Dear Tuffy Luv,

I was in a relationship with a guy for a little over four years. Problem was, my guy has two very different sides to him… when he was sober and when he was drunk. He was great when he was sober, and we really had a fun time together. But when he drank, he would be incredibly rude and pick fights with me that always blew out of proportion because I didn’t just quietly sit and take them. While I knew that something was extremely wrong, I kept working on him because he was out of control and I felt that there was no way a person could be this insane. I know what you’re thinking, BIG red flag. For some reason, I had strong feelings for this guy and his sober side always sucked me back in. Well each year he got better and better, and I got busier than ever balancing school and work. It got to the point where I was working early hours on the weekends, and he would spend one night with me entirely sober, and the next night he could go out drinking with his friends. We had a pretty solid routine worked out so that we could avoid this problem, I just couldn’t go out when he drank.

Recently, I have graduated college and he has been in the process of buying his first house. I made it a point not to ask to move in because I am still searching for my first legitimate job and I am getting my life in order, but he included me on the house hunting which was fun. But alas, we were out with friends one night and we got in a horrific fight, to the point where I couldn’t deal with it anymore. I broke up with him, and in two weeks it fully hit me and I was an emotional mess. After doing the biggest mistake (contacting him), he seemed distant and unsure, but we gave it another shot. After a seemingly perfect week back together, he calls me out of the blue and informs me that he is unsure of his entire life right now and does not want to be in a relationship, and that I deserve better. I cut off all ties with him, deleted him from my phone and intend on never contacting him.

While I completely agree with him, it was a long four years spent together. I know that I can never fully help him if he does not help himself or recognize his problems. After pleading with him for years, he refuses to give up drinking and does not think that he has any problem. All of his guy friends know of his problem but won’t confront him about it, because he gets very angry about it which is why this was such a huge problem for us because I don’t take actions like those quietly. Now I usually share some of your same strong views about relationships, it’s just hard when you’re the one emotionally involved. I’m not as upset as before when I had broken up with him, I think not having the guilt of possibly messing up was something that was bothering me. Since he was the one to do it, I feel confident that I will back off and leave this one alone.

But my questions is, how in two weeks did I lose him after four years together? He claims to still love me, but how could he reject me after all of this time? Was I blind to the fact that maybe he didn’t care for me through all of this?

Sincerely,
Exhausted&Confused

Dear Exhausted&Confused,

You broke up with him first. And now he’s all messed up.

I mean, it’s hard to come back from being dumped after four years (which you are now realizing). True, you broke up with him for a legitimate reason (the horrible huge fights you guys have), but, unfortunately, he can’t understand that.

Which, I guess, is what you’re saying the real problem is: his drinking.

Now, here’s where lil’ ol’ Tuffy gets a lil’ ol’ fuzzy on the details. Either he’s an alcoholic who genuinely needs help, or he’s a party guy whose lifestyle doesn’t fit yours. I, as your friendly neighborhood advice columnist, have no way of knowing which one it is.

If he’s an alcoholic, then, absolutely, #1, you should not be with him, and #2, he needs to get help.

However, judging ONLY from the details of your letter (so I may be wrong!!!!!!!!!), it doesn’t sound like he IS an alcoholic. It sounds like he’s a mean drunk.

In which case, you STILL shouldn’t be with him.

But, you know, I mean, he’s buying a house. He seems to have his life together. And he’s capable of NOT drinking (you only have seen him sober for the most part as of late). So I don’t think it’s an actual PROBLEM.

And if it’s NOT a problem–well, leave the dude alone. It doesn’t sound at all like this is holding him back in his life–you’re angry at him and you’re making it about the alcohol when it seems like maybe it’s just about the two of you. So stop trying to make him out to be an alky (unless he is!!! but from this letter it doesn’t sound like it) and accept the fact that:

Your lifestyles just don’t match.

You’re now moving onto the next phase of your life. It’s time to decide who you’re gonna be as an adult. And you yourself, you don’t want to be with someone who drinks a lot, and you don’t want to be with someone you’re fighting with. And I think those are good choices.

As for HOW you “lost” him suddenly–well, I think your breaking up with him probably knocked some shoop into him. First, he realized you COULD break up with him, which was painful and perhaps a wake up call. And, second, he realized HE could break up with YOU. Maybe he too is realizing you guys were compatible as college kids but not as long-term adults.

