This past week, we asked you to list your fifth must have college fashion staple.  Besides the necessary shoes, great jeans, and comfy pajamas, what other items do you need to survive?  We got some great suggestions from our readers.  Our winner Olivia said “My favorite staple is a trench coat.  It adds instant polish to my look…plus, it’s a timeless piece and very versatile.  Perfect for my tight college budget!”  Congratulations Olivia!

And don’t forget, we’re celebrating with Boy Meets Girl® and Campus Candy at the Campus Candy store at Penn State (#psu) today at 7:30!  They’re throwing an unforgettable fashion show with student models, Boy Meets Girl® gear, candy, and a meet-n-greet with brand Founder/Creative Director Stacy Igel. Can you imagine anything more college than spending Sunday night doing homework checking out fashion and eating candy? Oh, and asking a fashion designer for advice IN-PERSON?  If you’re around the area, this event is NOT to be missed!

This week is College Fashion Week (#collegefashionweek if you’re Twitter-obsessed) and we’re celebrating with Boy Meets Girl® and Campus Candy at the Campus Candy store at Penn State (#psu) on September 18th.  Why? They’re throwing an unforgettable fashion show with student models, Boy Meets Girl® gear, candy, and a meet-n-greet with brand Founder/Creative Director Stacy Igel. Can you imagine anything more college than spending Sunday night doing homework checking out fashion and eating candy? Oh, and asking a fashion designer for advice IN-PERSON?.We can’t. But we know that not all our readers go to Penn State. Fine, we know that the majority of our readers don’t go there. We didn’t want to leave you out of the fun though! So read on to find out how you can also get in on the fashion, food and fun.

When it comes to dorm life, it’s no news to you that closet space is something of a limited commodity. Even after you’ve gone like a mad woman through The Container Store and Target, those stackable units can only hold so much. It is for this reason that creating a well-rounded college wardrobe is such a precise science. There is literally no room for error.

So what are the items you’re going to find yourself longing for? The must-haves for successfully getting from Point A to Point B (with a pit-stop at the bar in between)? Read on and make sure you’ve got these college fashion staples…

1. A Comfortable Pair of Heels

Whether you toss them on for a class presentation or for a night of frat hopping, you’ll quickly find out that comfort is key. It’s so much easier to enter these situations confidently when you’re not worried about the pains shooting up your legs and the blisters on your toes. Plus, no one wants to be (or dance with) the cranky girl hunched in the corner complaining about her shoes.

2. Cute Pajamas

If you live in your college’s dorms, it’s amazing how many people see you in various states of undress. Hair half-up in a clip, pajama bottoms and a going out top? Standard Saturday 7pm attire. Boxer shorts, socks and an inside out oversize tee? Welcome to Sunday morning. By opting for some fun PJs (like this Voyager Hoodie From Boy Meets Girl®), you’ll at least feel slightly put together, even at your less glamorous, more scrambled moments.

3. The Perfect Jeans

You know the ones. They make your butt look amazing and your legs look…well…as long as possible. They’re your go-to for going out and the natural choice when you’re heading to class. They’re so perfect that if they were a man, they’d be Ryan Gosling. Instead of cramming ten pairs of so-so jeans into your 2×2 closet, take the time to find that one magical pair that goes everywhere.

4. Shower Shoes

Not the most glamorous foot apparel, but a necessity all the same. Do you know what’s lurking on your shower floors? Yeah, me neither, but I don’t doubt direct contact will land me in the hospital with Bubonic Plague. So grab a pair of shower shoes, make ‘em cute and wear them every day.

5. You tell us to become eligible to win the grand prize! One lucky winner will win a survival kit from Boy Meets Girl® . Five runner-ups will win a $10 gift card from Campus Candy.

So you wanna win the survival kit…

1. Tell us your favorite college fashion staple in the comments below. Then make sure you’re following Boy Meets Girl® on Twitter and that you like them on Facebook. That’s it. You’re automatically entered to win this amazing prize.  Oh, and make sure to use your real e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest closes at 11:59 PM on September 16 2011

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

4. One grand prize winner will be announced at 7 pm on Sunday, Sept. 18th on CollegeCandy.com. 5 runner-ups will receive gift cards to Campus Candy.

