl does it, she must be some sort of prostitute or something, or maybe her parents just didn’t raise her right. What a terrible person!

I’m sure we’re all familiar with this sexual double standard, but despite its relentless beating into our brains, we still take part in it and endorse it. We very rarely ask ourselves, what makes certain women sluts? Why do we call people that? Is it how many people they sleep with? How often they have sex? If they have one or more one-night stands? If they lack self-respect? If they have sex for the “wrong” reasons? Can a man be slut?

We don’t try to define what “slut” means because in the end, there is no meaning whatsoever: it’s a word thrown around by men and women alike that has absolutely no validity in defining human beings, no matter who they are or what they do.

Slut shaming goes hand-in-hand with sexual assault because of the very personal nature of these attacks; one of the major reasons most rapes go unreported is the fear and shame that goes along with the feeling of sexual victimization. And this does not come from just student rhetoric: the Administration’s response to Angie’s attack is very much institutional slut shaming, given that they provided no helpful response or support for her case.

When it comes down to it, slut shaming is just another excuse to marginalize sexual assault survivors and attempt to sweep these issues under the rug. This is completely unacceptable.

We Must Learn To Communicate

Ultimately, we must learn to honestly and effectively communicate issues related to gender inequality and sexual assault. Ignoring a problem simply doesn’t make it go away; on the contrary, problems grow cancerously until it encapsulates and corrupts our campus culture. Continuing to ignore, beat down, and blame the victim in cases of sexual assault doesn’t do anybody any favors. Yes, this is a highly sensitive issue due to the personal nature of these attacks and the implications of our larger society, namely, that it’s not a big deal. This is incorrect. Sexual assault is a big deal, and if we’re going to effectively end it, we must face it head on.

The post An Appeal to End Sexual Assault on College Campuses appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Sexy Costume

Since this section is pretty much begging for a Mean Girls reference, here it is: “Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Since Halloween is apparently a judgment-free zone, these costumes come in one of two forms: either a ridiculously over-the-top stylized anything, or an everyday, revealing outfit with the addition of cat ears, devil horns, or Playboy Bunny ears for the less subtle.

Of course, this can only really be pulled off if on Halloween you happen to look better than you would on any other weekend night because otherwise, what’s the point? Interestingly enough, actual nudity probably comes off as less sexual as the revealing outfits solely for the sake of irony. I suppose the lesson to be learned here is that Halloween is a really weird holiday for people that pay attention to gender politics.

“Me? I’m dressed as a smug asshole for Halloween. Now get out of my frat house.”

Non-Costume

Similar to the “sexy” costumes, non-costumes are the fairly self-explanatory throwaway look for guys who are either too lazy to think up a clever costume idea or think that nonchalance is more attractive than committing to a look. Like the girls’ sexy costumes, these are what you’ll find in people who either think appearance is the most important part of Halloween, or for the two hipsters that genuinely don’t care about the holiday. Also apparently Jehovah’s Witnesses. (I learned they don’t celebrate Halloween when I tried to trick-or-treat at my neighbors house at the tender age of 5 and was deeply offended when they weren’t moved by incredibly detailed imitation of a begging puppy.) But such is life.

Inside Joke Costume

These pieces are often a staple of college campuses due to the shared community values and experiences. On Halloween, it’s totally appropriate to dress up as your college president or as a member of an a capella group and it’s not considered to be in poor taste. These inside joke costumes are generally independent to your campus, but either way, it’ll definitely be a great conversation starter, although if you dare to dress as a member of Campus Safety, you might have some explaining to do when you’re caught stealing carved pumpkins from your locked dining hall at midnight.

Funny Costume

Similar to ironic costumes, topical and funny costumes tend to require some explanation, but they’re generally more amusing and accessible to the general public, or at the very least, the cute girl dressed as a sexy dinosaur that asks what you’re wearing. These costumes either tend to be funny because they’re a clever play on words (i.e.: “I’m a bumblebee ghost, otherwise known as a boo-bee!”), something topical (i.e.: “I’m a binder full of women!”) or something creative and fun without being too weird (i.e.: “We’re the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia!”).

