Jacqueline Abelson's Blog, page 6

You're No Longer Popular Anymore

So do you remember high school?
Do you remember what your status was?
Did you remember if you fell under the category of "popular" or "loser?" 
"Cool" or "lame?"

Remember when you were 13 and you viewed your classmates with envy and admiration. A time when the "popular girls" wore makeup and had older boyfriends. And then there were the boys who would boast about sneaking bottles of beers on the weekends and throwing out-of-control parties?

If you can't exactly recall what your status was in high school, then maybe Janis Ian from Mean Girls can help you out with her crafty cafeteria map of all the cliques at North Shore High School. So what is the point of me reminding you how socially awkward you were during your freshmen year? Or how you were always picked on or excluded by the "cool" kids at your school? 

Well, for those who know without a doubt that they weren't the most "looked up to" or "popular" person in high school, then you're in for some AWESOME NEWS.  


How awesome is it?
Just awesome enough that that those four torturous years of high school, will be all worth it.    So if you were looked down upon as being a "geek" or a "nerd" in your younger years and were afraid how society would treat you after you graduated from high school, then fear no more, my dear nerdy friends!

This past month a study conducted by Joseph P. Allen at the University of Virginia was published in the Journal of Child Development that followed a group of risk-taking, popular, "cool kids" for a decade starting in middle school. The study found that in high school, their social status often waned and they began struggling in various ways after they graduated and went off to college. According to Allen, problems arose due to these kids' early rush into what he calls pseudomature behavior (aka: starting to drink at a younger age, having sex at a younger age and essentially acting older than their age). Allan states in the intro of his study: "There are a variety of routes by which adolescents may seek to establish apparent maturity and attain status with peers via pseudomature behavior, ranging from the mildly destructive to the immature but relatively harmless. A substantial proportion of minor adolescent delinquency, for example, is believed to result from teens seeking the appearance of maturity and status with peers by engaging in acts of deviance to establish that they are no longer compliant children. In contrast, teens can also gain the appearance of maturity in more benign, if still immature, ways." 
Suffice to say, the kids who participated in Allan's study are now in their early 20 and are currently facing issues with relationships, substance abuse, even criminal activity. They're also, according to Allan, desperately trying to hang on to the things that made them so beloved in high school, which simply doesn't translate as a young adult with new priorities. "They are doing more extreme things to try and act cool, bragging about drinking three six-packs on a Saturday night, and their peers are thinking, 'These kids are not socially competent," Allen said. "They're still living in their middle school world."

That being said, those fast-track kids that who were the king or queen of the high school hallways back in the day, do not bode well later in life. The methods from the 10-year study followed 184 seventh and eighth graders (86 males and 98 females) as they progressed from age 13 to 23. The adolescents were first assessed annually over a 3-year period, and at each age, the students nominated that their closets, same-gendered friend to be included in the study as well as an additional two peers from within their extended circle of friends and acquaintances. 

What researchers suggested was that if an adolescent encountered a situation early in their lives that called for a strong desire for peer approval, then it would be linked to a constellation of behaviors (i.e. minor delinquent activity, precocious romantic involvement, and a focus on physical appearances in friendships).

The earlier an adolescent starts acting mature, the less mature they will actually become when they are older. Because by that time their maturity will have already burned out.     In terms of competence with peers, pseudomature behavior in early adolescents predicted not only a declining popularity with peers but also lower levels of peer competence, as rated by peers, in early adulthood. Allan says, "One potential explanation for these findings is provided by cumulative continuity theory. . . . This theory suggests that efforts to attain status with peers via superficial, pseudo mature behaviors might lead to future difficulties because these pseudomature behaviors replace efforts to develop positive social skills and meaningful friendships and thus leave teens less developmentally mature and socially competent over time."

Prior research has suggested that adolescents engaging in pseudo mature behaviors tend to feel older, at least in the short run. Comparatively, a study back in 2009, found that the adolescents who dated, reported having sex, used alcohol, and used drugs experienced an increased subjective age (how old they feel) compared to their chronological age. Meaning, that self-perceptions of maturity may arise from engaging in "adult-like" behaviors, causing the subject to feel older than less experienced adolescents. 

The motivational force behind such behavior (especially at age 13) was associated with when the subject's peers were more likely to say that would like to spend time with the participant – thus providing a powerful short-term reinforcement. This developed a type of status-seeking link, suggesting that at a formative point in social development, some early adolescents are learning to established connections with their peers by engaging in pseudomature behaviors to impress those peers, rather than by learning to connect successfully with them via more adaptive means.  Pseudomature behavior is not an actual mature behavior, but rather an act or at least the feeling of being mature. And once a subject starts to depend on that pseudomature behavior, it could evolve into larger problems, and that status of the once "cool" individual drops. 

But you've probably already figured that out by now after attending your high school reunions or by stalking your old classmates on Facebook. Being one of the "cool" kids does not necessarily mean that they will be "cool" for the rest of their lives. 

That being said, if you are someone still in high school that does not identify under as "cool" or "popular" do not sweat. Believe it or not, you're actually in a better possession than the Queen Bees and King Jocks at your school. Those kids may seem like they are mature and have their futures laid out, but its all an act. None of it is real and you shouldn't buy into that.

And if you are someone who has graduated from high school, found a steady job and is living comfortably, but you were never "in the spotlight" in high school, I betcha that you are more successful and happier than the popular kids that were in your class. So, if you don't want to go out to that party and would rather stay at home and curl up watching Netflix, that is completely fine! Continue watching Star Trek and Doctor Who, embrace your geekiness and your nerdiness because it will get you far in life. You don't have to invest your time with makeup or new clothes to impress people. All you need is to act your own age and just be yourself.


You will succeed in life if you do!  Works Cited:

Allen, J. P., Schad, M. M., Oudekerk, B. and Chango, J. (2014), What Ever Happened to the “Cool” Kids? Long-Term Sequelae of Early Adolescent Pseudomature Behavior. Child Development. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12250

Albrecht, Arne K., Glambos, Nancy L., Jansson, S. Mikel (2009), Dating, Sex and Substance use Predict Increases in Adolescents' Sujective Age Across Two Years. International Journal of Behavioral Development. Vol. 33 no. 1 32-41

"Cool at 13, Adrift at 23." Well Cool at 13 Adrift at 23 Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2014.

