Some people cry with such ease. I am not one of those people. It takes a lot to make my eyes water (unless I’m on my period, then I tend to get emotional over the tiniest things). However, there are some things that can make even the coldest person cry. Even if your heart is made of stone, these five things are always going to be tearjerkers.

1. That scene in Titanic when the mom is reading to her kids as the boat sinks

She KNOWS the boat is sinking and that her family most likely won’t make it out alive, so she reads her kids to sleep so they can die in peace. OMG I’m about to cry right now.

2. Sad Animals

When those Sarah McLachlan commercials come on and I start seeing blind cats and dogs with no teeth, I turn into a mess and contemplate adopting every single one of those animals.

3. A Pregnancy Scare

These are especially bad when you’re on birth control and you’re period usually comes the day after your last pill, and for some reason it doesn’t come one month. You suddenly start thinking “Of course I would be the one person out of 100 that gets pregnant.” Then you start crying because you’re only 20 years old and you don’t want to graduate with a baby bump.

4. Finally realizing how many student loans you took out

I recently looked at how much I’m going to have to pay back after college, and I sobbed. I’m a journalism major, okay? I’m not going to be a doctor or anything, so I’ll be paying back my loans until I die.

5. This video

Get out a box of Kleenex.

1. Fought for children to have access to their parents’ insurance plan until they’re 26.
This is near and very dear to my heart. I hadn’t been to a doctor in years. I made it through college with nothing more severe than a cold and a bruised ego from too many bad decisions. Naturally, 2.5 seconds after graduating, I got hit with a gnarly kidney infection. Pre-Obama, this would have meant that I was SOL because I was no longer a student. Luckily, that is no longer the case. Especially in this rough economic climate where millions and millions of people are unemployed or in jobs that offer no benefits, this is a great law that protects so many of us.

2. Cracked down on aggressive marketing of credit cards to college students.
We all know the danger of credit cards, but the lure of having hundreds (or thousands) of dollars at your immediate disposal can be great…but not if you lack the means to pay the bill every month. Credit card companies used to actively push credit cards onto students, who usually don’t have enough funds to be responsible credit card owners. So it was not uncommon to graduate college with thousands of dollars in credit debt in addition to student loan debt — making it easier for companies to justify raising interest rates (more debt = higher risk). Now anyone under 21 must have a co-signer and/or verification of independent income. Credit card debt can have a harrowing effect on one’s financial status for many, many years  and Obama’s emphasis on protecting college consumers is definitely admirable.

3. Signed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal. 
This is a serious step forward in the gay civil rights movement. Allowing gays to serve openly in our military is an important step in removing the societal stigma that unfortunately still surrounds homosexuality. We still have a lot of work to do until gays are granted all the rights and protections of an American citizen. But, I can’t deny the fact that gays were willing to die for their country while fighting wars for freedom, despite not being able to express their love for their significant others was a serious stain on America’s reputation as the “land of the free.”

4. Made financial aid more accessible
College is getting obscenely expensive, and it’s completely not fair or just for higher education to only be accessible to the children who come from well-off families. Student loan companies were screwing over students by attaching exorbitant fees to loans — and Obama made that illegal. Moreover, he expanded the amount of federal money dedicated to funding Pell Grants, financial assistance granted to lower-income students. Education is absolutely necessary for most people to advance in the current structure of our society, and giving lower-income students the opportunity to create a better life for themselves is definitely laudable.

5. Refused to cut funding for Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood provides absolutely essential health care services for lower-income and college women. From pap smears to STD tests to abortion to health education, Planned Parenthood is an important organization. During negotiations to avoid the government shutdown a few months ago, Republicans lobbied to cut funding (abortion, the most controversial service PP provides, cannot be funded by federal money anyway). The sustained attack on women’s reproductive rights by oppressively conservative politicians is scary and unnerving, but I am so glad Mr. Obama is willing to fight on our behalf.

Finding the best laptop for school

How to dress for college

Get ready fast when you’re late for class

Here’s why I haven’t gained the freshman 15

Making the most of warm weather in college

UT says the darndest things!

Should racial tolerance classes be mandatory?