Okay, so here at the CollegeCandy offices, we’re pretty obsessed with our candy pink Sony VAIO S series laptop PC. Why, you ask? Because this thing has a 15 hour battery life and looks amazing when we bring it to meetings. We have to tell you, it’s pretty freakin’ amazing living in a world free of tangled power cords and low batteries.

Just in time for back to school, Windows is giving away a VAIO and a sheet battery to one lucky winner. All you have to do is tweet @windows or post on their blog what you would do with your laptop if you had up to 15 hours of battery life. You can enter up until 7pm PST on July 17, so get going!

For more information and contest details, check out the Windows Blog.

Now, Threadless Select is giving CC readers the opportunity to win a Select tee of their choice when you tweet your favorite tee to @Threadless and any one of the CC twitter handles. You can tweet all of our accounts once a day for up to four chances to win (or to win four times).

Follow @CollegeCandy, @CC_Intern, @SororityGirlCC and @CC_Mizzou for more details.

WELCOME TO OUR BIRTHDAY PARTY!

We’re officially four years old and we couldn’t be happier.  Over the past four years we’ve gone from a teeny-tiny little blog struggling to get visitors to becoming the LARGEST blog out there for college women. (Sorta like how Suri went from pacifiers to high heels….) Not to sound cocky, but GO US! Okay we’re done patting ourselves on our backs. Intern, stop rubbing my feet and start patting me on the back, will ya?

Where was I? Oh, right. Our birthday party. Anyways, we couldn’t have gotten where we are today without ALL OF YOU! And that’s why we’re celebrating our big day by giving back to you.

Earlier this week we asked you to tell us (via Facebook) what your favorite CollegeCandy post is in the world — and you guys came out strong with a variety of awesome content (some we didn’t even remember!). So instead of sending you a slice of cake in the mail, we’re gonna eat it ourselves delivering a gift to you all day long.

Our top ten most-liked CollegeCandy blogs ever!

Just like a very special episode of a TV show, we’ll be running things a little differently today. Instead of putting up our usual Friday blogs, we’re going to be featuring the blogs that you picked! And, just like we promised, the person who submitted the most-liked post is going home with the most awesome goodie-stuffed Clava bag.

But that’s not all. We’re still giving out presents all day. Discount presents that is….check out all the awesome companies that want to save you some money in honor of our BDAY bash!

-Use “GOEDU” to get 25% off at Shoedazzle until March 15, 2011
- Use “COLLEGE20″ to get 20% off at Fantasy Jewelry Box and Designs by Stephene.
- Use “COLLEGE” to get 15% off at Clava from now until March 18, 2011.
- Use “COLLEGE” to get 20% off at Tarte until March 15, 2011.

Thanks for celebrating with us! Enjoy a day of CollegeCandy hits!

We’ve teamed up with our favorite organizing guru Peter Walsh and OfficeMax to give one lucky CollegeCandy fan an entirely new workspace. As in a new desk, message board, file tray, cord management station, portable inbox station, expanding files, writing board, notebooks, letter tray, ottoman with hanging files inside, and more!

Yeah it’s a lot — I’m out of breath just typing it!

Last week we invited people to upload their messiest desk pictures to our Facebook fan page to prove to us why they deserved to win this awesome prize. And even though our desks are filled with old wrappers, crumb-filled keyboards, and coffee stains, you guys managed to out-do us. We’ve chosen the 5 MESSIEST desks from all the entries and now we’re asking you to help us pick a winner by voting for the person who NEEDS the new workspace the most.

Check out the pictures below, then place your vote at the bottom! The contest ends this Friday, February 4th, so don’t forget to vote!

Angelica Says: "HELP! I am in desperate need of a new desk. This one second hand and it's so old there had to holes cut in the back for my power cords. My desk always seems to be doing double duty (vanity, desk, dinning table) and I need somewhere that I can just STUDY. Please help me get a new desk!"

