With all the hard work we college students are putting into getting good grades on our midterms and papers, it should be required that we reward ourselves for studying for hours and staying up all night cramming.

Whether it's taking a break from your diet and splurging on Häagen-Dazs down on the Ave, sleeping in and skipping a morning lecture or going out on the town, you should always find the time to treat yourself after a good few weeks of being a dedicated student.

One way I (and I'm sure others would agree with me) like to treat myself is with buying fun new articles of clothing. However, sometimes walking up and down the Ave (especially after two years) can seem a bit monotonous. What's a shopper — especially one not originally from Seattle — to do? Well look no further, my young readers. I have scouted some trendy and underground shops located not too far away to guide you to new fashion adventures and help you veer away from the norm.

For a great area to go shopping at some hidden and lesser-known boutiques, Capitol Hill is chock-full and not very far away. Grab your U-PASS, hop on route 49 and head on south.

One very interesting shop on the northern end of Broadway, at the corner of Harrison, is Crossroads Trading Co. A small chain (they were first established in Berkeley; now they have them all over California and three in Chicago), this secondhand store offers a variety of trends that keep up with the styles.

"It's nice to be a smaller neighborhood chain," said Kristina Cullen, who has managed of Crossroads for three years.

In the 10 years the store has been open, they've accumulated a regular clientele.

"We know what some of our customers look for, and sometimes when we get something in that we know they'll like, we hold it for them,"she said.

Crossroads offers new clothes along with their hand-me-downs.

"We get some new stuff from our buyers in California," Cullen said. "And everything we have never goes over $100."

Crossroads is also environmentally conscious. They recycle their tags and ordering supplies and donate to charitable causes. The store specializes in vintage clothing and has brands from all over the fashion board as well as hidden treasures. I found a pair of vintage black leather booties for only $35, as well as a vintage navy blue peacoat with a faux fox fur collar for $75.

If vintage fashion isn't your style, or you just want something new and hip, then Trendy Wendy, down the street from Crossroads, is a perfect option. Independently owned and operated by Lisa Chang, Trendy Wendy offers affordable new labels that you won't find anywhere else.

By gathering labels and styles from Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas and Miami, Chang has created a boutique unique to Broadway. One label, which Chang is especially proud of, is Tokidoki, a label created and designed by an Italian Anime artist that offers fun graphic T-shirts.

Lisa Chang is also the owner of Broadway Boutique, located a few blocks south of Trendy Wendy, a store that mostly caters to the performers.

"We usually get burlesque dancers and drag performers. We're the only one on Broadway that offer shoes and platforms in sizes up to 16," Chang said.

The store also offers corsets and an array of tights.

Other smaller and independently owned boutiques and vintage stores include Vu, which offers its own label as well as unique vintages and Le Frock, which carries vintage high-end designer clothes and shoes like Christian Dior and Michael Kors. The Zebra Club, located on Pine, east of Broadway, offers trendy new clothes. Hoodies, jeans, street shoes and T-shirts with different colors, patterns and prices make up this store.

There are many wonders waiting outside the U-District and U. Village for you to find. You just have to get over the fact that there are other people in Seattle that don't attend the UW and shop elsewhere. These trendy, unique and fashionable shops — just a 15 minute bus ride away — will not only break you out of the same old collegiate shopping experience, but also perhaps into a new style.