The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

When you were still in school, you were probably able to get by with cheap products that did their job but didn't always last for more than a year. Whether you had more pressing financial concerns like rent, textbooks, and tuition, or you couldn't put in the time to shop more consciously when you were so busy living the life of a college student, you probably weren't married to your belongings, and that's completely understandable. 

Now that you've graduated, however, it's a good time to take a step back and reevaluate the way you shop and live. You likely have more time and more disposable income, meaning you have the opportunity to make changes to your quality of life. They don't have to be monumental — we're not asking you to buy a car or home — but they can help you approach your post-grad life with renewed gusto by improving how you cook, sleep, dress, manage your personal finances, and otherwise take care of yourself. 

The shift to higher-quality brands and products doesn't only improve your life in the short-term. Because they're made with better materials and processes, they'll last for years (yup, in the plural) and will stick with you even through other major life transitions.

As a recent grad myself, I know it can be difficult to stomach a purchase over $100 and break the habit of only buying the cheapest option available. However, having tried many of the products below, I now understand the value, both financial and emotional, of investing in long-term solutions rather than wasteful and unsustainable quick fixes. 

If you're a new college graduate, you should invest in these 18 things. 

A nonstick frying pan

10" Nonstick Frying Pan, $79, available at Made In

I can't fathom how I ever put up with cheap nonstick pans after using this premium, under-$100 version. Tricky foods that love sticking to the pan (eggs, bacon, pancakes, fish, potatoes) are no match for Made In's PFOA-free, five-ply stainless steel-and-aluminum nonstick pan. Cleanup takes less than a minute — yes, really. 

Three other essential pans

The Skillet, $70, available at Brigade Kitchen

The Sauté Pan, $75, available at Brigade Kitchen

The Sauce Pan, $70, available at Brigade Kitchen

*Put all three together in your cart to receive a 10% discount ($193.50, originally $215) 

You can cook nearly everything else with these three pans of varying capacities. Also boasting a five-ply stainless steel and aluminum construction, they're durable and distribute heat quickly and evenly. The skillet sears meats beautifully, the sauté pan is perfect for stir-fry meals, and the sauce pan lets you make sauces, soups, and pasta. 

A set of fundamental cooking tools, including a knife and spatula

The Fundamentals, $175, available at Material

The everyday cook's arsenal of must-have kitchen tools consists of a sharp 8" chef's knife, a 3.5" paring knife, tongs, a wood spoon, a metal spoon, and a slotted spatula. They're tastefully designed and versatile, making simple look good and allowing you to leave behind your drawer of garish, unnecessary, and mismatched kitchen accessories for good. These tools sit in an angular, wooden base you'll love to show off on your countertop. 

Scanning San Francisco real estate listings on sites like Redfin and Zillow, you'll find many a property that has been condemned by the city, deemed uninhabitable by inspectors, and/or in need of so much TLC that tearing it down and starting from scratch is a must.

Some of those properties go for $1 million or more.

The housing market in San Francisco is so dire that neither sellers nor buyers seem to mind, though: The median price of a house in San Francisco has climbed to $1.61 million, while its sister city of San Jose clocks in at a median price of a little over $1 million. This means that any Silicon Valley valued at around $1 million can seem like a steal.

Take a look below to view some of the Silicon Valley property listings we found where properties were sold for around $1 million, basically by the virtue of the dirt they rest on.

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley's housing market is so dire, a burned-out home just sold way over the asking price — for $938,000

First up on the list is this single-family home nestled in the Potrero Hill and Mission neighborhoods of San Francisco. It's 1,700 square feet and is also an "uninhabitable structure," according to Trulia.

There are gaping holes in the roof's shingles and the listing advises to "bring your contractor and architect and explore the possibilities."

Address:312 Utah St, San Francisco, CA

Price: $1,060,000

Similarly, this house has been pegged "condemned." The listing's description includes the warning "enter at your own risk" because of its structural instability. And yet, it sold in late March for a cool $1.2 million.

Address: 3239 Bruce Dr, Fremont, CA

Price: $1,230,000

A fire pillaged this 1,066-square-foot property in San Jose's desirable Willow Glen neighborhood two years ago. The home will need to be demolished, meaning its new owners paid $938,000 for a plot of land.

Address:1375 Bird Ave, San Jose, CA

Price: $938,000

• Hong Kong has one of the worst housing crises in the world, and has been ranked the least affordable city for housing for the last eight years.
• Hong Kong architect James Law has designed a low-cost solution to the problem: stackable, retro-fitted water pipe "tube homes" called "O-Pods" that could be rented cheaply to young people.
• Law sees the design as an "open-source" solution for housing crises around the world.
• The first O-Pod development is being built in Shenzhen, China and due to open in July.

Hong Kong has one of the worst housing crises in the world, with property prices so high that a single parking spot sold for $664,000 last year and all but the wealthiest are stuck renting tiny apartments with an ever-proliferating range of colorful names: micro-flats, nano apartments, coffin apartments, and cage homes.

It's gotten so bad that the city has been ranked the least affordable city for housing in the world for eight years running, according to the Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey.

