Graduation is right around the corner. (And for those unlucky few…you’ve already passed that corner. Sorry guys.) And you’re about to start getting a whole lotta gifts…and wishing that a whole lotta them came with exchange slips. I mean, there’s not really much to do with a full-length nightgown that says class of 2011 all over it. Thanks for nothing Grandma.

So we’re trying to ease the pain of leaving college as well as the pain of bad gifts by giving you the chance to win your own. We’re teaming up with Shutterfly to offer you a kickass prize: a Shutterfly personalized photo book. What’s a photo book? It’s a hardcover book filled with YOUR PHOTOS.  It’s like bringing Facebook to life! Oh and that’s not all (It never is with us). We’re also giving away 100 custom graduation announcements  along with the book. ANNNDDDD we’re giving away ANOTHER photo book to a CollegeCandy newsletter subscriber. That was exhausting just to type.

Here’s how to enter to win:

1. Sign up for the newsletter AND leave a comment below telling us what you’re going to miss most about college. That’s it. You’re automatically entered to win.  Oh, and make sure to use your real e-mail address so we can contact you if you win. Oh, also, Shutterfly is so excited to keep giving stuff away that they’re offering another way to win big.

2. Contest closes at 11:59 PM on May, 8 2011

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US  residents. Also please expect 4-6 weeks for delivery. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

After the novelty of college graduation (and all the great gifts that came with it) wore off, I spent a year crying myself to sleep. And I’m not exaggerating. While being done with school after 16 years was pretty liberating, not knowing what was coming next scared the sh*t out of me. And the fact that no one ever warned me how difficult being an adult would be made things a whole lot harder.

I went through a lot that first year – looking for a job, moving to a new city, ending a long relationship, and learning how to care for myself, to name a few – all by myself and now feel that I have the experience and knowledge to advise others on the transition. Because it’s a hard one and every college grad should know that they are not alone. Come back every week for another nugget of information to help you survive in the big, bad world.

The hardest part of graduating college is not the fact that your friends are now spread all over the country. It is not the fact that you can no longer party 6 nights a week with $1 pitchers. It isn’t even the whole “getting a job” thing (even now).

The hardest part is having no freaking clue how to do anything. Read More »

Remember when you started college and you got a bunch of cool new stuff? Everything was shiny and new and you were off on a great adventure. A lot has changed since then. Now you’re all disillusioned by jerky professors and “real world” problems. Oh, and your laptop is an antique.

Many of you are thisclose to the end of your college days [weep], which means it’s time to upgrade your shiz for the next phase of your life. But what do you need? And which products are the best?

Look no further; I’m here for your graduating shopping needs. I can’t teach you how to survive out there – because I’m a few credits away from that awful place – but I can help you with that graduation wish list to hand off to the parentals.

Please hold your applause until the end. Read More »