How to be Smarter: Several studies over the last few years show that chewing gum increases concentration and alertness. So don’t feel bad about chewing a piece while studying for a test or working on a hard assignment for work!

How to be Prettier: To create a flat line down your jeans when wearing tall boots, put a pair of men’s high socks on and tuck your jeans into them, and then pull on the boots.

How to be (less) Awkward: Don’t worry if you miss the 9 o’clock train; you can always run and catch the 11 o’clock. This has less to do with making travel plans, and more about not panicking if you feel like you have “missed” an important life step everyone else is taking. You can always go to grad school; you can always get married; you can always get a really important job. These types of things have no real deadlines and the opportunity to catch a train to one of those destinations will always be there when you are ready.

How to be Smarter: Be quietly selfish when working on your own dreams. It is okay to help others work on their dreams, either by encouragement or by volunteering your time, but do not lose sight of the most important dream of all: your own. Your own dream is more important than your boss’, your boyfriend’s, and even your best friend’s.

How to be Prettier: Fun holiday earrings–love the bows.

How to be (less) Awkward: People love texting someone because it feels less scary than picking up the phone and calling. But be the girl that picks up the phone and calls the boy she likes to make plans–it shows you are confident, mature and different (in a good way).

How to be Smarter: Progress is progress, no matter how slow. Some days you will slide backwards, but if you start at Point A, and inch towards Point B, and skittle towards Point C, and take a half step back to Point B, and continue on skipping….someday, you will get Point Z.

How to be Prettier: Of course everyone should have a few black dresses to wear out. But everyone should also have a red one and a white one. And one in your favorite color.

How to be (less) Awkward: I really like myself–you probably really like yourself, too. But that’s no reason to not keep changing and growing–the goal is to keep becoming a better version of yourself.

How to be Smarter: Beware the difference between comfortable and complacent in a relationship. Comfortable means you can freak out about something small and not worry he will dump you; complacent means that you don’t even bother dressing up for dates anymore. The trick is to be comfortable without being complacent.

How to be Prettier: I really, really like chocolate and will not give it up. I am neutral about yogurt, but it is so good for you. So I trick myself into eating yogurt by putting chocolate bits in it. Layer chocolate bits (the Nestle semi-sweet morsel kind) with vanilla yogurt and it is just like a sundae.

How to be (less) Awkward: Sometimes turning 20 can be a little sad, because you still have another year to go before you are legal. But I think a really cute idea for turning 20 is to have a Roaring 20′s theme party.

How to be Smarter: Sometimes, it is when you feel the most scared that you’re being the most brave.

How to be Prettier: It is okay to have extra buttered popcorn every now and again–but instead of just standing there watching it cook in the microwave, do jumping jacks while you wait. Same rule applies to s’mores and Hot Pockets.

How to be (less) Awkward: If you live away from home, order all your holiday presents for your family online so you can get them shipped directly to your family house for the holidays and not have to lug them with you in your suitcase.

How to be Smarter: Date boys that have lots of nice friends. It shows they have good taste in people, and it makes parties a lot more fun.

How to be Prettier: I’m going to spend my winter wrapped in this delicious coat. And no one will know I spent only 35 dollars on it.

How to be (less) Awkward: When sleeping at friend’s or a boy’s house, leave the bathroom light on until you find you have the route to your room memorized. Try to avoid being the girl that sleeps over, stubs her toe, screams an expletive, and wakes the roommates.

How to be Smarter: There are two times a boy can bring you flowers: for no reason at all, and to say he is sorry. But if he brings flowers for no reason at all, he will rarely have to say he is sorry. There are two times you can be a great student: all semester long, or after you mess up a big test. But if you are a great student all semester, you will not mess up the test to begin with. There are two times you can be the best employee: all day long, or after your boss stops by your desk to inform you of something you messed up. But if you are a great employee all day long, he will stop by to pop his head in and say hello, not to yell at you.

How to be Prettier: No one needs a magnifying mirror in their bathroom. No one. You’re pretty enough from afar sweet girl, and if someone is close enough to see your pores, they already love you for your personality.

How to be (less) Awkward: If you are lucky enough to live or work in a place that tourists want to photograph and videotape, then you must be grateful enough to not complain about it.

How to be Smarter: Don’t confuse authentic food with trendy food. If the place is actually serving authenic food, the prices will not be that expensive. If the place is serving atmosphere and coolness factor, it will most likely be more expensive.

How to be Prettier: No mixing more than one animal print at a time.

How to be (less) Awkward: As we get older, we make decisions that some people in our life might not think are right. Tell the people that will be happiest for you first, even if they are not necessarily the people you are closest to. Instead of making a big annoucement to your entire career-centered family when you decide to quit your lawyer job and move to Paris to hike the streets of high fashion for a year, tell the cashier lady at the deli you always chit chat with. Once you start getting positive reactions from others, you will have more confidence to tell the people closest to you who may be hesitant of your new plans.

How to be Smarter: Never use the whole packet of Ramon seasoning. You can just as much flavor, and much less of the salt, from half a packet.

How to be Prettier: One of my most favorite snuggly winter purchases.

How to be (less) Awkward: When walking in a crowded bar, never hold a beer bottle near your face–if someone hits the bottle accidently as they flail their arms to Journey, you could chip a tooth.

How to be Smarter: Always carry a notepad and a pen in your purse. You never know when you will have that important business phone call, or get the next great idea for a dress in your head and need to sketch it that instant.

How to be Prettier: Don’t spend too much time in the hot tub or a hot shower. Hot water dries your skin out, making it more prone to sagging and wrinkles over time.

How to be (less) Awkward: You have too many clothes in your closet. I haven’t even seen your closet and I know that. Give them away–to your sister, your friends, the community center clothing drive. More clothes doesn’t make you more stylish–it makes you less able to weed out the good pieces from the bad.

How to be Smarter: If it doesn’t serve a purpose and/or you don’t like it, get it out of your room. Or your life.

How to be Prettier: Your hair pulled to the side with one bobby pin can be made so much better by putting two bobby pins, vertically, next to each other on the side of your head.

How to be (less) Awkward: Sometimes, cute girls ruin boys’ lives just for fun, because they are bored. Pretty girls can ruin sweet boys’ lives by dumping them and then bothering them with they have a new girlfriend, or by picking constant fights with the current beau over nothing, or by making nice boys sad by cheating on them. But if you’re going to ruin lives because you’re bored, after enough time the life you start to ruin will be your own.

How to be Smarter: I really recommend the book I just finished, called Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy. It’s written for parents, about how to raise kids without fear, but the commentary on society and the media’s influence on fear is wonderful. Great read.

How to be Prettier: I recently wrote about mint green is a great nail shade for fall; this Jade by Chanel is the perfect color of this trend. It is currently sold out everywhere, but this site tells you how to create it yourself with OPI and Essie brands.

How to be (less) Awkward: Be a conscious hostess: when your guests stands up to leave, let them go. No one wants to feel trapped at a party because you keep prattling on.