Sarah Kahwash

You filled out tons of college apps, anxiously awaited decisions and deliberated your options for weeks. Now that you've finally chosen a school, you're done with all the decisions, right? Not quite. You may know where you’re moving this fall, but you still have to figure out who you're moving in with. Should you sign up to live with your best friend since daycare, or leave it up to a lottery? Choosing a roommate before stepping foot on campus may or may not be your best bet, so Her Campus has compiled the pros and cons to help with your decision.

Pro #1: You'll have the comfort of a familiar face in a brand new environment.
No matter how close to or far from home you'll be, living on a college campus is going to be an entirely novel experience—everything from the people you see to the food you eat will be new. And no matter how cool you think you are, everyone has Linus moments, and having a security blanket (like a roommate you already know) at college can be nice. Bridget Cohen, a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, chose a roommate she already knew through a mutual friend, then connected with her online: "My roommate and I chose each other via Facebook prior to college," says Bridget. "We started talking and had a lot of things in common … [Now] we get along really well as both roommates and close friends."

There you are, hanging out and enjoying your favorite movie, when a scene like The Breakfast Club’s dance montage or The Hangover’s ridiculous picture slideshow comes on and it hits you — that tinge of guilt you feel for failing to live life to its fullest, seize the day or whatever you choose to call it. The movies have a certain ability to make your youth and your precious college years seem like one non-stop celebration, but Her Campus has found a better, guilt-free way to make sure you’re taking full advantage of college. We’ve compiled the 50 things you’ve got to do before graduation day.
 

You’ve worked hard in class, stayed up late nights and survived the bitter cold all semester. Spring break is finally here, one full week of being lazy by day, making memories by night, and not worrying about a thing — until you find yourself dealing with a stinging sunburn and a raging headache. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but while you can take a break from a lot of things — tests, papers, problem sets, office hours — staying healthy isn’t one of them. Read on for tips on how to avoid spring vacation’s most common health dilemmas.
 

Sunburn

After months of being covered up under layers clothing, your skin is ready to see the light of day again — preferably by tanning under the sun, in some equatorial country, at high noon. Sounds hot, right? Not so fast. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports several adverse long-term effects of repeated overexposure to the sun: skin damage, immune suppression, and skin cancer — the most common form of cancer in the U.S. But even if you’re thinking in terms of days and not years, don’t forget just how unpleasant sunburns are: they’re painful and itchy, and especially hurt under the sun or in the shower. On top of that, your ploy to get guys with a nice tan can backfire — there’s nothing attractive about a splotchy, peeling sunburn, and you’ll probably need to cover it up anyway. 
 

Beloved musician Tom Petty once gave this timeless advice to college students: “Stay out late… Spend money you don’t have. Drink ’til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does.” That serves as quite a little nugget of inspiration for nights we can’t wait to go out, but it makes missing one moment of socializing sound like the worst tragedy since Antony and Cleopatra. In reality, sometimes the better choice is to stay in. Want proof? Here are Her Campus’s 25 reasons you’re allowed to skip the occasional night out. The Roman gods won’t smite you, we promise.

First, take a look at some things you could do instead...

1. Catch up on sleep.
The New York Times reports that even one good night’s sleep can help you focus, keep off excess fat and even appear more attractive the next day. Sounds a lot better than falling asleep mid-DFMO, right?

2. Watch your favorite TV shows or catch up on all those new releases you've been eyeing on Netflix!

3. Cure your homesickness by taking a virtual trip home — look over high school pics, Skype your best friend and call your parents.

4. Read the most recent of Her Campus’s fabulous articles! You’re off to an excellent start.

5. Now that your roommate’s gone for a few hours, practice your moves like Jagger.

Staying in is a way to treat yourself...