So do what you said and don’t contact him. If it’s meant to be, you’ll find your way back to each other. But my guess is, this was all for the best.

Hearts & Skulls,

Tuffy Luv

Question?! Answer: Ask Tuffy Luv.

So by now we all know the statistics.

The economy is suffering and because of that post-grads are suffering as well. More college graduates are left without job prospects than ever before, and maybe even more importantly, more college graduates are moving back in with their parents than ever before. Years ago, this may have been taboo. It was practically unheard of. But now, it’s happening more and more often, and is far more widely accepted. And that’s because for the first time, my generation does not expect to have a better lifestyle than that of their parents. That’s right, ladies – the recession has officially become a depression, and post grads are eying their limited prospects wearily.

According to The Huffington Post, in a survey conducted only 44% of those interviewed believed that they would surpass the lifestyle they grew up with. And as one of those soon-to-be post grads, let me say that I understand this lack of optimism completely. The economy is still recovering. The job market is terrible. And companies are downsizing instead of hiring. So how can we know be sure that we’ll even find a job, never mind a job that will provide us with a better lifestyle than the one we grew up with?

It’s a dark realization.

But while things seem a little bit depressing despite all the congratulations and “look at all you’ve accomplished” speeches, I’m going to try and be optimistic. I’m going to try and look on the bright side, and you should too. Because not having a job straight out of college and having no choice but to move back in with your parents, despite what you make think, is not the worst thing in the world.

There are some perks. First, there’s the obvious stuff. Moving back in with your parents means you get a rent free place to live, home cooked meals, and help with those everyday chores, like laundry and cleaning (which you were never very good at while you were at college anyway). But there’s a lot more to it than that. Living at home provides post grads with a safety net for a little while longer. It allows them the opportunity to search for the job they want, to turn down the menial job that will lead nowhere, to hold out for something a little better, to hold out for the job they want, to hold out for the job that will lead to a career. It allows them the opportunity to build up some savings before having to move out and pay rent. It allows them the opportunity  to find a job that not only pays well, but also a job that they like, a job that just might eventually allow them to succeed past the lifestyle of their parents.

Things are gloomy and after spending all this time and money working towards a life that seems nearly impossible to attain, we should just be thankful that our parents were fortunate enough to achieve that lifestyle, whatever that might be, because it gives us the time to figure out exactly how we’re going to achieve ours.

So…big day is almost here.

You ready for the real world?

What are your plans?

If you’re cringing at the very thought of these questions then there’s only one possible explanation: You too are a college senior. You too are caught between college and real life, trying to enjoy the time you have left at college while also trying to make plans for what comes next. You too are frustrated and upset, and unsure. But most importantly you too are badgered daily, no hourly, about all those post college plans. They want to know everything and they want to know it now. But you don’t even know the answers yourself so how can you answer their questions?

Well, lucky for you, I’ve compiled a list of answers for all those pesky questions you’re constantly being bombarded with. They may not be truthful and they may get you a few strange looks but they’ll definitely shut them up.

1. Do you have a job lined up yet?

Currently I’m mulling over a few different offers. MTV wants me on their new reality TV show. But I’m also really tempted by my acceptance to Harvard Law. Then again can Boston compare to that loft they promised me in Manhattan if I went to work for Donald Trump? Eh, maybe I’ll just finally accept Ryan Reynolds’ proposal and spend a few months honeymooning with him. What do you think I should do?

2. Whatshisname is going where? That’s all the way across the country. How are you two going to stay together?

Phone sex. Lots of it. All the same. At work. On the train. At night. In fact we have an appointment right now. We’re practicing. If you’ll excuse me.

3. Isn’t that going to be terrible, moving back in with your parents?

Yes, but in exchange for a lack of privacy I get free room and board. Free meals. Someone to help me do my laundry and a place to crash while I figure out exactly what I want to do with my life. If you can think of a better alternative please do let me know.

4. You’ve got a job? That’s great? How’d you manage that?

Slept my way to the top.

5. What are your plans?

I’ve sent in my application to live at the Playboy mansion. If that doesn’t work out I’ll just have to marry rich, which means I’ll be spending this summer googling how to be the best damn gold digging whore out there, you?

6. Can I have your futon? You don’t need it anymore, right?

Sure, you can have it. Just as long as you don’t mind me coming along with it. Because I’ve decided I’m just not ready to leave yet. I just didn’t know how to make it work if I stayed. But if you’re taking my futon that’s perfect. I’ll just crash at your place. With my futon.