The Other Side of Evil

It's not new to me when someone asks how I distinguish "good" and "evil" between my characters, and whenever I happen to encounter this question, I feel like I should answer with a straightforward explanation. However, it turns out that my response isn't so "black and white" per say. Being the psychology nerd that I am, I have studied and sat in on debates about the question of morality and what constitutes as good and evil. And honestly, (surprise!) there is no clear cut answer as to what is considered morally "good" and purely "evil." Thanks to the Disney movies and children's books that we were subjected to when we were younger, we thought that we had this whole "good vs. evil" thing down. Because EVERYONE knows that the bad guys wear black and the good guys were something colorful and light.  You might also remember learning when you were younger that "good" is everything which is just and fair, while "evil" is everything which is unjust and unfair. But what do you do when you encounter a person (or even a character in a book) who is accordingly "good" but his/her actions are unjust but fair. Can you really call them evil?  Interestingly, research has begun to show that the belief in good and evil is conceptualized to be far more universal than previously thought.  So how do we reach the conclusion to a near-universal response to a moral dilemma? In a study by psychologist Marc Hauser, he created an online questionnaire in which he presented three moral scenarios (the dependent variables) and one controlled scenario (the independent variable) and asked his subjects to explain their judgments and to justify them.
Here's an example of one conundrum from Hauser's study:
"Denise is riding a train when she hears the engineer suddenly shout that the brakes have failed. The driver then faints from the shock. On the track ahead stand five people who are unable to get off the track in time to avoid being hit by the train. Denise sees a sidetrack leading off to the right onto which she can steer the train, but one person stands on that track as well. She can turn the train, killing the one person, or do nothing and allow the five people to be killed instead."
Hauser wanted to know if it was morally permissible for Denise to switch the train to the sidetrack, sacrificing one but saving five. The results showed that at least 89% of Hauser's subjects agreed that Denise should steer the train onto the sidetrack, which was the hypothesis that Hauser predicted. In fact, the subjects used their intuition to distinguish between which of the Hauser's scenarios were moral and which were not. It was recorded that the portrayal of each of Hauser's scenarios were shared by members of all cultures, stating that, " . . . it’s less morally permissible to intentionally harm someone than to allow them to be harmed, that it’s less morally permissible to invent a way to cause harm than to cause harm with an existing threat, and that it’s less morally permissible to cause harm directly than to cause it indirectly." Nevertheless, a majority of the subjects could not justify the actions that they had selected for their scenarios. Which suggests that this result may be the typical norm in which we process our morality.  So where does our moral intuition come from? Well, no one real knows. But it is suggested that we rely not so much on our moral reasons but instead on our gut instinct when we take action. And then after we have made our moral conclusion, we work backwards trying to justify our actions as being morally right. Similar to the teachings in Buddhism, where there isn't a good or bad, but rather a good, or a right.   Yet, it is no secret that we sometimes behave badly when egocentric impulses cause us to put our needs before the welfare of others. Sometimes we behave in a saintly fashion, when empathy and compassion impel us to put the needs of others before our own, resulting in altruism and kindness. But the real difference between this idea of "good and evil" and the traditional concept is that empathy or a lack of apathy aren't fixed. Although people with a psychopathic personality appear to be unable to develop empathy. But (as I assume for most of us), empathy – or goodness – is a quality that can be cultivated. Ever heard of the saying, "without evil, goodness can't survive?" If not, the saying essentially touches upon the topic that the fluidity of goodness is recognized by the process of restorative justice. In other words, in order to know who the bad guy is, there must be a polar opposite character. A counter character, a good guy, if you will. A Superman and Lex Luthor kind of pairing. They each give a good and evil identity to the other.    Or here's a more literary example: 
Remember when you were six and your grandma first introduced you to The Wizard of Oz? Even in the movie, you thought that the Wicked Witch of the West was an evil hag who wanted to kill Dorothy. You were convinced at a young age that the witch was evil to the core. Now, skip ahead sixteen to seventeen years later and you encounter Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. And as you are reading this book you discover that that green witch that you hated in The Wizard of Oz, didn't start off immediately as being evil. In fact, you find out that the Wicked Witch of the West was never evil at all!  You learn from Wicked that the witch has a name, Elphaba Thropp, and you discover that she is struggling over the fact that she can never make peace with the question of whether her fate has already been predetermined or if she has free will and has been making choices her whole life. Furthermore, she was born with green skin, so she was already at disadvantage of being accepted into society. She had a unsupportive home life, challenging social experiences at Shiz University, and, as an adult, she copes with personal ethics involving animal rights. In addition, Oz is already a corrupt government that tries to employ and later screws Elphaba over by giving her the identity of being wicked because she has the commonly sinister characteristics (her skin in particular) of being evil.  In the beginning of Elphaba’s life, her nanny is the only person who is not repulsed by Elphaba’s odd green skin, compared to Elphaba's parents who treat her like an outcast. Eventually, the nanny insists on integrating Elphaba socially, declaring, “We must take Elphie to Rush Margins and find some small children for her to play with” (Maguire 61). But Elphaba's mother counters with this speech: “But you have to be jesting! How cruel to, to inflict the outside world on her! A green child will be an open invitation for scorn and abuse. And children are wickeder than adults; they have no sense of restraint. We might as well go throw her in the lake she’s so terrified of” (Maguire 61). But the nanny does not withdraw her argument, and Elphaba joins the playgroup, thus beginning her life of ridicule and social discomfort. The nanny tries to do what is best for Elphaba by introducing her to other children her age, but by pushing Elphaba out into the world, the nanny is also exposing Elphaba to more hardship and discrimination. Therefore, society, in addition to her family, treats Elphaba like an outcast, someone who is inferior to other humans, thus beginning the demise of Elphaba in her predestined path towards wickedness.
The final example comes again from another literary source. Do you remember reading Beowulf  for one of your high school English classes? Remember the monster, Grendel, that Beowulf had to fight off? Well, Beowulf has little psychological depth compared to its successor, Grendel by John Gardner. Gardner deepens the psychological aspects of the Beowulf story by creating thought and dialogue for its famous creature.  Compared to when you read Beowulf and cheered for the hero to slay the monster, Gardner – like Maguire – adopts Grendel's point of view. And by doing so, the monster becomes more of an adolescent than a fully formed creature. Gardner draws the readers into Grendel's personal quest for understanding his place in the universe. By depicting Grendel's earliest encounters with the random acts of violence toward him by the humans, Gardner gives Grendel a motive for his anger and frustration toward humanity and the world in general. However, a struggle that Grendel faces is his identity. He doesn't quite know where he fits into the world until he overhears the Shaper (a singer) depict Grendel as a monster and an enemy to the Danes. It is the Shaper, Grendel later figures out, who has the power of art and imagination to change people's perceptions about themselves and the world in which they live.   For Grendel, taking this decisive step in creating his own identity is a liberating, empowering event. In part, Grendel has decided to punish humans for their infuriatingly naïve belief in the righteousness of their moral systems—systems that Grendel knows have no foundation in any kind of universal moral law. On the other hand, Grendel has also chosen to accept the role the Shaper has set for him, as the humans’ ultimate nemesis. He states, "I had become something, as if born again. I had hung between possibilities before, between the cold truths I knew and the heart-sucking conjuring tricks of the Shaper; now that was passed: I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings! But also, as never before, I was alone" (Gardner, 80). When Grendel refers to himself as “Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings,” he replicates the Beowulf poet’s tendency to use a cluster of titles for a single character. Grendel once wished for the Shaper’s vision of an ordered, morally coherent world to be true, even if it meant he had to be the villain. It is difficult to tell, then, whether Grendel is taking the intellectual path or the emotional road the Shaper wants him to follow. Furthermore, Grendel feels more alone than before because, with his act of symbolic aggression, he has severed the possibility of ever joining the humans in anything but an antagonistic relationship. 
Like authors such as Gardner and Maguire, they choose to illustrate their characters motivations from the evil treatments that mankind has acted on them. In other words, the reason why people are evil in the first place is because we (humans) make them evil. The humans were the ones that created an evil identity for these individuals. Both Grendel and Elphaba are left no other choice then accepting society's role for them as evil beings. This stigma followed both characters throughout their early childhood and into their adult lives as they continued to live a life filled with discrimination and social discomfort. Ultimately, due to the predestined fate of these two characters, they are both eventually driven to embody the monstrous identities that have been given to them.  So you see, good and evil isn't easy to categorize. The presence of the archetypal good and evil figures riddle our literature, media, children's stories and movies without investigative questions into why these characters are the way they are. Notably, the grey area between good and evil binary is now more prominent in society than ever, but is widely neglected. So until we finally understand the grey area between good and evil and transition to a modern morality, we risk losing what makes us human: empathy. 
I mean, this nice enough looking kid ended up becoming that evil guy in Star Wars.  Sources:

Psychology Today by Alex Lickerman, M.D.: http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201405/morality-matters/the-truth-about-morality

Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West: A Novel. New York: Regan, 1995. Print.

Gardner, John. Grendel. New York: Knopf, 1971. Print.

The Psychology of the Selfie

The Selfie. A strange phenomenon in which the photographer is also the subject of the photograph. Usually conducted by the subject him/herself because the subject cannot locate a suitable photographer to take the photo. 


Or, you know, the name of that song by The Chainsmokers.  But as I was listening to this particular song about "taking a selfie" it got me wondering why people take selfies to begin with. 


I've seen so many selfies over the past (oh, I don't know) year and the phenomenon doesn't seem to be fading away in the near future. I'll admit, I too am guilty (if not then very guilty) of taking maybe one, two (okay maybe six) selfies of myself whenever I go out partying with my friends. 


What can I say? There is a certain appeal to taking a selfie. There's the obvious:


They are casual. They are meant to be posed on a social media website.
They are meant to generate "likes" on Facebook and Instagram.
And they are meant to be commented on.
But according to sociologists and psychologists, the real appeal for taking a selfie derives from the fact that selfies are the easiest photographs to take.


Like. Ever.


Because when you really think about it. All you are essentially doing is holding your phone in front of your face and clicking a button.
And because our love affair with the selfie keeps on growing, we take them by the millions, everywhere from the gym to grandma's funeral.  Every major social media site is overflowing with millions of selfies. Everyone from the Pope to the President of the United States. 
Recently, social psychologists read serious meaning into the selfie, seeing it as a positive mode of identity formation and an important way of presenting and reinforcing a personal image on the Web's vast social stage.

Other researchers read the selfie as an extension of modern narcissism. According to Cornell professor of psychology, Peggy Drexler, she sensed that "selfie subjects feel as though they're starring in their own reality shows, with an inflated sense of self that allows them to believe their friends or followers are interested in seeing them lying in bed, lips pursed, in a real world headshot. It's like looking in the mirror all day long and letting others see you do it."  Yes, it's true that selfies reflect a type of narcissism within ourselves, but honestly no one really cares. And why should they? Everyone has posted selfies of themselves at one point in their lives on a socail media website. It's just bound to happen because our culture revolves around the easy capabilities of smartphones and cameras. In this day and age, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr provide potentially far-reaching platforms to broadcast close-ups of our faces, particularly the ones we deem fit for consumption by others. Or by Oscar nominated celebrities. But there is more to the self-portrait than sheer narcissism. Indeed, perhaps the selfie and its wordless ability to inform an audience isn't quite as self-centered as we make it out to be. A recent New York Times essay by Jenna Wortham looks at the bigger picture of the selfie. "Instagram isn't about reality – it's about a well-crafted fantasy, a highlights reel of your life that shows off versions of yourself you want to remember and put on display in a glass case for other people to admire and browse through. Its why most of the photographs uploaded on Instagram are beautiful and entertaining slices of life and not tedious time in-between of those moments, when bills get paid, cranky children are put to bed, little spats with friends." Seen through that lens, the selfie could be an empowering tool that grants us a modicum of control (or at least the illusion of it) over our own ephemeral identities.  But the most logical answer as to why we take selfies of ourselves (WAY before we even consider posting them to our Facebook wall) is the subconscious fact that we essentially have very little experience of looking at our own faces. Our perception of our own facial expressions comes from our sense of feeling our faces move. This lack of visual knowledge about our own faces means we have very inaccurate representation of what our own faces look like at any given time. This lack of knowledge about what we look like has a profound effect on what we think we look like. When people are asked to pick a photograph which they think looks most like them – from a series of photographs in which an actual photograph has been digitally altered to produce more attractive and less attractive versions – people are very bad at selecting the original photograph.  This might in part explain our obsession with selfies. For the first time we are able to take and retake pictures of ourselves until we can produce an image that comes closer to matching our perception of what we think we look like.  So do selfies actually help or hurt overall? Turns out it may be a little bit of both. According to The Huffington Post, a recent U.K. study found out that sharing too many personal photos – including selfie photos – can actually hurt our relationships and make us less likable. Lead researcher Dr. David Houghton said in the report, "Our research found that those who frequently post photos on Facebook risk damaging real-life relationships. This is because people, other than very close friends and relatives, don't seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves." 

