A question about "last time I checked, you need a man" what does "checked" mean? or is "last time i checked" a fixed phrase?

which is better for a native speaker? "you drive me insane" "you drive me crazy" I don't know which is better or normally used for a native speaker. Could you please tell me?

“apply for” or “apply to” I am applying to other colleges I am applying for other colleges which sentence is right and what‘s the differenc between these two phrases？

The final stage of my master's thesis It is a delightful day today, because my mentor reviewed my draft thesis and approved my research methods and final results. Although he did not compliment my work, I think no criticism is the big praise! haha! He is an extremely strict, stubborn person and hardly praise us even when we do something good. What he normally say is "Well, make an effort to do it better". As a result, all the other fellow students of mine have been scolded seriously because their work was not catering for his requirements. Actually I felt a bit nervious when I sent the thesis to him, getting criticism is not comfortble after all. So everhting is going to be much easier and I just need to add some detailed information to my thesis, which can make it more reasonable!

Lack of Art Gene. I envy those who can sing well. I was not born with music talents and it is difficult for me to sing in tune, although I love music so much! I always treat music as the best way to express our emotions, especially when some rythm can perfectly fit your mood. But as it is, I want to throw my phone away when I hear the recorded songs that I sing following the origionals. Haha, it does not have a special case up till now. So, I think it would be better if I learn some singing skills, which could cover the lack of inherent talent to some extent.