The Double D

I’ve recently had a bunch of younger girls ask me for advice going into their freshman year of college. I figured instead of giving stupid surface advice, I’d get my friends together and brainstorm some tips for incoming freshman girls. Each one of these was thought up by girls who successfully(?) made it out of freshman year alive (ish). These are the real tips, some that will save your life in times of your 18/19-year-old crises. You’re welcome.

Buy fucking fans. 100 of them (or get your doctor to write you a note faking allergies and get your dorm to install an AC)

Don’t be afraid to leave your door to your dorm open when you’re home. It’s easier to make friends!

Put yourself out there. No it’s not weird to ask the girl from your floor if she wants to walk to class together

It’s okay to be homesick at first! It’s a weird transition but you’ll get used to it.

Do NOT engage in “floorcest" (you’ll understand what we mean once you move in)

Gummy bear vitamins aren’t a legit snack

Never pregame a pregame

Champagne doesn’t go in the freezer

Clean up your Facebook of embarrassing old posts or else your new friends WILL go through and bring them to attention on everyone’s newsfeed

Learn how the proper order to take a tequila shot (salt. tequila. lime.)

Wear workout clothes at all times so you can say you just got back from the gym (or are going) instead of the truth which is that you have not showered (or done laundry) for a couple days

Have a go-to drink to get when a guy asks what you want (decisiveness is sexy)

DO NOT move in without dry shampoo

If you can’t afford dinner and drinks- always choose drinks

Learn to love vodka sodas. Your waistline (and less intense hangover) will thank you.

9 out of 10 times the guy is a fuckboy

You don’t actually need to wear a bra to go out in public (Unless you are like me & your boobs need that extra support)

Go to class. Once you skip one you skip them all.

Get tested at the health center every 3 months. WAY better to be safe than sorry.

Plan b is usually free at your school’s women’s health clinic (you’re welcome).

Always bring snacks to the library

Learn exactly how your birth control works and know when you’re ovulating (period tracker app is a must)

Try if you can to only bring cash out to bars. Waking up the next morning to Chase alerts from your open bar tab will only make your hangover worse

Sticky boobs and 80 degree weather do not go together- save them for winter (Try putting bandaids on your nipples in the hotter months)

Waking up in a frat house is alarming. Just always remember that. 

Stop blaming your weight gain on birth control. It’s most likely coming from your favorite bar’s 2 for 1 drinks and the $2 grilled cheeses (no college student can ignore a deal)

Don’t be afraid to go to office hours with your TA or Professor. They WILL save your life

Always brunch. Yes, bottomless mimosas are always a good idea.

Yes, going for a long walk with friends can be considered your exercise for the day

READ YOUR TEXTBOOKS.

^^Keep up with your lecture readings or you will have 45 chapters to read the night before an exam

Always make flashcards

Wash your sheets. More than once a semester.

NEVER rely on exam curves. It’s never as great as it seems.

It’s okay to leave lecture to puke when you’re hungover- at least you’re there!

Don’t mix coffee and Adderall. Especially not the day of an exam.

Always have back up IDs. The myth that bouncers are easier in college towns is exactly that- a myth.

Pee after sex

Keep in mind that drinking on antibiotics is never a good idea (also antibiotics CAN cancel out your birth control)

Make friends with bouncers. An extra hair flip and smile can only help you.

Take vitamins

Most likely your school health center will never help you when you’re ill so don’t be afraid to go to the hospital

Blog Spotlight

Name: Danielle Bernstein Blog: We Wore What

For the double d’s first “blog spotlight” I want to talk about one of my favorite bloggers of all time, Danielle Bernstein. She is the owner of the site “We Wore What” and is my ultimate inspiration when it comes to style. Danielle started We Wore What as an NYC street style blog and then it slowly evolved into her own “personal style blog and fashion diary”. Everyday she posts her outfits and accessories on her Instagram (she has over a million followers) and blog. Danielle also now has collaborated with many designers and companies for limited edition shirts, shoes and more. She's the epitome of NYC cool and her risk-taking fashion sense results in the most drool worthy outfits. Not to mention, Danielle seems to have the most fun life ever. Her snapchat stories take viewers along to sit back and we can’t help but be jealous of her insane social life, amazing vacations, and even her intimate snuggle sessions with her dog, Bleecker, who happens to be the cutest french bulldog in the world. I hope to one day get to spend some time with Danielle and interview her for the double d. Until then, I’m just going to sit back and admire from afar.

When your family drags you out of the house to run errands but you pass a cool photo spot.. Thanks to my mom for lending me her glasses and my sister for lending me her bag to make me look semi put together in this moment.