However, some psychologists argue that selfies can be affirming, despite sometimes being more self-involved tendencies. Again, Peggy Drexler agues in her article: "Women, whether rich and powerful . . . or otherwise, increasingly have a healthy image of themselves. That's a good thing. Girls creator Lena Dunham is a big fan of the selfie, both on social media and through her show – which shares with selfies a confessional quality. On TV, Dunham's character often appears naked or in various states of undress; in real life, her Instagram selfies aren't necessarily flattering by typical standards. They challenge the "Hollywood ideal" and that, too, is a good thing, especially when size 0 celebrities dominate so much of the modern day visual barrage. The more we see a range of body types, the better."  
In other words, although the act of taking a selfie can come across as a self-involved act that plays into expectations of gender, age and social status, selfie-takers are not just subjects – they are also directors who are capable of sharing a greater message and artistic vision, just like a more traditional photographer would. And because that's the case, some selfies can diverge from the way women and men are typically portrayed.  So let's be honest, we are obsessed with ourselves. In fact, we are so obsessed with ourselves that we were the ones who invented the selfie.  But our generation, the generation of "ME" isn't so black and white (Instagram filters aside). We might come off as narcissistic brats sometimes, but maybe we're just trying to get to know ourselves better via our selfies and the pictures that we take. Maybe we want and should believe that we already are beautiful people – inside and out. Everyone wants to find a purpose in life and the selfie generation is looking for it on the Internet. And who knows, maybe our version of soul-seeking can be found off from Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr and maybe one day we can find and accept ourselves for who we are without the Internet declaring what's good and what's bad.

But first . . .

Let me take a selfie. Sources:

Psychology Today by Peggy Drexler: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-gender-ourselves/201309/what-your-selfies-say-about-you

New York Times Essay by Jenna Wortham:  https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=http%3A%2F%2Fbits.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2013%2F06%2F24%2Fdigital-diary-instagram-video-and-death-of-fantasy%2F&OQ=Q5fQ72Q3dQ30


The Huffington Post by Ryan Grenoble: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/13/too-many-facebook-photos-study_n_3749053.html

Game of Thrones University

With premiere of Season 4 of Game of Thrones fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to figure out which characters on the show would’ve attended a university in our world based on their personalities. So if you would join me, we’ll take a little break from the world of Westeros, trade in that Iron Throne for a diploma and leave the three eyed crows behind for some lectures.

This is college we’re talking about.



Jaime Lannister Jaime is a perfect fit for Harvard. With a university with strong academics, highest worldwide prestige of any American university and with a vibrant intellectual atmosphere, Harvard is the place to go for you to boast about how “great” your school is. And everyone knows that nobody is better at boasting about how "great" they are than the "Kingslayer" himself. Just like how everyone knows that the people who attend Harvard consider themselves "the big man on campus," everyone knows that Jaime Lannister is a force not to be reckon with. With a name like the "Kingslayer" you know that everyone will have high expectations for him. Hell, his claim to fame is that he slew mad King Aerys. At Harvard he's going to need more than a sword to slay through Medieval Empires 101. And now with his hand chopped off, that midterm paper isn't going to write it itself. If anyone can handle the pressure of the top Ivy League school in the nation with just one hand, then leave it to the "Kingslayer" to get the job done. 



Tywin Lannister Just like Harvard, Yale is among the world's most acclaimed, aspired-to and competitive university. SO competitive in fact, that this might just be where Tywin Lannister would have attend. Yale always is ready to challenge the other universities – or you know, killing them too – and if Yale had taught Tywin anything, it is that they taught him how to be one intimidating son-of-a-bitch. This "I'm hot shit" attitude originates from Yale's most prized quality, which is their pride. A trait that seems to resonate pretty well with Tywin. After all, the most important thing in the world to him is to have the House Lannister be respected and feared. This seemed to be a goal he prioritized above all else. How ironic that the son that he hates most (Tyrion) is actually the one with the best chance of keeping his family on top, but can never accept him? Not to mention that he takes ALL THE CREDIT of winning the battle at Blackwater between Stannis' army in the end of Season 2 when really Tyrion led and won the battle. Man, what a douche! Thanks Yale!

Daenerys Targaryen Far from Westeros and across the Narrow Sea, is a place where a one woman is destined to rule. Or you know, across the Atlantic Sea and in England – there is a university where the Mother of Dragons would have attended. Just like her Targaryen family, Oxford University is the oldest university in the world and has been in existence for the past nine centuries. Some of the greatest world leaders were alumnis of Oxford, and Dany is determined to be one of them. When her father, King Aerys was ousted from the Iron Throne during Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Dany's mother escaped safety on Dragonstone Island, where her daughter was expected to live in exile in the East. But after being sold into marriage, having her dragons kidnapped and sacking an entire city, Dany is willing to do ANYTHING to prove to anyone that she is fit to reclaim her throne. It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Dany seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. A trait that Oxford would be willing to exercise and teach through their world-class reputation for academic excellence. More so, Oxford offers their students accommodations for every year of their courses, helping them save money. But Dany was already way ahead of the game. She offered to trade one of her dragons, to settle her accommodations, but the school throughout better of it. And rightfully so. 


Jon Snow If America was the Kingdom of Westeros, then that would make the border of the U.S. and Canada, The Wall. And nobody really knows what actually goes on in Canada. At the sametime Jon Snow knows nothing from what we've learned about him. Yet, if he enrolled at McGill University, then we might be convinced that he at least knows SOMETHING. At McGill University – in Canada and beyond The Wall – the college holds a similar reputation to that of the Night's Watch. It has an incredible faculty (like the brotherhood of nobel warriors sworn to defend the realm) but it also is a facade for the major issues that bother the students who attend this university. The classrooms are poorly equipped for the modern student, and the residence halls are in a state of disrepair and neglect. Sounds like a modern version of Castle Black, where the Watch (in reality) is merely a dumping ground for criminals and wastrels. It holds a status as the number 1 best university in Canada (the Harvard of Canada's universities) and ranked number 21st in the world. But in recent years, McGill has found itself walking a very narrow line between the demands of their students to lower the universities' tuition. There hasn't been any significant effort to better the lives of the average student. And just like how in the good old days when the bards of Westeros would sing of the bravery of the Night's Watch, the tales of their bravery diminished over the years. Thus leaving Jon Snow with a somewhat less romantic encounter of the Night's Watch, which is now undermanned and often overwhelmed with vast responsibilities. Hopefully Jon Snow can see beyond McGill's lack of appreciation for their students.


Margaery Tyrell
It is said that Margaery Tyrell is as beautiful as she is clever, which fits perfectly with the description of the intelligent ladies who attend Mount Holyoke College. Mount Holyoke College was the first institution in the all-female Seven Sisters league, and have remained as the oldest all women's college in the U.S. for 177 years. So for a college that has taught thousands upon thousands of women over the past century, YOU know that THEY know how to play their cards right when it comes to men. And Margaery Tyrell is the queen when it comes to playing up her looks. She chooses her words wisely in order to avoid bringing suspicion down on the House of Tyrell and to assuage people's egos and tempers. In other words, Margaery Tyrell is one conniving badass bitch who knows how to use men to her own advantage. With that being said, the students at Mount Holyoke College, like Margaery Tyrell, are confident, (thanks to Mount Holyoke being ranked number 1 in "best classroom experience" according to The Princeton Review ) beautiful, (ranked number 7 for most beautiful campus) and realistic (75% of of Mount Holyoke graduates enroll in graduate/professional schools after graduation). When you're a women like Margaery Tyrell living in the seven kingdoms, life can be very cruel and violent. Mount Holyoke students would understand this because they too are aware of what life can be like living in the Pioneer Valley, and sharing their education with four other colleges in that area – Smith, Amherst, UMass and Hampshire. But the only challenge that the students at Mount Holyoke have to face is whether or not they will make it to the PVTA bus on time to their 8:35 basket-weaving class at Hampshire. But lucky for Margaery, she just happened to be born into the right kind of family – and had enrolled into the right kind of college. What other college would teach her to tame the rowdy UMass students? Or intimidate the preppy jocks from Amherst? Margaery is careful to find out what kind of temperament her men possess – mainly, Joffrey's temperament. After all, Margaery is not about to let herself be mentally or physically abused by Joffrey or any man. No Mount Holyoke student would allow that! Margaery gets her cunning stealth and works her magic on Joffrey. Mount Holyoke College had definitely taught her well. 



Tyrion Lannister Despite his size, Tyrion in our time would be hailed as a Playboy. Though his opponents refer to him derisively by various names – "the Imp" and "The Halfman" – Tyrion plays it cool by reminding others of his intellect and his family's wealth and power. So what better place for Tyrion to enroll in than University of Virginia. Back in 2012, the college wasn't too thrilled to discover that UVA was listed as the No. 1 party school in America. Kind of like how the Lannisters are not too thrilled with Tyrion, the officials at UVA want to stress the notion that their university should be recognized for their academic achievements in teaching and research. But honesty, isn't it okay if your school is known to be a little fun but intelligent at the sametime? That's exactly why Tyrion would be a perfect fit! He is capable of extreme cunning and takes calculated measures against his enemies, but more importantly, Tyrion is one person who has been through all kinds of highs and lows in his life, but his spirit remains undaunted, unbroken, and fearless, making it easier for him to retain a sense of humor. So UVA, raise your glass for your fellow alumni, Tyrion, because we all know that Tyrion knows a thing or two about raising glasses and having a good time.


Jorah Mormont  Ser Jorah Mormont – or as many people prefer to call him "King of the Friendzone." After all, it isn't easy being in love with Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons (and graduate from Oxford University).  No matter how many adventures they go through, Jorah can't seem to confess his feelings for Dany. And Dany (though I love her to death) remains completely oblivious of Jorah's feelings for her. But lets be honest here for a second, Jorah could never compete with Khal Drogo . . . or that hunky guard Daario Naharis. So for the sole purpose of Game of Thrones as a whole, it is pretty safe to say that Jorah will be FOREVER FRIENDZONED by Dany. And no other college does a better job of reminding you that you are the "King of the Frienzone" than King's College itself. King's College was established on the basis that the religious and social nature of the universities in England (most notably, Oxford) solely educated the sons of wealthy Anglicans such as royal nobles – like Dany! And King's was developed as a college for the non-religious and upper-middle class families – like Jorah! Thus King's College represented a Tory response to reassert the educational values of the English people. It's an excellent university but could never compete with the pristine values that Oxford holds, which sadly means that they can never be together. Like, EVER! However, that does not mean that King's College and Oxford from time to time will acknowledge each others strengths. But alas, King's College would love to be apart of Oxford's world. And even though King's College and Oxford will never be seen equally as one, it doesn't mean that their students are a sucker for the chase. 


