Tis the season of suits, business cards and firm handshakes, as more Penn State students buckle down on summer internships, and post graduation jobs.

For a female applicant though, there may be more to it than at first glance. It’s no small secret that women are unfairly discriminated against in the work place, making 77 cents to every dollar a male earns according to CNN.com.

What may be little known to young female students, is the myriad of ways interviews can be used to discriminatorily screen females, whom employers sometimes view as potentially lost investments, since many women leave the work force to have children – a prehistoric view.

Paul Whitehead, Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations law, and former United Steelworker’s lawyer, detailed some of these questions to avoid.

“While some companies are really great, there are others who are quite bad, and in those cases, women  in this age bracket of 20-somethings, whether the employer asks questions or not, can be discriminated against,” Whitehead said.

Example Whitehead gave of questions that are unadvisable to answer, not to mention potentially illegal, include asking about weekend and evening availability, family situations or future plans.

Sarah Hurley, President of the Society of Labor and Employment Relations and Human Resources Employment Relations graduate student, also elaborates about these questions to avoid.

“Many employers will ask “Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?’” Hurley says. “As a mock interviewer, I actually had people tell me they hoped to have a family and live in a certain city. Both of those give away information your interviewer could use to decide not to hire you. The question, however, is perfectly legal, since they did not force you to give this answer.”

The advice given about how to handle these questions mainly consisted of avoiding answering about children or family.

“My best recommendation would be to avoid anything about kids, marriage, families, or certain cities you are limiting yourself to, unless the company is a small local business,” Hurley says. “Companies are not allowed to ask if you are married, about your drug and alcohol use, social clubs, weight, or citizenship.”

So to all female applicants entering interview season, beware these interview traps, and take this knowledge to navigate above the glass-ceiling and to the career of your dreams.

Not only can you use it for Lion Cash and meal points, but waving your student ID at certain venues can save you a significant amount of dough. Having a .edu email address also provides access to a plethora of online savings.

An example is the Student Computer, which store offers hundreds of savings. If on the market for a new computer, the MacBook Pro is $999, a 16 percent discount from the Apple.com  price of $1199. Software programs are not cheap, but as a student, Adobe Suite is 80 percent off the regular price!

Technology isn’t the area with savings – entertainment doesn’t have to be expensive either. Basketball tickets are only $5 ,and UPAC offers bargains for BJC performances with a valid University Park ID. Movies at The State Theatre also have an average savings of $2.

Lion Cash  can save you a nice chunk of change too. On campus most food services are 10% off when paying with Lion Cash. Featured Merchants of the Month have special instant saving as soon as you swipe your student ID. For instance, if heading home consider taking Fullington Trailways, as all Express bus fare is $5 off this month; you can also grab a breakfast sandwich cheap, since they are only 99 cents at McLanahan’s from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. in its downtown location on Allen Street.

Another bonus as a student shopper – fashionable discounts! No guilt needed when buying a fancy new frock online if there is a student discount! Topshop offers 10 percent off every day and occasionally has 20 percent off by using an .edu email address. Ordering at Ralph Lauren Rugby saves you 15 percent while Amazon is also bursting with benefits. By signing up for Amazon Prime, student members receive six months free membership, which includes great promotions and free shipping on certain products.

With all the benefits, the student ID is one card that puts the platinum credit card to shame.

Photo by Nina Abbott

It’s Valentine’s Day, and you’re single again this year. You’re tempted to dress in black, eat ice cream in bed and snub everything pink and romantic. But we’re here to tell you there’s no need. With the proper outlook, any girl can have a blast, regardless of her relationship status on Facebook. So grab your single friends and try these five no-fail ways to brighten your V-Day.

Drink pink

Making a festive cocktail or faux-cocktail is easy — just mix a little grenadine into your clear, bubbly drink. (We love it with ginger ale.) Serve in the cutest glasses you have, and toast with your friends to the best Valentine’s Day yet.

Chocolate, duh

Who said boyfriends were the best part of this holiday? Valentine’s Day is an excuse to go haywire on sweets. For a cute activity, grab some friends to bake a fresh chocolate cake. Write your names with icing, cut it into the shape of a heart — go all out. And if you know anyone who has one, chocolate fountains never hurt!

Love fest

Couples aren’t the only ones sharing affection today. Make valentines for your single friends so everyone feels loved. Write your friend to let her know how much she means to you, or simply to make her laugh. Then slip the note under her door.

Celebrate it

On Valentine’s Day, it’s all about the attitude. If you spend the holiday sulking, you’re obviously going to hate it. So, if you’re prone to moping, do whatever it takes to perk you up, whether that’s a Friends marathon, your lucky T-shirt or good ol’ caffeine. Because, really, apart from all that lovey-dovey stuff, Valentine’s Day is just a celebration of chocolate, hearts and pink. And any girl can dig that.