7. So…are you going to miss college?

No. Not at all. Not in the least. Why would I miss the place I’ve called home for the past four years? Why would I miss the place I’ve made some of the greatest memories of my life? Why would it even matter to me at all?

8. Ready for the big day?

Am I ready for the big day? I hadn’t really thought about it? Cap and gown? Check. Graduating? Check. Ability to walk in a straight line without falling or laughing? Hmm. Maybe I should practice that. Or at least not drink that bottle of Jack before the ceremony…

9. Do you think you’ll stay in touch with your friends?

Nah. Somehow I don’t think Facebook, e-mail or Skype are going to cut it. So I’m not even going to bother trying. We’ll say goodbye at graduation and then that will be that. Cut the cord, you know?

10. You got a job that’s great? What’s your starting salary?

Millions. I mean megamillions. I work one year and I’ll never have to work again. One week and my college loans will forever be paid off. It’s great. I won’t give you an actual number though. It will blow your mind.

Of course, if none of that works, breaking down into sobs should do the trick. Trust me, works like a freaking charm. And sometimes you’ll even get pity presents!

I’m graduating in less than a month. And even though that means I have some pretty great things to look forward to it also means that I’m leaving behind a pretty good life and some pretty good friends. And that’s the reason I’ve been sporadically crying for weeks a little bit upsetting. So instead I’m going to try to look on the bright side. I’m graduating. There will be a celebration. There will be a party. And that means there will be gifts. (There are also a lot of other things to look forward to after graduation.)

And while most of these gifts won’t be nearly as great as the list I’ve compiled in my head (and rightly so), I still feel like sharing it with you ladies. Mostly because I just want to daydream about these awesome graduation presents, but also because maybe one of my relatives will find this article after winning the lottery and feel bad about getting me a crappy high school graduation present all those years ago and surprise me with one of them.

But anyway, back to the point. After day dreaming about my graduation celebration I’ve compiled a list of dream gifts. Not gifts I expect to get. Not gifts I think I should get, but gifts I wish I could get. And now I’m sharing them with you. Get ready to drool ladies.

1. MacBook Air
This one is actually pretty practical. For a long time now I’ve been a PC girl, or a Dell girl to be more precise. But after four years and more fried hard drives and/or motherboards than I care to admit, I think it’s time for a change. Now that I’m out of college I no longer have to worry about my papers being compatible with my teachers and I want to make the switch to a Mac, but not just any Mac, the MacBook Air. It’s tiny and portable, and so, so pretty.

2. A Trip to Greece
Ever since I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants I’ve wanted to visit Greece. And every time I see it in a movie (Mamma Mia, My Life in Ruins, and lots of other chick flicks) my desire to visit the country only increases. There’s just something about it that appeals to me, ancient and beautiful, and full of gorgeous guys with great accents. A one way ticket is fine, thanks.

3. The iPhone 5
I’ve wanted the iPhone for a very long time. But not enough to give up my Verizon service plan. So I held off on entering the world of the smart phones for a while. Until last summer. When I finally caved and got the Blackberry. Just a few months before the iPhone came to Verizon. So now I have a 2-year Blackberry plan, and can’t upgrade without paying for the iPhone in all its full price glory. Something I will not do. I will, however, accept gifts.

4. A Shopping Spree
Come on, how could I pass up the opportunity to ask for a full-fledged shopping spree? I mean I’ll be a college graduate soon. So that means I need a college graduate’s wardrobe. Wish means I need to do lots and lots of shopping. For lots and lots of shoes business attire. It doesn’t have to be the whole mall, just Macy’s will be fine…please?

5. A Lifetime Supply of Starbucks
Just because I’m giving up all-nighters that doesn’t mean I’m giving up my caffeine fix. In fact, now that I’ll have to wake before the crack of dawn I’ll need my morning macchiato more than ever before. But trenta venti caramel macchiato’s don’t come cheap, especially on a post-grad budget. So if someone else could fit the bill I’d really appreciate it.

What about all the other seniors out there? What are your dream graduation gifts? Do any of these graduation gifts belong on your list?

OK, so this isn't Kathy, but how cute is this lady?!

Kathy Vitzthum took her first class at Iowa State in 1992. Since then, she’s continued taking one college class per semester while working at raising a family. Now, 19 years later, she’s graduating with a degree in accounting, and fulfilling a promise she made to her father years ago.