Cersei Lannister Aside from being the Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms in Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister also invented her own rules for playing the game of thrones. In her famous speech to Eddard Stark in Season 1, she states, "When you play a game of thrones, you win or you die." And boy, was she right! After all, Cersei is not afraid of taking drastic measures to enforce the rules of a game of thrones, she takes risks and those risks pay off. Sounds a lot like the ladies at Wellesley College. Wellesley – like Mount Holyoke – is part of the original Seven Sisters and is a liberal arts college that prides itself on the loyalty that is shared among the women who enroll as under-graduates. The women who graduate from Wellesley look back on their college experience as the main focal point of their lives. Not to mention that they would do anything for their wonderful school. Their students are just as devoted as Cersei is to her family. So what if people see her as an "evil blonde?" Cersei knows how to protect herself and the people that she loves the most – mainly, Jaime. At Wellesley, the students there look out for each other and would do anything to protect their fellow Blue students. What's the saying? Blood is thicker than water? Once a Wellesley student ALWAYS a Wellesley student. Rated number 7 as the best college in the U.S. according to US News Education, the women who enroll at Wellesley are calculatingly clever. If the students there have a goal, then they set their mind straight on that goal. No wonder that this would be the perfect place for Cersei to attend. She doesn't allow anything to distract her from the prize in front of her, power over the Iron Throne. And the best part is, she doesn't let anyone intimidate her from her main objective. She intimidates THEM! Like good Wellesley students she steps up to the plate, protects her own kin and strives to achieve her own agenda. But there is also that saying that, "Wellesley girls will marry Harvard men." Haha! Like that has any truth to it. Oh, wait . . . . 
(See top of the page). 


Sansa Stark In defense of Sansa Stark, her actions – while being somewhat "held captive" at King's Landing – are understandable even if people don't agree with them. She is not only a sympathetic character, but a strong character who manages (by some grand stroke of luck) to survive an extraordinary difficult situation. She keeps her cool as she watches her own father get beheaded, constantly gets abused by Joffrey, and is forced into marriage. So while Sansa is thrown into this God-awful situation, while being completely unaware of the massive conspiracy that would essentially cause a small revolution, SHE STILL KEEPS HER COOL! There is only one group of girls who can handle that much manipulation by multiple people, and still manage not to crack under the pressure. SORORITY GIRLS. Which is why Sansa would be a perfect fit for University of Texas at Austin. UTA has one of the best Greek atmospheres in the U.S., and a critical part of surviving the brutal environment of a sorority is knowing how to judge other people's character. Sansa – while it might seem hard to accept – is an excellent judge of character. Admittedly, Sansa is not someone who is armored with guile and awareness, but she does immediately showcase her ability to use what she has been taught in high pressure situations. How else is she suppose to survive UTA's "rush week?" All her life, Sansa has been brought up to act like a lady and a loyal subject to the crown. No matter which sorority invites her to join the house, Sansa will know how to survive an environment full of backstabbing bitches.


Stannis Baratheon In the beginning there were three Baratheon brothers: Robert, who became King of Westeros after the defeat of mad king Aerys. Stannis Baratheon who is crabby as hell and Renly Baratheon, who was charming. So once King Robert got boar-gored and died, Stannis laid claim to the Iron Throne knowing that his older brother had no legitimate children (because Joffrey is definitely NOT Robert's son by a long shot). But instead, the entire country of Westeros goes crazy. Renly decides that he wants to be king until Stannis kills his brother off by some shadowy-weird-REALLY WEIRD-magic, and nearly conquered the capital of Westeros if his men hadn't been defeated at Blackwater. But even though he lost the battle, he is still in the running of winning the war. This guy just WON'T give up. He's not a quitter, but you do have to admit that some of the actions that he has taken to win this war are pretty questionable, if not, then daring. Which is why Cornell would be great for Stannis. In 2012, Cornell University was rated as the most stressful Ivy League college to attend. And what could be more stressful than experiencing some first-hand post-traumatic stress after escaping finals than trying to take over an entire country? It's FREAKING HARD! But Stannis is a dedicated worker. He constantly thinks about military matters. Have you seen that big map table that he has? He puts in so much overtime planning military campaigns that he sleeps on that thing. If he won't give up on the war, then what makes you think that he'll give up so easily at Cornell? Cornell is the epitome of high-strung, but will that bother Stannis? Come on, the guy killed his own brother with some "smoke demon" that he sired. I think he can take on that kind of academic pressure. For God's sake, where he lives is almost the same environment as where Cornell is located in Ithica, New York. He lives in a cave that has dreary weather and deep, nearby gorges. Doesn't exactly help lighten the mood, but what does Stannis care? He wants to be king!



Gendry So how many of you guys were hoping that Arya and Gendry would get "shipped" together? Apparently, a lot. Gendry – as it seems – is the ONLY GUY on Game of Thrones that isn't an asshole! Gendry is a bastard son of King Robert Baratheon, but is unacknowledged and unaware of his lineage. Which means that technically, Gendry is more of a legitimate heir to the throne than that incest-bred asshole, Joffrey. Also the fact that Gendry isn't aware of his parentage makes him less of a jerk than the other men on the show. He is a man of principals, and when he discovers who Arya Stark really is, he treats her with the upmost respect and says to her, "You wouldn't be my family. You'd be my lady." Which is the nicest thing any man on this show has ever said to another female cast member when you think about it. And where do these nice guys go for college? Colgate University! Colgate is notorious to be a hub for attractive and fun groups of people. Everyone at Colgate is smart and driven, and even as they attend their classes and submit their homework, Colgate students still manage to have a good time. So while Gentry travels north on the Kingsroad with the other recruits for the Night's Watch, he manages to display some optimism by befriending Arya. Hell, he even goes out of his way of being a complete gentlemen and standing up for Arya when some of the boys in Kings Landing harass her about her sword. So even though Gendry might have a bounty on his head for being Robert's bastard son, Gendry still manages to have some fun and be serious about his future at the same time. It's called being well-rounded, and that's exactly what Colgate students are.

Arya Stark It is obvious to say that if Arya Stark should graduate from college, she would receive her bachelors is badassery and swordsmanship. In her own right, Arya is a very strong and complex character. She deals with a constant struggle to find her own identity amongst the traditional gender roles of Westeros. She hates being a Lady, but finds a deep love for swords and all things dangerous. Hands down, she's very intelligent but is mostly overlooked. Sort of how Rice University is viewed. But even though Rice bares a type of "overlooked quality," it is this trait that makes it one of the strongest and best universities in the nation. Rice, on average, has 3,810 undergraduates, which (when you think about it) is pretty damn tiny for a university. On average BIG universities such as USC or UMass have around either around 18,316 or 21,373 undergrad students. Yet, Rice is in the middle of Houston, Texas. So in a way, Arya herself is a small university living in the big world of Westeros. Even though Rice University is mainly well known in Texas, the university is quite well known by anybody who is affiliated with the "Top 20 College in the Nation" instead of the basic "Top Ivy League Schools." In other words, even though Rice is not a nation-wide household name, it is still known by anybody who recognizes Rice for what it actually is: a Southern Ivy League university. Yes, it's small (we've already established that), but Rice University is full of the same surprises that Arya has on Game of Thrones. She's overall, tough, a feature that makes Arya stand above all the rest of the characters on the show. She's not afraid to back down from anyone (just ask Joffrey) nor is she afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Her constant turmoil with Sansa stems from the fact that Arya knows Joffrey is a bad person, and resents her sister for not seeing it as well. So Arya makes her own identity for herself. Just like how the classes, research and extra-curricular opportunities, and closeness to professors, define the very identity of the very nature of what Rice University holds dear. The lesson to be learned is not to underestimate the little guys. Yes, Rice isn't Harvard, but it is without a doubt the Harvard of the South. 


Theon Greyjoy Remember this guy? Yeah . . .
So it is without question that Theon Greyjoy was once a party animal. And what better place for a party animal than USC, itself? After all, the University of Southern California IS a party in it of itself. Forming the backbone of the party scene, the USC frat parties are the predominant driving force of the entire university. Thursday nights are in general, their wildest nights of the week, with anywhere from 5-10 houses throwing the biggest parties in Southern California. But in every fraternity, there is always one house that makes a huge mistake of accepting that one person who – in the long-run – is just a total douchbag. This douchbag, would be Theon Greyjoy. Sure he starts off nice. I mean, when Bran is taken prisoner by the wildlings in the forest near Winterfell, Theon saves him by shooting the wildling leader. Good for him! What are the chances that HE is the person who'd you least expect to be downright awful? Sure, Theon is just a product of a hostage after his homeland of the Iron Islands tried to rebel against Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark. But I mean, Eddard did a nice thing of making Theon is ward . . . even though, yeah he was kind of still a hostage. But he has always been treated so kindly by the Stark family. They were basically his family, and he and Robb Stark became best buds! Theon did seem to have a relatively normal background as he grew up with the Starks. He was always good enough to hold a conversation, and on the surface, appear to be "just another dude on campus." Until, you know, he suddenly stabs you in the back. And once you have realized that Theon here has betrayed you and your (fraternity) house, you now suddenly recall that Theon did have a slight obsession with that "Rise of an Empire" class of his. But to be fair, you really didn't think nothing of his strange fascination with age-old empires. You just honestly thought that he was a nerd and not some kind of Benedict Arnold. But in the end, he got what he deserved. I guess now for next year's Halloween party, Theon can finally dress up as Justin Timberlake. Why? Because his dick is in a box. 