How students can donate to Japan’s relief efforts

Don’t rush to pay off your student loans

How to stay organized on your internship hunt

Private vs. public college…what’s better?

Kegs and eggs goes horribly wrong

After months of studying and working my post-grad ass off for the LSAT, I finally got my score. After weeks of waiting and anxious e-mail checking (I had to remove email messages from my Blackberry because every time my phone lit up or beeped, my heart would stop), the message letting me know whether or not I’d be able to apply to the schools I’m interested in or not appeared. As the message sat in my inbox, I took a deep breath to see the reality of what I’ve worked so hard for.

And instantly, I felt disappointed.  See, because I have student loans from undergrad, I am very cautious about paying for law school. In order to combat massive amounts of student loans, my goal was to go to law school with the bulk of my expenses paid for or a full-scholarship. Depending on what law school you want to go to, the option of a scholarship could be determined by one to two points. And unfortunately, where I want to be and the amount of money I want is not a reality right now. Talk about a cold hard slap in the face!

With months of dedicated LSAT studying behind me, I feel discouraged. If money wasn’t an issue, I would just dust myself off, suck it up, take the test again and not worry about the outcome or the prospective costs. However, money to pay for school is the end-all-be-all for me right now (you know, unless I win the lottery or the Publisher’s Clearing House comes to my place with a big check and balloons). It sucks, but hey, a girl has to look at the big picture and consider everything.

A lot of people feel the liberty to say “told you so” to me right now. However, feeling a setback from the score doesn’t surprise me like some may think. My goals and scholarship options were set very high. I went into this knowing the very specific set scores for different schools and what it would take to get the money I need. Trust me, it’s been on my mind for months.

To be honest, the LSAT is a beast of a test. It’s something you have to work at, and I feel confident in my ability to score where I want. But right now, I can’t help but pause. Is the universe trying to tell me something? First, the score from my December exam and now, the most recent New York Times article entitled “Is Law School A Losing Game?” Call me crazy, but I believe that things happen for a reason. Sometimes the reason doesn’t make sense initially, and well, that completely sucks at the moment, but I like to believe in the long-run it makes sense. Right now, I feel like analyzing everything before I decide my next move is key.

But just like a lot of post-grad decisions, the answers to what to do next don’t come easy. Do I want to go to law school? Yes. Do I want to add $160,000 of debt on top of my undergrad loans? Hell no. Do I want to take the LSAT again in hopes of getting what I want? Yes. But should I even have those expectations? I don’t know.

Regardless, I’ll let you guys know. With so much to look forward to in the coming months and the longer I am out of college, I know things have to look up.

Where is Charlsie going next? Where is she coming from? Get all your answers here.

Student loans have turned me into a Grinch this Christmas.

Even though Christmas is on Saturday, I honestly couldn’t care less this year. With everyone around me so happy and festive, I feel like the odd-woman-out. However, I think I have a decent excuse. Instead of “Jingle Bell Rock” in my head and busy days spent shopping at the mall, I’m singing the Student Loan Blues while staring at my empty bank account.

Ugh. Student loans.

If you graduated last spring and have student loans, you probably feel the same way I do right now considering our loan repayment grace period is over: in over your head! Although I knew this reality was coming, I guess I never thought it would hit me this hard and scare me this much. And I’ll be the first to say, I’m scared that these loans I had to take out to go to college will ruin the rest of my life.

Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit much, but right now, they certainly feel like they are taking hold of my entire life. In order to make payments so I’m in good standing with the lenders, I had to dish out the cash this month to get my payment record off to a good start. And boy, has it hurt. Christmas presents? Yeah … no one I know will be getting one from me. Not even the homemade variety. Will I be getting to see my boyfriend anytime soon? Nope, I don’t have the cash to pay for a plane ticket (ugh, another lovely benefit of being in a long-distance relationship). I can’t help but wonder “Will I ever have money again?”

Now, I probably sound like a Debbie downer, but it’s easy to feel downtrodden and stressed when it seems like you have a whole life ahead of you … centered around owing someone a ton of money. However, I do keep telling myself that one day my college degree will pay off … so maybe it wasn’t a terrible thing after all? Maybe?

