Some of last January’s Winners

Last January TCC published an article entitled “20 Best Tumblr Party Blogs to Follow” and brought these blogs to the forefront of partydom  everywhere.  They garnered follows, and we finally had a list of the best places for images, tips, and party ideas.

This fall we are preparing a new list because, as we all know blogs change, get neglected, and sometimes just disappear altogether.  It’s high time we re-evaluate the Tumblr party-blog greats.

To be considered for our list refer to the following criteria and rules.

Make a Post including the following:

• This Link: The Campus Companion Party Lab
• The Phrase: “The Campus Companion Party Lab is searching for the 20 Best Tumblr Party Blogs, reblog this to help (your blog name here) join the ranks.
• The Tag “Campus Companion Party Lab”

The post Are You the Best Tumblr Party Blog appeared first on The Campus Companion.

Related posts:

1. Famous Couples Party
2. The Party Constitution
3. The Golden Rule of Party Throwing

How To Solve Sexting Snafus - [HerCampus]

College Without Facebook: A Journey into the Not-So-Distant Past- [HerCampus]

Vending Machine Dispenses Emergency Contraceptive – [CNN]

Dude Where’s My Job: Episode 3 – The Resume – [Campus Grotto]

The post TCC Link Rally – 02.19.2012 appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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So, that time of year has come around once more; Valentine’s Day. It is a day of love for some, but for others a day of horror and heart-break.

The thing is, Valentine’s Day is so often a failure because people expect their “other” to express their affection in a meaningful and powerful way, and sometimes we just plain DON’T KNOW HOW.  As a result, many people end up having a terrible Valentine’s Day with their significant other mad or disappointed with them.  Unfortunately, it is usually us men who are scorned by our ladies, and why?

Because too often do men not realize that Valentine’s Day is not just about the convention of gift-giving.  That is, you can’t just squeak by with the traditionals like a heart-shaped box of chocolates, flowers, or a stuffed animal.  Your girlfriend, undoubtedly, “wants you to WANT to show your affection and care for her, as opposed to showing it because she wants you to, or because you feel like you HAVE to.”  The traditionals express that you thought you HAD to, not that you wanted to.  Which isn’t to say you can’t get her chocolates or flowers, BUT that if you do, you better make damn sure that they are her favorite kind of each.  However, because you are reading this article, it can likely be assumed that you might have messed up, which carries us forward.

Men, the time has come to make amends. Now, let me preface this by saying: If you broke up with your girlfriend or did something equally horrible/dire, you may need more than the following to make-up with her (if you even deserve to).  BUT, if you didn’t provide an adequate gift, forgot the holiday, or god-forbid got her the WRONG gift, this might give you some insight.

The Most Important Thing

Valentine’s Day should never be a problem as long as you manage your expectations and actually take the time to know your girlfriend.  The first step, if you messed-up (which, if she is mad, you probably did) is to apologize.  Next, you need to express that you want to make sure the blunder never happens again.  BUT, what does this mean?

It’s All About Her

Tell your girlfriend that you want to get together and make sure that you really know the finer points of “her”.  If you messed up (unless you forgot…which I’ll get to), it is probably because you don’t know the finer details about your girlfriend.  To make up, you need to show that you:

1. Care enough to really get to know her.
2. That you plan on listening, AND this time remembering.
3. And finally, you know when you have done her wrong, and want to take time to make it right.

This is why you must get together with her, ask her the following (at least), and remember the answers (frankly, if you have been dating, you should probably already know all of this).  Take notes if you must.

1. What are her favorite flowers?
2. Her favorite color?
3. Her chocolate/candy preference (if any)?
4. Her favorite place (in town, or otherwise)?
5. Her favorite restaurant?
6. Her favorite movie?
7. Her favorite activity?

Finally, plan a bad-ass apology date to make it up to her, and for god’s-sake don’t mess up next Valentines.

If You Forgot

If you honestly forgot about Valentine’s Day, you must be dumb and/or blind.  It is one of the most commercial holidays around and you should have seen signs WAY in advance.  But, if you did forget, you should really apologize to your girlfriend and then refer to the section entitled “It’s All About Her.”  Your girl will probably forgive you if it is just that you are forgetful.  That can’t be helped.  BUT, you do still need to make it up to her, and that means knowing EVERY detail about her to make your apology perfect.

THEN, take steps to make sure you won’t forget next-year, and that you won’t forget her birthday.  Optimistic? Maybe (you might not know if you are going to be together that long). But, the gesture is worthwhile.

