Relationships aren’t always happy and fun; as everyone who has been through a tough breakup can attest, sometimes nothing hurts more than a broken heart. Whether you’ve just been through a breakup or are just in the mood for some mellow, soul-filled music, this week’s playlist is made for you.

As always, you can listen to the songs below in the pop-up player or click on the links below to download or listen for free on YouTube. Enjoy!

This Week’s Playlist Includes:

• Trying to Put Your Heart Back Together – Slow Runner – Download – YouTube
• Look For Me Baby – Fiction Family – Download – YouTube
• Shape of My Heart – Noah and the Whale – Download – YouTube
• Crown of Love – Arcade Fire – Download – YouTube
• Love Will Come Through – Travis – Download – YouTube
• Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis – Download – YouTube
• Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning) – Vertical Horizon – Download – YouTube
• Breakin’ Up – Rilo Kiley – Download – YouTube
• Heart Heart Heartbreak – Boys Like Girls – Download – YouTube
• Change Your Mind – The Killers – Download – YouTube
• When Did Your Heart Go Missing? – Rooney – Download – YouTube
• Gone For Good – The Shins – Download – YouTube
• 4 Chords of the Apocalypse – Julian Casablancas – Download – YouTube
• Your Heart Is an Empty Room – Death Cab For Cutie – Download – YouTube
• Why Georgia – John Mayer – Download – YouTube
• Back In Your Head – Tegan and Sara – Download – YouTube
• Tell Me It’s Not Over – Starsailor – Download – YouTube
• Does This Mean Your Moving On? – The Airborne Toxic Event – Download – YouTube
• Relator – Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson – Download – YouTube
• Goodbye Is All We Have – Alison Krauss and Union Station – Download – YouTube

Previous Playlists:

• CF Weekend Playlist: Retro Remix
• CF Weekend Playlist: Love Story
• CF Weekend Playlist: Dancing Queen
• CF Weekend Playlist: Sailing Songs

What do you think?

What kind of music helps you cope with heartache? What do you think of the bands on this week’s playlist? Have any suggestions for a future playlist? Let me know in the comments!

So you’re going to college. You got your GPA up and your admissions essay down, you got in, and now you’re out! Happy times are here. Your final days are characterized by blasting Lil’ Wayne with the sunroof open and going to lunch with the people with whom you’ve spent the last four, eight, or even 12 years of your life in school. You’re pretty sad it’s over, but you know that your life isn’t about to end; in reality, it’s only the beginning.

But before you unpack those Yaffa blocks and stock up on the highlighters, allow me to dispel a few of the myths your older, wiser and drunker friends have told you about your freshman year. Is freshman year awesome? Hell to the yes. But there are some things you just gotta prepare for.

“You’re going to become best friends with your floor.”
Maybe. Or maybe not. Yes, while the people on your floor are going to be the first people you meet and become friendly with, don’t feel pressured to become best friends with them. The only thing you may have in common with these people is that you live on the same floor in the same dorm at the same school. They’re great for trips to the dining hall, party wandering in the first week of school, and swapping party stories on Sunday mornings, but don’t feel bad if that’s it. You might find yourself laughing a month or two into school saying, “OMG, I can’t believe I used to go to breakfast with her” if your neighbor becomes “that girl” at parties on campus. Your real friends in college will be eclectic, and while many people find them on their floor, many do not. Friendships are rooted in a sharing of values, not a sharing of a hall. You’re lucky if you find both in the same place.

“Your classes aren’t that hard.”
Kind of a lie. Senior year you don’t do any work at all, and it’s really hard to turn your brain back on and retrain yourself to read and understand 60+ pages of reading a night. This lie depends on the school you go to and the classes you take, but the way I experienced it and the way most of my friends experienced it is that your classes are kind of hard. Especially when you’re trying to decide on a Tuesday night between $1 pitchers of beer and making notecards. You need to do a lot of the learning on your own and if you’re not careful, it’s very easy to fall behind. You might have floated through high school, but college is an entirely different ball game. You’re going to have to retrain your study muscles for those college classes!

“Being a freshman in college is nothing like being a freshman in high school.”
Such a lie. Everyone knows you are a freshman. Everyone. Between the maps you carry, the way you lug all your books to the first day of class, and the way you travel in huge gaggles down the streets of your college town trying to find parties, you’ve got freshman written all over you. But the thing to remember is that everyone has to experience that. Carrying the maps and traveling in the gaggles teaches you how to adjust to college life so that second semester, you don’t scream freshman. You definitely have to pay your dues a bit as a freshman, just like you did in high school, but don’t expect any mean seniors to shove you into lockers or try and sell you tickets to the pool. Unless someone’s having a pool party and they charge you for alcohol and you end up getting so plastered that you wake up in a locker.