"We are facing a tangible affordability problem in our cities," architect James Law told Business Insider. "It is almost beyond the reach of most people to afford to live in a proper home in Hong Kong

Law thinks he may have a solution: a retro-fitted concrete water pipe. 

The idea came to him last August when he was overseeing a construction site. He noticed some leftover concrete pipes at the site and found that they were large, strong, safe, and not being used. Law designed and built the prototype for the O-Pod in less than a month.

The O-Pod wasn't Law's first "crazy project"— he tries to challenge himself with one each year — but it is the first to garner attention across the world. Within months, the O-Pod had been written up in the New Y0rk Times, the South China Morning Post, BBC News, and Business Insider. And he has received inquiries about the design from firms in New Zealand, South Africa and Hawaii.

In April, Law signed a contract with a developer in Shenzhen, China to build the first O-Pod complex.

"​The big dream of mine is not necessarily me doing it, but a global community of people who share the same values using this as an open source design to share around the world," Law said. 

"If we can work with governments, and even private landowners and manufacturers, we could very cheaply build the O-Pods, and we could rent them out very cheaply to young people who are struggling to afford housing."

Law recently gave us a tour of the prototype and revealed where he wants to take it from here. Here's what it was like:

SEE ALSO: I rode China's superfast bullet train that could go from New York to Chicago in 4.5 hours — and it shows how far behind the US really is

DON'T MISS: I visited the viral, 1,400-foot glass bridge in China — and it was a traveler's worst nightmare

The prototype of the O-Pod is located beneath a bridge in Kwun Tong, a former manufacturing area in East Kowloon.

The O-Pod is made from two sections of concrete drain pipe and has a living space of around 100 square feet. Law's goal for the O-Pod was to create something that was cheap, easily maintained, and quickly built.

Key to keeping the costs down is using a pre-manufactured product, according to Law.

"When you build it yourself, it's expensive and requires labor, quality control, and testing," Law said.

But because the O-Pod uses concrete water pipes, which are already being mass-manufactured, they are "low-cost, well-engineered,  and being concrete, these pipes have good insulation properties."

Designed to go underground, they are also extremely strong and can be stacked on top of each other to immediately become a building, without having to build additional ‘bookcase’ structures, columns and beams, etc [as is the case with shipping containers].”

The O-Pod feels bright and spacious when you step inside. Though the floor space is 100 square feet, the curved walls and the tilted lights make it feel much bigger.

• The 14 most polluted cities in the world are all located in India, according to the World Health Organization.
• The city of Kanpur topped the list, while Delhi and Agra also appeared in the top 10.
• Living with air pollution is a harsh reality for Indians, many of whom have resorted to wearing surgical masks and protesting in the street for cleaner air.

The 14 most polluted cities in the world are all in India, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization.

The northern town of Kanpur topped the list, which measured cities by their level of fine particulate matter in the air, known as PM 2.5. Over the period from 2010 to 2016, Kanpur registered 173 micrograms per cubic meter of PM 2.5 — dangerously higher than the 10 micrograms considered safe for humans.

Other cities on the list included Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, Jaipur, and Jodhpur.

Unfortunately for many Indians, living with air pollution is a harsh reality of everyday life. Many people have resorted to wearing surgical masks in the street, and cases of respiratory problems have increased in some towns.

Read on to see what life is like in some of the most polluted towns in the world:

SEE ALSO: A photographer spent 3 months following commuters on the Moscow Metro to see what life is really like in the capital of Russia

DON'T MISS: Some tech startups in China are hiring women who are taller than 5'2'' and wear makeup to socialize with male programmers and give them massages

India has many of the most polluted cities in the world. The World Health Organization recently announced that the 14 most polluted cities are all in India.

Source: Times of India

In some cities, air pollution reduces visibility to 400 meters or less.

Source: The Indian Express

In many cities, locals have resorted to wearing surgical masks outside.

• First dance wedding songs can be difficult to choose, but some end up being more popular than others.
• Spotify put together a list of the most popular wedding songs by state.
• Ed Sheeran dominated, making the list 24 times. 

Choosing a first dance song for your wedding can be challenging.

The pressure is on to choose a song that will hold a special place in your heart forever, and the number of playlists to pick from can be overwhelming.

Funnily enough, out of all the options, many songs end up being more popular than others as the soundtrack to the first dance. 

With the help of Spotify, we've put together a list of the most popular wedding song in every state.

Spotify looked at all-time wedding playlists — like those titled with the word "wedding" and the label "first dance"— to see which songs and artists were included the most. From there, they looked at each state's top 500 wedding songs on the "wedding" playlists and ranked them in order of most-played wedding songs based on listening in May so far.

Apparently couples love dancing to the sound of Ed Sheeran, whose songs are the most popular first dance songs in almost half of the US. A few other artists are popular in multiple states; there are a total of 21 different songs on the list.

Below, see the most popular wedding song in every state, plus Washington, DC.