A Special Thanks to Emily Taylor Varnadore For the Maple, Pecan, Bacon, Bacon-Chocolate-Chip Cookies!  They are Both Delicious and a Revelation in Manliness.  

The post How To Fix Your Valentine’s Day Blunder, Men appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Seeing as you are in college, chances are you have encountered a dirty ass shower with that kind of darkish buildup on the floor or sides.  This build-up is called soap scum.  Now, before I tell you how to clean this crap, I am going to warn you that there are a number of people out there that will tell you the best way is to pick up a shower and tile spray, or to make some vinegary foul-smelling home ready.

They are all wrong, this way is the best and here is why:

• Their way seems easy but is actually hard
• Their way usually involves chemicals that dry out your skin (vinegar may be “natural” but it still is highly acidic and not good to get on skin…deal with it)
•  Bathrooms are usually small enclosed spaces, which means you are likely breathing any chemicals you use!
• If they suggest bleach, you probably won’t be able to smell for 12 hours after you do your cleaning.

So, without further ado:

STEP 1

Buy a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  NOTHING works better than these.

STEP 2

Follow the instructions on the box….this means wetting the neat little brick of powerful cleaning magic, and then squeezing out excess.

Your shower probably looks like this. Do you regret your filthy existence?

STEP 3

Scrub the shower and tub with the pad.  You should see the scum visibly scraping off a little bit with each stroke of the eraser.  This is how you know it is working.  Try and get those results with shower spray.  You can’t.

STEP 4

Rinse the shower off.  Basically just use water to rinse all the little soap-scum bits out.  You can also try and use a paper-towel to wipe the bits away and throw them out.  In fact, I recommend the paper-towel if you had a more serious build-up, because you really do not want that stuff to build up in your drain.

STEP 5

Go and make yourself a drink….you earned it.  PLUS, if you have used other methods to clean your shower before this one, you are probably realizing that not only did you save about 15 – 30 minutes of scrubbing, but you also did a better job.  In my book, that deserves a reward.

The post How To Clean A: Bathtub / Shower Basin (Soap Scum) appeared first on The Campus Companion.

Related posts:

1. The Case for Keeping Your Room Clean.
2. Magic Erasers Clean Everything but Herpes, Debt, and Shame

Sexiling, Live-In BFs & More: How to Handle Love-Related Problems With Your Roomie - [HerCampus]

Opinion: For everyone’s sake, let the Twinkie die - [USA Today College]

College Major Choice Can Help You Avoid Unemployment - [College Surfing Insider]

10 Up and Coming College Websites to Watch in 2012 - [Campus Grotto]

“Study drugs” are bad news - [WordNerd SAT and PSAT]

The post TCC Link Rally – 01.29.2012 appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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You don't even realize how fuckin' good for you Broccoli is.

The food we eat has a huge effect on us. It’s a fact college students almost always neglect.  Because it takes time to digest we often don’t associated an elevated mood around noon with the breakfast we ate 4 hours ago, but often this can be the case!  The following foods have remarkable properties that make them seem like they were almost designed for the work-hard, play-hard college lifestyle.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a food whose motto should be, “Hey, if you want to feel less guilty about drinking….eat ME!”

To put a lot of scientific long words and chemical processes into short-hand, basically Broccoli kicks ass when it comes to helping your body detoxify itself.  There are a number of compounds in Broccoli that aid the body in the activation, neutralization, and elimination of harmful toxins (alcohol, ahemm) throughout the body.  This means that Broccoli is something your liver will appreciate before or after a night of drinking.

Note:  This isn’t carte-blanche to go out and get blackout off shots of Jager….the stuff only works within reason.  Nevertheless, if you are going to go out and pound Jager you might as well eat a shit-ton of broccoli anyway….can’t hurt

Further, Broccoli is rich in both Vitamin D and K, both of which are crucial to keeping an individual’s mood elevated.  So if you feeling depressed, overwhelmed, hungover, and stressed out (as I suspect you might), maybe you should dive head-first in to a bowl of steamed Broccoli.  Finally, Broccoli is also rich in a flavonoid compoud (that’s a type of antioxidant for those that care) called Kaempferol which may facilitate anti-inflammatory responses to allergens.