Want more? Read the second half of this post at CollegeCandy!

Last week, I wrote about how to adjust to college life, with tips for incoming freshmen. Now, while us upperclassmen may know what to expect once we get back to school, we have our own preparations to make in order to transition from the carefree days of summer back into the grueling school schedule.

With that in mind, here are three tips for upperclassmen on readjusting to college life after summer break:

1. Reset Your Alarm.

If you’ve been working a 9-5 job or internship this summer, you can skip this step. But if you, like me, were fortunate to have a summer job that allowed you to roll into work at noon, you probably haven’t kept the strict sleep schedule you did during the school year. And if you didn’t work this summer, you’re probably even more out of whack.

The best way to avoid the shock of going to bed and getting up early that first week back is to gradually adjust your sleep schedule now. Each night, make a conscious effort to go to bed a little earlier, even just half an hour a night, until you’re going to bed at the time you’ll need to once school hits. Even if you get off schedule a couple times because of a late shift or party, try your best to stick to this schedule as much as possible. You’ll thank yourself in three weeks!

2. Start Reading Again.

If you haven’t been reading all summer like those book nerds (ahem, me), it’s time to get cracking. You don’t have to hit your textbooks just yet (although, it couldn’t hurt), but reading anything will help you increase your focus, speed, and comprehension when speed-reading this fall.

Even if your classes aren’t reading-intensive, reading also improves your writing and communication skills by increasing your vocabulary and strengthening your grasp on English grammar and syntax. These skills come in handy in all areas of education, and will help you be successful in the workplace even after college.

3. Dream Big.

A great way to make the most of the year ahead is to set some goals for yourself. They can be academic, like increasing your GPA or applying for more scholarships, or they can be broader than that. Maybe you want to work on breaking out of your shell and making new friends. Maybe you want to run for student government, or volunteer, or reinvent your sense of style, or save more money, eat healthier, etc.

Whatever you wish you could have achieved last year, jot it down and focus on how you might be able to achieve that goal this year. Your goals may not all completely come to fruition, but having a plan and goal to work towards will give you more drive this year, which will naturally make you more successful in everything else you attempt.

Heading Back?

The transition back to college can be a shock to your system at first, but mentally prepping yourself will help ease the transition back to the daily grind. When do you head back to school? Are you ready to make the shift? What are your tips for readjusting to college life after the summer? Leave a comment and share with us!

September is coming at us full force and for the first time in 15 years, it means absolutely nothing to me. Yup, as a jobless, broke, living on my parents’ couch college graduate I’m not going back to school this year. It’s weird. It’s confusing. It’s really, really sad. [She says as she sighs deeply and bites her quivering lip, crying into her empty planner.]

Being catapulted into the real world has made me realize just how much I took for granted in college. I didn’t think about it when I was roaming the soft hills of the quad to make it to the library.  Or when my eyes were bugging out reading the tiny script in my Science book (that cost me 200 buckaroos).  I didn’t think of any of this until I was living at home with my parents, paying my loans and watching Jennifer Aniston movies with my mom (check, check aaaand check).

And I won’t let the rest of you make the same mistake. For all of you still in college or about to embark on the big journey, take the time to appreciate the good life.  Especially the little things:

1. Free EVERYTHING
Free t-shirts, iPod cases, food, water, snacks, toilet paper…. What I wouldn’t give for some free Tootsie Pops right about now.

2. Walking… Everywhere
Sure, traveling by foot everywhere you go can get exhausting (and you feel the constant urge to drive to class…), but I got so much glorious exercise from power walking from class to class to home to Starbucks to class.  Pumping my arms, barely giving one foot enough time to land… I bet I burned thousands of calories every year from Betty Flinestoning my arse around campus.