I like to think that Mrs. White was too busy murdering Mr. Boddy to be present for this photo.

Sometimes, these costumes can be cheesy or just plain silly, but this is probably the one situation in which you can get away with using a ridiculous pick-up line related to your costume and actually have it work on some eager co-ed. That is, unless you’re dressed as Mr. Krabs.

Ironic Costume

“Hey, that’s a great idea! I should dress as Invisible Barack Obama by not going out at all and ignoring all my friends when they talk to me.”

You’ll see these costumes on those hipster or creative types, or at the very least, people who think they’re being creative when they actually stole the idea from a fake celebrity Twitter account. These can be amusing costumes, although they often require some explanation first (i.e.: “I’m dressed as Tony Shaloub circa 1998!”).

These have the intended effect of topical or funny getups with the added bonus of nobody really understanding it. But that’s okay because Halloween is the one night a year when a person can dress like a total douchebag and no one else can say anything about it. Does that quote apply here?

Classic Costume

Nah, just kidding. Nobody dresses up in “normal” costumes in college. Good luck getting laid while dressed up like a pumpkin.

The post The 6 Types of Halloween Costumes You’ll See on Campus appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Being in the friend zone can be a tough situation – if you tell your friend how you feel, you could risk ruining a great friendship, but if you don’t say anything, how will you know for sure that you’re not missing out? But when it comes down to it, being “stuck” as friends really isn’t such a bad thing for college students.

Friendships Last Longer Than Crushes

College represents the transitional period between childhood and adulthood and as a result, many of the friends you make in college are the people that you remain close with for the rest of your life. Not so sound like a cheesy, straight-to-DVD kids’ movie, but crushes are only fleeting while great friendships can last forever.

Because college is the time to establish such close bonds with your friends (spending 24/7 with the same people without wanting to kill them might have something to do with that), college friendships are typically stronger and deeper than many college relationships, especially because of the strong emphasis on campus hook-up culture as opposed to dating.

In this way, being “just friends” with your crush may end up better for you in the long run because “just friends” has a stronger meaning attached to it.

Everyone Can Relate To Being In The Friend Zone

This may be generalizing a bit, but nearly everyone you know has probably been in this situation at least once in their lives and can probably agree that it’s no fun. After all, friendship is a crucial part of successful romantic relationships, and when that’s combined with attraction and chemistry, it’s perfectly natural to want to be more than friends.

While being in the friend zone can be a frustrating, isolating feeling, always remember that you’re not alone. We’ve all been there, we can empathize, and we can try to make you feel better about the situation, most likely by taking you to a bar and pointing out how attractive those rugby players look now that you’re drunk.

Or, if your friends are terrible people, you’ll be force-fed My Best Friend’s Wedding on repeat and cringe at the downer ending. (Spoiler alert: Everyone dies of scurvy.)

When it comes down to it, every relationship is different. However, you do have your other friends to share their own experiences and provide perspective on how your situation can potentially play out. While telling other people about how you feel about your crush can seem a bit imposing, you’ll probably be grateful you did.

They just probably won’t be able to give you any practical advice on what to do, and that’s because…

…There’s No Easy Way Out

When it comes to the friend zone, there’s really no “right” way to go about dealing with the situation. Part of the reason why the friend zone is such a frustrating place to be is that you feel like there’s too much at stake. You can either bury your feelings and deal with being just friends, or you can risk telling your ‘friend’ how you feel and potentially ruin what you already have. This is the main reason it’s seen in such a negative light: you probably feel as nothing good can come from what’s going on simply because there are no straightforward solutions to your dilemma.

Of course, this assumption is purely psychological – if you treat the friend zone as if it’s a problem with no solution, then it’s going to be just that. Your attitude about your relationship with your ‘friend’ is more important than trying to figure out you can do about it. Chances are, being friends with your crush is better than not being friends with them at all, and that’s definitely something to be positive about instead of upset.