Emily Says: "My desk is a complete and utter disaster! I don't have anywhere to store my stuff, so things are spilling onto the floor and I don't even have room to have a book open and use my computer at the same time!"

Jandrea Says: "My desk just seems to get cluttered...I try and keep it neat and I fail. My fish Charlie doesn't enjoy it too much either. The plate of water colors has been there for a verrrrrry long time."

"This is Katie's chaotic corner: a land of pure imagination, homework, and creativity. Sometimes, Cheerios attack, penguins fall , and I have no room for all of my books. But it's okay-- I dream that one day I will have a desk large enough to hold my homeless pet squirrel."

Megan Says: "My desk is an absolute wreck, and it is so small that there is no room to get anything done on its small surface especially since my computer screen is cracked and I have to have two monitors on the desk which takes up even most of the room. Also, my fish, Othello, doesn't really have anywhere else to be so I have to work around him while doing homework, playing on facebook, doing my hair, or putting on makeup."

[It's a new year meaning it's the perfect time to wipe that slate clean and start anew. And we made it our resolution to help you out. Every Thursday this month we've been bringing you advice from experts on ways to improve yourself and your life.  First we feng shui-ed your rooms to make them happier, more productive places and centered ourselves so we could handle whatever comes our way. Then we got our finances all in order. And now, at long last, it's time for organization expert (seriously, Oprah uses this guy!) Peter Walsh to help us get our desks and lives in order. P.S. He's giving away a MEGA prize, so check that out at the end.]

Does this sound familiar? You’re taking 18 credit hours, involved in extra curriculars, trying to study for exams, accepting social invitations left and right and trying to impress the cute guy in psychology class. You don’t exactly have free time, and well, your desk reflects it. These days, it’s starting to look more like last night’s party scene than an efficient, productive workspace that you started with in August. And I’m guessing the same holds true for your “mobile office,” i.e. your backpack!

You’re not alone! But it’s time to take back control and start the New Year off with less clutter and more organization. The following are a few of my favorite tips and advice for organizing your workspace and mind that will help you maintain your studies, social calendar and sanity throughout the rest of the semester and year.

Here’s what you need to know:

Make a List, Check It Twice
When writing a to-do list, group similar tasks together such as finishing assignments or running errands to increase efficiency. Avoid getting overwhelmed by breaking it into small, manageable tasks. Write to-dos on individual sticky notes and put them on a wall calendar. After classes, review your checklist and cross off completed items. Move any pending items to a fresh list for tomorrow.

Organize the Paper Trail
Deal with new papers first, period. No matter how high the old piles are, deal with new arrivals immediately. Once you are faithfully dealing with new papers, such as bills and homework assignments, begin organizing old ones into your new filing system. About that….

File It Away
Sure, you probably don’t have room in your dorm or apartment for a big filing cabinet, but don’t worry, expanding files work great too! Name your file folders with nouns, using ones that first pop into your mind first. Do not create a label for miscellaneous items! If something is worth hanging onto, it’s worth creating a specific label.

Keep It Close
For those papers that you need at arms reach on a regular basis, create a filing system that keeps them from taking over your precious desktop “real estate.” One way to do this is by using a stepped desktop organizer that enables you to file papers in labeled folders and place them in a neat, easy to navigate system.

Use ONE Calendar
You may have one calendar from school and another from mom and dad, but this can actually lead to more confusion and missed appointments or deadlines. To help you stay on track, combine your calendars into one and color-code like tasks, such as school, social, doctor’s appointments, and so on. You can even carve out time for tasks such as job-hunting or phone calls with mom to ensure the job will get done.

Clean Up Your Inbox
You probably get a ton of emails each day from friends, professors, news outlets, and even shopping reminders from your favorite retailers. To avoid getting sucked into hours of inefficiency reading emails, create folders for each topic and immediately sort messages into an appropriate folder. (GMail is great for this!) Even if you don’t have time to deal with it now, sort it for later action. I also suggest opting out of any newsletters you receive and don’t read. Any opportunities to cut down on your digital clutter will help you stay focused and efficient.