High Cacao Chocolate

High cacao MEANS high cacao.  Eating a Hershey’s bar isn’t going to do much for you other than the momentary bliss, but high quality chocolate with as much as 85% or more cacao can be one of the best things you can put in your body.  Between the array of anti-oxidants (an anti-oxidant is basically just a compound that prevents oxidation of molecules and therefore the production of potentially harmful byproducts known as free-radicals), vitamins, and delicious flavor, cacao is virtually guaranteed to brighten your day.  It has mood-elevating properties, brain-stimulating properties (for nights of heavy studying), and loads of other body enhancing properties.  Eat more of this brown gold.

Hot-Peppers / Spicy Food (Capsaicin)

Capsaicin is the compound present in Chili peppers, Jalapenos and other spicy foods.  It has been shown to increase metabolism by causing your body to release stress hormones that stimulate your body to break down adipose tissue.  This means that your body actually breaks down fat.  Now, obviously the amount of capsaicin you would need to eat to actually see large results in fat loss is pretty astronomical, BUT in a controlled diet the regular inclusion of some spice can be incredibly helpful at keeping off that Freshman Fifteen!

Water

Ahhh, water.  Cool.  Refreshing. Free. AND NOW, super healthy.

Let’s do some math:  College = (Coffee + Classes) * (High Sodium Food + Alcohol).  That is one hell of an equation, especially where three of the monomials (coffee, food, and alcohol) can pretty much destroy your osmoregulation (that’s retention of water, basically).  Sodium causes your body to produce hormones that tell it to retain water, whereas Coffee and Alcohol are both powerful diuretics (these tell your body to dump the water aka “Break the Seal”).  One might think to themselves, “Hmm, perfect balance….” but no…not really.

SO, here comes water.  A poorly hydrated body will have trouble focusing, performing physical activities, detoxifying, metabolizing, not to mention the fact that your piss will end up looking like Iced Tea.  By drinking water, you are helping your body to do all the aforementioned activities, PLUS you will greatly reduce the mal-effects of a hangover, probably lose some excess weight (you will no longer be eating because you mistook your thirst for hunger, and you will probably get the drunk munchies less if you drink while hydrated), and you will generally be healthier.  There it is.  Drink more water. Your kidneys will thank you….even though they should be thanking me.

Oatmeal

To be honest, oatmeal is good for everyone…including your parents with high-cholesterol. Oatmeal balls-out when it comes to long-lasting fullness and providing the essential nutrients needed to keep yourself entertained through an hour and a half of some hippie talking about how the government needs to work harder to teach starving people in other countries how to grow organic foods and live vegan lifestyles.  Plus, you know…minerals, vitamins, fat-soluble fiber, and all kinds of other good carbohydrates and high-density lipoproteins.

The post 5 Foods That Are Practically Made for College Students appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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ARTICLES

How to Get the Perfect Recommendation Letter - [HerCampus]

Library Etiquette: Why Are You Here? – [USA Today College]

What IBOOK Textbooks for IPAD Mean for College Students – [Hack College]

How Big Time Sports Ate College Life – [The New York Times]

The post TCC Link Rally – 01.22.2012 appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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These suggestions will help you avoid common missteps, and can help you get through constructing your first resume.

1) Skip the Buzzwords

Certain words have become so widely used on resumes that, although they are positive, hiring managers actually see them as negatives.  Words such as detail-oriented, results-oriented, motivated, innovative, team-player, dynamic, active, hard-working, and many other buzzwords can make your resume seem generic, ego-stroking, or even worse disingenuous.

Instead, review the job description of the position you are applying for and identify explicitly listed skills desired.  If you possess these skills, and they can be isolated into keywords, then they might be worth including.

2) Don’t Under-Sell  Important Hobbies

If you were a hiring manager, would you hire someone you don’t like?  As a person, do you tend to like people you have stuff in common with more than those you don’t? Chances are, you, like everyone else in the world, like people you can relate to, and managers are the same.  This is why hobbies that are common in your field, or that aren’t too far-fetched, can add an extra element of personality to your resume.  Plus, they can show certain qualities rather than tell said qualities.  If your hobbies are jogging, sailing, and cooking it might tell an employer that you are a go-getter when it comes to goals (jogging/exercise), that you are dynamic and can analyze and adapt to environments (sailing), and that you are detail-oriented (cooking).

3) Don’t Under-Sell Personal Projects/Experience

For college students especially, there is something of a void where “experience” is concerned.  Many students approach their resumes with only non-career jobs like waiting tables, clubs or sports, and their degree, because this is the only quantifiable and credible experience they have.