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle's wedding dress could cost more than $135,000 — and she'll probably be the one paying for it

DON'T MISS What Americans spend on an engagement ring in each state, ranked from lowest to highest

Alabama — "Marry Me"

Artist: Train

Lyrics:

"Marry me
Today and every day
Marry me
If I ever get the nerve to say
Hello in this cafe"

Listen here »

Alaska — "Marry Me"

Artist: Train

Lyrics:

"Marry me
Today and every day
Marry me
If I ever get the nerve to say
Hello in this cafe"

Listen here »

Arizona — "Thinking Out Loud"

Artist: Ed Sheeran

Lyrics:

"Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are"

Listen here »

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Last year, Adidas and Parley for the Oceans sold more than a 1 million sneakers made with recycled ocean plastic.
• Now, the collaborators are ramping up their environmental efforts with a long-term sustainability plan.
• Part of their efforts include a new line of Parley x Adidas Outdoor footwear and apparel.
• I got to check out the part of the collection to see how the material compares to the company's classic offerings.

Sustainability is an all-around good business practice across all industries. It makes brands aware and accountable for their carbon footprint and it gives consumers the peace of mind that their purchases aren't harmful to the environment. In retail, Adidas is one of the few major companies that has actively dedicated itself to becoming more sustainable and eco-friendly all-around.

Some of the brand's biggest sustainability efforts are done in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. In 2015, the two companies teamed up to make a sneaker that was made entirely of yarn recycled from ocean waste and illegal deep-sea gill nets. While the shoe was impressive in both design and sustainability, the partnership really started to come to fruition last year when sneakers like the Parley x Adidas Ultra Boost became more available to the public.

In 2017, they sold 1 million pairs of Parley sneakers and now their goals for the future are set even higher with what's called the Parley A.I.R. Strategy — an acronym for "avoid, intercept, and redesign."

Here's what that means:

Avoid: In 2017, saving approximately 70 million plastic bags by switching to paper bags in retails stores. While plastic is still very much part of the products Adidas makes, it is making efforts to eliminate virgin plastic from its supply chain.

Intercept: Instead of sourcing materials that have already polluted the ocean, Parley and Adidas expanded their collection process to include plastic waste found in coastal communities and on beach fronts. 

Redesign: Innovation is a huge part of footwear and sportswear design, but performance isn't the only area of improvement Adidas is focusing on. Being mindful of materials and better ways to use them means the brand can change the status quo design narrative that apparel companies follow.

One of the biggest innovations thus far is the expansion of products that use recycled ocean plastic — and the new Parley x Adidas Outdoor Collection is the latest step. Now, in addition to the popular running and lifestyle models that have gotten the Parley treatment, Adidas is making outdoor footwear and apparel.

If you love venturing outdoors, then preserving the environment should be a top priority for you. The Parley x Adidas Outdoor Collection is a great way to do both. 

Adidas sent over part of the new Parley collection for me to try out and compare to the quality of other Adidas products I already owned. You can read my full thoughts below on the pieces that were sent over, and also see a few of the standout products that are part of the collection and currently available to shop.

Shop all Parley x Adidas footwear and apparel here.

Check out the collection's standout pieces, plus a few that I've tested and reviewed below:

Parley x Adidas Outdoor Men's Agravic Tee

$35, available in two colors

The Parley Agravic Tee is a quick-drying shirt that's designed to keep you cool, dry, and unrestricted when outdoors. Its made of 80% recycled polyester and 20% polyester piqué. I wore the shirt to the gym and it's very on par with other performance shirts that Adidas makes. It does a great job at wicking sweat away from the body. What's most impressive about this shirt is the price. For $35, you get a shirt that works just as well as athletic wear other companies would sell for twice as much.

Parley x Adidas Outdoor Men's Terrex Climacool Voyager

$120, available in Legend Ink/Chalk White

For footwear, I went with Parley Terrex Climacool Voyager. They are a rugged pair of trail shoes designed for the outdoors. The 360-degree Climacool knit upper, is in part made of Parley Ocean Yarn. Without knowning the innovation behind Adidas and Parley, you'd think they're normal knit sneakers. The shoe is completed with a Stealth rubber outsole that has built-in drainage for water crossings and offers superior traction on wet terrain. I found the shoes to be extremely comfortable while walking and the beefed up sole gave me the confidence to explore any terrain. At $120, they're very fairly priced. You can spend a lot more on trail shoes don't support as good of a cause as sustainability. 

Other Parley x Adidas Outdoor styles: Men's Terrex Voyager Shorts

$69, available in two colors

Michael Jordan made less than $100 million as the NBA's greatest player of all time, but is now a member of Forbes' list of billionaires with an estimated net worth of $1.65 billion.

Since Jordan retired 15 years ago, he has built the most successful and lucrative career we've ever seen from a former athlete.

From sprawling houses to custom planes to his own golf course, he's clearly enjoying life after hoops.

Jordan still makes more money than LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, or any other active player.

He reportedly makes $100 million a year from Nike royalties alone. LeBron is estimated to make less than $90 million a year, including salary and endorsements.

Read more: Michael Jordan still makes $100 million a year off his sneaker deal

Source: Forbes

That's way more than he made in salary while he played. He earned $93.8 million TOTAL in NBA salary, and $63.3 million of that came in his final two seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

Source: Spotrac and Basketball-Reference

Welcome to the Volvo Ocean Race, one of the toughest sailing races on the planet.

Held every three years, the nine-month, 40,000-mile race is a grueling test of will and ability for some of the world's best sailors.

