Ann:

A fairy godmother should be the first item on anyone’s college packing list

It’s almost August, and unfortunately, that means these moments of summer bliss are fleeting and soon to be replaced by the anxiety usually associated with the start of freshman year. To calm those pre-college jitters there’s really only one thing to do: Watch a college-themed movie. That’s how Sarah and I prepared ourselves, anyway. Some may be quick to dub “Animal House” as the best, but we have a little more flair, sparkle, and willingness to sit through chick flicks than most.

Throughout my life, when I’ve had the urge to do some deep soul-searching, I’ve consulted my favorite young comedienne, Amanda Bynes. So when my nerves about freshman year just couldn’t be stifled, I naturally turned to “Sydney White” to give me the college 411.

Sydney White shows up to college hoping to rush her late mother’s old sorority, Kappa Phi Nu. But after learning the sorority is no longer upholding the tenet of sisterly love, she moves in with seven dorks and begins to shake up the campus hierarchy. Hijinks naturally ensue, and pretty soon the whole campus is on Sydney’s side — including the marching band. Personally, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a campus election debate and people have stood up one by one fearlessly announcing their inner dork. And with the movie’s last line being, “We lived dorkily ever after,” how can you go wrong?

So, if you yearn for those nostalgic days when Ms. Bynes was still in the acting sphere and able to deliver exquisitely-timed comedic genius, you’ll surely choose “Sydney White” as your freshman year guide.

Sarah:

The pre-college road trip is half the battle when preparing for the big day

OK guys, if you want the real scoop on college life, “College Road Trip” is where it’s at. There is much to be learned from this film, which gives audience members a rare inside look at the monumental leap of a student between high school and college. Where “Sydney White” is sufficient in showing the basic, day-to-day truths of any campus setting (a frequently-updated online “hot or not” list, the usual), “College Road Trip” captures even more emotion through its illustration of a pre-collegiate experience.

This movie tells the tale of a young girl (Raven-Symon?) off to college, aiming to get into the best college she can — if her father doesn’t spoil it all. The two end up learning more about one another than they ever imagined along this wild and crazy college road trip like no other.

The antics displayed in “College Road Trip” are so close to reality, you might as well be watching a documentary (or, equally accurate, MTV’s “College Life”). It practically hands you all the precious knowledge some college students never find — how to sing your heart out to strangers on a tour bus, how to skydive untrained and, most importantly, how to get bailed out of jail by your grandmother. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that all house parties come with a DJ, colored lights, and a constant stream of confetti.

For the last nail in the coffin, we mustn’t forget the production companies that brought us these films. While Universal Studios touts the lopsided parody of Disney’s “Snow White” as its own, it seems “Sydney White” may just be another Cinderella story.