This is where I keep my fingers crossed.

See, I couldn’t have gone to college without student loans. It wouldn’t have been possible for me – regardless of what school I attended or what I studied. And while I went to college to try and better myself, I feel like these loans are setting me back. How can I get ahead with this constantly looming over my head? And how am I supposed to embrace law school – with even MORE loans – when I have yet to pay off these ones?

Everyone has their own stance on student loans. Some people want pity and make websites where people can donate money to them. Some people work three jobs. Others default and don’t care about the consequences. Some live with their parents until they are 35. While I went to college not to become a statistic, I can’t help but worry about what the future may hold in the adult world of credit scores, repayments, and financial responsibility. Will I be living here with my dad forever? Will I be one of those people who has debt collectors knocking down her door?

But none of that really matters because what’s done is done. I took out the loans and now, unfortunately, I have to pay them back. Every month. For a long while. It sure sucks, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out like every post-grad with loans before me and the many more that are in the same boat as me now.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself as the statements begin to pour in….

So Santa, if you’re reading, you could cut me a check for Christmas and pay all the loans back. You know, if you feel generous. I promise I’ve been a very good girl this year. This could make up for all those years I wanted a puppy and never got one. Think of it as a Christmas miracle!

Post-grad life is a lot about taking two steps forward only to take a step back. Some days, you feel like you’re ahead of whatever curve you’ve set for yourself and then other days, you feel like you’re falling behind. Although you have a lot more freedom and responsibility than life as a college student, the constant evolution of figuring out what to do next and what’s right is never ending.

Example: Two months ago, I scored what I considered to be my dream internship. I was meeting and interviewing celebrities, hanging out at some of the fanciest Hollywood locations, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous at LA parties, frequenting red carpet events, and finding out celebrity gossip before the masses. And now, well … I decided this isn’t for me. There I go again. Two steps forward, and now that I quit, I feel like I’m one step back again. When can a girl get ahead?

In college, I feel like everything was a constant one-up. You know, where you out-do yourself and then you’re like “Damn! Look at what I accomplished.” Post-grad is more of a sporadic line graph that goes all over the place, where you have highs and lows and they fluctuate more than Lady Gaga’s outfits. While I like to think that all of this yo-yoing will get me to where I want to be, it can feel a little frustrating.

Why did I quit though? Well, after a month on, I simply knew that it wasn’t for me. Looking back to my sophomore or junior year college self, that kind of internship had me written all over it. Now? … Not so much. Although I enjoyed my time and experiences (so much of it was hands-on, which is rare at internships), I just knew that it wasn’t the best for me … especially since it was unpaid.

Unlike college, there are a lot more expenses that come your way on the post-grad journey. For example: Student loan repayment (can I just tell you that I cried over this for days when I got my first loan repayment bill?), law school admissions fees (do you even know how expensive this is? I don’t even want to talk about it), and so many other random things that happen (like for example, my computer just died….and I spent over $400 to be told that by Geek Squad…ouch). It’s just not practical to spend my time interning for no pay, especially since 90% of my time was spent sitting in my car in LA traffic. So, while I wanted to keep interning … it’s just not practical. Quitting felt like one of those forced break-ups. I wanted it, but at the same time, not so much.

So now I’m back at square one, trying to figure out just what it is I should be doing.

So much for post-grad stability, right?

Graduation feels like it was yesterday so I couldn’t believe my eyes when I received an e-mail from my alma mater’s class reporter. For the first time, the class reporter wasn’t requesting class donations (thank goodness – nothing makes me more irritated than being asked to donate a couple hundred bucks when I have a couple thousand bucks worth of student loans to think about). Instead, she was asking for the class of 2010’s first official alumnae updates for the next alumnae magazine!

Updates? UPDATES? We have been out of school for, what, a hot second and you want updates? About JOBS AND MARRIAGES?! Do people even get jobs married straight of college anymore? Seriously. It’s been 6 freaking months!