Maybe the savings on TLC’s Extreme Couponing are very time consuming and difficult to reach, but you can follow these easy tips to become a college coupon queen.

The Sunday circular is the first place to start. Newspapers like the Centre Daily Times are stacked with savings on Sundays. Between the flyers and funnies, there are SmartSource and RedPlum booklets with tons of deals. Every few weeks, Proctor & Gamble also has a flyer with discounts ranging from 25 cents to $3 off products like Venus razors and CoverGirl cosmetics.

If there’s not a coupon for an item in the papers, check online. Some brands have exclusive offers on Facebook, accessible once “like” is clicked. Other websites like Allyou.com and RedPlum.com are dedicated to saving you money with over 100 printable coupons. Stores such as Target also have online coupons that can combine with manufacturer coupons for twice the savings.

Looking at weekly savings ads for grocery stores and searching for coupons online or in the newspaper can really pay off. A 75-cent-off Target clipping from coupons.target.com for Dulce de Leche Cheerios can combine with the Allyou.com coupon for the same item for a savings of $1.50! Weis and other local grocery stores offer an automatic doubling of coupons with a manufacturer’s coupon (up to $1).

Coupons are often friendly, but watch out for expiration dates. Some coupons can be redeemed months later while others expire within weeks. Some coupons are also tricky when it comes to quantity too. Often times, they say something like, “Buy three and save $1.” These are good when stocking up on a certain food, but not when wanting to purchase only one of those items. So when there’s a coupon to save $1 on one item, instead of on four, it’s a keeper.

Sometimes coupons are placed right on or near the item in the grocery store! They’re sometimes tricky though and blend into the packaging, so look for them before choosing the product.

So get out the scissors and start clipping — or clicking!

Photo by Nina Abbott

Friends deserve a killer gift on their birthday, but you also deserve groceries for the rest of the month. Don’t worry — they can have their cake, and you can eat it too. Here are some sensible, money-saving ways to celebrate each unique individual. Friends will feel appreciated, and your wallet will feel full.

For the edgy friend:
Take her to a hookah bar. There are about three lounges downtown to choose from, all with cheap prices and cool music. Go on a Friday or Saturday night and there will likely be a band (bonus) but you may have to pay a cover (bummer). However, including the cover, the hookah and a posh espresso, you can still pay under $20 for a relaxing birthday.

For the up-all-nighter:
Give her the gift of caffeine. Collect a plain coffee mug, some plastic gems and puffy paint at the nearest shop. Write her name across the cup and haphazardly glue gemstones around your artwork. Subtract this cost from your $20 allowance and put the rest toward a Starbucks gift card.

For the THON captain:
Make her a blanket to take canning! Purchase two 1.5-yard pieces of fleece from Walmart’s craft section. Depending on the print, each should cost around $9 to $12. A Penn State print, for example, is probably more expensive. Juxtapose a printed fabric with a solid color to stay within the $20 limit.
After lining fabrics up, use standard scissors and start about two inches from the corners, then cut along the edges of the fleece making each cut about four inches deep. Repeat this, cutting the same depth every two inches around the entire edge of the fabric. Then, taking the fringe you just created, double knot fabric strands from the top and bottom fabric together for a plush blanket for freezing canning weekends.

For the fashionista or artista:
One hyphenated word: papier-mâché. Hit up the local Michael’s and buy something made of untreated wood. This can range from the first letter of her name to a freestanding hand for a jewelry display to a picture frame. These should cost about $5 to $15. Go crazy; the rest is compiled of household items. Papier-mâché recipes can be found online and essentially consist of flour and water. Cut out stylish outfits and funny phrases from old magazines (recycle a copy of Valley!) and use the paste to create her a totally original decoration.

Photo by Jill Podhor

The blogosphere can be an overwhelming place, and as a busy college student, you don’t have the time to constantly wade through the Web. Lucky for you, we did the navigating and found nine sites to check out before finally starting your econ homework.

So here are some of our favorite blogs to get you started in four extracurricular interests: fashion, food, finance and comedy.

Fashion

Ofakind.com
Fashionistas: Looking for funky, one-of-a-kind accessories, clothing or even household wares? Here’s your spot.

Tellusfashion.com
This site is actually a forum for fashion bloggers, independent and well known, inside the United States and out, with numerous fashion blog links to follow.

Food

Teenagetaste.com
Erika, a 15-year-old food fanatic, posts creative recipes for treats such as red-velvet pancakes, spiced carrot cake smoothies, caramelized onion mac and cheese and triple-chocolate Nutella cookies.

