[It doesn’t matter what school you go to, what state it is in, how big it is, whether it is public or private, all girls or coed…there are experiences that all college students share. No matter how crazy you think your personal situation is, it is not just you. So, let’s bring it all out in the open. Right here. Because you are not alone - we’ve all been there before.]

So, you’re home for the holidays. God it feels good! No more exams, no more papers – just pure bliss for the next few weeks. Just you, the couch, your home friends and a fridge stocked with all your favorite foods.

The first few days are great: you sleep late, lay around all day and don’t change out of your pajamas until it’s time to meet an old friend for dinner, or run out to get your hair cut (because you would NEVER trust one of those people on campus to do it).

But by day three, the novelty of being home starts to wear off. Your mom starts yelling at you to make your bed or hang up your jacket. She starts waking you up at 10 am with the familiar, “you already wasted half the day!” She starts pestering you about your grades, about when you are going to maybe get a part-time job, and about your love life. Read More »

Thanksgiving is almost here, so it’s time to eat lots of really delicious stuffing and pumpkin pie and buy things on sale look around and say thanks for everything that we have. We are all very lucky people who have so much to be grateful for; like our education, our families and CollegeCandy.com.

With the holidays just around the bend, it is nice to stop focusing on what we want in life and focus instead on everything that we already have. We at CollegeCandy are so grateful to have a job that lets us laugh every single day…and the ability to work from home in our sweatpants.

This week we asked our writers to weigh in and tell us what they are thankful for this year:

Elise – UCLA: I’m thankful for Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt….so thankful, in fact, that I plan to buy twenty quarts right before Thanksgiving’s over…that should last two weeks, right?

Jill – University of Wisconsin: The usual (my job, family and friends, etc) BBQ Soy Crisps, the ability to blink (seriously, the dentist pinched a nerve once and I couldn’t smile or blink on the left side of my face for 12 straight hours; you would be thankful too). Oh and of course, The Rachel Zoe Project.

Ali – Syracuse University: I am thankful that gas prices have gone down, making my drive home a little less painful.

Suzanne – Tulane: My education (if, of course, it actually gets me a job after graduation).

Amber – Old Dominion: I’m thankful to have made it through my sophomore semester at home without going (completely) insane. Read More »

Recently, a friend told me that I’m one of the only people in his life with a positive attitude. At first, I was surprised. I mean, really; why is everyone so angry? But, to be fair, just 2 years ago, I was angry too. In fact, I was one of the angriest people I knew…even on the verge of suicide at one particular time.

I have completely remodeled my life and my perspective since that dark point and my friend was probably onto something when asking me about my life, because I truly am really happy these days. And this happiness isn’t just something that came over night; it is something I grew to know. Some basic principles I learned to incorporate into my thinking and perspective have made all of the difference. Read More »

With Thanksgiving literally only 24 hours away, I have been forced to prepare my list of things I am thankful for this year, which will be shared holiday dinner table.

Not that it is hard to come up with a list; I have so many things in my life that I am so fortunate to have. Things that I should really appreciate more year round, come to think of it. Things that I should not come to expect, but should rather feel lucky to have.

This is a problem many of us have – wanting more and appreciating nothing – so I thought I would take this opportunity to get all of you in the spirit of giving thanks by sharing with you just a few of the things I am more than grateful for this year:

1. My DVR: I know this shouldn’t come before family, but my DVR really is there for me when no one else is around. Like really early on a Saturday morning when I can’t sleep due to some interesting sounds coming from upstairs. Or after a long day of work when I want nothing more than the wisdom of one Ms. Oprah Winfrey.

2. My Family: I have put them through a lot these past few years; from my post-college depression to my spur-of-the-moment move to NY and then my spur-of-the-moment move back home. They are supportive, funny, loving and all around the best people I know. But they are still not willing to sit with me at 6:45 on a Saturday morning. Hence their number 2 spot. Read More »