College Lifestyles’ Summer Playlist

1. “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts
2. “Summertime” by Kenny Chesney
3. “Roots, Rock, Reggae” by Bob Marley
4. “Wrong Way” by Sublime
5. “West Coast Friendship” by Owl City
6. “Amber” by 311
7. “Billionaire” by Travis McCoy
8. “Six-Pack Summer” by Phil Vassar
9. “Collie Man” by Slightly Stoopid
10. “Sacrifice” by The Expendables
11. “Sugar Magnolia” by Grateful Dead
12. “So Much to Say” by Dave Mathews Band
13. “All I want to Do” by Sheryl Crow
14. “Redneck Yacht Club” by Craig Morgan
15. “Something Like That” by Tim McGraw

What are your favorite summer songs?

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org and follow her on Twitter to learn more about her career hunt and healthy lifestyle blog.

Graduation Day.

For you lovely undergraduate girls, enjoy these 5 random tips to help you make the most out of your remaining college years.

1.When It Comes to Cereal.. Use Portion Control

What’s your favorite type of cereal? How about irresistible Frosted Mini-Wheats, crunchy Cheerios, or good ol’ Captain Crunch? Lets just say I have a uncontrollable weakness for breakfast cereal… in fact in my terms it should be called “anytime cereal.” What sounds good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Why, a giant bowl of hearty and delicious cereal of course.

I will admit that because of cereal, I unfortunately gained the dreaded Freshman 15 which left me feeling pretty self-conscious about my body. Ever since then, I’ve made a huge effort to double check the nutritional information and portion size listed on the side of the box. When it comes to these tiny and crunchy forms of goodness, moderation is key my friends.

2. Don’t Drink the Hunch Punch

As wide-eyed and adventurous freshman, we are gullible for anything that college throws at us; whether it’s the cute boy down the hall or the bright pink hunch punch sitting out at your upstairs neighbor’s party. Whatever you do though, please don’t drink the hunch punch. Because the alcohol is masked by tropical fruity flavors, it may be extremely difficult to stop at just one cup.

The truth is that you never know what the goofy pair of college boys added to the hunch punch mixture earlier, and the side effects could be deadly. My freshman year, I bravely dipped my red cup into a bucket of seemingly innocent hunch punch, later to be diagnosed with an evil case of Mono. I spent my entire Spring Break sleeping and feeling like death while at home in bed. Case and point: Don’t drink the hunch punch.

3. Get an Internship… Pronto

We have all heard how terrible the economy is and to combat that, all you need to do is take on a few internships during your college career. Ideally before you graduate college, you should have had at least 2-3 internships. Dreaming of working for NBC one day? Then it’s best you apply to one internship locally in your college town during your freshman or sophomore year. You’ll have more of a chance to get hired on as NBC’s intern with one relevant internship already listed on your resume.

Apply to College Lifestyles’ Virtual Internship or checkout Intern Queen’s website to find the perfect internship for you. For those of you who are obsessed with social media, we recommend you read our helpful article on How to Find a College Internship on Twitter.

4. Don’t Pull All-Nighters

Uh-oh. It’s finals week and you have approximately 28 hours to furiously cram for your marketing exam. You have over 12 chapters to read in your hefty textbook and twenty pages of class notes to outline. Immediately you brew a fresh pot of coffee, plop yourself near the computer, and skim through your notebooks. By 3 AM you find yourself uncomfortably cross-eyed and doodling artistic palm trees and ocean waves in the margins of your book. If this study schedule sounds vaguely familiar to yours, we recommend you stop these procrastination habits right now. For two exams I’ve attempted the all-nighter method, and I can honestly say when I sat down to take the test my mind went completely blank.

So what’s the solution? About 2-3 days before your test, jot down a strict study schedule of what you need to have completed by a certain time. Your day should involve something like this: Wake up at 9am, eat breakfast, study, eat lunch, study, eat dinner, study, and then go to sleep at 11pm or Midnight. If you have a case of the late night munchies, read Shelly’s article on Top 3 Brain Foods for Students.

5. Try New Things

Whether that means food, clothing, a dance club downtown, or school organization… try new things. Make a college bucket list of weekend road trips to popular local landmarks and document your awesome trip in a Facebook album. I could go on and on about how exciting and worthwhile these random adventures will be for you and your friends, but you have to make the effort. Read Emily’s article to learn more about how to plan a fun and memorable road trip this summer. While you’re in college, always remember that life is a journey, not a destination.