Gawker was kind enough to bring this woman’s story to our attention and we thought we’d bring it to yours. Because not only does she deserve a little recognition for having the determination to stick with it for 19 years while holding a job and raising a family, but she’s also done the one thing no one else has. (Poor Cappie he left after just 5 years.)

She’s managed to prove all those people who say “you won’t be in college forever” wrong. She proved to people everywhere that if you really want to you can make college last. So come on ladies, let’s tip our hats to the woman that didn’t just make her own dream come true, but ours too.

I bet you graduating seniors are re-thinking your plans now, aren’t ya?

I remember when I was finishing my senior year. I developed a paralyzing fear that would wake me up in the middle of the night (even after wine pong night when NOTHING should wake you up). For the first time in my life I had no idea what was coming next, where I’d be, what I’d be doing, or who I’d be doing it with. And if that isn’t enough to make you crap your pants, well, you’ve got nerves of steel.

Of course, now different things scare me. Like Guidos, my parents finding my “list,” and people with tracheotomy holes (OMG I just Googled that for spell-checking purposes and nearly barfed), but thinking back to that point in my life still, to this day, gives me pangs of anxiety. Some CollegeCandy writers are at that point, so in an effort to get everyone thinking of something besides the bleak economy and leaving the best 4 years of their life behind, I asked everyone to share their biggest fears this week. And – BONUS! – I got some dedicated CollegeCandy readers to share too!

Ricki – University of Michigan: My biggest fear is spiders.  I always have to check the ceilings before I go to bed, just in case.

Rachael – University of Miami: My biggest fears are losing people I love, truly being alone, failure (aka living in my home town forever). Oh, and snakes – I can’t stand snakes. *Shudder*

Andi – Drake University: Getting a paper cut on my eyeball, and having someone throw-up on me. [A CC reader! Submitted via Twitter]

Brittany – University of Saint Thomas: Rejection and hydroplaning.

Meg – University of Delaware: Getting divorced or something happening to my family. Family matters more than anything to me so anything that could happen to possibly affect them would be my biggest fear.

Sammie – Fordham: Sharks eating me.  Not sharks in general, they seem pretty cool, but specifically sharks actively eating me.  That would suck.

Emily – Central College: That I’ll end up alone forever. I seriously think being the crazy cat lady runs in my family. [Via Twitter.]

Kari – Florida State: I’m terrified that my recent nightmares will come true and I’ll wake up tomorrow to find that it’s the day of the LSAT and I still can’t figure out what the hell analytical reasoning questions are talking about.

Jackelyn – San Francisco State University: Besides never finding a gorgeous guitar-playing guy who will love me forever and unconditionally and put up with my crazy life?!!! That would have to be all bugs.

Sara C – Fordham: Don’t even laugh, but my biggest fear is vomit. I will literally cry and hyperventilate if someone barfs near me. My parents used to think I was “being a baby” about it, but it turns out it’s a real phobia (emetophobia) whose sufferers can even prevent themselves from getting sick. That probably explains why I’ve only “visited vom.com” three times in my whole life.

Brithny – Duke: At the rate I’m going, with college tuition and my tendencies to buy overpriced shoes and coffee, I’m afraid I’ll be spending my first ten years into adulthood in debt. Really looking forward to sleeping in a box.

Samantha – UCSB: That at some point the “what’s next?” will be death. Seriously, after a career, marriage, kids, kids’ kids…then what!?

Lauren – Saginaw Valley State University: I have this really horrible fear of construction paper. I hate touching it, but even seeing it makes my skin crawl like a meth addict’s. Sigh, I could never become a kindergarten teacher. [Another fabulous CC reader and Facebook fan!]

Alex – Lakehead University: Biggest fear = failure. Classic perfectionist. I wish I could get over it!

Sarabeth –  University of Texas: My biggest fear is moving out to LA after I graduate, only to fail completely at film and have to move back to Texas.

Kelly – University of Iowa: Bad hair days. I will take a second shower if my bangs aren’t laying the right way.

Melanie – Northeastern University: My biggest fear? Bees. And belly revealing shirts making a comeback.

Kaitlyn – Middle Tennessee State University: I have a horrible fear of the dark. Not necessarily of the dark itself, but of what can lurk in the dark. It’s just the idea that you feel so totally alone and isolated in the little bubble of area you can see through in the dark, but past that there is always the possibility that something is creeping around and watching you…waiting to pounce. [Reader and loyal Facebook Fan.]