Grubgirl.com
Grubgirl, based in San Francisco, has bargain grocery-shopping advice, frugal cooking tips and tons of easy recipes.

Bakerella.com
Ever heard of cupcake pops? They’re a new bakery sensation, and were a Bakerella creation! This site is chock-full of fun, easy baking recipes as well as decorating tips.

Finance

brokeassstudent.com
A young student in New York fell into credit card debt, then used this blog to discuss how she got out of it. She also covers how she now manages her money, and how you can do it too!

studenomics.com
This site has been recognized by Fox Business News and The New York Times. The blog’s 20-something-years-old creator studied finance in school and has an ultimate goal to help young people make money and save properly. 

Comedy

Vodkavendettas.com
Satire. Not everyone enjoys it, but the ladies of this blog have a firm grasp of it. For female college students, the rants, sometimes-explicit language and outrageous descriptions of ridiculous college occurrences are relatable and hilarious.

Comedy.com
Comedy.com… real original, right? Despite this, the blog is bursting with comic relief, relating to college and sometimes just life in general.  There is something for everyone, so if you need a good chuckle, check it out.

Finances aren’t exactly infinite in college. In fact, after rent, groceries, books and eating out, there is hardly any money left to play with. This week, Cassidy offers some easy ways to save big when deciding where to eat.

The coupon books distributed in the beginning of the semester are packed with valuable savings. From Penn State clothing to eateries, there is a discount for many downtown businesses. The College Coupons booklet (found at McLanahan’s) has a delicious deal for D.P. Dough: 2 calzones for $9.99 — that’s a savings of $2! The Campus Special saver from the Penn State Bookstore also contains various specials such as a sweet-tooth bargain: Buy one, get one free at Campus Candy.

Many restaurants, especially chains, have rewards programs that can keep your spending to a minimum. Places like Chili’s and T.G.I. Friday’s have incentives that range from free chips and salsa to 20 percent off the bill, just by joining their rewards club. Rotelli sends a coupon for a free appetizer. Panera is also on the rewards bandwagon, giving away pastries or coffee when signing up.

The savings don’t end downtown. As the Super Bowl XLVI approaches, so do great delivery deals. Many tailgate snacks are ready for delivery, some even under $20. Zimmie’s offers a 222 deal: 2 large topping pizzas, 2 wings and 2 two-liter sodas for $19.99. Brother’s Pizza has a tasty combo too, offering 2 large cheese pizzas, 10 breadsticks, and sugar dough balls all for $18.

So whether ordering in or dining downtown, grab the rewards card or coupon booklet. If your wallet could talk, it would thank you.

Photo by Nina Abbott

 We all got some version of the same lecture from our mother, as she watched us roll our eyes through the rearview mirror. And although we were probably pushing her out the door of our East Halls dorm room on Welcome Day as she tried to impart a few last words of wisdom, looking back, maybe we should have listened. As the years have gone on and college life has knocked us on our butts a time or two, we got a little smarter, a little tougher and realize now that maybe she knew what she was talking about.

 “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.”

Two words: freshman 15. I’ve heard my mother repeat this mantra for every whacky diet she’s ever embarked on, which usually all end the same way (quickly), but it couldn’t be more true. Junky dining-hall food, parties and late-night Insomnia cookies are all part of the college experience, but they aren’t exactly conducive to a smokin’ hot bod. Wouldn’t it be nice if we still fit into the same jeans we unpacked that first week of college?

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

College is all about trying new things and trying all things. Whether it’s at the activity fair, guys or majors, don’t bet your life on any one choice. Dabble in dating, sample studies. When things fall through — and make no mistake that at some point, things will fall through —  your life won’t fall apart and you’ll have other things to fall back on. And besides, a slew of different experiences will make you a more interesting, well-rounded and wise individual.

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

You’ll probably meet members of your bridal party in college. It’s where you have a great variety of people to spend time with and get to know. You’ll form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Of course, you won’t like everybody you come across. Overlapping groups of friends don’t always work well, but it’s best to keep your cool by keeping your mouth shut. Not only will things you say get repeated, but it’ll make you look bad for having said it, and that will be the quickest way to lose those new friends.

“There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

A breakup can make it seem like your world is imploding on itself, and that’s the last thing you want when you just got dumped. But it’s important to remember that there are so many wonderful people at college that you have yet to meet. Chances are, the heartbreak wasn’t or will be the first, the last or the worst, so keep things in perspective. These are the best (and most beautiful) years of our lives and this is college. We’re not here for long and we’re not here to cry. So don’t waste too much time mourning the death of one relationship while you could be out starting another instead.