What Other CL Interns Have Learned:

@KaitorTot: don’t always go out to have fun–movie nights in are just as (if not more) awesome! Red box + food + friends = memories

@Steph_Hardiman: Don’t listen to anyone else. Be who you are, do what you love, make a difference, change the world.

What random things have you learned so far in college?

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org and follow her on Twitter to learn more about her career hunt and healthy lifestyle blog.

Networking is an essential skill that becomes vitally apparent when you take your first step into the “real world.” To assist our lovely readers in the job/internship hunt, the #CLtwitter pitch was designed to build a network of intelligent and hardworking girls.

Twitter Pitch Job Seekers

@ShannonMay_: Self motivated Senior Marketing major & heallthy lifestyle blogger. Interested in a full-time sales/mktg position within the food industry.

@KaitorTot: Psych degree, great Soc.Media/journalism/PR internship experience, passion for entertainment/media, hard worker, looking for a SM/journo job

@SHARDSoFUN: Endlessly curious young journalist, hard worker with bizjourno experience (from top jskool) seeks journo job in Chicagoland

@bethesong: Hard-working and determined student with Irish and American education. Studying for Bachelor of Civil Law and looking to add to experience.

@KristiJensen: Degree in Political Sci. & Span., with Business Admin. background. Passion for politics. Interested in pursuing a career in Student Affairs.

@hannajnelson: Organized, creative, and resourceful communications senior! Hire me, I can help!

@kathyryndc: 4th yr needs sum/fall internship in ATL in pr/mktg, preferrably w/a non-profit and/or paid. I’m an AΦ, a Delta Sig sweetheart & a tour guide

Twitter Job Hunt Tips

For the wonderful girls who submitted their job pitch, we encourage you all to follow each other on Twitter and build your network that way. We also believe the 8 career savvy individuals listed below are extremely beneficial to follow throughout your Twitter job hunt:

1. @MonsterCollege: Helps recent grads and college students find their first entry-level job or internship. Monster College posts extremely helpful career related articles including: 10 Overused Phrases Interviewers Hate.

2. @InternQueen: Lauren Berger, the Intern Queen, completed 15 internships during her 4 years of college and wants to help students land their dream internship! Follow her for exciting internship opportunities and internship tips of the day.

3. @trifamenz: Are you interested in entrepreneurship? Navid Zolfaghari is a highly successful internet entrepreneur and CEO/Founder of TriFame. TriFame is an interactive website that allows users to submit and vote on user-submitted content in the areas of music, dance, and modeling. Who knows?  Maybe you’ll be the next big thing since Justin Bieber after you submit your material.

4. @mashable: If you want to be up to date with Twitter, social media, and the world in general, please follow Mashable. Here is one of my top favorite blog posts I discovered on their site: How To Find a Job on Twitter.

5. @LeadToday: Steve Keating of Lead Today posts inspirational messages about careers, leadership, success, and daily life. His tweets are always uplifting and give me something to look forward to every time I log onto my account.

6. @heatherhuhman: Helps Gen Y find internships and entry-level positions. Heather posts Weekend Readings that include all of the helpful and resonating information she’s discovered that week.

7. @linkedin_jobs: Review job postings on LinkedIn, a professional Social Media website that connects over 60 million members in over 200 countries and territories.

8. @CornOnTheJob: Rich DeMatteo is the creator of Corn On The Job and Founder/Co-moderator of #JobHuntChat. Participate in #JobHuntChat every Monday night at 10pm to network with business professionals all over the world!

Twitter Chat Schedule

Do you ever wonder what happens to your cover letter and resume after you submit it to a specific company? Does it sit lonely and idly in an HR’s email inbox? Well then we at College Lifestyles have some exciting information for you.

Now you can take a proactive stance in your job hunt with Twitter chats! Twitter Chats are the hot new thing for job-seekers that allow individuals all over the world to ask questions, post valuable information, and interact with each other via Twitter. Here is a Twitter Chat Schedule that includes over 100 Twitter Chats compiled by Robert Swanwick (@SpkrInteractive).

Scroll through the list, find 2-3 chats that are most intriguing to you, and join in their engaging conversation! Remember to include the specified hash tag in your tweet in order to participate in the chat. Are you currently searching for an internship? If so, then checkout Intern Queen’s #internchat Tuesday nights from 7-8pm.

If you’re interested in participating in our next #CLtwitterpitch, simply direct message your 140 character job pitch to @collegelifestyl. All it takes is one simple tweet to begin networking with some wonderful individuals.