Along the way, the teams visit six continents, cross the equator, and experience temperatures ranging from below freezing to burning hot — all with as little gear as possible to keep weight down on the boats.

But the payoff is worth it, the competitors say.

"When you think about that sense of achievement when you get to another country, it's incredible," Brian Carlin, an onboard reporter that Volvo Ocean Race pays to sail with the competitors, told Business Insider. "It's a pretty unique event and certainly very, very unique experience."

The winner of the race is determined by a points system. Teams earn points by pulling into ports first, second, or third at the end of each of the race's 11 legs. Double points get awarded for the most difficult legs, and the team with the fastest overall time receives bonus points. In the end, the group with the highest overall total wins a trophy. 

Here's what it's like to sail thousands of miles through the open ocean with the fleet: 

SEE ALSO: This fisherman risks his life to catch the world's most elusive, notorious underwater creatures — here's what he's caught

Only the toughest, most experienced sailors are capable of participating in the race. On the longest legs, competitors spend close to a month at sea, running the boat 24 hours a day.

The boats are designed for speed — not comfort — so it can be a wet, bumpy ride when the weather isn't cooperating. Each boat is 65 feet long and built to withstand punishing ocean conditions.

"It's an experience," Carlin said. "It can be pretty bleak and if you're on deck, you're getting hosed by waves and the salt water gets into your skin and you get calluses and you get rashes and it's... Yeah, it's actually not that appealing when you, when you think about it."

"Solo: A Star Wars Story," the first of the Star Wars spin-offs to feature an existing character, is getting mixed reviews. 

But everyone can agree on one thing: Donald Glover is fantastic as Lando Calrissian — so much so that people want to him to get his own movie. 

On Wednesday, Lucasfilm studio chief Kathleen Kennedy said that she would "love" to make a Lando spin-off starring Glover, but nothing is official.

A spin-off with Ewan McGregor reprising his role as Obi Wan Kenobi — no doubt the only good thing about the prequels — is thankfully already in the works.

But there are so many more possibilities, so we collected a list of Star Wars characters who should get their own movie, from R2-D2 to Captain Phasma. 

Here's the Star Wars characters that deserve their own spin-offs:

SEE ALSO: 'Solo' is the worst 'Star Wars' movie since 'Attack of the Clones,' according to critics

Lando Calrissian

Played by: Billy Dee Williams, Donald Glover

Appears in: "The Empire Strikes Back,""Return of the Jedi,""Solo"

Lando is one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe, and Donald Glover proves he deserves his own movie with his incredible performance in "Solo." Give him a movie! Even if it's just Lando talking to the camera for three hours, it would be good. 

Poe Dameron

Played by: Oscar Isaac

Appears in: "The Force Awakens,""The Last Jedi"

Poe Dameron is one of the best new characters in the new trilogy. A buddy road (space) trip movie documenting the growth of Dameron and BB-8's undying bond with each other would be a treat for our eyes and our hearts. We're honestly shocked that this idea is not already in development. 

Mon Mothma

Played by: Caroline Blakiston, Genevieve O'Reilly 

Appears in: "Rogue One,""Revenge of the Sith,""Return of the Jedi"

Mothma worked with Bail Organa to form the Rebel Alliance, and has been fighting the Empire and later, the First Order for basically her entire life. She came to prominence in politics during the Separatist Crisis, when Palpatine really started to impact the senate. Mothma makes bold moves, like seeking out criminal Jyn Erso to steal the plans for the Death Star. Seeing her rise, or at least part of it, would be a fun addition to the franchise. 

• Picking an interview outfit might be one of the more stressful parts of preparing for a job interview.
• An ideal interview look shows the employer that you're a good cultural fit for the company.
• What not to wear to an interview includes suits at a laid-back start-up and T-shirts at a law firm.
• Above all, interview outfits should be unwrinkled, clean, and not revealing.

Your interview outfit should be professional and put-together. It won't necessarily be the most stylish outfit you'll ever wear, but it should communicate confidence and a good work ethic.

But the days of absolutely having to wear a suit to a job interview are over, said Marc Cenedella, CEO of recruiting firm Ladders.

In fact, rolling up to the office in a suit or skirt suit when everyone else is wearing jeans could hurt you in the interview process. It shows you're not a cultural fit for the company.

"Some of the most common mistakes people make when dressing for an interview are following old and outdated advice or not taking the time to do their research and ask questions about the company culture ahead of time," Cenedella told Business Insider.

Cenedella suggested reaching out to your recruiter, company contact, or the HR team to get a sense for what people at the company typically wear to work.

"You can always be direct and ask 'Will I feel out of place in formal business attire?'" Cenedella told Business Insider. "If they answer 'not at all,' you know it's expected."

Regardless of the typical level of dress in the office, some decorum during the interview is still necessary — yoga pants, wrinkled shirts, or ripped denim shouldn't be in your interview wardrobe even for the most casual workplaces.

Here are the 17 things you definitely shouldn't wear to a job interview:

SEE ALSO: 16 things you should never wear to work — even if you work in a business casual environment

DON'T MISS: 28 brilliant questions to ask at the end of every job interview

SEE ALSO: How to dress your best in any work environment, from a casual office to the boardroom

Anything that's wrinkled or wrinkle-prone

Ironing your interview look the night before is a non-negotiable.