After going through the e-mail (and breathing into a brown paper bag), I couldn’t help but think of the classic 1997 girl-comedy, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. Although the girls attend their 10 year high school reunion (not just send in an update), they go to any means necessary to appear fabulous and accomplished – even making up a story about inventing Post-Its. While Romy and Michelle didn’t have too much to show after ten years out of high school, they were determined to appear like they have made something of themselves – even though the majority of their classmates were just like them and had nothing to report back either.

I totally feel for Romy and Michelle now.

There is just so much pressure on all of us to report something back. But really, what is there to say when graduation took place in May? Who wants to write that after graduating from college with honors they are working part-time at the local grocery store and paying off student loans, while they look for a “real” job? Who wants to report that they are living in their parents’ basement because, despite applying to 10 jobs a day, they can’t find anything? That their only accomplishments are watching How I Met Your Mother seasons 1-4 and the complete series of Dawson’s Creek?

No one, that’s who.

While I know the majority of my classmates (and the entire class of 2010) are in the same post-grad boat as me, I also know that human beings by nature are always in competition with each other; always wanting to be the best and get there the fastest. And this update request proves it. I know some people genuinely want to know what everyone is up to, but I think deep down, people want an update to see where they stand. To validate their post-grad lives.

And I refuse to give them that validation. The truth is, I may not have invented Post-Its and I may not even have a real, paying job, but it doesn’t mean anything…especially only six months out. Everyone has a different post-grad journey and what I’m doing now is not a sign of my abilities or success.

I thank my parents for making me pay for my own college education.

You’d think that any parent with the financial ability would just automatically pay for their child’s education. It’s their duty, right? Well, my parents decided to take a different route. They believe that paying for your own college forces you to do better. To them, if your parents are paying for your college, it doesn’t matter if you fail a class. Mommy and daddy can just pay for you to take it again. They believe that not only will I most likely do better, but that I will appreciate my education more if I pay for it myself.

What I love about this is that in my family, I’m treated like an adult. I may be the youngest of three and to my parents I will always be the baby, but they acknowledge the fact that they raised an independent and mature daughter. My parents were the complete opposite of helicopter parents. They gave me enough space to make my own mistakes, learn from them, and now I’m much more self reliant and stronger. To me, paying for my own college is my parents’ final lesson.

If I can do this, I’m ready for the real world.

There is, like all things, a down side. Like for instance, I’m broke pretty much ALL of the time. I live off of two loans, a grant, and a part time job, which – in the grand scheme of things – isn’t much. I live on a fairly strict budget, and it doesn’t have a whole lot of wiggle room. What really sucks is that most of my friends don’t have to worry about money. I only know a handful of other people whose parents don’t pay for college. I constantly have to tell my friends no whenever they want to go shopping, or go out to eat, or go for drinks. Even more, one of my best friend’s parents not only pay for college, but also pay her rent/utilities and her credit card bill. Am I insanely jealous? Of course I am. However I know that I can’t have everything that I want and have learned to do without. (I’ve also become the master and bargain hunting, but that’s another story for another day.)

With this being the start of my senior year, I’m starting to freak out a bit. I REALLY have to find a job after graduation, otherwise not only will I not be able to pay rent, but I also won’t be able to make my loan payments. What gets me through, though, is knowing that if my parents have enough confidence in me to survive in the real world, then dang it, I can do it.

I made it this far, didn’t I?

Unfortunately though, it’s pretty hard to convince the masses otherwise. Upon meeting someone for the first time, I feel like I always have to defend myself as a “post-grad” because the bulk of people I’m meeting are either unemployed and unmotivated, still in college, or are at least ten years older than me – and they have no clue. You would think that having some kind of detailed plan such as the LSAT and freelance writing to fall back on would help, but no – it just leaves people scratching their heads.

If they’re not scratching their heads, I get a lot of “You must miss college.” Uh, duh. Of course I miss a lot of things about college (there’s a reason people refer to it as the best time of their lives), but considering I have only been a “graduate” for the past few months, it’s not something I’m sulking over too much. And in all reality, I miss a lot of things a lot more than college — you know, things like not having to pay back student loans!