The point is, college doesn’t have to be the time for you to get all worked up about that one relationship that may or may not work out. You can save that for when you’re thirty-two.

The post Why It’s Okay to Be in the Friend Zone appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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 Tell Your Friends Your Parents Are Coming

“Mom, Dad, I want to introduce you to the assholes who are going to be the biggest influence on my actions for the next four years.”

It’s good to let your friends know when your parents are visiting because, unless your friends are characters directly out of a scene from Animal House, you’ll probably want your parents to meet them. Seeing as you’ll spend the next four years of your life seeing your college friends more often than you see your parents anyway, it’ll be good for them to become familiar with the deviants who will slowly corrupt you.

As for significant others, only introduce them to your parents if it’s serious – nothing is more awkward than having to introduce last week’s three-night-stand to Mom and Dad.

Clean Your Room (Obviously!)

This one is pretty obvious, but there’s nothing that’ll make you think of your parents quite like incessantly repeating what you already know, right?

Give Your Parents A Campus Tour

“And this is the lawn where we had a naked disco last night. As you pass, please step over the sleeping college students.”

Even if your parents have visited campus before (such as when you first visited your school or during move-in day), it’s sometimes good to give them a more in-depth tour than what campus tour guides have done. You can provide more specific details about aspects of campus that are relevant to you, like your classrooms or your favorite study space or the elevator you got stuck in for two hours when you were hungover on a Sunday morning.

Get Your Work Done In Advance

Your parents will expect you to entertain them 24/7 when they’re visiting, so try to get your schoolwork done in advance so that you’re not super backed up on Sunday afternoon after they leave. We all know that trying to get started on a ten-page paper just isn’t going to happen when your mother starts nagging you about whether she should friend your freshman roommate on Facebook. If you can, try to get as much work as you can in the week before their arrival.

 Find Things To Do With Your Family On Campus

In lieu of having to entertain your parents, look up in advance what events are going on during the weekend of their visit. Most schools will have various sports games, theater/dance performances, or concerts happening over the course of the weekend and it’ll probably be beneficial for you to find something to do with them instead of simply sitting in your tiny dorm room and chatting about your classes for seven hours straight.

Now that they’re gone, back to the important stuff.

Also, don’t worry about not being able to go out with your friends on Friday and Saturday night – chances are, your parents won’t want to stay on campus past ten p.m., so you can get properly obliterated after they leave. Just be prepared to explain why you’d rather not meet them at 8 a.m. for breakfast the next morning.

Pick a Restaurant

One of the best parts of having your parents visit is the free meal. Scope out good restaurants in advance and make a reservation somewhere so that you’re not clambering at the last minute for some better-than-terrible food.

It’s also good to take advantage of your parents’ arrival by going food shopping. Hopefully, your month at college has taught you the art of bullshitting to the point where you can easily convince your mom that you absolutely need to get those Double Stuf Oreos.

Try to find a place to eat that’s slightly better than this.

The post How To Survive Your Parents Visiting You At College appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Nevertheless, if you look anywhere on the Internet or TV sitcoms or Cosmo, you’re bound to run into some article making the same, tired comments about how women are so different than men because women are complicated and have feelings while guys like orgasms and football and basking in the smell of their own feet.

Men Are From Mars…

There isn’t even a picture of a UFO on the cover? Looks lame.

Okay, cool. We get it. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, or whatever that book is called that seems to think humans are an alien species or something (I’ve never read it, but it’s a sci-fi book, right?).

Whether or not we want to pretend guys and girls are of different species, when it comes down to it, we’re all human. The supposed gender-based differences between men and women tend not to be gigantic, major differences in the way we think and act, but actually the smaller details.

Here’s an example: a girl walks into the living room on a Sunday afternoon and sees her boyfriend slumped on the couch watching the Giants game surrounded by empty beer bottles and a bag of chips, leading her to think, “Oh, this is such a guy thing.” Then, later on in the evening, she retires to bed with a glass or two of wine while watching Law and Order: SVU reruns, only for her boyfriend to walk in and think, “Wow, this is such a girl thing.”