Nina – Michigan State University: That Glee will become less entertaining as the season goes on, if this week was any indication. Regardless, I will be sitting through every episode (for Finn’s sake, of course).

Cristina – Michigan State: Being called out on a mistake I made in front of a big group of people – board meetings, party, family dinners, etc.  Don’t scold me when I’m rolling 0 deep, yo.

As I sit elbow-deep in final papers, projects and exams that are all due within the next week, saying I’m counting down the seconds until the end of the semester is the understatement of the year. No. Of the century. But if I relayed that fact to my senior friends that are actually graduating in a couple of weeks, they’d smack me. And after four years of dealing with college guys, they’ve mastered the fine art of b*tch slapping!

The past few weeks, I find myself walking on eggshells around these depressed folk, who mope around campus as though they just lost all their belongings in a level 10 natural disaster, the CW just canceled Gossip Girl, and they found out that Mario Lopez was gay.  For real, who woulda thought offering up some Easy Mac would induce a sob-fest? I get that they’re a wee bit on edge about graduating, but really? Over Easy Mac?

If you’re still an underclassmen like me, beware. Heed my advice and avoid any mention of these 8 things when interacting with a senior if you want to avoid a smack in the face, a beer dumped over your head, or just a massive onslaught of tears…

1. “So, have you found a job yet?”
In this economy, probably not, and you want to avoid the awkward “….no” at all costs.

2. “Well you can always wait tables, right?”
You’re twisting the knife. College grads are looking for their dream job, not a 5th summer waitressing at Applebee’s

3. “So, can I have your microwave/futon/Breakfast at Tiffany’s poster?”
No, you can’t.  Your senior friend is moving out of her college house into A. her parents or B. an apartment (which her parents are no longer paying for).  So even if that Audrey Hepburn poster is not mature enough for her new grown-up pad, you won’t get it due to the pure jealousy that Audrey would be watching you livin’ the dream through her Wayfarers.

4. “God, I can’t think of anything worse than moving back home with my parents”
I can and it’s called “The Death Stare,” which you will be getting in 5, 4, 3, 2…..

5. “So this is like, your last real summer!?”
Summer to us means lounging at home, blurry trips to the beach, and sippin’ cocktails by the pool while logging occasional hours at our minimum-wage job. Summer in the real world means…not that much.  9-5 means every day, no matter the potential for a sweet tan. And reminding them of that is not in your best interest.

6. “What’s gonna happen with you and what’s-his-face?”
If one of your senior friends managed to whip a douchey college guy into boyfriend material, chances are graduation is bringing up some big question marks.  Maybe they live states away, got jobs in different cities, or are constantly on edge and arguing. Whatever it is, avoid this topic at ALL costs. Really. All of them.

7. “You’re so lucky you don’t have to deal with all this work anymore!”
Anyone who says this is lying, and anyone who hears it will know it. Along with all the work comes all the unique things you can only experience in college. For example, ditching class to fill up a plastic kiddie pool and drink beer on the first day of spring. I’m only guessing, but it’s probably not okay in the real world to ditch work to fill up a plastic kiddie pool and drink beer on the first day of spring.

8. “Congratulations!!!!”
Be prepared to get a look dirtier than your feet after a basement frat party if you congratulate a senior on leaving behind the best four years of her life.

If you haven’t heard the name Jayne Appel, then you haven’t tuned into ESPN or Sportscenter in the past month, because her name is everywhere. Appel, senior at Stanford University, has taken the college basketball world by storm over the past four years.

As an All-American athlete, Appel has led the Stanford Cardinal to the Women’s Final Four for the past two years. She has more basketball awards than one can count, was one of Glamour magazine’s 2009 Top 10 College Women, and was the number 5 draft pick of the WNBA, picked to play for the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Basketball has been her life, but basketball isn’t the only arena that Appel dominates. With her bleach-blonde hair, notorious neon pink painted fingernails, and constant carefree California attitude, Jayne Appel is just another girl ready to make her place in the world. And as a recently graduated senior (due to that whole WNBA draft thing), Appel has officially entered the real world. Okay, so maybe instead of a 9-5 desk job she’s playing a sport she loves, but she is just as scared about life post-college as the rest of us.