Joffrey Baratheon
Okay, okay, okay, I know what you're thinking:
Princeton is TOTALLY accurate for Joffrey.
So we can all agree that Joffrey Baratheon (aka, Lannister) is a bastard in more ways than one. Look at that smug little face of his! It's enough to make us want to bitch-slap him. But Tyrion Lannister already did that for us. Thank YOU Tyrion! In any event, Bitch-King here is far more than spoiled. Saying that he's entitled, loathsome, or insufferable, doesn't even cover it. Oh no, he is so much worse than that. He is cruel, sadistic and cowardly. Kind of like the academic system at Princeton. Grated, even though Princeton doesn't resonate THAT extreme to Joffrey's inhuman actions, the college has a way to get under your skin. For starters, the grade-deflation system is a pain in the ass for many Princeton students (like Joffrey). And even when you thought that getting into Princeton was the hardest part, the biggest challenge when you actually arrive to Princeton is competing with the other people who got into Princeton. Once you're in Princeton, you're still competing to be part of a certain clubs and spots teams. God, its like competing to become the Hand of the King! So even though Joffrey is King and feels like he is on top of the world, there are plenty of downsides to his reign. The biggest one in particular is the fact that nothing is what it appears to be. Yes, Joffrey does have the appearance of a fairy-tale prince, and yes, Princeton holds its own by being one of the best universities in the nation. But in the end, Joffrey is God-awful and Princeton still pits their students against one another to compete over who is the best. What both King and Princeton need is a little taming. Quick, get Margaery Tyrell on the phone!


Robb Stark Poor Robb Stark.
He never got to finish college because, well . . . you know why.  Special thanks to Claire Herlin, Lena Robinson and Emma Blades. 

How To Survive Sochi, Russia Through Vodka Shots

So it’s that time of year again.

What year you may ask?

Why, the year that we all gather together as a country and watch four people slide a large flat stone across an icy surface toward a mark . . . with brooms. 
The only way that this sport could ever be interesting if you add a cat to the sport, which if they ever did, would look something along the lines of this:
And it would be AWESOME!


Yes, the Winter Olympics are back and they are bigger than ever!

Sochi, Russia is hosting them this year and they have brought out the big guns.

The big ski slopes, the big expected pomp for the opening ceremonies, and of course, the big surprises when several journalists and Olympic athletes began to complain about the conditions in the Olympic Village and hotels.



For starters, in 24 hours alone 26,000 tweets have been sent using the hashtag #SochiProblems. And here are just a few of the things people had been reporting on when they had arrived to Sochi: 
On the bright side, Team USA won it’s first gold in the event of “Busting” when bobsledder, Johnny Quinn scored in the one meter door-hole that he had to create because he couldn’t get out of the poorly constructed bathroom:
With that being said, Russia has not been taking the criticism well. They claim that their Olympic image is being deliberately attacked by journalists, stating: 
Good job Russia!

Next time, when you’re mounting a defense of your country’s Olympic prep, may I suggest that you leave out the part when you say that you have cameras in everyone's bathroom? 


Just saying . . .

So with this many stories of Sochi’s uncompleted and unsafe facilities it has led many people to ask:

How would one survive in Sochi, Russia?

Well, my dear reader, my honest prescription, is vodka.

Scenario 1: Sochi Itself
First off, even though the winter Olympic Games are held in Sochi, Russia, that may not have been the best choice. The reason being is because Sochi is best known as a beach resort. It is also the warmest place in Russia and they have (and I kid you not) palm trees in this area!
So what possible justification did Russia have to pick Sochi for the Winter Olympics? 

Well, the answer is this guy: 
It turns out that Sochi is one of President Putin’s favorite vacation spots. 

Which seems like a legitimate enough reason to hold the Winter Games in that particular location. 

Furthermore, while cold temperatures, driving winds, snowy conditions bear down on many places back here in the states, those in Sochi are enjoying sunshine and 60-degree days at the Winter Olympics. 

Just to break it down for you, regardless of whether you live on the East coast or the West coast, Sochi, Russia is WARMER than where you are right now!!!

That's right!

While you’re out sloshing through snow and slush, or while the wind whips you in the face, or while your hair is wet, or while your fingers are frozen, or while your demeanor is broken, guess what?

There are dudes in Russia right now who are completely shirtless because it’s sunny and hot out.    
HOWEVER, that is not good news if you’re an Olympic athlete in Sochi.

If anything, this would be your worst nightmare. 

Glorious sunshine was to blame for a hole dug at the top of the women’s downhill course as temperatures rose to 61F. It got so hot on the slopes that athletes competing in the women’s downhill were forced to stuff snow down their suits just to cool down.

In fact, it has gotten so warm in Sochi, that their own snow for each of the Olympic venues began to melt. Thus resulting in Sochi’s last minute transportation of snow that they had to collect from the nearby Caucasus Mountains.

So if you’re an Olympic snowboarder or skier, you might want to trade in that snowsuit in for a bathing suit.  
RECOMMENDED PRESCRIPTION: 

4 shots of vodka to get you tipsy enough to make you believe that you’re actually competing in the Summer Olympics. 
Scenario 2: The Beds in the Sochi Olympic Village

So picture this:

You are on Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team.

You weight at least 234 lbs (or more) and you’re 6’4 (or more).

You arrive to Sochi’s Olympic Village and when you open the door to the room that you will be sleeping in for the next two weeks, you find this:
It’s just like summer camp all over again!

There’s a small twin bed, a nightstand and little else for a standard triple. 

But then again, THESE ARE BEDS FOR 234 LBS HOCKEY PLAYERS!

This isn’t even the best part.

Hockey player, Zdeno Chara is the tallest player to ever play in the National Hockey League. He clocks in a 6’9. Such measurements require certain accommodations for this guy. Bigger sticks, more firmly fitted equipment.

Oh, and apparently, hotel beds with extensions like this one below: 
And guess what?

There’s no heater either.

Have fun!
RECOMMENDED PRESCRIPTION: 


9 shots of vodka to help you muster up the courage to ask the fellow athlete next to you if they are willing to snuggle with you for body warmth. You will not want to remember this. 



Scenario 3: The Sochi Hotel Rooms 


Recently, journalists have taken to the social media showing the conditions at the Sochi Olympics. While much of the complaints could be somewhat biased, how do you explain to someone that your doorknob to your hotel room came off? 
The only explanation that I could think of is if the doorknob to your hotel room is missing, then it must mean that it had been bartered for light bulbs. 
That is until the power goes out. 
Or the water main breaks . . .
If all four of these things happen to you, then boy are you totally screwed.
RECOMMENDED PRESCRIPTION : 


2 bottles of vodka so that you can trade them in for a new doorknob and a light bulb. 
Scenario 4: Pink Eye 


Remember this guy?  This is Bob Costas. He was covering the Winter Olympics until he dropped out because of a nasty eye infection.   

Which looked something along the lines of this: 
When NBC’s Olympic coverage began on Thursday night, viewers across the country were likely asking themselves the same thing: Why does he resemble so closely to Mr. Peabody and Sherman? 
As it turned out, something seemed wrong with Costas’s left eye and then it spread to his right eye a few days later. The infection forced Costas off the air for six nights straight. According to reports he was suffering from “a sensitivity to light and blurred vision that made it impossible to work.”

Almost as much as anything that happened in the various Olympic venues in Sochi, Costas’s eyes were the talk of the first week of the games. 

Luckily no other reports of pink eye have been brought to light, but it’s still a scary thought to catch pink eye in the middle of Russia of all places. 
RECOMMENDED PERCEPTION: 


4 bottles of vodka. Better to go blind than to go to a Russian hospital. 

So if you ever make any plans to travel up to Sochi, Russia, just remember that there is a way of surviving it.

Except for this:
RECOMMENDED PRESCRIPTION: 

3 cases of vodka to help you try to forget that there is a picture of Putin next to your bed. 

(Not guaranteed to actually work)

The Top 10 Things To Look Forward To in 2014

CONGRATULATIONS!!!


If you’re reading this, then it means that you’ve survived your first couple weeks of 2014!


Good job!


But now that you’ve had a few days to adjust to the new year, you’re also probably struggling to adjust to the way that you now have to write the dates in the top corner of your homework. 
But that’s the least of your problems.


After all, what does this new year bring in for us?

Mostly the good stuff, like movies, TV shows and entertainment.


So before you accidentally write 2013 – again – on your homework, here are the top 10 things that you should look forward to in 2014:


#10
Simon Cowell becoming a Dad  Why Should You Look Forward To This:


Can you even imagine that stern-faced reality judge changing any diapers? 

First off, you have to understand that this news is bigger than Kanye and Kim’s baby, because the baby mama is Simon’s former friend’s wife, which can only mean so much drama. 

And if you’re the generation that had started watching American Idol from the git-go, you know what Simon is like. But a lot has changed for the 54-year-old who is anticipating fatherhood in February with his girlfriend.   

According to sources, Simon has been reported as being “soft” as well as “better looking” than ever since the baby’s announcement. 


So does this mean that Simon might finally stop being a Grinch on the X-Factor?


Maybe not.


But it might be likely that we’ll see less of this from Simon:   
And more of this in the New Year:  #9
Lady Gaga's New Tour Why You Should Look Forward To This:


Because it’s Gaga!
Need I say more?

According to reports, Lady Gaga will kick off her tour – dubbed “ArtRave: The ARTPOP Ball” – on May 4th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

But here’s the main reason why you should jump at the opportunity to see her perform live: 

Earlier last year, Gaga was forced to abandon the stage due to a hip injury. With that news in mind, Gaga unveiled the dates for her anticipated new outing which is slated to run through July 21st. This will be her first full and official tour since coming out of surgery. 

In addition, if your someone who has never seen a live Lady Gaga concert, nows your chance!

First off, Gaga’s concerts are unexpected delights, i.e. great singing, dancing, costumes and even some bizarre moments. She connects her audience with frequently personal statements, and by the end of the night, you feel good about who you are.    


So all in all, if you do get a chance to see Gaga live, you’ll without a doubt get to experience this: 
And this:  And especially this:  #8
Peter Capaldi's first season of Doctor Who Why You Should Look Forward To This: 


To all you Whovians out there, Doctor Who fans have officially said their goodbyes to the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith in the 2013 Christmas Special. It is highly expected that the new doctor will be different to his 31-year-old predecessor Matt Smith. After all, in the past, fans were exposed to more younger and puppy-dog like Doctors (Tennant and Smith) but now the show’s head writers are promising that Capaldi’s Doctor will be an “old beast” with a “bite.”   