"Make sure it's clean, unwrinkled, and that you feel that it presents you in the best possible light," Betsy Aimee, a digital content producer who writes on workplace fashion and entrepreneurship, told Business Insider. "People make an assumption about you before you sit down in the seat and start talking."

Something that doesn't quite fit you or is stained

That dress that's just a little too tight? Those shoes that have salt stains?

You want to wear your best, most-polished clothing to the interview so you can feel confident from the get-go. Don't start off on the wrong foot with clothing that doesn't feel comfortable or look presentable. 

Light colors

If you're taking public transportation or have a tendency to spill coffee on yourself, avoid wearing light colors, Barbara Pachter, author of "The Essentials of Business Etiquette" and business communications coach, told Business Insider.

Stained clothing is the ultimate no-go for job interview looks. Dark colors are the least likely to show stains, and are the safest bet. 

I've never been very interested in "Call of Duty" games.

I respect their significance in their genre, and absolutely admire the influence they've had on other games since, but for me, the boots-on-the-ground warfare depicted in "Call of Duty" and "Call of Duty: Black Ops" games have always been associated with some of the worst aspects of gaming culture (see: hyper-masculinity, graphic violence, etc.). I've also simply never found them very fun to play — that is, for a person who would rather solve puzzles and walk through open worlds than shoot endlessly at waves of enemies — but that's a personal preference.

However, I happen to love battle-royale games, like "PlayerUnknown's Battle Grounds" and "Fornite: Battle Royale," which pit players against each other in a Hunger Games-style battle to be the last man standing.

This week's Community Reveal Event for "Call of Duty Black Ops 4" felt just like any other year, until the reveal of the new "Blackout" mode, which combines the battle-royale style with "Call of Duty's" signature combat systems, characters, and even sections of old maps.

I never thought I would say this, but "Blackout" might give me reason enough to return to the Black Ops series — and the "Call of Duty" franchise as a whole — for the first time in years.

Here's why I'm so excited about the new Blackout battle-royale mode in "Call of Duty Black Ops 4":

SEE ALSO: Call of Duty took a note from Fortnite's playbook and made its own battle royale mode

The inclusion of memorable characters and settings from old Call of Duty games makes "Blackout" feel like something the fans have earned after so many years of dedication and replaying.

It feels weird to compare a family reunion to a fight to the death on an ever-shrinking island, but somehow the comparison is fitting.

"Call of Duty" fans have been buying similar games every year for more than a decade, and endlessly replaying those games for hundreds of hours with friends for years after their release.

This game finally feels like a reward for some of that grunt work. The short, relatively low-stakes rounds that battle royale is known for should feel like a victory lap for the players that have stuck with Black Ops since the beginning. 

When "CoD" developer David Vonderhaar said that players would be able to navigate the Blackout map with land, sea and AIR vehicles, I audibly gasped.

The thought of getting a better view of the map from a helicopter, or narrowly avoiding gunfire by simply taking off in a plane is really going to be a huge game-changer for the battle royale genre.

The return of the RC-XDs also really brought a smile to my face.

The ability to sneak up on enemies from a distance has always been a great advantage in the games that featured these explosive-strapped RC cars, and they'll be especially useful in Blackout, where the ability to stay hidden often literally means life or death.

Both the aircrafts and RC-XDs are brilliant innovations added to the battle royale genre by Black Ops 4, already setting it apart from Fortnite, PUBG, and others that skyrocketed it to popularity. 

The American Institute of Architects has named the 11 winners of its 2018 Housing Awards.

These buildings won the prestigious recognition for exceptional designs that emphasize sustainability and are well integrated into surrounding environments. The jury — which consisted of five longtime architects — gave the awards to homes in four categories: one- and two-family custom residences; one- and two-family production homes; multifamily housing; and specialized housing.

Check the winners out below.

SEE ALSO: The 6 most beautiful new libraries in the US

Dubbed the Ghost Wash House, this residence sits along the hillside of Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

Along the windows, the house features a bar that shields its residents from the intense setting sun. The home spans 8,500 square feet and contains three bedrooms.

"The Ghost Wash House is not a house in the desert, but a house of the desert," the jury wrote.

• McDonald's Signature Crafted burgers are the chain's attempt at premium, "better burgers."
• The premium lineup is helping the chain's sales numbers, according to an April earnings call.
• When compared against two other major "better burger" chains, Shake Shack and Five Guys, we found them to hold their own in terms of quality.

McDonald's attempt to latch on to the meteoric rise of the better burger trend is yielding decent results. 

In the company's last earnings call in April, McDonald's CFO Kevin Ozan said that sales are being buoyed, in part, by sales of the chain's Signature Crafted line of premium burgers, which run about $1-2 more than the rest of McDonald's burger menu.

After the experiment with a customizable burger program a few years ago proved unsuccessful, McDonald's tweaked it and retained several premium burger options — a garlic white cheddar burger, a pico guacamole burger, and a sweet BBQ bacon burger. 

These burgers also have the distinction of using fresh beef patties, a very recent change to McDonald's longstanding and often-maligned tradition of using frozen patties.