3. Being Stressed, And Using Stress As An Excuse for Everything
Really…the level of stress in my life in college was always 10 notches below what I always made it seem. And I loved it.  Stress is the perfect excuse for overeating, drinking, and making bad decisions.  And it was always valid! “It’s OK, I’m stressed so I’m going to let myself watch 10 hours of America’s Next Top Model all Saturday and buy a pack of Dove Chocolates from the C-Store..” Stress blissfully carried me into many hangovers, binge eating sessions and naps on my futon. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

4. Cushy Schedule
I never noticed this as a I pounded through every day in college.  Why? Probably because I was busy napping during my 5 hour breaks away until my late night class. A full day of college would have at least 3-800 sweet intervals, offering just enough time for snacking, catching up on TV or catching up on sleep.  And your schedule always changed – every day was a little bit different. But the best part of it all? The opportunity to start at 11am and schedule a three-day weekend at the beginning of every semester. Three-day weekends don’t happen in real life.

Find out the final 6 underrated things about college by clicking right here!

Going away to college for the first time is both exciting and scary, so it helps to have an idea of what to expect before you head off to school. I’m heading into my fourth year of university this fall, but I still remember how it felt to go away to a new city and new school, with new people, and new experiences. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so being prepared will definitely help you take it all in.

Here are four tips to help you adjust to college life as a new freshman, and seamlessly make the transition from former high school student to successful collegiette.

1. Expect the Unexpected

No matter what your older sister, your mom, or your best friend tells you about their freshman year, yours will undoubtedly be different. Some elements may be the same (like the abundance of alcohol in college dorms, or the lackluster cafeteria food) but your experience is going to be unique because it’s yours.

Also, don’t let your own expectations get in the way of letting your year unfold the way it naturally should. You may not get into the sorority you’ve had your heart set on since middle school, but that could easily open the door for you to join one that is right for you. Maybe you won’t get an A on your very first paper, but it might be a good reality check to help you buckle down and succeed for the rest of the year.

Never let your knowledge of other people’s experiences create unrealistic expectations for your own. Be prepared for anything and enjoy all the surprises your freshman year will offer you.

2. There’s Room for Everyone

Unlike high school, where cliques form quickly and people often feel segregated, colleges are big enough for everyone to find their niche.

During my freshman year, I was more or less shunned by the people on my dorm floor because I didn’t like to party (my course-load was very demanding) and because I chose to stay with my long-distance boyfriend rather than breaking up with him at Thanksgiving like everyone else. However, after awhile I found friends who understood me, and who liked to hang out casually, and were always supportive of my academic drive. It just took time.

So even if the first people you meet on campus aren’t the right friends for you, don’t stop looking. Between classes, clubs, and dorms, you’re going to meet tons of people, and you’re guaranteed to find a few that you’ll love to spend time with.

3. You Will Make Mistakes

It’s inevitable; I’m sorry – mistakes are part of college life. Which mistakes and how many you’ll make may vary, but whether it’s skipping an important class, getting too drunk and vomiting, or hooking up with a guy you really don’t like, every freshman makes at least one mistake or two.

When you inevitably mess up, don’t beat yourself up about it. Take it as part of a learning experience and use it to grow and make better decisions in the future. College isn’t just for learning about advanced chemistry or 19th century literature, it’s for learning about life, and how to become a mature, responsible young adult. Accepting that you’ll make a few mistakes along the way will help you move forward that much faster and become a better person even sooner.

4. You Might Even Change

The person you are when your parents drop you off at college will probably be worlds apart from the one you’ll be when you leave. Change is an inevitable part of the college experience.

Sometimes the change is something you intentionally work on, whether you’re trying to eat healthier and be more active, or working to become more environmentally conscious, or maybe even just taking fashion risks in an effort to be more stylish. Other times, we change whether we intend to or not. It could be through something sad, like a breakup, or something positive, like a chance to study abroad.

The changes we make and experience in college allow us to develop into the people we’re meant to be, but remember two things: who you are on the inside never really changes (at least the good stuff), and there’s always time to keep changing, even (*gasp*) after college. So embrace change as the wonderful blessing that it is, whether it feels like it at the time, or not. Everything will always work out for the best.

What Do You Think?

What was your freshman year like? What was the biggest lesson you learned? What advice do you have for incoming freshmen? Leave a comment and share with us!

Back-to-school is right around the corner, and for many of you, the inevitable final year of college is looming.

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
It’s going to be OK.

Heading into your senior year well-prepared (and well-hydrated) makes all the difference, so here’s 9 things to keep in mind before you embark on the beginning of the end:

1. Check on Everything:
First things first, make a meeting with your academic advisor (yes, you have one) and make sure you have all the classes you need to graduate. If not – sign up for them immediately. Don’t wait to take your second required P.E. class until the last semester  — the classes could fill up and leave the only option available something that doesn’t fit with your academic schedule. (Or worse, it could be at 8am on a Friday.) Figure out if you have departmental requirements to fulfill. Find out when deadlines are and what the expectations are. Be aware of every step required towards you wearing your cap and gown and grabbing that diploma at the end of the year.