“Don’t blink.”

Four years seemed like an eternity in high school, but that’s probably because it sucked. College does not, and these four years are short. Make some memories, seize every opportunity and RSVP “Attending” on Facebook invites. Of course work is very important and it should be a priority, but this is the time in our lives when our responsibility is at its lowest and our freedom at its pinnacle. Don’t take it for granted because regret will leave a bad taste in your mouth. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “There’s plenty of time for sleep in the grave,” and likewise, there is plenty of time for being serious grown-ups after graduation.

Photo by Jennie Lichtenstein

The prospect of shopping for Christmas gifts can be dismaying when your wallet is thin from skipping work to study, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to show friends you care! We delve into a world of cheap and holiday-sweet DIY gifts with little to no effort, but with 100 percent love and flair.

Personalized cookies
Supplies: Pillsbury Christmas cookies, cookie icing

Everyone loves a sweet snack during finals, and with Pillsbury cutout Christmas cookies, half the decorating is already done for you! These unbaked cookies cost under $5, and with a $3 icing kit, you have instant personalization. Spell out friends’ names or holiday phrases onto the cookies, and then place them in a baggie for a yummy present.

Personalized, DIY tree ornaments or stockings
Supplies: Christmas ball ornaments and/or stockings, puffy paint, markers

Penn State stockings and bulbs are for sale all over downtown, and with a little puffy paint, your friends can have a one-of-a-kind gift to hang in their dorms! You can also buy bulk holiday candy and fill the stockings with some delicious stuffers before gifting this holiday surprise!

Handmade, self-laminated snowflake cards
Supplies: Colorful paper, scissors, wax paper, iron, markers and card decorations

Christmas cards are cute, but why spend $3 on something when you can create a winter masterpiece from items you already own?

To start, fold your paper into an eight-fold snowflake pattern. Check out this slide show of how to do the easy fold.

Cut the snowflake into desired shape and open. Use the markers and decorations to adorn the paper portion of the snowflake. Make sure all decorations are flat on the snowflake — otherwise lamination will not be possible.

While decorations dry, heat the iron and tear off 2 sheets of wax paper — make each an inch larger than the snowflake on all sides. Lay the snowflake in the center of one wax sheet on a flat surface. Lay the second sheet of wax paper on top. Take a towel or piece of fabric and place it over the snowflake pile, careful not to move the wax paper. Then, lay the hot iron on the towel and iron gently, not pressing hard, for 5-10 minutes, being sure to get all corners and press out any air bubbles.

Remove towel and allow snowflake to cool. Once cool, cut off excess wax paper and voila! Laminated snowflake perfection.

Photos by Jennie Lichtenstein and Kaitlyn Knopp

Breakfast isn’t a common college-student habit, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s the most important meal of the day. Skimping on breakfast leads to cravings mid-morning, which can result in eating snacks that are equivalent to high-calorie air — quite unsatisfying. Making breakfast when those extra 10 minutes of snooze time are calling can be a challenge, but we’ve got some tips to ease into breakfast mode without Pop-Tarts.

Breakfast in a bowl is simple to hold while finishing your homework or whatever last minute morning activity you have. Try mixing steel-cut oatmeal with dried or fresh fruit, and add honey, maple syrup or brown sugar to it. A great oatmeal substitute is brown rice — it’s not just a dinner side! Add milk, almonds and raisins to flavor. Both of these breakfasts are fiber-filled to keep you full throughout morning classes.

Yogurt also makes a great breakfast. Yogurt cups are sold all over campus, but it’s incredibly easy to create your own parfait, and can be done the night before. Simply layer plain yogurt, granola, cereal, fruit, honey, nuts or whatever you would like.

If you’re an eggs-and-toast person, the quickest way to eat an egg is hard-boiled. This is convenient for dorm dwellers, thanks to microwave egg-cookers. You can boil a few eggs at a time and keep them in the refrigerator for about a week (no longer than that!). They make for a nutritious and protein-packed breakfast.

Another morning meal you can make in advance is breakfast loafs. These, if baked properly, can taste like cake, but are actually filling and healthy. Buy a banana, cinnamon or more seasonally appropriate pumpkin bread mix and replace the recommended butter with applesauce. Then, the key step is to add oat bran to the mix. You won’t be able to taste the difference, but it’ll make the bread more substantial.

Most importantly, get creative with breakfast! Nothing can create a funk like eating the same thing every morning. Introduce tortilla wraps to a traditional egg breakfast, or mix nuts and berries into your favorite dry cereal and put it in a bag on the go.

Photo by Ann Sciandra