This could reasonably put them in the same league as other fresh-grilled, premium, national burger chains — namely, Shake Shack and Five Guys. So we decided to compare McDonald's better-burger lineup to its competition to see if it has staying power in the industry — and we were surprised by what we found:

SEE ALSO: Taco Bell is bringing back one of its most controversial menu items — here's the verdict

McDonald's fancy burgers come in fancy branded boxes to distinguish them from your de rigueur quarter pounders.

First is the pico guacamole burger.

It's slathered with pico de gallo and guacamole, hence the name. The brioche bun is a regular on the premium lineup, and frankly, it is much better than the typical McDonald's sesame bun. 

The burger is decent. The veggie-heavy ingredients are surprisingly fresh and vibrant.

The pico de gallo has firm, fleshy diced tomato and sharp onions, and the guacamole is better than one expects from McDonald's guacamole. This burger comes with a lime wedge in the box — it seems incongruous at first, but the acidic sharpness of the lime juice goes a long way to cut through the rich mellowness of this burger. 

• Night owls might feel too intimidated (or tired) to design their own morning routine. 
• But productivity experts say morning routines can be beneficial even if it's only a 10- or 20-minute add-on to your morning activities. 
• Start by identifying one habit you wish you had — writing, reading, meditating, and so on.

About a third of people are night owls. They have difficulty waking up early, can easily stay up at night, and find that they're able to do their best work in the evening.

Understandably, they're not able to mesh with the new societal expectation of waking up at 4 a.m. to read a novel, do marathon training, cook a three-course breakfast, and write a few poems.

Though night owls might hate the morning time, it's important to make them at least a little enjoyable. Mornings set the tone for the rest of your day, Eric Barker, author of "The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong" told Business Insider.

And, according to productivity guru Laura Vanderkam, an ideal morning routine doesn't need to be an hours-long, sunrise experience.

"It doesn't have to happen at 5 a.m. to count as a morning routine," Vanderkam, the author of several productivity and time management books including the forthcoming "Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done," told Business Insider.

"It's about having something that makes you feel like you started the day in a way you wish you started the day," Vanderkam added.

Here's how to design a morning routine that accommodates your night owl ways. 

SEE ALSO: 18 people who prove you don't have to wake up incredibly early to be successful

1. Ask yourself why you really can't wake up

Maybe you're a night owl and you need the evening time to do your best work of the day. 

But more likely, Vanderkam said, you're spending your nights on Netflix, Instagram, or some other non-essential task.

Relaxation is important, of course. But, if you're hoping to start reading or exercising more regularly, you shouldn't spend your Tuesday night re-watching The Office for the umpteenth time until 2 a.m.. 

"Look at how you're spending your time before sleep, and ask yourself, 'Am I happy with that?'" Vanderkam told Business Insider. "If you are, awesome, but if you're not, then go to bed a little bit earlier."

2. Figure out one habit you want to add to your day

Maybe you want to read more novels, meditate, or build arm strength. Don't pick a habit that you think should be doing — find one that actually makes you excited. 

"If you feel like this is just some dumb project, you're not going to be terribly motivated," Barker told Business Insider.

Being super-motivated is especially important for night owls. While they tend to be more creative than morning people, they also tend to be less intrinsically motivated, Barker said.

3. Set your alarm back by 10 to 20 minutes

If your morning routine has at least one meaningful activity, it's a win. And that "doesn't have to take three hours," Vanderkam said.

If you want to add more exercise, don't feel like you need to go on an hour-long run. Do the seven-minute workout. And while meditating for 30 minutes can be highly-beneficial, so can five minutes of silence. 

Also, there's a surprising benefit to being a little sleepy during your morning routine, Barker said. When we're tired, we're "fuzzy" in the head — therefore, more creative. Sort of like "write drunk, edit sober."

"In the morning typically they are going to be more creative and less analytical," Barker told Business Insider. They should ask themselves in the morning, "What are the creative problems that I need to solve first? Not the rigorous, logical tasks."

So perhaps morning might be the best time for night owls to get started on that Pulitzer Prize-winning novel — or just writing a page in a journal for similar mental benefits.

The US Marine Corps received its first CH-53K King Stallion on Wednesday, landing at Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, according to The Drive. 

"[This is] the most powerful helicopter the United States has ever fielded," CH-53 program chief Marine Col. Hank Vanderborght said in April. "Not only the most powerful, the most modern and also the smartest."

But it's also the most expensive. With a price tag of about $144 million, it costs more than the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter.

Still, the King Stallion can haul three times more than the helicopter it's replacing, the CH-53E Super Stallion.

Here's what it can do:

SEE ALSO: We climbed into an Apache helicopter's cockpit and saw why it's one of the most difficult aircraft to fly

Engineered by Sikorsky, the CH-53K King Stallion made its first flight in 2015.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, one of the largest defense contractors and political donors in the US. 

Source: Defense News

It's about 28 feet high and 99 feet in length.

Source: US Naval Air Systems Command

It's powered by three T408-GE-400 turboshaft engines, which can bring the King Stallion to a maximum speed of about 230 mph.