Cheers to finding an internship or job!

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org and follow her on Twitter to learn more about her career hunt and healthy lifestyle blog.

1. Fedora

Lauren Conrad from MTV’s The Hills loves wearing Fedoras! So strut your stuff this summer and buy this Limited Woven Fedora from Forever 21 for only $12.80. You’ll be the most stylish gal on the beach or by the pool.

2. Cowgirl Hat

“And it’s two bare feet on the dashboard, young love in an old Ford, cheap shades and a tattoo and a Yoohoo bottle on the floorboard.” Is your iPod loaded with Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts songs like mine? If so, then this Mossimo Supply Co. Beaded Trim Cowboy Hat from Target is perfect for you! This cute cowgirl hat (yes, we realize we didn’t write cowboy ) is only $12.99 and will definitely keep the sun off of your face.

3. Wide Brimmed Hat

Want to be the Marylin Monroe on the beach this year? Then you should wear this earthy, yet glamorous Diamond Floppy Hat! This wide brimmed hat from Forever 21 is only $10.80 and is perfect for our fashionistas out there.

What chic beach hat would you choose to wear? I usually wear a baseball hat to the beach but I also love the cowboy hats too! For more fashionable beach ideas, check out Liz’s post on what to keep inside your Summer bag!

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org to share your favorite beachwear.

Here are our fabulous & updated styles from the movie:

Style #1: Classy & Fabulous

Pearl Collar, $15.80 Forever 21

Style #2: Strolling the town

Felt Floral Cloche Hat, $14.80 Forever 21

Style #3: Comfy & Mellow

Merona Wrap Hoodie, $19.99 Target

Style #4: Love at First Sight

Studded Trench Coat, $42.80 Forever 21

Style #5: Party Girl

Pleated Satin Tube Dress, $32.99 Charlotte Russe

Style #6: Young & Hopeful

Honey Comb Sweater Top, $24.80 Forever 21

Style #7: Beauty Sleep

Holly GoNightly Sleep Mask, $14 Fred Flare

Enjoy your Audrey Hepburn inspired looks!

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org to share your favorite classic and romantic movies.

1. Apply For a Summer Internship

What’s the best way to guarantee an offer for a real, full-time job after college? Having an undergraduate internship of course! If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with the internship application process, Lauren Berger is here to help you out. Lauren, also known as the Intern Queen, had a total of 15 internships throughout her college career and recently created her own company to help other students find internships. So what are you waiting for? Checkout the Intern Queen website and follow Lauren on Twitter to gain some practical experience and jump start your exciting career.

2. Take A “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” Inspired Road Trip

If I had to name my #1 guilty pleasure in life, it would have to be Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. Each week, Guy drives his slick red Chevrolet Camaro to various restaurants that serve everything from cheesy home style breakfasts to spicy fish tacos. For this spring break, call up your best friends and map out a three day road trip to see how many restaurants you can eat at that have been featured on “Triple D.” For a complete listing of the many hot spots Guy has traveled to, click here.

3. Have a ‘Girls Night In’ with Your Mom

For most college students, Spring break represents a week to get away from school work and hang out with friends. Unlike this spring break stereotype, whenever I go home, I love to spend time with my family and have movie nights with my mom. First you should decide on a quick and easy dinner that you can munch on throughout the movie. For my mom and I this either includes Chinese take-out or a $5 foot long from Subway. Mmm cheap and delicious! Next, pick out a $1 movie from your local RedBox. Because College Lifestyles lives by Coco Chanel’s quote “A Girl should be two things: classy and fabulous,” we recommend you rent the movie, Coco Before Chanel. Now it’s time to throw on your cuddly pajamas and enjoy movie night!

4. Give a Day, Get A Disney Day

“Just whistle while you work… ” This cherry, motivational tune may have helped you get through the beginning of your Spring semester, but now you can put it towards getting a free Disney ticket. Last year Disney gave a free pass to anyone on their birthday, but this year they decided on a more philanthropic campaign. Disney is encouraging families and friends all over the world to make a difference and take part in a volunteering event within their community. To get involved, all you have to do is search and sign up for a local volunteer opportunity on the Give A Day, Get a Disney Day website. Watch this cute commercial featuring Taye Diggs and the beautiful Miss Piggy herself to learn more.

