The dressed-to-kill shopping guide

Cheating on a test – not good. Cheating on a boyfriend or girlfriend -- even worse. Having a cheat sheet to help break down a sprawling metropolis chock-full of colleges and universities – invaluable. That's why we came up with the Creative Loafing College Guide to Getting It On (mind outta the gutters, people; it's not that kind of guide)....

By

STARLIGHT SIX DRIVE-IN An evening at Starlight is best enjoyed on a small sofa in the back of a pickup truck. If a couch-truck combo is unavailable, lawn chairs or in-car viewing are more than suitable. And unlike at those lame indoor movie theaters, you don't have to sneak in food or drink. Starlight shows current-release films, but breaks out...

By Andisheh Nouraee

Though Atlanta's primary language is Standard American English, locals pepper their speech with words and phrases that can confuse newcomers and visitors. Bankhead Highway n. Former name of U.S. 78 connecting downtown to Cobb County through an economically depressed section of west Atlanta. The street and the surrounding neighborhood have been name-dropped in several hip-hop recordings, notably 1995's "Bankhead Bounce"...

By Andisheh Nouraee

Some freshmen don't quite know what to make of college when it first falls into their laps. Many choose to turn their confusion into optimism. Not surprisingly, the delight of trekking campus, rain or shine, for an 8 a.m. math class wears off quickly. Stephanie Grant may be the most optimistic freshman of them all. She posts pictures of herself...

By Renee Strevens

Despite the occasional late bus and even what seems like an ever-present funny smell, I find a sick pride in being one of the few, the proud, the transported of MARTA. My vanity stems from guzzling less gas and getting in more cardio work as a result of my two-year relationship with Atlanta's public-transportation option. If you find yourself without...

By Laura McMillan

HOT PICK: TAQUERIA DEL SOL Taqueria del Sol is the Atlanta staple for fresh, cheap Tex-Mex. There are three locations where thrifty patrons can find something to satisfy the taco tooth: on the Westside (1200-B Howell Mill Road, 404-352-5811); in Decatur (359 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-377-7668); and on Cheshire Bridge (2165 Cheshire Bridge Road, 404-321-1118). Who can resist...

By Laura McMillan

HOT PICK: RAG-O-RAMA A cheap, trendy and organized (finally) take on the traditional thrift store, Rag-O-Rama is the kind of shop you leave bragging about what you spent. It has everything from $2 earrings to $28 men's suits. Orange tags signal items discounted 50 percent, dropping some men's dress shirts to $4 and some T-shirts to $3. Both men's and...

By Tammy Vinson

"Theft is the most common crime on just about every college campus. Almost every kid has a laptop, everyone has a cell phone and an iPod and a digital camera, so it's easy to leave that stuff out and walk away. Before you come to school, write down the serial numbers of your electronic devices so if they're ever lost...

By

COLLEGE NIGHT AT THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART Once a year, Atlanta's premier art museum stays open late for college students to mix and mingle artsy-fartsy-style. It's a great chance to meet kids from other Atlanta colleges because it's always super packed. So keep your calendars open; this school year, college night will occur Feb. 9. In the meantime, co-eds...

By Casey McIntyre

Morehouse's Phi Beta Sigma brothers grab the crowd's attention as they stomp out the rhythm of brotherhood, twirling canes at their sides and tapping them on the pavement in unison. The canes signify manhood and status, while the steps mark centuries of African tribal traditions. Bryan Nails and his fraternity take pride in stepping, but they also do it to...

By Renee Strevens

So I hear you want to be in my fraternity, punk. Well I suggest you read this list of frat-life pros and cons first to decide if it's something you really want to do. Because there's nothing worse than you regretting your decision two weeks into pledging, crying to your mother about what we made you do, and getting us...

By Noah Gardenswartz

HOT PICK: LES FLEUR DE LIS CAFÉ Les Fleur de Lis Café oozes eclectic Parisian style. The tiny bistro is tucked into a corner of the Healy Building in downtown's Fairlie-Poplar district. It has authentic French fare, including amazing almond croissants, and a charmingly cluttered interior. Embrace the French's leisurely approach to dining, and the two of you might just...

By Adina Fleming

For local college students, activism provides an outlet to express views on everything from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to environmental issues, and a way to bond with people who share similar beliefs. N. Ryan Haney, who graduated from Kennesaw State University last spring, formerly led the KSU Campus Greens, a group with ties to the Georgia Green Party....

By Mosi Reeves

HOT PICK: CITY SPORTSWhether you're looking for swimming goggles, beer-pong paddles, Rollerblade wheels or boxing gloves, you'll find it at City Sports. Of course, City Sports has baseballs, weights and water bottles, too. The extensive sportswear collection includes such specialty items as hiking socks, microfiber clothing and sweat-reducing apparel. The prices are similar to those at other sports stores, but...

By Tammy Vinson

"Get on the same page as your roommate. This will eliminate many areas of stress. Figure out times that are study time, socialization time, your sleeping habits and class times. There needs to be a balance. Time management is another big thing that will decrease stress. I'm a big believer of grabbing 'At-a-Glance' monthly calendars. At the very beginning of...

By

Whether you fancy some hot-and-sweaty booty shaking or an unpretentious pub with free-flowing taps, there's a spot in the Atlanta nightlife scene for you. Here's a quick hit list of places you gotta check out. PEACHTREE TAVERN This Buckhead complex also houses Moondogs and Hole in the Wall, and is the weekend hot spot for frat boys and sorority chicks....