The assumption (hello, LSAT question type) that gets me the most is that I have all the time in the world. Just because I’m a post-grad doesn’t mean I have an endless amount of free time. In fact, I think I had way more free time during college than I do now. Sorry BFFs, I don’t have four hours to talk to you on Facebook chat. No, sorry new girl, I’m not available twenty-four-seven to lunch, brunch, and shop-til-we drop. This new life is all about scheduling, planning, and working hard.

It’s not that I don’t want to veg out sometimes, but I don’t think that I want to get into the habit of doing so because, well … I don’t want to turn into that post-grad stereotype. Instead, I want to set my own post-grad norm – even if that means occasionally crying over my LSAT practice, sitting in traffic for two hours from one Hollywood event to another, or relaxing at the end of the day to an episode of Dawson’s Creek (confession – I love the adolescent drama!). It may be a bumpy, tiring, frustrating road, but I’m out there doing what I have to do — and I haven’t given up.

I know I’m not alone in the post-grad world. So, tell me – what post-grad stereotype are you setting for yourself?

I know what you’re thinking: Why would I want to read a book about paying for college when I’m already in college and I’m getting by with student loans/ my parents’ generously footing the bill /or a scholarship?

Well listen up, pretty lady – whatever your situation is you will absolutely get some insight about paying for college that will, without a doubt, help you make better decisions when it comes to financially making it through four years, as well as helping you protect your future post-grad life.

Throughout history, paying for college has been a major issue on everyone’s minds. But although it’s something everyone always seems to talk (and worry) about, it is one thing that usually gets pushed to the side in the application process. Students send their applications out, they get their acceptance letters back, and then – and only then – the question of paying for that highly accredited university to which they’ve been accepted pops up. But with the cost of a college education rising at a pace in polar opposition to our economy, financial disaster is almost inevitable.

Without a lot of financial planning, people turn to student loans, which, as any college student who has taken them out knows, are a major stress-factor that can impact the rest of your life. Not only do students feel like they have to take out more and more loans to supplement an income during college, they feel utterly lost, especially in a world where financial aid offices will tell you anything. In Debt-Free, Zac explains “The role of the financial aid office to make sure that the students the school has admitted are financially able to attend – through whatever means necessary.” Because colleges don’t work as financial advocates for students, more and more students are falling down the rabbit hole of student debt. However, consider Debt-Free as a personal guide that will walk you through all things financial in the college world, by whatever means necessary.

What makes Debt-Free so rich is that in a world where colleges and universities will blatantly lie to prospective and current students about financial options, Zac is here to dispel every rumor, every faulty piece of advice, and to actually help you out. While many financial books promise to get their readers on the right track to becoming millionaires, Debt-Free looks out for its audience by giving the cold, hard facts and a dose of reality with a bit of humor and a lot of helpful tips peppered in.

Especially in this recession, it’s hard for students not to become emotional or enraged about their college financial situations. While some students feel incredibly strongly about student loans (how else would they have gone to college without them?) and others are more indifferent, a growing number of students interested in having more financial autonomy, especially in college, is growing. Regardless of your opinion on student loans or the means to paying for a college education, Zac’s advice will cover everything you need to know to make good decisions with your money (or lack thereof).

Debt-Free covers everything and anything related to paying for college. From the beginning of the application process and how colleges reel students in with promises of scholarship money and financial aid, all the way through the hidden facts regarding student loans. Not only does he offer advice on how to pay for college without making your parents go bankrupt or ruining your financial future with monthly loan payments, Zac offers clarity about whether paying for a private college instead of big public university is worth it. He even addresses the financial situation as a whole – and offers his personal take on how they should improve and what needs to change. Instead of complaining about financial aid issues such as FASFA, Zac is outspoken about the system and how it can be more effective and fair.

All in all, what makes this book refreshing is that Zac practices what he preaches. He’s not some spoiled rich kid with parents paying his way at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst while spouting fake advice. He’s putting his money where his mouth is, and he’s advocating for students across the nation.

And considering the hundreds of thousands of dollars we’re spending on our college educations, it might be a good idea to listen.

[Debt-Free U: How I Paid For An Outstanding College Educaiton Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching Off My Parents hits bookstores on August 31^st. A special thanks to Maureen Cole at Portfolio/Penguin Publishing for providing a press copy.]