5. Make a Homemade Slip ‘n Slide

Trapped in a landlocked state this spring break? Well don’t worry ladies because College Lifestyles is bringing the wet and wild beach to you. All you need is a big tarp, hose, and liquid soap for some instant fun. Spread the tarp out on your backyard and get your friends to help spray down the runway with water and soap. Now on the count of three, sprint as fast as you can and see how far you can slide down the runway!

Have a wonderful Spring Break girls!

Do you have any other inexpensive and fun spring break ideas?

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org to share your inexpensive spring break ideas.

Here are our Top 5 Ways for College Students to Go Green:

1. Choose an Eco-Friendly Cruise

Get excited girls because many spring break cruise lines have taken on the “Go Green” initiative. Carnival Cruise Line recycles as much of their used materials as possible, and disposes of the rest onshore. Unlike other cruise lines, Carnival doesn’t pollute the ocean with waste. Carnival also donates leftover cruise items such as shampoo, towels, and mattresses to local charities. Hop on board the right ship this spring break and sail away on an eco-friendly cruise line!

2. Mix & Match Your Swimsuits

Save some of your hard earned cash by mixing and matching the swimsuits you already have! Whenever I go to the beach, I love to wear my pink bikini top with my turquoise bottoms for a fun, fresh new look. If you are looking for a new suit, Target has affordable and vibrant ones that are absolutely perfect to mix and match.

3. Visit a Local Beach

What’s the secret to having fun at your local beach? Pretending like it’s an top secret, exotic location! Pack a picnic lunch, grab a beach umbrella, and lather on some sunscreen for a relaxing spring break adventure. You can even have a fun Victoria’s Secret-like photo shoot with your friends. Try out your best supermodel pose and take turns playing photographer. Remember to smile with your eyes like Tyra says!

4. Ride with the Windows Down

Alright girls, turn of the AC and roll down your windows because we’re going to save some money! Depending on the type of car you have, riding with the air conditioning on can decrease fuel efficiency up to 20%. Think of it as the perfect excuse to let your hair down and let it fly in the warm, almost-summer breeze.

5. Make a Meal Together with Friends

Going out to a restaurant can easily cost you $15 when you include an appetizer, meal, and drink. Save some money this spring break by grocery shopping and making a simple meal together with friends. Make sure everyone chips in and helps cook the dinner for a fun and memorable night. On the west coast, Fish Tacos are really popular and we’re hoping to make them just as trendy on the east coast. Here is a simple Fish Tacos recipe by Bobby Flay from the Food Network.

Choose to have fun and make a difference this spring break!

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org to share your eco-friendly spring break ideas.

At College Lifestyles, we recently discovered the extraordinary and healthy nut line of Sahale Snacks. Sahale Snacks (pronounced sah-HAH-lee) combines decadent and exotic flavors into their nut blends. One of the company’s motto is,  “Who says indulgent can’t be healthy?“

Here is our review of Sahale Snack’s Glazed Nut and Nut Blends Line:

Cashews with Pomegranate +Vanilla

These were so delicious! I’ll admit I am a huge cashew fan and could probably eat an entire container of them in two sittings. These Glazed Pomegranate and Vanilla Cashews completely hit the spot and would taste amazing as a late night study snack.

Nutrition Facts (Serving Size 1/4 cup): 150 Calories, 11g Total Carbs, 6g Sugar, 4g Protein

Valdosta Pecans with Sweet Cranberries, Black Pepper + Orange Zest

This southern inspired nut blend flavor had a very peppery taste to it. I think you’ll either love the subtle hint of black pepper, or hate it. For me the black pepper was a little too overpowering, but I did enjoy the dried sweet cranberries!  I wouldn’t buy these again because I like cashews and almonds a lot better than I do pecans. If you’re a pecan kind of girl though, these are definitely for you!

Nutrition Facts (Serving Size 1/4 cup): 130 Calories, 9g Total Carbs, 7g Sugar, 1g Protein

Almonds with Cranberries, Honey + Sea Salt

All I can say is that this glazed nut blend had me at hello. The combination of sweet and salty made my taste buds jump for joy as soon as I began snacking on them. The Orange Blossom Honey glaze is an exquisite ingredient that makes these almonds taste a million times better than the average, bland almond. Mix this delicious glazed nut blend into a warm bowl oatmeal  tomorrow morning for a healthy and satisfying breakfast.

Nutrition Facts (Serving Size 1/4 cup): 160 Calories, 8g Total Carbs, 6g Sugar, 5g Protein

Soledad Almonds Nut Blend

Almonds with apple, flax seeds, dates, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper.