When it comes to guys and girls, our actions are mostly the same, but it’s the little details that make them different. Drinking wine at night while watching SVU? That’s, like, soooo girly. Doing the exact same thing, but replacing the wine with beer and Mariska Hargitary with Eli Manning? Attack of the man cave.

All That Is Kind of Bullshit:

Despite what the Internet and the magazine with Lady Gaga on the cover tries to tell you, guys and gals are more similar than we like to pretend to be. College tends to be the place where we realize this because men and women cohabitate in gender-neutral dorms and experience major independence from parents simultaneously, leading everyone to evolve as humans beings in a short span of time. However, due to this notion that men and women are different, which is ingrained in our minds from the get-go, we take these miniscule differences between men and women and blow them out of proportion.

I can’t tell whether a guy or girl made this comic. Either way, it’s not particularly funny.

So what’s the deal with minor gender differences taking over our perceptions of the opposite sex? Even if you’re a guy who lives next door to a bunch of girls and know firsthand that they’re more into fantasy baseball than you are, or a girl who lives with a bunch of guys who regularly clean their kitchen, we still buy into the crap that bad humorists like to throw at us. “Look at how funny I am because I’m pointing out how different men and women are from one another!” And for some reason, we still think, “Huh, oh yeah! My roommate’s girlfriend once scowled when she saw we were playing FIFA. What a bitch!”

In general, people like to use gender as a validation for acting the way they do, and these perceptions of gender become a self-fulfilling prophecy that make these perceived differences more prominent. If guys perceive girls as a species that knows nothing about sports or video games, then any time a girl’s comments validate this long-standing belief, it rings true to the guy who hears it. At the same time, the very same guy can interact with a girl who’s totally into football, but instead of thinking that girls can be into the same activities as guys, he might think, “Wow, she’s kind of manly.”

Look for Similarities:

When it comes down to it, people are different from one another on an individual level. So whether you’re settling down to watch Sex and the City or Family Guy, you’re still choosing to unwind in the same way; meanwhile, it’s quick to judge guys and girls who partake in activities and interests that are not inherently connected to their gender; instead of treating males and females as if we’re all the same, being a guy who likes Grey’s Anatomy or a girl who’s into Call of Duty becomes an anomaly instead of a representation of human interests.

Yes, that’s a PSone controller. Moving on.

The moral of the story is, don’t be too quick to judge guys or girls by their gender because guys and girls are more similar than you would think…I mean, unless they’re totally weird, or something. Then you should totally judge them.

The post Guys Vs. Girls: Why Gender Differences Aren’t Such a Big Deal appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Whether or not you choose a life of hook-ups, relationships, or nothing at all, college is the perfect place and time of your life to satisfy all of your relationship needs…and if those needs aren’t satisfied, there’s always your right hand.

The Hook-Up Culture

Hooking up is a rampant part of the college lifestyle, and if you’re the type of person who is more than content with short-term, sexual relationships, there is no shortage of potential.

On the one hand, college hook-ups can be great because they provide a frequent opportunity to meet new people and have fun. As long as you’re comfortable with such short-term arrangements, hooking up can provide all the fun of sexual relationships without the necessary commitments.

“There’s room for us to do it on that cushion, is that okay?”

However, hooking up does have its downside. For starters, a successful hook-up is never a guarantee – you not only have to find someone you’re attracted to, but they also have to want to hook up with you as well. There is a lot of potential for rejection during those hours spent smoothly laying down the groundwork, and all of that perfectly-timed flirtation seems kind of pathetic if it doesn’t lead to sloppy sex on your futon.

There is also the potential of ensuing awkwardness. Sure, many people have no problem interacting with former hookups in a public setting, but others are less willing to play catch-up with someone they vaguely remember seeing naked once. Also, there can be negative social stigma attached to people who hook up with many others despite the fact that it’s 2012, very easy to purchase condoms, and who gives a shit?