By Casey McIntyre

For a guy who was trying to stay away from the music industry, Garret "World Famous G-MACK" Webster did a poor job of it. "The music industry is a business first, and anybody can be a casualty if you're not bringing in the dollars," he says. "And you can't always expect to be treated fairly." But a run-in with Mayhem,...

By Debbie Michaud

You've just formed your first band. Your guitarist plays gutsier rhythm than Interpol's Paul Banks. Your bassist is a quick learner who already has the studied melodiousness of Electrelane's Ros Murray. Your drummer is as polyrhythmic as Battles' John Stanier. And you've got all the songwriting skills, ringing guitar lines and vocal charisma of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock. Maybe, then,...

By Mosi Reeves

HOT PICK: THE MAJESTIC DINER Under Inky the bouncer's watchful gaze at the Majestic, a mixed crowd crams into the 24-hour diner on Ponce in the wee hours of the night. Standard Southern-style fare from breakfast food and burgers to shrimp baskets and pork chops fills the menu. Here, the greasy food is less the attraction than is the scene....

By Adina Fleming

"I love being slutty. It's lots of fun," the 22-year-old chick who looks like she dyed her hair with strawberry Kool-Aid says as she holds up her T-shirt and jumps up and down, jiggling her braless boobs at the bar. Though barely a B-cup, it's obvious Iris is a handful. Indeed, her milk shake brings all the boys to the...

By Rodney Carmichael

HOT PICK: 1.FIVE.0 1.five.0's name didn't come out of nowhere; everything in the store costs less than $150. The shop lives up to its motto as a "hip, lifestyle fusion boutique," with racks of colorful dresses and tops for women alongside guys' jeans and printed tees. Average prices range from $20 for tops and $50 to $70 for dresses. If...

By Tammy Vinson

"Me and two of my closest friends split three bottles of champagne that were leftovers from my sister's wedding one month earlier. One bottle apiece. We had bought some tallboys, also, to help us ride the night out. We downed the champagne and started guzzling cans of Coors when two more friends arrived with an enormous, special-edition bottle of peach...

By

TURNER BROADCASTING Get your feet wet in the entertainment business by applying for the Turner Trainee Team program, an 11-month paid position with benefits that allows recent grads to try their hand at the company's divisions, including Cartoon Network, TBS and TNT. ALSTON & BIRD Not sure if you're ready for law school yet? Get a taste as a paralegal...

By Alyssa Abkowitz

Laurel Graefe isn't just showing off. After graduating second in her class and magna cum laude from Agnes Scott College with a degree in economics last May, Graefe wanted to snag a job she knew would make a real difference, not just a gig to pay the bills. "I'm really interested in U.S./Latin America relations and public policy, and I...

By Casey McIntyre

Figuring out what to do after college graduation is absolutely terrifying. No one wants to face reality: that the denouement of life when you really didn't have a care in the world has arrived and the angst of not knowing what the future holds rapidly sets in. Perhaps it's your grand expectations, lack of grand expectations, pressure from parents or...

By Alyssa Abkowitz

A good friend of mine recently began her dream job working at the glamorous TimeWarner building in Manhattan. "So this is it," she told me on the phone after her first day. "This is what I'll be doing for the rest of my life." It's not that she wasn't thrilled to be living in the Big City (although what she...

By Casey McIntyre

HOT PICK: RATHBUN'S RESTAURANTS As you set out to set up your own empire, look to executive chef Kevin Rathbun's sizable corner of Atlanta not only for nourishment, but also for business inspiration. Krog Street is home to all three of Rathbun's restaurants: Rathbun's, Kevin Rathbun Steak and Krog Bar. The original Rathbun's will make any uptown girl swoon if...

By Laura McMillan

Don't quote us "Do some sort of internship while you're in school or definitely as soon as you get out. It gives you some real-world experience and lets you find out if you really want to do this or not. Polish your résumé. Remember to include extracurricular activities, leadership activities, and any honors or awards. Start discerning the kind of...

By

Average amount an undergraduate takes out in loans for four years of college: $19,237 Cost of a basic Toshiba laptop computer: $449.99 Approximate cost of a year's worth of textbooks for a freshman: $850 Cost of a twin, extra-long bed in a bag: $129.99 Cost of a shower caddy: $9.99 Cost of an unlimited meal plan per semester at Georgia...

By Alyssa Abkowitz

HAVE DINNER AT MARY MAC'S Sure, pizza's tasty and the student cafeteria is convenient, but if you leave the South without sampling authentic Southern cooking, you'll face years of well-deserved ridicule. There are many places we could suggest, but Mary Mac's Tea Room is a good start. It's an Atlanta institution that serves up such comfort-food staples as chicken livers...

By Scott Henry

AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE Coming in at No. 11 on the Princeton Review's "Dorms Like Palaces" list, Agnes Scott's ivy-league-esque brick buildings (right) have set the backdrop for Scream 2 and offered shelter to such famous alum as Katherine Krill, CEO of Ann Taylor. Founded: 1889; student population: 914; accredited: yes. 141 E. College Ave., Decatur. 404-471-5300. www.agnesscott.edu. AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY...

By

 In a brainstorming meeting to come up with a cover idea for the College Guide, CL Publisher Dave Schmall suggested having a student design it. Great idea, except that it was the dead of summer and most students were far from their classrooms. Well, we decided to go for it anyway, and received some impressive entries. Robert Burroughs, a Georgia...

By