2. Senior Participation:
If your school has any special senior traditions or rights-of-passages, prepare for them. Do you need to decorate a special gown to wear for on-campus events? If so, get busy and decorate! Plan to participate in everything. Your hard work over the last three years has earned you this upperclassmen status, so bask in its glory!

3. Prep:
If you are planning to attend any kind of graduate school or professional program after college, set up a schedule for what needs to get done. If you are taking an exam such as the LSAT or GRE, and you haven’t started studying – figure out what you’re doing. If you’re ready to start applying to schools, ask for your letters of recommendation (while your professors still remember you/have time to write one!) and set a date to send your personal statement out. Make sure you have a schedule to stick to because once school gets going, things get crazy.

4. Leave the past behind:
If you had a huge fight with your best friend over the summer, either make-up or go your separate ways. Don’t hold onto grudges and drama from previous years – it won’t add anything to your senior year. This is your last hoorah so enjoy yourself, not the drama of college life around you.

5. Figure out what means the most to you:
For a minute, think about what makes you happy when it comes to your social life. What do you want more of during your senior year? More Thirsty Thursday parties? Plan ahead. Want to go climb that local mountain one last time with your boyfriend? Do it. Want to streak across campus? Just strip and do it. Don’t put it off – it’s the last year, so you won’t get another chance use “Whatever, I was in college” as an excuse. Create some kind of College Bucket List and hold yourself to it.

Find out the final 4 things to know by clicking over to CollegeCandy!

As much as I love vintage fashion, I am always thrilled when I find a new item in one of my favorite stores with the charm and uniqueness of a vintage piece, minus the wear and tear! The music artists in this week’s playlist are also inspired by years gone by- they all have a retro sound with a modern edge that makes their songs instantly catchy and fun. And this playlist also features some country-tinged tunes for all you country fans out there!

As always, you can listen to the songs on the popup player or click on the links below to download or listen to individual songs on YouTube. Enjoy!

This Week’s Playlist Includes:

• Nobody Could Change Your Mind – The Generationals – Download – YouTube
• Crash Years – The New Pornographers – Download – YouTube
• Lust For Life – Girls – Download – YouTube
• L.O.V.E. – VV Brown – Download – YouTube
• In the Sun – She & Him – Download – YouTube
• Vanity Kills – Codeine Velvet Club – Download – YouTube
• Do You Love Me? – The Explorers Club – Download – YouTube
• Merry Happy – Kate Nash – Download – YouTube
• People – Chester French – Download – YouTube
• Everlasting Light – The Black Keys – Download – YouTube
• Change – The Young Veins – Download – YouTube
• 40 Day Dream – Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – Download – YouTube
• Here Comes Your Man – Meaghan Smith – Download – YouTube
• Left & Right in the Dark – Julian Casablancas – Download – YouTube
• Where Do You Run To – Vivian Girls – Download – YouTube
• Not Fair – Lily Allen – Download – YouTube
• I Can’t Get Enough – Rooney – Download – YouTube
• Standing at the Station – Ty Segall – Download – YouTube
• Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town – Cake – Download – YouTube
• All the Pretty Girls – fun. – Download – YouTube
• Boys Who Love Girls – The Rosebuds – Download

Previous Playlists:

• CF Weekend Playlist: Love Story
• CF Weekend Playlist: Dancing Queen
• CF Weekend Playlist: Sailing Songs
• CF Weekend Playlist: Animal Tracks Part II

What do you think?

Do you like the retro sound of this week’s bands? What other modern vintage bands inspire you? Let me know in the comments!

Fall semester is synonymous with one thing to many incoming freshman–RUSH! Every semester, thousands of eager girls across the country participate in rush events, in order to learn more about their school’s sororities and potentially join a greek organization.

And it’s no wonder rush is so popular: Joining a sorority can facilitate leadership development and on-campus involvement, and can also bring you dozens of life-long friendships. Even if you don’t think Greek life is for you, rushing can help you get to know other girls in your class and develop your small-talk skills!

So, you’ve got your outfits picked out and recommendation letters turned in. Now what? There’s only so much that the rush pamphlet will tell you, so I’m here to help. These dos and don’ts will provide you with tips and info to make sure that your sorority rush is a great experience!