This was the most interesting flavor out of all of the samples Sahale Snacks sent me! And when I say interesting, I definitely mean it in a good way. From the first bite, the Soledad Nut Blend tasted like an exotic, rare treat. The combination of spicy peppers and the sweet zing of dried fruits make for an amazing snack. The package says that this flavor is, “influenced by the heat of Mediterranean sun.”

Nutrition Facts (Serving Size 1/4 cup): 140 Calories, 10g Total Carbs, 7g Sugar, 4g Protein

Almond PB&J with Peanuts + Berries

It’s peanut butter jelly time! (peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly and a baseball bat!) Sorry, you knew it was coming. I suppose I had really high hopes for this specific flavor because of the many PB&J sandwiches I devoured throughout my childhood. For some reason, this flavor just wasn’t cutting it for me! Though the dried strawberries and raspberries tasted delicious, they were way too small. Also, a giant pile of sugar was sitting at the bottom of the bag which was disappointing. Overall I was just hoping the almonds and peanuts would have more of that PB&J flavor we all know and love. I do think these would taste great sprinkled over the peanut butter in a real peanut butter and jelly sandwich though. The more flavor and crunch the better!

Nutrition Facts (Serving Size 1/4 cup): 160 Calories, 7g Total Carbs, 6g Sugar, 6g Protein

Visit the Sahale Snacks website to learn more about their products and to see how they’re made. You can purchase their delicious nut blends exclusively at most Starbucks locations.

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org to share your favorite healthy snacks for college girls on the go.

We receive no gifts or compensation for reviewing these products. Our product reviews are based on our sincere personal opinion of the product.

We recently tried three of Amy’s most popular soup flavors. Here are our reviews!

Fire Roasted South Western Vegetable

Spice up your night with Amy's Organic Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable Soup. This soup is a healthy and satisfying choice for cold February nights.

Our Scoop on the Soup: Are you tired of your mom’s lifeless vegetable soup recipe? If so, then Amy’s Organic Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable Soup is going to rock your world. Be prepared for the feisty, spicy flavors of organic green chilies, organic fire roasted green bell peppers, and more. For college girls focusing on a healthy lifestyle, this soup is Vegan, Gluten-free, and contains 4g of Protein.  A serving size of this delicious soup is only 140 calories.

Ingredients: Organic fire roasted corn, onions and green peppers are combined with fresh vegetables and black beans, and mildly seasoned with green chiles and Southwestern spices

Hearty Spanish Rice & Red Beans

If you like a hearty soup, Amy's Organic Spanish Rice & Red Beans Soup is your new best friend.

Our Scoop on the Soup: When I sit down for a bowl of soup, the first thing I always look for is the heartiness factor. The heartiness factor is how undeniably rich, chunky, and filling the soup contents are. Amy’s Spanish Rice & Red Beans soup definitely delivers on the heartiness factor. In fact, out of the three soups, this flavor was definitely my favorite. This specific flavor of soup is Vegan, certified Kosher, gluten-free, and contains 5g of protein. One serving contains a delicious 140 calories.

Ingredients: Organic brown rice, organic red beans, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, corn and green chiles

Chunky Tomato Bisque

Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque is not like the tomato soup you're used to having. It's way better!

Our Scoop on the Soup: Did you grow up eating Campbell’s Tomato Soup? If so, then it’s time you upgrade to Amy’s healthier, more adult version of canned tomato soup. For 120 calories, this soup is gluten-free, kosher, and contains 2g of protein. It’s rich, creamy, and fifty times better than the average tomato soup. You don’t even need to add any milk or water to the soup contents before you zap it in your dorm microwave.  Overall, Amy’s Organic Chunk Tomato Bisque is perfect for college girls struggling to find a quick, healthy balance in their daily routine.

Ingredients: Organic tomato puree, diced tomatoes, cream, evaporated cane juice, onions, sea salt, spices

Overall, here is how I rate these three flavors of Amy’s Organic Soups:

1. Spanish Rice & Red Beans – for the heartiness factor

2. Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable – for the spice factor

3. Chunk Tomato Bisque – for the creamy factor

Thank you to Anja and Adrienne at Fortune Public Relations for sending us these soup samples! Check out the Amy’s Kitchen website to view more of their products.

Shannon May is an intern with College Lifestyles (TM).  She is a Marketing Major at the University of Florida and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. Feel free to contact Shannon at intern@collegelifestyles.org to share your favorite soup flavors and recipes.

We receive no gifts or compensation for reviewing these products. Our product reviews are based on our sincere personal opinion of the product.