Source: US Naval Air Systems Command, The Drive

• Getting people to take you seriously isn't always easy.
• It depends on elements like your appearance, your speech, and your body language.
• We put together 15 tricks that will help you establish credibility quickly. Examples include saying "no" on occasion and giving a solid handshake.

Just because you're smart, thoughtful, and competent doesn't necessarily mean people perceive you that way.

If you want coworkers and friends to take you seriously, you've got to think seriously about the image you're projecting — from your outfit to your speech to your body language.

To that end, we put together a list of 15 science- and expert-backed strategies to help you establish credibility, fast.

SEE ALSO: 16 psychological tricks to make people like you immediately

Get to work early

The early bird gets the ... credibility?

Research from the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington suggests that employees who get into the office early are generally perceived by their managers as more conscientious and receive higher performance ratings than employees who arrive later.

And it doesn't matter if those who get in later stay later, too.

If you feel that you'd be more productive working from, say, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., consider explaining the situation to your manager and confronting their potential "morning bias" head-on.

Say 'no' sometimes

Successful people have mastered the art of declining requests. In fact, when psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote to a series of creative professors to interview them for a book he was writing, one-third responded "no," typically citing a lack of time.

You can even say "no" to your boss on occasion — as long as you frame it the right way.

For example, if your boss assigns you a project but you're already overloaded with other projects, national workplace expert Lynn Taylor recommends saying something like: "I would be happy to do that project, but what that could mean is that [whatever other project you're working on] will have to be put off until tomorrow, because I was actually going to spend the next three hours finishing that proposal. Would you like me to put that off?"

The idea here is not to blindly agree to every request that comes your way — even if it seems impossible to decline.

Write simply

Resist the temptation to flaunt your fancy vocabulary.

A 2012 Princeton study — with the fitting title "Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity: problems with using long words needlessly"— found that clumsily using big words often causes people to think you're less intelligent.

In one of a series of experiments, researchers selected a sociology dissertation abstract with lots of long words and created a "simplified" version by replacing every word of nine or more letters with its second shortest entry in the Microsoft Word 2000 thesaurus. Then they asked 35 Stanford undergrads to read the dissertation and rate both the author's intelligence and how difficult the writing was to understand.

Results showed that the simplified version was perceived as less complex — and its author was judged as more intelligent.

Between "Super Mario Odyssey,""PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds,""Horizon Zero Dawn," and "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," 2017's game lineup was hard to top.

But 2018 has some massive games of its own.

From major new Nintendo games to highly-anticipated sequels, 2018 is full of promising new games. As such, we've put together a thorough list of games that should officially be on your radar this year.

Perhaps we forgot your favorite game? Let us know! This list will be updated over time, and your contribution is much appreciated!

SEE ALSO: A ton of great games came out in 2017 — these are the 10 best

1. "Dragon Ball Fighter Z"

If you even remotely care about the "Dragon Ball" universe, you probably already know what "Dragon Ball Fighter Z" is. Even if you don't, you should: It's a gorgeous, unique fighting game that doesn't require a burning passion for anime to enjoy.

The game plays out similarly to the "Marvel vs Capcom" franchise, with each player selecting a team of three to fight as. You can switch between that trio during a match — matches play out in 2.5D, where the fight is on a 2D plane but the visuals are in gorgeous 3D. If you're a "Dragon Ball" fan you'll enjoy it more, but this one looks like a delight for anyone who enjoys a good fighting game period.

Release Date: January 26, 2018

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC

2. "Monster Hunter: World"

"Monster Hunter: World" is the latest major entry in the long-running, cult-classic "Monster Hunter" series. 

If you're wondering what the game is about, look no further than the on-the-nose name: You hunt monsters, repeatedly, in the third-person. This is a game about exploring a massive world and taking down its massive monsters. You can do that alone, or you can do that with up to four friends, but the goal remains the same: Murder monsters, take the loot you get from those monsters, and use it to take down more monsters. 

Release Date: January 26, 2018

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC (release date unknown for PC version)

3. "Shadow of the Colossus"

In 2018, the best game from 2005 arrives on the PlayStation 4. It's called "Shadow of the Colossus," and it's getting a gorgeous remake on the PlayStation 4.

When the game originally launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2005, it was a revelation for PlayStation 2 owners. Though it may look like a standard video game, "Shadow of the Colossus" is anything but — the diminutive character you see above is who you play as, and he's got an objective: Take down gigantic monsters. But why? And what are these "monsters"? Are they monsters, or is he, for murdering them? 

Release Date: February 6

Platforms: PlayStation 4

• Investors had a surprisingly sour reaction to first-quarter earnings results, even though the majority exceeded analyst forecasts.
• That doesn't bode well for the future of equities as traders begin to prepare for a market-wide earnings growth slowdown.
• Goldman Sachs says investors should instead focus on companies set to see strong revenue growth through the end of 2019, and singles out 13 stocks that fit the bill.

Heading into this past earnings season, analyst expectations were extremely lofty. And then something surprising happened: companies beat them anyway.

But the surprises didn't end there. Even as corporations handily exceeded forecasts, investors failed to reward them with stock gains commensurate to their outperformance, according to Goldman Sachs. To make matters even dicier, firms that missed earnings were punished to a greater extent than usual.