Create a One Stop Message Center
No need to hang lists, phone numbers and reminders all over your wall. Instead, create a one-stop message center with a cork or sticky board. Hang your daily to-do list, impending assignment deadlines and a weekly calendar of events and meetings. This way, you’ll have all your need-to-know information in front of you. You can also add hooks for your keys, purse and backpack and a recharging station for your cell phone, and you’ll never go running around your room trying to find things on your way out the door!

Bottom line: There’s no faster way to inspire an immediate change in attitude than with an uncluttered, clever and pristine workspace. So let’s get to it! 2011 can be the year of organization, and trust me, you’ll have more time to enjoy all the wonderful things about college in and outside of class!

—

So now that you know what you need to be doing to stay organized and clutter-free, Peter’s going to help you do it! Peter and OfficeMax are giving one lucky CollegeCandy reader a total workspace makeover: a new desk, message board, file tray, cord management station, portable inbox station, expanding files, writing board, notebooks, letter tray, ottoman with hanging files inside, and more! I know, that’s a lot, right?

Yes, you get ALL of this!

How do you win?

Easy. Show us that you need Peter’s help by taking a picture of your current workspace. (Note: you must be in the photo to be considered!) Hop on over to our Facebook page and upload it there with one or two sentences telling us why your workspace needs a makeover. On Tuesday, February 1st, we’ll pick 5 entries and put them up on CollegeCandy.com, where our loyal readers (and your friends…when you beg them) will vote on whose space needs the most help. Voting will close on Friday, February 4th at 5pm EST.

Good luck (both in this contest and in organizing your life)!

Peter Walsh is a nationally acclaimed organization expert, former host of TLC’s Clean Sweep, host of Enough Already! on OWN, best-selling author and designer of Peter Walsh you.organized products at OfficeMax.

In The Roommate, Leighton Meester plays Rebecca, who befriends her dorm-mate Sara. It seems like they’re becoming besties until Rebecca gets obsessed with Sara, putting both her and her friends in some serious danger. While we all have our roommate drama, Rebecca is seriously, one crazy roommate. Promise, yours will look like a saint next to her!

Can’t wait for the movie? You’ll have to wait till it hits theaters February 4, but in the meantime, you can enter to win a grand prize of $1000 in gift cards so you can give your dorm or bedroom the ultimate makeover!

Have a roommate you actually like? Send her this link and you can both enter to win! Two (2) first prize winners will also get $500 gift cards — so unless you have a psycho roomie who’s cut off your Internet, what are you waiting for?! Enter now!

I love them and all, but really?!

Kim Kardashian’s got ANOTHER new business.

Behold: the Gaga meat-lass!

College….in pictures.

Wanna win a $100 JC Penney gift card?

The dos and don’ts of final exams.

But while there’s already so much that can be gained from the hours upon hours we all spend on there, we’d like to reward you even more.

With money.
Dinero.
The green stuff.
Cashola.
Benjamins.

Here’s the deal. As many of you already know, CollegeCandy’s got a Facebook Fan Page (which may or may not have been created to give us a reason to FB-stalk during the work day…). We’ve already got nearly 5,000 amazing adoring fans but we want more.

And we’re leaving that up to you, our popular pals!

You’ve got from now until THIS FRIDAY (November 12th!) to get all your closest girlfriends to come over and join CollegeCandy fan-ily. (Tee hee). Tell them how awesome the site is, how entertaining our Facebook albums are, how they can win a FREE beer pong table just for being our fan (!!)…. Whatever it takes to get them to “like us” on Facebook.

Then, on Friday, hop onto the fan page and take a screenshot of that little box on the left that shows how many of your FB friends are also CollegeCandy fans and email it to submissions[at]collegecandy.com. (Not sure how to do take a screenshot? Here are some helpful instructions!)

The person with the most friends wins a $200 American Express gift card to use however she wants (holiday gifts? Your cell phone bill? Kegs for a Christmakah party?). But she’s not the only one bringing home the (turkey) bacon. We’re also rewarding second place with a $150 gift card and 3^rd place with a $50 gift card.

It’s that easy. So tell all your girls to Fan us! I mean, I know you’re on Facebook right now… why not earn some cash for it??