Unfortunately, these don’t always do much for you because they don’t demonstrate that you have the skills or experience for a position you might want.  Many students fail to realize that just because a personal project isn’t endorsed by an institution, does not mean that it hasn’t given you work skills that are more important and relevant than those garnered in finance and investment club.  The same mistake occurs with self-employed individuals who fail to give their personal business the credit it deserves.

It is all about how well you can describe what you have done.  In other words, sometimes the only difference between a declared masterpiece and the painting you painted in your garage is a fancy-frame.

4) Avoid Unprofessional Email Addresses

So you’ve just spent four years using a school-issued email address, and now you no longer have it at your disposal.  Sometimes making a new email address can be brutal, especially if you have a generic name, but it is EXTREMELY important to make and maintain an email account that is professional.

If you put an email address on your resume like “dwarfmaster815@gmail.com” you are never going to get hired unless the job you are applying for is a tester position at WoW.

Be prudent.  The best email addresses include, at most, one number (no numbers is best), and some combination of your first, last, middle name, or initials.  If your name is Max Weber, try Mweber, or MaxWeber, or Mwebe.  Your name should be the only part of your address.

5) Creative Supplements or Alternatives Can Help You Score

Obviously, there is no substitute for a solid resume, but sometimes (for the right positions, with the right managers, and at the right company) you can achieve great success with a powerful alternative.

For example, the now internet-famous Chris Spurlock had great success, and landed his dream job, with his “Infographic resume.”  What makes his resume so potent is that it shows as opposed to tells.  For someone who wants to work in graphic media, and information visualization, what could be better than creating a graphic representation intended to sell himself.

This is not to say that everyone should try and create an alternative resume, or try something unorthodox like Spurlock, but if you can take a step back and come up with a creative way of representing yourself it might also help you realize what aspects to prioritize in your formal resume.  If, however, you are applying for a creativity-based position, then a creative alternative might help you get your foot in the door.

Spurlock's Infographic resume

Other Resources

The following link gives some basic tips on preparing your “basic” resume.  You should always keep in mind that tailor-making your resume for the job you are pursuing could set yours apart from the rest of the pack.

12 Common Mistakes on Resumes

The post 5 Strategies for Composing Your First Resume Out of College appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Checking In

What FourSquare essentially does is allow people to access the virtual layout of wherever they are.  They can view places, and people that are at or have been to these places (depending on these people’s privacy settings).  BUT, in order for FourSquare to be of any use to you, they need to support your city.  These days, most important places are featured.

The most important aspect of FourSquare are “Check Ins,” or when you update your location and status.  Check-Ins allow FourSquare to monitor the types of places you go and suggest other places to you, or even just let you know what friends like that place as well.

Badges

Another built in set of features on FourSquare are Badges.  Badges are more or less little easter-eggs that are built in based on social information.  For Example: Your first Check-In ever earns you a newbie badge.  Multiple Check-Ins at one location earn you a “Local” badge, but there are loads more.

Tips

Friends can leave tips behind at places they have visited and Checked-Into.  If you visit a restaurant and see that a friend has checked in, you might be able to see a tip they have left.  This can be incredibly handy if, say, you are grappling between ordering a Buffalo Chicken appetizer or Onion Rings.  Your friend’s tip might have the necessary review of both items, and be the deciding factor.

Mayors

Finally, the ultimate honor of FourSquare.  If you Check-In enough times to be the individual with the most Check-Ins at a particular location, you become the “Mayor” of that location on FourSquare.  This is where the discounts REALLY begin.

DISCOUNTS!!

Some places will offer you a small discount simply for your first Check-In, but most places don’t offer-up anything until you become mayor of their store.  Ah, the beauty of social-marketing.  Being “Mayor” of places can get you huge discounts and even free items from wherever you are mayor, and many college students (who have nothing but an abundance of time) are beginning to realize and reap huge benefits.  The below picture is a free coffee and pastry at College of Charleston Library’s “Java City,” earned by a Campus Companion Writer, Mark.

Other FourSquare Screenshots!

The post Students Use Four-Square to Score Massive Discounts appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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Fewer Teens Are Having Sex These Days - [The Atlantic Wire]

Condom Effectiveness: Fact vs Fiction - [HuffPost College]

Dating Your Best Guy Friend: Good or Bad Idea - [HerCampus]

Three Ways To Work-Out at Home for Free - [HackCollege]

Body Language 101: What Do You Really Mean? - [USA Today College]

The post Friday Link Rally 11.17.11 appeared first on The Campus Companion.

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