Bottom line is: hook-ups are great as long as you’re one hundred percent comfortable with doing it. If you’re more of a monogamous type, then one-night stands probably aren’t for you.

Relationships R’Us

Relationships can be awesome, terrifying, or both. Despite the fact that relationships are a mutual agreement between two people, the desire for relationships is purely individual – some people are ready for long-term commitments when they’re in high school while others won’t feel the need to settle down until they’re much older (we’re looking at you, Matthew McConaughey).

The great thing about college relationships is that, if you’re ready for it and can manage to find the right person, there’s a really good chance that you can make it all the way to the end. College is great for meeting someone special because never again will you be able to meet cute guys or girls in scenarios that guarantee you have something in common with them, such as a shared class. And simply choosing the same college is proof enough that you have to have something in common, right?

Well, they mostly can’t fight back.

Statistically, college relationships tend to be more successful than high school relationships if you find the right person: at my college, for example, the marriage retention rate for graduating couples is something like 50%, which basically means that half of the people who graduate in relationships with one another will wind up together in the long run. That statistic is also crazy high and probably inflated, but I’m not one to argue with numbers since they can’t fight back.

And of course, we can’t forget one of the best perks of college relationships: lots of sex! All the time! Anywhere and everywhere! THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!

Of course, relationships are also a commitment: you need to be emotionally available and willing to only be with one person while you’re involved. These types of relationships certainly require more responsibility, so it’s better to only make this sort of commitment if you know you’re ready for it so that nobody gets hurt.

LDRs: The Worst of Both Worlds?

I don’t want to knock high school relationships – some people are super lucky in that they’ve found the person they want to spend the rest of their life with when they’re fifteen. Of course, most of those people are characters in TV sitcoms, but who’s counting?

To be honest, I’m not a huge supporter of the Long Distance Relationship in college. Sure, some people make it work, but of the hundreds of couples I’ve known throughout high school and college that attempted the LDR, only one of those couples made it. One. Out of several hundred. Happy college! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

“I’m-a go hunt me a new boyfriend.”

Breaking off your high school relationship when you’re in college is not just about being single and hooking up with other people for the sake of having different experiences (although, that too is pretty important in the long run). The point is, college is that time of your life where you can finally break free of high school’s restraints (parents, retentive immaturity, Laguna Beach-esque drama) by learning how to become a human in your own right. Leaning so heavily on high school relationships is unhealthy because it keeps you in that high school mindset and can prevent you from growing and evolving as a person.

This is especially difficult if your significant other is also in college. If you both go away to school, you may find that you are both gradually growing up to be very different people. This is not so much a testament to how college changes who you are, but how college gives you the chance to discover new things about yourself that you may not have gotten the chance to find out in high school. Meanwhile, if your significant other is still in high school or is attending college locally, you may find yourself maturing past that high school state of mind while your boy or girl back home stays exactly the same.

When it comes to LDRs, if you’re okay with sacrificing your personal growth for a relationship, then go for it. But it’s a huge mistake to think that you’ve stopped growing as a person once you graduate high school. Again, it’s not impossible to make it work, but it’s better for you in the long run to end things, or, at the very least, to take a break so that you don’t jump into the college experience with limitations on what (and who) you do.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many of my parents’ friends divorce in their forties because they had thought they found their love in a high school relationship. Fast forward twenty years, and they now look back on their twenties wishing they had done it differently. Even if your high school sweetheart is the love of your life and you want to be with them, it’s still better to give yourself the chance to be single for a little while, even if it’s just so that you don’t look back on the best years of your life as a waste of your youth. Freeing yourself from an LDR while you’re young can ultimately help save you a lot of heartbreak (and money for divorce attorneys) in the long run.

Celibacy!

If you’re not having much luck in finding someone to shack up with, whether it’s a short-term feat or a long-term relationship, don’t worry! There’s always celibacy!