To say these were tough conditions is an understatement, especially considering S&P 500 earnings-per-share grew by 23% during the quarter, the most since 2011.

So what gives? Is the traditional way for traders to play earnings season outdated? Goldman has some ideas.

The firm argues the lack of share price follow-through stems from investors thinking — perhaps correctly — that profit growth has peaked for the cycle, leaving nowhere to go but down. It's a view that's shared across Wall Street, with firms like Morgan Stanley and BlackRock already voicing similar concerns.

Goldman has a solution for picking stocks going forward: Go further up the income statement and assess companies based on top-line revenue. The firm says that in an environment of slowing economic growth — like the one currently facing investors — it's the companies capable of growing sales that stand apart.

The chart below shows this dynamic in play. Over the past year, a Goldman-curated basket of high-revenue-growth stocks has beaten the S&P 500 by 8 percentage points, outperformance the firm expects to continue.

"Analysts do not expect the conditions that led to upside in 1Q EPS to persist for the remainder of this year," David Kostin, Goldman's head of US equity strategy, wrote in a client note. "In a decelerating GDP growth environment with a narrow dispersion of valuation multiples, we continue to recommend investors own stocks with the highest forecast sales growth."

With that in mind, all you need to do is identify the companies that fit the bill. And lucky for you, Goldman has already done the dirty work. 

As mentioned above, the firm maintains a basket of companies predicted to see the biggest revenue growth. It recently went the extra step and rebalanced the index based on full-year 2019 forecasts, which informs the list below.

Without further ado, here are the 13 stocks that best fit the bill, arranged in increasing order of 2019 estimated revenue growth.

13. Adobe Systems

Ticker:ADBE

Industry: Information technology

Market cap: $112 billion

Year-to-date return: 38%

2019 expected sales growth: 18%

Source: Goldman Sachs

12. Alphabet

Ticker:GOOGL

Industry: Information technology

Market cap: $674 billion

Year-to-date return: 5%

2019 expected sales growth: 18%

Source: Goldman Sachs

11. Salesforce.com

Ticker:CRM

Industry: Information technology

Market cap: $92 billion

Year-to-date return: 28%

2019 expected sales growth: 19%

Source: Goldman Sachs

• American celebrities turned out for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding at England's St. George's Chapel on Saturday.
• Thanks to wife Serena Williams, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian was the only tech industry A-lister spotted at the biggest wedding event of the year.
• Ohanian shared behind-the-scenes photos from the royal wedding on Twitter.
• The couple scored some of the best viewing seats at St. George's Chapel.

Thanks to wife Serena Williams, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian scored an invite to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at England's St. George's Chapel on Saturday.

"In London for my wife's friend's wedding," Ohanian shared to Twitter on Saturday.

So casual.

Celebrities, including Oprah, Amal and George Clooney, Elton John, David and Victoria Beckham, and many of Markle's "Suits" costars descended on Windsor Castle for the royal nuptials.

Ohanian, who is best known as one of the cofounders of Reddit, where he is still executive chairman, was the only tech industry A-lister spotted at the wedding event of the year.

His public profile has risen significantly since marrying tennis great Williams in 2017. The unlikely couple welcomed a baby girl, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in September.

Ohanian had fun on Saturday sharing behind-the-scenes photos from the royal wedding.

SEE ALSO: See all the celebrities who attended the royal wedding — from Oprah Winfrey to George Clooney

DON'T MISS: How Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian and tennis superstar Serena Williams met and fell in love

The couple posed for photos with Olympia before arriving at St. George's Chapel.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/997871331327791104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
👑 pic.twitter.com/t34dcGeQSf

Ohanian shared the details of his outfit on Twitter. He wore a bespoke suit made by English tailor Huntsman for the ceremony, and a tuxedo by American fashion icon Tom Ford for the reception.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/997902999975530496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Night of festivities with this beauty.

I had a classic English tailor (@huntsmantailors) for the ceremony. American (@TOMFORD) for the black tie. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tWWEjt1F9k

Fortune magazine editor Polina Marinova pointed out on Twitter that Ohanian appeared to be wearing American flag socks. "Yes. Had to represent," Ohanian tweeted in response.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/997847067723796480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Yes. Had to represent. https://t.co/jCKrHh0HCb

The lead-up to the royal wedding was all about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. This makes sense considering it was their special day, but some of their guests ended up stealing the show. 

No, we're not talking about her new sister-in-law Kate Middleton or the impeccably dressed Amal Clooney. We're talking about the ever adorable Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

They've captured everyone's hearts before with their first day of school photos and waves to the public, but they almost upstaged Markle on Saturday alongside their fellow bridesmaids and page boys. 

Here are nine times the siblings stole the show at the royal wedding.

Both Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince George, 4, arrived in a car alongside their mother Kate Middleton.

Their arrival meant Markle was soon on her way.

Of course, the day wouldn't be complete without Charlotte's signature wave.

Princess Charlotte gave her now famous wave in a car with her fellow bridesmaids.

Charlotte was caught sticking her tongue out in one photo.

As INSIDER's Callie Ahlgrim noted, it's not clear who this was aimed at, but it may have been a photographer, commoners, or perhaps the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Whatever the reason, the moment is charming.