It’s no surprise that Capaldi might seem familiar to Doctor Who fans, even before he was announced as the 12th Doctor. He was already on Doctor Who in the episode, “The Fires of Pompeii.”   
And he was also John Frobisher in the Doctor Who spin-off series, Torchwood.
But besides appearing in Doctor Who and Torchwood, Capaldi is most known for his memorable role as the always angry Malcolm Tucker in the popular British sitcom, The Thick of It. 

So just to give you a quick perspective, this is what Peter Capaldi would be if his character, Malcolm Tucker was the Doctor: 
Well said Capaldi.


#7
House of Cards (Season 2)  Why You Should Look Forward To This:

Powerful enemies threaten to expose Congressman, Frank Underwood’s political dirty laundry in the upcoming season of House of Cards on February 14th. After conniving his way into the vice presidency, Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his wife, Claire (Robin Wright), must find ways to hide their dark secrets in the new season. 


If you haven’t seen it (which you really should) the first season was chilling, featuring the most unforgettable characters. Now, at least another 13 episodes are on their way, we will soon be able to appreciate Frank’s smartass monologues as he climbs his way up the ladder of power.  
 But you have to understand that this is show is full of bad people. People that we love to hate. What’s great about the main character, Frank is that the viewers so easily fall for his Southern Carolina charm and charisma. He’s smooth-talking and has a soft side. 
He has the viewers eating out of his hand and then, BAM, he’s slapped with the title of “murderer.” But you still love the guy. It’s nearly impossible to hate Frank with his quips and honest facial expressions, making the viewers laugh even in the darkest moments of the show. House of Cards presents to you the perfect bad guy who continuously baits the audience only to have them coming back for more.   
#6
Veronica Mars Why You Should Look Forward To This: 


For those who don’t know, Veronica Mars used to be a television series back in 2004 during television network UPN’s final two years, and ended on May 2007 after a season on UPN’s successor, The CW. The series was set in the fiction town of Neptune, California and stared Kristen Bell as the title character, a student who progresses from high school to college while moonlighting as a private investigator. After the show’s cancelation, it had a huge follow up, and fans were begging to bring the show back on the air. Only, the creators of the show did something different.

They set up a Kickstarter account to rally money for a Veronica Mars movie. That’s right. The entire movie was financed solely by donations. And fans clamored for the project to be fully funded within 10 hours.    

The movie picks up 10 years later from where the television series ended, featuring the entire cast from the TV show. 


#5 
Orphan Black (Season 2)
Why You Should Look Forward To This:

The first season of the BBC’s cloning conspiracy thriller, Orphan Black is one that everyone needs to pick up on. In just 10 episodes, Black has become the newest scifi obsession. The show stars Tatiana Maslany as – well – everyone in the entire show. But initially, the show centers on Sarah Manning, an orphan who has just returned to Toronto to be reunited with her daughter, Kira. But as soon as she arrives, Sarah witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks exactly like her. Desperate for money and an escape from her drug-dealing ex-boyfriend, Sarah steals her dead doppleganger’s identity, conning everyone to think that she is the other woman, Beth. But as she delves more deeply into Beth’s life, Sarah learns a shocking secret: she and Beth are clones, and there are a whole lot more of their genetic identicals running around.  


What’s more, the characters of the clones are so distinguishable and so different from each other, but they’re all played by the same person, which is amazing!   
 Then there’s Felix, who is the best person on the entire show for his snappy comebacks comic reliefs:  
And this:  #4
Captain America – The Winter Soldier  Why You Should Look Forward To This: 

Since Thor: The Dark World was a critical and financial success for Marvel, more pressure has been put on their next cinematic effort, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. 

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. He joins forces with the Black Widow, while struggling to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn.   

Also, he’s wearing a new uniform: 
And this scene was really cool in the trailer: 
#3
Divergent  Why You Should Look Forward To This: 


Based on the best-selling series by young adult novelist Veronica Roth, Divergent takes place in a futuristic version of America where people are divided into five different factions based on their personalities. On the day of their choosing ceremony, Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) finds out she is Divergent and can never fit into any of the five designated factions. Armed with the dangerous knowledge that she’ll never fit in and the discovery that there is a secret conspiracy aimed to destroy all Divergents in existence, Tris must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late. 


And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, the movie has Theo James: 
Who apparently does this in the movie: 
Oh, and he was also in Downton Abby:
#2
Game of Thrones (Season 4)  Why You Should Look Forward To This:

Is that seriously even a question? 
It’s Game of Thrones! 

How can you NOT look forward to this?

This past Thursday, fans of the hit HBO series received some good news when it was finally announced that the show will be returning for Season 4 on April 6. Along with the premiere date, we learned that a Season 4 trailer would be coming on the evening of Sunday the 12th. 

Shooting the new season lasted a whopping 136 days before calling it a wrap, with shooting taking place in three different countries. Iceland, Croatia and Northern Ireland will all be in the backdrop when Game of Thrones returns to HBO.    

While book fans have a good sense of what to expect next season, Season 4 will answer questions that were hinted at the end of Season 3. Such as, what will now happen to Jamie and Cersei now that Jamie has returned to King’s Landing? What will happen to Brienne? Is Tywin Lannister still a dick to his own children? What will happen to Arya now that her brother and mother are now dead? And will Jon Snow ever find out who is mother is? 

But most importantly, will Tyrion Lannister still be awesome when Season 4 returns?  
#1
The Fault in our Stars  Why You Should Look Forward To This: 

Sixteen-year-old Hazel Lancaster is no saintly terminal cancer patient. She relies on sarcasm to get her through mind-numbing support group meeting until she meets Augustus Waters, who lost his right leg to osteosarcoma yet remains absolutely handsome. Their ensuing love story is as real as it is doomed. Based on the best-selling young adult novel by John Green, the film isn’t shying away from showing Woodley with her oxygen tubes.    

Much anticipation has been made for this book to movie film. And it looks like fans of the book are going to get the authentic romance that they’d hope for. And according to author John Green, who was on set while much of the movie was shot, the film is going to stick close to the book.  


So there you have it!
Enjoy the rest of 2014!

The Side Effects of Coming Home for the Holidays

So you’re a college student smacked dab in the middle of finals week. 

Since the very moment that you got here in September, you’ve been counting down the days, hours and minutes . . . 
You’ve even circled the date in your calendar over and over . . .
Because that time of year is coming . . . 
And it’s time to announce this to everyone of your college friends:    
So that you can FINALLY be reunited with your loved ones over the Holiday season:
But once your parents pick you up from the airport or the train station and bring you back home, you notice something. 


There is something different about the house, your parents, your friends and the entire town that you used to grow up in. 


You can’t really put your finger on it, but it almost feels like you ended up in a parallel dimension. 


Because you swear to God that when you left for college your room was painted an eggshell white instead of a lemon chiffon yellow. 


What’s going on? Why do you feel like every thing has slightly changed since you’ve returned from your first year of college?

Well my friend, from what you’ve been describing, these seem like the clear symptoms of coming home for the holidays.   

So if you have been diagnosed with this particular symptom, here are some things that you’ll most likely encounter after coming home after four long months:



1) YOU'VE CHANGED Obviously!

You’ve just spent four full months going out when you want, eating what you want, wearing what you want and doing what you want. 


And let me tell you something: YOU LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT! 


And while you might have felt slightly more independent during your senior year of high school, you’ve definitely become more freethinking and individualistic since starting college. 


So when you come home, you may not be aware that you’ve just spent four months of your life in a different environment, exposing yourself to different people and places. 


More so, that kid who walked out out the door to go to college will come back home as a totally different person. And while you may think that just because you did something in college that it then gives you every right to do that same thing at home. You have to be considerate of the fact that your newfound independence is also new for your parents as well. 


So don’t be surprised if your parents say no to driving out at 2 a.m. or drinking four Heineken bottles of beer before bed. In addition, it’s totally normal for your parents to ask you to wash the dishes after dinner and taking out the trash, even when every bone in your body is telling you not to. 




2) YOUR OWN PARENTS HAVE CHANGED But how?

How could the people who have raised you for your entire life suddenly change?

Did you forget that you left them to go to college?

Understandably, your parents had to adjust to your absence, so when you returned home and started to act more independently, your parents were also forced to adjust to your new sense of autonomy. 


They don’t know what your talking about when you say that, “You were dancing with Molly for the entire month of October.” They might ask about Molly and if she is a nice girl, which might lead into a very awkward situation. After all, you did say that you were seeing another girl by the name of Mary Jane for a while. 


Some things are inevitably going to need to work out when you return under your parents roof. Additionally, your parents really, really, really missed you. In fact, they missed you so much that they start treating this upcoming holiday almost as if it’s like baby’s first Christmas. So don’t be surprised if they start acting like it’s your first everything. First time back home, first time watching TV, etc. Your parents are going to be treasuring every moment that you’re here over the holidays before you go back to school. 


They may seem more talkative to you compared to when you lived with them as a senior in high school. In addition, as much as you would love to see your old high school friends again, your parents will be doing everything in their power to keep you a second or two longer just ask if you have been enjoying college. 


Just like how you want your parents to be understanding about your needs to reconnect with your childhood home, try to be understanding of their needs too.




3)  YOUR SIBLINGS HAVE CHANGED Whether they’re younger or older, your siblings may have to readjust to your presence.


Remember how you were the bossy one who always brought your siblings down with just a single word? 


Well, bad news for ya. Someone has stepped into your shoes and now you're the one who has been dethroned. 


You may want to strangle them, but just remember that you can always reclaim your right to be the king of the castle with a little patients a bribe here and there. 





4)  YOUR FRIENDS HAVE CHANGED So your best friends from high school are all planning to get together when you come back from school. When you arrive though, everyone seems so different. You feel like you are having dinner with a bunch of strangers rather than your Calculus math buddies. 


You always thought Britney had a strict rule when it came to alcohol, I mean you’ve never seen her drink a sip in your life. But now as you sit across from her, she is listing off all of the beverages she had chugged down during her first semester. 