Choosing to be single and sex-free can be great because once you put sex out of your mind, you can focus more clearly on the things that are important: spending time with your best friends, bettering your academic record, and perfecting your bounce shot in Beer Pong.

It doesn’t have to be a long-term thing either – say, for one night, you decide, “I’m not in the mood to try to hook up with someone.” Knowing this, there is less pressure to try to meet people and you can just kick back and enjoy an evening with your friends without having to deal with the pressure of bringing someone back to your tiny dorm room. Then, maybe, you decide the next night that you want to go back to hook-ups, and that’s totally fine too.

I was going to end this article with a joke about masturbation, but seeing as I’ve exhausted any potential sexual double-entendres, I’ll just leave this one to your imagination.

The post The Relationship Question: Should You Be Single in College? appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Despite all of our anxieties in the summer before freshman year, most of those fears are erased before starting our sophomore year. Chances are, by the time our second year of college rolls around, we’ll be living with our friends, right?

The truth is, living with a roommate who is your best friend can be even more terrifying than living with someone new. Sure, you already know your roommate, but if things don’t work out when you live together, you’re not just risking a living space – you’re risking a friendship.

Like any shared living space, the key to a positive living environment is consistent communication and compromise. However, like that five-page paper you didn’t write last night, it’s easy to forget something that seems so crucial.

Communication Is Key:

When you get into disagreements with your freshman year roommate, it’s easy to brush it off and use it as an excuse to not like them. After all, what’s easier: having an honest conversation about your feelings regarding your roommate eating all of your mac & cheese, or telling yourself, “Oh, he just took my food because he’s a bad person”?

When you live with your best friend, little disagreements can’t be resolved by telling yourself that your roommate is just a food-thieving sociopath. As a result, it becomes even more necessary to work out your issues through that crazy thing called “conversation” that Facebook helped eradicate a few years ago.

Nevertheless, communicating any issues with your new roommate shouldn’t be reserved for only when something is wrong. The excitement of living with your best friend can sometimes trick you into thinking that every interaction has to be a positive one, and if you’re the kind of person who likes to avoid confrontation, tiny issues can seemingly bubble over and become more problematic simply due to lack of communication.

Many people recommend setting a list of roommate rules and guidelines beforehand, but I actually disagree with this, especially if you’re living with a close friend. Setting specific “dos and don’ts” for your living situation can create more pressure for you; rules can create an even more hostile living environment if you’re constantly walking on eggshells.

Instead, it’s best to talk about these types of things naturally; for instance, instead of writing “No leaving your dirty towels on the floor” in bold, capitalized letters on some piece of loose-leaf tacked up above your bed, it’s more productive to simply speak casually about how used towels gross you out and hey, maybe we should consider purchasing a towel rack for the far corner of the room if that’s cool?

Be Open To Compromise:

Compromise is the other major component of creating positive roommate relations. Regardless of how much you have in common with your friend, you’re bound to have some minor differences, such as the way you choose to decorate your room or how often you keep it clean or what sub-genre of porn to watch at night.

If communicating an issue is one half of resolving roommate problems, cooperating with your roommate’s requests is the second half. You have to be able to put yourself in your roommate’s shoes in order to approach a solution. For instance, if you’re reading in your room at night and your friend is trying to sleep, it would make the most sense for you to move to a different room – after all, you can read anywhere there’s light, but your roommate only has one bed.

Problems with your roommate can also be resolved via sword fighting.

These tips may seem obvious at first, but it’s easy to forget these basic components of roommate relations when you’re living with someone you already know. Communication and compromise are obviously important for all roommate scenarios, whether they’re a close friend or a potential new one, but they are especially important in building and maintaining your already-established relationships. Living with your best friend can be even more difficult than living with a stranger because there is no easy way to resolve any roommate issues, but as long as you remember to talk honestly and be open-minded to change, you’ll get along just fine.

The post Roommates Round 2: A Guide To Living With Your Best Friend appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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