Since most girls our age haven’t seen their dreams become reality yet and don’t have their own Wikipedia page or Facebook fan site, I wanted to sit down with Appel to ask her some questions and pick her brain about life after college.

CC: What is your favorite thing about being a recent college graduate?
JA: Honestly? Being able to sleep more! And having so much free time and no stress from school!

CC: What will you must most about your college experience?
JA: My girlfriends. There are so many moments that have defined my college career, almost too many to name. But if I were to name one, it would just be the hard times when my friends were there for me. The whole community – my friends, teammates, and parents. I would not have made it without all of these people and feel so blessed to have had that type of support system in place during college.

CC: Do you have any regrets about your college experience?
JA: Zero regrets. I loved every minute of it. I’m sad I am missing my last quarter on campus but am so excited to start playing professionally!

CC: Most seniors are looking for jobs right now, you already have one. How do you feel about your new job?
JA: I am so excited about my opportunity to be a professional athlete. I am even more excited that it will be in San Antonio. I really liked the atmosphere there at the Final Four and am really excited about breaking in my cowboy boots, Texas style!

CC: What is the advice you would tell graduating seniors or upperclassmen about savoring their time left at college?
JA: Spend time with your friends as much as possible. Go out on that night that you usually would stay in. It is unreal how quickly these next few months are going to go, so savor them. Make a bucket list of things you desperately want to do before you graduate and have fun making the stories that you’ll want to retell later. Just enjoy it all!

CC: Speaking of enjoying it all. Do you have any love advice for college women out there?
JA: Relax. If it is meant to be, it will be. And whatever you do, stop over-analyzing! Too many of us women spend hours decoding a guy’s text or every other move, but we all need to just relax a little! I’ve been there, and it’s such a waste of time.

CC: What would you say your sense of style is? What wardrobe pieces are a must for you?
JA: When I do dress up out of sweats, I love to layer stuff. I feel that it’s a look that can work for almost everyone. I also love my Lululemon pants!.

CC: What saying or quote do you live by?
JA: “Try and fail but don’t fail to try” – Stephen Kaggwa

Follow Appel on Twitter at @jayneappel

"Uhhh... what now?"

[OMGeeee. Graduation is coming soon. As in, my graduation. As in, in less than two months I'm going to be donning a really unflattering gown and listening to someone tell me that the world is my oyster and blah, blah, blah. As in, I'm about to be a real adult living in the real world. There is so much to do, to enjoy, to learn before I graduate, that I'm not sure I'll have time to do it all. But I'm going to try, starting with my Senior Year Bucket List, then tackling a little reading....]

With graduation fast approaching, I am trying to cram in all the education and life lessons that I possibly can before I have to leave this place. I go to class, take notes, listen, and really try to absorb the teachings from all my amazing professors, teachers, and friends.

However, there are some life lessons that simply can’t be expressed in a quarter long class or in a classroom at all. There are just not enough practical classes that will ready us for life after graduation, or answer so many of the questions we don’t have the answers to. Like, how do I manage a checkbook? How do I find the perfect apartment in an unknown city? Am I going to stay in touch with all my friends post college? How do I make a cup of coffee? What am I actually going to do? Who will I become?

Since we don’t have much “real-world” experience yet, we can benefit and learn from others’ life experiences, stories, and knowledge. There is so much to be learned from other people, and thankfully, so many of those people have written their wisdom down for us.

So for all my fellow college-seniors-who-are-freaking-out-about-graduating-and-have-no-idea-what-they’re-doing, here are five great books by five great authors that might give us all a little insight and guidance.

How to Survive the Real World: Life After College Graduation: Advice from 774 Graduates Who Did
This book is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. There is solid advice in this how-to guide by hundreds of people who offer up their insight, mistakes, successes, and stories of entering adulthood and how they survived the transition from college life to real life. This guide covers everything from practical problems, like finding the best apartment, to the psychological issues of moving on after college and discovering who you are and who you will become. Obviously real life can’t be learned from a how-to guide, but this book can help make the transition from frat parties to a 9-5 job a little easier.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
This list wouldn’t be complete without a little Dr. Seuss. This classic book is a perfect read before any major life transition, whether that be a new job, a new home, or entering a world different than the one you’ve known for the past four years. Dr. Seuss will assure you that you will succeed in life, even if you don’t have that dream job yet or if life gets a little rough. Plus, his rhyming is genius and will make you feel like a little kid again, which is awesome because little kids aren’t graduating yet…so maybe you’ll feel like you’re not graduating yet. My logic is seamless.