You would never imagine in million years that Taylor would pledge himself to a fraternity. He always seemed like a quite guy, but you’re taken aback when he recalls his initiation ceremony and “the paddle.” 


You find yourself thinking just how much these friends of yours have really changed. But you also have to remind yourself that you too have changed as well since starting college. It’s only normal to expect that your high school friends are a little different than what they were before. 


And remember, that no matter how crazy you and your friends get, you’ll never lose the common thing that you share between each other: Calculus math. 





So all in all, you’re not crazy if you come home from your first semester of college to find that the people and relationships that you’ve established in high school have changed.    

If anything, it gives you a better sense of the world around you and what to expect in the future. 



So be happy with yourself about being back home:  
Be grateful that you are reunited with your family: 
Be satisfied with your siblings:  
Be crazy with your friends: 
And enjoy the holiday cheer: 

Everything That's Wrong Yet Right in The CW's Reign

Ever since I was in the 5th grade, I have always been obsessed with royal history. To this day, I am still fanatic. I’ve read all of Philippa Gregory’s books that covered the history of the Tudors and the Plantagerants, I even watched all five seasons of The Tudors when I was in middle school , I had just finished watching The White Queen on Starz and was in love when The King’s Speech won an Oscar for Best Picture back in 2011. 

So I know my stuff, and I always love it when movies and TV shows get made about these influential rulers in history. But most of the time they don’t quite live up to their expectations mainly because they are historically inaccurate on so many levels. The problem is that the writers will either leave a very crucial thing out that had a dramatic effect in European history, or they’ll get the name of a historical figure wrong just to simplify the plot for the audience. 

Or worse, they make up a fictional character who never even existed just to make the plot more interesting!

In the end I just glare at my TV in anger for this lack of accuracy. 
So when it was brought to my attention that The CW was going to be airing a television program that centered around the early life of Mary Stuart (AKA Mary, Queen of Scots) two things came to my mind.

The first was: 
The second was: 
Because, let’s be honest here for a moment.

It’s The CW!

The only reason why royal historical pieces on shows like Showtime, HBO and Starz, are successful is because of . . . sex.

Down and dirty sex. 
Only for Showtime they tend to show more boobs than sex scenes from time to time.

For instance, when watching The Tudors, are you thinking about how Henry VIII (AKA Jonathan Rhys Myers) will succeed in handling the Protestant Reformation? 

 OF COURSE YOU’RE NOT!

All you think about whenever you watch The Tudors is when the next time Henry will be getting it on with Anne Boleyn! 
So I was a little wary about how The CW would be pulling off a TV show about Mary Queen of Scots. After all, when you think about it, TV shows who have adopted royal historical figures for their program are TV shows who show more skin, more historical background (although who really pays attention to that stuff?) and more costumes that date back to that era. More so, these types of programs are targeted mainly to adults rather than teenagers. 

But before the TV show even aired, I did some research on the show itself and was disappointed with what I found. 

There were many medias sources who were criticizing the show for its inaccuracy. 


And when I say inaccuracy, I mean the ENTIRE SHOW itself is inaccurate. 

The costumes are entirely wrong, the historical characters did not even come close to coinciding with the people that they were historically interpreting, and they made up a character who obviously was never alive during this time period at all.

Although, he is very cute to look at:     
Then I realized:

OF COURSE!

We’re talking about The CW here!

The station that got you hooked on The Vampire Diaries, Arrow, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, America’s Next Top Model, and of course, THESE guys:
They’re notorious for airing shows with beautiful clothes, cliché characters and gorgeous men! Have you seen what these guys look like?!
How is it that their abs are so perfect?!

Anyway, back to my main point: The CW gives very little care into their accuracy of historical period dramas. After all, in the show, they play contemporary pop music (which actually isn’t all that bad).

So in the whole grand scheme of things, the show really does a successful job drawing in their younger teenage audience, but they also do a poor job satisfying the gun-ho royal history buffs (like myself) by eclipsing the historical themes with metallic botanic accessories and “pretty” clothes. 

All in all, from a historical point of view let me first explain why the show is completely wrong in the first place:


1) In the show, England never shows any interest in having an alliance with Scotland. They only want to invade the country. 
FALSE In 1543, King Henry VIII of England proposed a marriage between Mary (who at the time was only six months old) and his own son, Prince Edward hoping for a union of Scotland and England known as the Treaty of Greenwich. However, the treaty was later rejected by the Parliament of Scotland when Cardinal Beaton (who is never mentioned in the show) pushed for a pro-Catholic and pro-French agenda, which angered Henry because the purpose of the treaty was also to break the Scottish alliance with France. 


Also, at that time, England was a Protestant country and everyone basically hated them.




2) Mary spent the first twelve years of her life in a nunnery before officially moving to the French court.
FALSE Mary was NEVER EVER in a nunnery! In the show, they state that for Mary’s protection, she lived in a nunnery for a majority of her life, before she moved to the French court after a failed assassination attempt on her. This also never happened. Any mention of a nunnery happened when the Scots suffered a heavy defeat at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh. Mary’s guardians turned to their ally, France for help. The French King, Henry II, proposed to officially unite France and Scotland together by marrying the young queen to his three-year-old son, Prince Francis. In return, France would supply Scotland with military help against the English. When the Scots agreed to the marriage, the Scottish Parliament signed the French marriage treaty at a nunnery. Meanwhile, Mary was moved to her safety at Dumbarton Castle, which was near the nunnery that the treaty was being signed.        



But to clear, SHE WAS NEVER IN A NUNNERY!




3) In the show, Mary arrives to the French court when she is around sixteen or seventeen years of age. FALSE After Mary’s marriage agreement was in place, she was sent to France at the age of five. She then spent the next thirteen years there at the French court.




4) Mary had four friends named Kenna, Lola, Greer and Aylee, who were also her ladies-in-waiting. FALSE . . . well, kinda Okay, so Mary did have four ladies-in-waiting that she brought over to France but they were all named Mary and they were referred to as the “four Marys.” These Marys were girls Mary’s own age, who were the daughters of some of the noblest families in Scotland. Not only did these four girls tag along with their young queen, but also two of Mary’s illegitimate half-brothers as well.




5) Prince Francis was a beautiful handsome gent like this: 
FALSE If you already have your heart set on this guy, get ready for some serious bad news. Francis was a sickly and weak-willed young man. And (SPOILER ALERT) he died of an ear infection two years into his marriage with Mary. 

Out of all deaths you can image, you have to agree that that's a pretty lame way to go. 




6) Francis had a half-brother named Bash: FALSE As I said before, and I will say it again:


THIS GUY NEVER EXISTED!!! 

Granted, Francis’ father, Henry II had three illegitimate children, although they are never mentioned on the show. 


Can we just take this time stare at him for a moment?  





As of now, these are the only things that I can think of when it comes to nit-picking the show. Historically, the show is completely wrong.


However, so far what I am noticing is that The CW is using these historical characters to their advantage by creating their own story arch (despite the inaccuracy) a to make the show more interesting for their viewers.


And it’s working. 


As I said in the beginning, The CW draws their audience in with their formula of hot guys (check), beautiful clothes (check) and a knack for having the viewers care about the characters on their shows (check, check). 


It is these factors that get their viewers addicted to their shows. 




So putting the historical inaccuracies aside for a moment, let me now explain why this show might just be a genius move by The CW:


1) The Lumineers grace the show with its folk music in the 1557-set background.  Who doesn’t love The Lumineers? How many times have you caught yourself humming “Ho Hey” to yourself as you type your homework on your computer? The band does all their music to every episode of Reign, and what makes it great is that it’s not overdone. They chime in with soft melodies and even usher in playful tunes that goes great with each scene that is shared.




2) The Clothes! Yes, I can use this time to criticize the fact that the period clothes in this show are wrong, but honestly, I don’t seem to have a serious problem with it. Granted, the clothes in the show are obviously period-inspired, but not over the top distracting Renaissance. Perhaps the clothes are suppose to look a little modern so that the viewers could incorporate a contemporary feel in the costumes. Knowing the network and the show’s demographic, it makes sense to keep the costumes fun but not strictly accurate to sixteenth century fashion. 


Although my friend Lena, has a serious issue with this. Hi Lena!



3) They’re some freaky things going on in this show!
More specifically, there is a castle ghost in the show, and neither Mary nor the viewers know if it’s a figment of Mary’s own imagination, or an actual apparition. This ghost shows up in random times and places with the purpose of helping Mary survive in the French court. It does seem silly – a castle ghost, come on – but believing it or not, this character plays an important part in the TV show that leads the viewers in suspense over the destiny and demise of their heroine, Mary.   


4) BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!



Need I say more?

I’m just going to leave this here for you to enjoy.
Oh, you’re back. 

Good.

So that’s pretty much the good and the bad that I have with Reign. 

It’s totally in accurate, but it does a good job appealing to its viewers. 

Overall, the show is a mash-up of Gossip Girl, Game of Thrones and The History Channel. 

Is that a bad thing?

Not necessarily. 

If anything, Reign is a perfectly respectable period YA soap that might have some potential with its viewers if continuing to be done right.

Also, headbands.

Lots and lots of headbands in this show for some apparent reason.  

Why Mountain Day is the Best Day Ever!

So I go to an all women’s college in New England, and as being one of the oldest colleges in the nation, it has many traditions. 

There’s September Convocation in which everyone dresses up in their class colors and gathers in the amphitheater to celebrate the beginning of the new academic year. In my case (since my class color is blue) it gives my classmates a legitimate excuse to dress up as the following: A Smurf, someone from Avatar, the Cookie Monster and of course a Blue Man Group groupie. 
Then of course there are M & Cs, in which all residential halls provide the students with milk and cookies as a study break several nights each week. But sometimes we get ripped off. And instead of coming downstairs at nine o’clock at night expecting to find freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, we end up finding carrots and other “heathy supplements.” 
But the most treasured of all traditions that is held at my school, is Mountain Day. 

But Jacqueline, what is this mysterious Mountain Day that you speak of?