Top: Wilfred 

Shorts: Urban Outfitters

Bag: Proenza Schouler

Obsessing Over: Quay Sunglasses  

Quay is an Australian brand that makes affordable sunnies adored by celebs. I own two pairs and am OBSESSED with them. Trendy sunglasses are the must-have accessory for summer and to be able to pay such a cheap price for quality glasses is the best thing. Trends fade and sometimes following them can cost you big bucks (especially if the fad dies the next season) so I would advise to spend wisely unless you know this trend is here to stay (in short, purchase an affordable pair of Quay glasses instead of splurging on a $300 pair of similar glasses for the designer label). 

The Bandwagon: Adidas Superstars

From Rita Ora to Gigi Hadid, you’ve seen them everywhere. You’ve seen them during the day with a casual pair of shorts yet you’ve started to see them popping up on your nights out. We all have wondered “Can I pull these off?”. I decided to answer this question myself and went straight to the Adidas store to try on a pair of Superstars. Since that moment, the shoes have rarely had a day off. They go with everything, they’re beyond comfortable, and the best part: they’re affordable.

In short, do yourself a favor and get a pair. 

Where We’re Going:

Name: sketch Location: Mayfair, London

For The DD’s first ever “Where We’re Going” section, I want to spotlight a place from my summer travels. In June, I spent ten days traveling around London with one of my best friends. Between the beautiful sites, the unbelievable restaurants and the dope nightlife, it is safe to say I fell in love with the place. When we weren’t out being super touristy (It was a new place, I had to!), we were hiding out in local pubs and checking out cool dives. I’d have to say out of all the places we went to at night, my favorite BY FAR was sketch in the neighborhood of Mayfair.

The origin, behind why sketch was created, is described by restauranteur Mourad Mazouz as a “triple dream of launching a centre, a ‘lieu’ or destination place, for food, art and music”. That dream has most definitely been realized. Each room inside of sketch has a different theme and offers up a different experience. Being inside sketch is sort of like being inside of what one can only describe as an Alice in Wonderland type of dream sequence. On sketch’s website, a short story describing the place ends as such:

“All I wish,” said the voice, “is that you arrive with an open mind and imagine, if you will, a painting that never dries.”

I caught up with some friends and shared a couple of bottles (too many) of wine in the Parlour room. It was a romantic ambience and had lounge music at the perfect level. We took the time to wander around each part sketch before we left for the night and it most definitely reminded us of paintings. The best part (surprisingly) were the bathrooms. Two pure-white extensive staircases lead the way to a huge room filled with egg-like pods. Each pod houses a toilet and sink for individual use. It’s safe to say one of my friends and I spent a good 20 minutes in the restroom solely taking photos. I encourage EVERY person who is traveling to London to go to sketch at some point during their stay.

What We’re Talking About:

“Good Day Sacramento” The Cara Delevingne Interview

Interviews like these are what fuel me to want to change the journalistic world.

First off, when going on a promo tour to promote their new film/ad campaign/book,etc. no celebrity wants to sit for ten minutes and answer the same questions repeatedly. To ask an actress, who is playing the main character in a film adaptation of a hugely popular novel, if she’s read the book the movie was based on is like asking her if she remembered to show up to scheduled shooting days; it’s redundant and unnecessary. Unless it was specified that the director did not want the actor to be swayed by the novel, therefor to hold off reading until after production, it is safe to say the actor/actress did their part and read the material. I understand that not every journalist shares my desire to take an “alternative” route with the questions they ask during interviews, however, if you are going to ask a lame question expect a lame response. To be perfectly honest, Delevingne handled the questions with the perfect amount of British sarcasm and added a little fun to the interview. If I was sitting there and being targeted in the way that she was I would have been sassy and sarcastic too.

If a journalist is lucky enough to be given the opportunity to spend even as little as ten minutes with a hugely popular and busy celebrity during the midst of their crazy promo tours, they should take FULL advantage of it. The questions asked should be ones they won’t hear every second. You want your interview to be memorable but more importantly, you want the celebrity’s experience with you to be memorable and positive. You want them to remember the name of your blog or magazine or television show and the way you made them feel so that when you approach them again in the future they don’t prepare themselves for another redundant interview. They can become excited for a fun quick pick me up in the midst of “How did being cast as this part make you feel” and “Do you share anything in common with the character you played?”. We want to get THEIR STORY. We want to know WHY they signed on for this part and what circumstances in their lives made them feel connected to their project. It’s the same when given the opportunity to interview a designer backstage at their fashion show. While we want to spotlight the pieces in the collection, we find it more important to give background on the designer’s life and to tell the designer’s story so that our audience is shown what drove them to the collection that is showcased today. We want to keep it professional but to have a little fun and to make the subject feel comfortable enough to share their lives with us.

Summer Spotlight: Statement Glasses 

Left: Le Specs

The Daily Denouement

Denouement: (noun) The final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

The Double D is the final part of your day in which the strands of our generation are drawn together and life is explained. What’s happening in the news, what we’re listening to, where we’re going, what we’re talking about. The Double D is the denouement of your day.