What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20
This book will push you to think differently and open your mind to possibilities previously unearthed in your own head. In this day and age, we need all the help we can get and this book is basically a road map to life. Author Tina Seelig, professor at Stanford University (whoop whoop!), gives today’s youth some serious insight through stories, anecdotes, and examples to move into the future with the best version of themselves.

Personal Finance For Dummies
I know, I know, the ‘Dummies’ book series seems kind of lame but these books are surprisingly helpful; complete with tips, advice, and straight up instructions from experts, professors, and the brightest people in their respective fields. I know for a fact that once my ‘rents cut me off post graduation, I may struggle while handling my own finances. And by “may” I mean “without a doubt.” Money, financing and all the other economy related stuff (401K? CD? WTF?) can be confusing and frustrating, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing and you majored in English rather than Econ. If you’re in the same boat, this book is a must-read and a must-highlight-so-you-retain.

(And if those ‘Dummies’ books aren’t for you, definitely pick up ‘So Many Shoes, So Little Money,’ by Lisa Erwin. It will totally speak to you and your personal financial needs post graduation.)

The Velveteen Rabbit
I literally can’t keep from crying when I read this book. (Okay so maybe my tear ducts aren’t as strong as yours, but still I dare you to not get emo when you read this.) I loved this book as a child, and I love it even more today. It explains what it means to be real, which every one of us desires to be and will probably struggle with during the most difficult transition of our lives. In beautiful language and metaphor, this classic children’s book reminds us all of what life truly means and what we all aim to seek from our experience – to be loved. Even better, there is audio versions narrated by the one and only  Meryl Streep. Take a listen and grab a box of Kleenex.

Do you have any book recommendations that you consider a must-read before gradution?

For most college students, exam time is looming just around the corner. We’ve slacked off all year, attending too many “Thirsty Thursdays” and fallen prey to our friends begging us to come out  just one more night. And now, as we stare at the stack of textbooks piled on the desk in front of us, we’re forced to actually think about our futures instead of just enjoying the student life.

What comes next?

That’s the question Sean Aiken asked. After graduating from college, he was lost. He didn’t know what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, but knew that he didn’t want to be stuck in a job he hated. Plenty of people suggested respectable careers for Sean, but the advice that seemed to have made the difference was from his father: do something you’re passionate about. Since Sean wasn’t really sure what he was passionate about, he decided that he would have to try out different jobs and see if he could manage working them for the better part of his adult life. In fact, he decided that he would try on 52 different jobs in one year. If you’ve done the math, you know that there is 52 weeks in a year, meaning that Sean was embarking on what he called “The One-Week Job Project”. His plan was to create a website, offering his services to employers for one week and in exchange they could donate his earnings to ONE, a campaign that fights poverty. He figured that this way more people would benefit from his experience.

Sean begins his first week of work at a bungee jumping company in Whistler, British Columbia. Not a bad way to kick off a whirlwind year, if I do say so myself! After that he embarked on job after job after job, sharing all 52 experiences in this book. But this isn’t just a rundown of what sort of tasks he did in each place; Sean also talks about himself, his growth on this journey, and falling in love.

Sean’s ideas and journey are fascinating, but it’s his honesty and bravery that compelled me most. This book totally spoke to me and I’m fairly certain that any college-age student will be able to relate to his experiences. I mean, do any of us really know what we want to do after we graduate? I know I don’t. I think I want to be a psychologist, but have I ever tried it out? No. I just know that I like studying psychology. Sean didn’t like that uncertainty and decided to do something about it. Something different. Something scary. Something I’d never have the guts to do myself.

“The One-Week Job Project” really got me thinking about my future career, but in a surprisingly comforting way. So many of the people who employed Sean said that their job just seemed to find them. This makes me feel secure that, eventually, I’ll find a job that I am really happy doing. Now, in regards to Sean’s project, I won’t tell you the ending, but I will say that it’s a happy one.

If you’re like me (scared, unsure, overwhelmed, trying to find some sort of invention that can stop time) you HAVE to read “The One-Week Job Project” by Sean Aiken. It will entertain you, guide you and bring you peace of mind about your uncertain future.

If the 52 employers and Sean are correct, then don’t worry, you will find your passion!