Well fine reader, sit back and let me tell you the amazing tradition of Mountain Day:

This is Lynn Pasaquerella.
She is the president of my college.

Why am I showing you a random picture of her?

Because she decides when Mountain Day happens. 

That’s right.

There is no set date for Mountain Day, because NO ONE KNOWS WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN!

Except for Lynn. 
Look that that amazing smile!

When the fall weather sets in and students are in a rush to study for their midterms or write up their papers, Lynn will unexpectedly cancel classes FOR THE ENTIRE DAY!

And let me tell you, when you hear the bells ringing at seven o’clock in the morning announcing that it is Mountain Day you are like: 
And then you and your friends are like:  And then all of your professors are like:  It is seriously like waking up and finding out that it’s Christmas morning in July.

But with all of your classes canceled and your day all freed up, what exactly do you then do with yourself?


Well, traditionally many students enjoy outdoor activities, in particular, hiking up a mountain. (Because if you didn’t catch it beforehand, the name of the day is MOUNTAIN Day). 

But sometimes students use this day to go into town, do a little shopping and not have to worry about studying for that upcoming Art History exam that got pushed two days back. 


Talk about getting lucky.
So for you to understand the full experience of waking up and finding out that it’s Mountain Day, put yourself in my position:

You’re a twenty-year-old college student who has three midterms in a row this week.

The pressure is on!
Your social psychology midterm is tomorrow and you head off to bed to get a good night’s sleep. 

At around 7 a.m., the next day, someone sends you this text message:
You respond:  With this face:  And then you proceed to try and fall back asleep. 


But for some odd reason you just can't.


So instead, you check your newsfeed on Facebook only to find this:  It's like an infection. Everyone is speading the news that it's Mounatin Day. 


And then you end up liking every single post that has some reference to Mountain Day:  MEANWHILE . . . your phone is having a seizure, because all of your friends have heard the news that it’s Mountain Day too and keep texting you:  
And you then respond with snappy combacks like:  OR . . . But most likely . . . While laying in your bed, tired and content that it’s Mountain Day and that you don’t actually have to get up for that 8:35 class that you have every Tuesday and Thursday.


 MEANWHILE . . . you tell your roommate the good news!


It’s Mountain Day!

And the first thing that she does is look at you in disbelief, unsure if you’re crazy or not:
Followed by:  And then after realizing that you are absolutely serious, you both freak out over the fact that it’s frick’n Mountain Day and that you don’t have to get out of bed.
This excitement last for a good nine seconds before your roommate then decides to go back to sleep: 
Most likely, you end up not going back to bed. 


There’s just so much free time in the world on this very special day. 

You could catch up on your homework.


Read that book that you’ve put off over the summer.

Revise your resume. 

Finally get around to curing cancer.

You know, productive things, right?
Okay, so maybe you don’t get around to finishing your homework for tomorrow’s class or find the cure for cancer.

But the other possible thing that you could do is climb the mountain with you and your friends. Like what you guys did your freshmen year last Mountain Day. 
So in reality what do you do with all this free time if you have decided NOT to climb the mountain on Mountain Day? 

Well for the first two hours you're bored out of your mind until one of your friends calls you up. 

You both exchange ideas on what to do now that classes are canceled, until your 
 friend has an idea that fully catches your attention: 
Usually it will involve going to the mall and spending the entire day with your friends.
So when you hear those bells, put aside your homework and enjoy the fall weather.

Go on a hike, have a picnic with friends, or just relax out in the sun with a good novel.

Mountain Day is YOUR day!

You Should Drop Out of College

Why should you do this?

Don’t ask me, you’re the one reading this blog.

For the record, I’m not exactly telling you to drop out of college, I’m just simply suggesting that you should.

Especially since most of you have already returned to your designated college, or have just started your first year as a freshmen at UC (Fill in the blank) or UMass (Drop College Name Here).

There’s a difference.

But just to make it more fun, I’ll tell you the three pros and cons of dropping out of college and you can go on ahead and make up your mind afterwards.

Deal?

Deal!

Cool.


Number 1:

Pro: You Will Have More Free Time!

College is just too damn hard. Even the very thought of midterms and essays makes your blood boil. Wouldn’t it be better if you just didn’t have to do anymore work?

Like . . . NOTHING!

Your day will be full of adventure!

You’ll finally be free!

Free as a bird!

Grades won’t define you. You’ll be your own person for once in your life and not be enslaved by those textbooks that you rented for $600, right?

You DID rent them, didn’t you?

Seriously, those professors made you BUY those damn text books?

What do they think your made out of? $100 bills?


Con: You’ll Burn Yourself Out

Sure it will be fun for the first month or so without being tied down to college, but eventually, let’s face it: You’ll end up becoming extremely bored.

Like, hair-pulling bored.

Then what will you do?

You’ll just be known as another college drop out.

For all you know, you never got your degree in anthropology because you lost your interest in attending Anthro 101.

It was just SO . . . FAR . . . AWAY . . . and your bed was more cozy than stepping out into the chilly morning air.

And then after you’ve had your time in the sun – after you dropped out of college and survived your angry parent’s rant about how you disappointed them – you most likely will get stuck in a dead-end job with no advancement opportunities in sight.

What then?

Obviously, you look for someone to comfort you, and EVERYONE knows that the only person who will ever understand you, is Netflix.

But even Netflix isn’t enough to cure your boredom and failures.

Because, as much as binge watching Orange is the New Black sounds appealing, you’re going to have to come to the painful truth that even though Netflix has almost everything, it doesn’t have that ONE PARTICULAR SHOW OR MOVIE that you were looking for to begin with.

That’s when you regret not buying a subscription for HBO Go.


Number 2:

Pro: No More School Stress!

Remember that teacher you hated in high school who told you to read a book about that kid in the Rye that Caught things?

It was written by some dude named J.D. Salinger?

No, you don’t remember?

Okay, well just to sum it up, the main character leaves his boarding school and stays in New York for three days. The book was to show how young people everywhere, felt themselves pressured to grow up and live their lives according to the rules.

To put it simply: The main character thought that this rule was stupid, and decided to do whatever the hell he wanted.

He didn’t give a care in the world what happened to him just as long as he got out of that place.

Because in relation to this main character, it wasn’t just the school stress that got to you, but also the social stress and the stress from others who held high expectations of you.

You felt alienated within a heartless college.

You were beset on all sides by what you should or shouldn’t do.

And most importantly, someone would always be chewing gum in the seat next to you during a “very important lecture.”

You needed to get out of here – NO – you HAD get out of here.

Of course if that kid in that book got out okay, so can you.

I think his name was like Hold’em Cauliflower.

I don’t know, it was YOUR job to read that book in the tenth grade!


Con: Where Exactly Will You Go?

Yeah, Hold’em Cauliflower left his school and lived in New York, but it was only for a total of THREE DAYS!

And then you perform the ultimate walk of shame by returning to the college that you vowed you would leave behind for the rest of your life.

Good going.

But truth be told, where exactly would you have gone?

Your creepy old Aunt Sally’s house down the road?

Some friend of a friend who knows a guy who knows someone’s cousin who is renting out his sketchy basement?

Would you really be up for that?

Then again, if you really do feel like pulling a Hold’em Cauliflower and staying in New York for three days, just remember not to invite a prostitute up to your room.

It case you’ve forgotten, it didn’t go so well for him.

The poor bastard didn’t even get laid!

Number 3:

Pro: No More Gross Dorm Life!

You won’t have to wait for that asshole Niki for the shower anymore!

You remember Niki, that person who ALWAYS takes the last shower stall in the communal bathroom, forcing you to wait your turn until the next available stall is open.

Well if you dropped out of college, you won’t have to endure waiting any longer.

You’ll be reunited with your precious shower – after your parents are done yelling at you that you dropped out of college of course.

You’ll scamper upstairs and turn the shower on full blast and steaming hot.

And if the showers in the communal bathroom isn’t enough to get over about, just think, you won’t have to endure waiting in line and eating the school’s institutional food. Remember those beans that tasted like copper? Well who needs crappy college food when you’re at home eating some pure gourmet shit?

Nothing tastes better than mom’s mac ‘n cheese and dad’s rack of lamb when you swear off from eating college food for good.

Although, your parents might try to poison you out of uncontrollable rage, since you dropped out.

After all, they’ve spent so much money on trying to enroll you in school.

The least that they could possibly do to you, is kill you and then use the insurance money to pay off any loans or debts that you had towards the college.

Because, remember, you dropped out.


Con: You’ll Be Leaving Behind Your Friends.

Sure, you hate the work . . . like A LOT!

But you endure it anyway, even if it sucks.

And guess what?

Your friends are in the same boat as you.

They also hate their classes and complain about their professors.

In fact, that’s what all you guys have in common, which makes you great friends.

You share all of your stories with each other about how you didn’t understand a word in Professor X’s class, and how you missed the deadline for Professor Y’s class.

Yeah you cry about it, but then you later laugh about it.

Why?

Because you go through all the turmoils of college just to be with them.

You do it for them!

You sit down and you study for that midterm even if you want to kill it.

You stay in your crappy little college dorm because its the only place that you and your friends know and love. And even if your roommate Philomena is crazy as hell, you find the will to put up with her.

And you even tolerate Niki’s long showers and the crappy college food.

You do it all for your friends.

Because let’s be honest here:

Once the week is over and Friday evening has rolled in, you finish your homework, grab your friends and take over the entire weekend.

Yes, college can sometimes be a pain in the ass, but its at least bearable because you find your nitch of friends and you create your own rhythm of how you’re going to organize yourself for classes.

You will have good days, bad days, really bad days, and then really REALLY bad days, but just remember, you will look back on these memories as the best days of your life.

You’ll laugh about the time you forgot to study for that final for chemistry. Or how one of your professors made a face that reminded you of an ewok when she noticed that you had arrived late for class. Or even how you got wasted before a pop quiz and just drew pictures of bunny rabbits all over your paper.

So enjoy the ups and downs of college, because it will make you into a better and stronger person.

The choice is yours.

(And again, don’t invite any prostitutes up to your room.)