Laura Hoxworth

Do you remember when you first got your period? We certainly do.  

No matter how well your mom or those illustrated health books prepared you, back then, periods were a weird and scary phenomenon. Of course, at this point in our lives, we’re a little more used to the whole idea. But even though by now some of us have had our periods for almost 10 years (hard to imagine it’s been that long), that time of the month can still leave us with lots of questions. It’s often hard to know what’s normal (and what’s not)…and frankly, these aren’t questions that you feel comfortable casually bringing up while out for drinks with friends.   

Well, don’t worry. Her Campus is here to help! We asked college women across the country for their weirdest, most embarrassing questions about their periods so that we could find the answers. Remember, if you have any serious concerns about your menstrual cycle, only your doctor can give you the answers you need. But in the meantime, we did some research and talked to Lisa Jackson-Moore, M.D., an OBGYN working in North Carolina.   
 

Can you really get Toxic Shock Syndrome from leaving a tampon in too long? 

We’ve all read the warning signs on the back of every box of tampons, but Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a potentially deadly bacterial infection, can seem more like a myth than a real concern.  

I am six feet tall.
 
These are five very simple words. They’re also words that I find myself saying pretty frequently. But even though I’ve been six feet tall for several years now, these words haven’t always come easily for me. 
 
Ever since I hit my growth spurt the summer before 8th grade (and was suddenly about eight inches taller than most of my peers), I’ve dealt with insecurities about my height. Admittedly, most of it had to do with boys. My gangly, awkward teenage self was convinced that she would never find her Prince Charming when all the available boys were repulsed by her giant-like stature.

 
I’ve gained a bit more perspective since then. At 22, I can say that I’ve mostly overcome my insecurities about my height – but it wasn’t an easy process. Even now, those five words feel slightly heavy as I try to nonchalantly toss them into a conversation. I wonder if whatever oblivious acquaintance they’re directed toward can see past my confident tone to the layers of resentment, awkwardness and insecurity that rest beneath.
 
Before I come off sounding like a melodramatic heap of self-pity, I’d like to make it clear that I am aware this is a minor problem, as problems go. But it’s nevertheless one that I’ve been dealing with for most of my life, and it got me thinking: why is it that I found it so difficult to accept my above-average height? Do other women care so much about height in relationships? And why can’t we all just get over it?

What exactly makes a class difficult?

Is it a professor with indecipherable handwriting who mumbles through lectures and refuses to curve a test with a 47% average score? Is it hours upon hours of complex proofs or twelve-page research papers covering abstract concepts? 

There’s no exact science for makes a class tough. It’s all subjective, to a point – what’s a breeze for one student might be painful for another. But what we do know is that fighting through a semester with a truly difficult class is a rite of passage in college. The academics are supposedly why we’re all here, after all, and you can’t earn that diploma without putting in a little blood, sweat and tears. We can all relate to that one class that makes us feel like maybe dropping out and working at the local car wash wouldn’t be the worst idea ever. 

With that said, some classes are undoubtedly tougher than others. That’s why Her Campus wanted to know: What are the hardest college classes in the country? We talked to students, viewed grade distributions and scoured college rankings to find some of the absolute toughest classes out there. So the next time you’re up to your eyeballs in homework, cursing the professor who assigned you 60 pages of reading for one night, take a look at this list and thank the heavens your schedule doesn’t look like this: 

Those stereotypical butterflies in the pit of your stomach - we all know the feeling. Ever since that first middle-school “relationship” that lasted two weeks and consisted of several flirty AIM conversations and one lunch period spent holding hands, we’ve all become familiar with the language of a crush. My friends and I even expanded the parameters of the term in 7th grade, rating our feelings on a scale from “crinkle” (getting that slight tingly feeling when you pass by him in the hallway) to “smash” (a full-fledged, talk-about-him-in-code-names, giggle-every-time-you-see-him obsession). Now here we are, mature college women, and we still have those moments that make us feel like we’re back in middle school.
 
But what about him? You probably know whenever your female friends have it bad for some guy (and all about how that gorgeous blue sweater he wore to physics class made his eyes sparkle), but have you ever wondered what goes on inside a guy’s head when he’s crushing on you?