Ever since she picked up her tiny mic in 2020, social media influencer Tinx has been known as “TikTok’s older sister,” doling out sage advice about relationships, mental health, and life in general. But once upon a time (not too long ago!), Tinx was a college student herself.
Then known by her legal name, Christina Najjar, Tinx was a student at Stanford University who was navigating living in a different country (she was born in the U.S. but grew up in London), making friends, and everything else that comes with going off to college. Except, unlike today’s students, Tinx went to school before social media was a thing, so she had to do it all without the parasocial guidance of someone like… well, Tinx.
“We did it the old-fashioned way, without phones,” Tinx, now 36, tells Her Campus about her college experience. But despite the hardships, Tinx remembers those days fondly. That’s why her latest brand partnership got her genuinely excited. Working on the “Your First Time” campaign for Tide evo — Tide’s concentrated, waterless laundry detergent tile — Tinx is all too happy to be walking down memory lane with Her Campus to talk about her first time doing laundry and so many other fond memories from the glory days.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m sure you get brand partnership offers all the time. Why did this one stand out to you?
I just think back to when I was in college — my first time doing laundry and dealing with all the changes and all of the firsts. I mean, I moved to a different country when I went to college, so it was a lot. And I just think that if I’d had Tide evo back then, it would have been one less thing to deal with. I definitely had a lot of mishaps, including some laundry mishaps, in college. It just makes it so easy and foolproof. I just love how easy they’re making it. I’m all about efficiency. So that’s why I wanted to partner with them, because I think it’s a great product for busy people.
Aside from doing laundry, what’s another college first that really stuck out for you?
It was my first time living in America, so that was such a big change for me. I went from living in London to living in California, and I loved it. It was amazing to experience such a different vibe, but there were just so many firsts. Like, all of my friends thought I was like an alien because there were so many foods I’d never tried. Like a corn dog — I know that sounds crazy, but I literally had never tried one. We don’t have them in England. And so my friends were like, “Wait, what are you talking about? We’re going to the mall right now. You have to try one. We need to know your take.” I kind of wish TikTok had been around then because that would have been a really good series of me trying all these first things that I’ve never tried before.
You’re known for weighing in on interesting relationship dynamics. With that in mind, what are some roommate red flags that freshmen should look out for?
Anybody who’s not considerate of the shared space you have. So, if they’re leaving leftovers that are, like, 10 days old in the fridge or they are blasting the music when you’re trying to study, all those things are roommate red flags. The best way to get along with your roommate is to be respectful and mindful, even if you’re not their best friend. It’s important to be super respectful. And I was lucky: I honestly had really good roommates in college. I was in a triple one year, which is three girls in one room, and it was hard. It was, like, three sleep schedules, three study schedules, three sports schedules, but we were all just super mindful when we did go back to our rooms. It was like a quiet, safe space for us.
As the hot take queen of the internet, Do You Have a hot take about college life?
Gosh, I don’t know if it’s a hot take, but it truly is the best, and I would do anything to go back and relive it. I think it is such an amazing time to make friends and to also get to know yourself. Life moves really fast after college, so my hot take would be to really be present every single day. Don’t worry too much about what’s coming after college. Enjoy it and get to know people. You might surprise yourself with the friends you make and the things you discover about yourself.
So many young people who aspire to have a career like yours wonder whether they even need to go to college these days. What’s your take on that?
I think it really made me who I am today — it really made me spread my wings. I wasn’t confident before I went to college. I really didn’t know who I was or what I was interested in, and it was just amazing to discover myself. And I think so much of that I see in my career today. And so many of the friends that I have who have supported me in my career, I met them in college. I know that there’s this trend of thinking like maybe you don’t need it, but it is such a transformative, amazing experience. And if you can go, do it. I absolutely loved it.
If you could go back and live one perfect day of college, what would that look like?
OK, wake up not hungover. It’s sunny — UV 9. First class mysteriously canceled, you get an email that you got an A on your paper last week, your friends all want to go tan and have fun in the courtyard, and then you get an email that there’s a party tonight and you’re so excited. You eat college campus food with your friends, and you don’t even realize how bad it is because it’s all you know. And then you hang out with your friends, take pictures, and upload them to a Facebook album with, like, 400 pictures in it, and you don’t even understand that it’s embarrassing anymore. And go to the party and have the best time. That would be my best day.
I love it. Can I come too?
Yeah! Like, doesn’t that sound great? I’m like, can I be a college kid again? It’s the best.