Rush Week Dos

1. Do bring a pair of flip-flops to leave in your purse and change into during passing periods. Depending on what school you go to, sorority houses may be several blocks apart. Running in high heels is difficult, and your feet will certainly need the break!

2. Do keep your purse stocked. I recommend bringing oil-blotting papers, baby wipes, a mirror and extra make up, mints, deodorant, and anti-bacterial hand gel. All of these will be lifesavers, especially during the hot days of August or September!

3. Do ask questions. Use the time with each sorority to understand what the strengths of the organization are. Ask about what they’re involved with on campus, the type of academic rules they might have, and how much of a time commitment it is. Remember, the girls rushing you are just as nervous as you are, and the easier you make it to talk to you, the better!

4. Do get plenty of sleep and eat healthy meals. Rush days are long and require lots of energy. You’ll want to be on your A-game the entire time, so getting sick is not an option. Remember that you’ll be coming in contact with tons of girls a day, so washing your hands and using antibacterial gel is a good idea. Also, try drinking Airborne or Emergen-C for an extra immunity boost!

5. Do use the time during skits to rest your feet and voice. Enjoy those few minutes to yourself; cool down, relax your aching feet, and sip on the yummy drink they give you while watching the skit. However, don’t act bored or blase–that’s a sure way to get cut. Enjoy the skit, laugh and clap like you normally would, but use the time to regroup and refresh yourself.

6. Do be honest with yourself. Eliminate different organizations mentally throughout the week and pledge according to what you want in your heart. Don’t let anyone pressure you into pledging a house that you do not feel comfortable at; not even your mom or siblings. Keep an open mind throughout the week, and be in touch with your instincts.

7. Do meet everyone you can! Strike up conversations with fellow rushees during passing periods and remember girls you hit it off with that are rushing you. You never know who will end up living in your dorm hallway, sitting nearby in your biology lab, or participating in your pledge class! Rush is a great way to meet people and start off on the right foot at a new school.

8. Do be yourself and show off your personal style! The best sorority houses are the most diverse ones–would you want all of your new friends to dress, talk, and look the same way? Of course not! Whether you like to dress boho, preppy, or little edgy, don’t be afraid to let your style come through.

9. Do pledge somewhere that challenges you. College is all about personal growth, and there’s no better way to learn than by surrounding yourself with girls that make you want to be a better person. If you want to be a more devoted student, pledge somewhere with great test files, a cozy study room, and a high average GPA. If you want to be more involved, join a house that has several members in leadership positions on campus. You’ll be living with these girls, so its important that the house you’re picking is filled with good influences and good character.

Rush Week Don’ts

1. Don’t wear tons of jangling bangles or too many rings. Remember that you’ll be shaking hands with dozens of girls a day–multiple rings will get uncomfortable in a hurry, and too many bracelets can be distracting.

2. Don’t be afraid to eat or drink anything that’s offered to you! It’ll be hot outside and you’ll be doing A LOT of talking; the reason why sororities give you a soda or milkshake to sip on is because they know it will make you more comfortable! Don’t believe rumors perpetuated by TV shows like Greek that say sororities test you by seeing if you eat or not. Even if this were true, would you really want to join a house filled with girls who judge others like this? And while on that note…

3. Don’t believe everything you see on television or movies about Greek life. The TV show Greek makes it seem like every sorority is at war with each other, and every girl in a sorority will stab you in the back the first chance they get. Remind yourself that this is NOT the culture of typical Greek organizations.

4. Don’t reach out to members of sororities outside of rush during recruitment week. At most schools, members have been instructed by both Panhellenic (the governing body for sororities) and their rush team to NOT call, text, or send you facebook messages. This is a serious rush violation that they could get in big trouble for. Contacting them yourself will put your friends in an awkward position.

5. Don’t dress head to toe in sorority cliches. Showing up to rush in pearls, red lipstick, a hair bow, and a beehive poof will only make you look ridiculous. If one of these things is your personal style, by all means wear it with confidence! But overkill will send the wrong message. Dress like yourself and be unique!

6. Don’t talk about boys or partying. The conversations you have during rush should tie back to you or the sorority. Talk about your interests, hobbies, and what you would like to get involved with on campus. This should be a no brain-er as well, but really watch your language! Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say to your Grandma.

7. Don’t dismiss a house based on what you’ve heard from other people. This especially applies if you’re a freshman and haven’t actually started school yet. The opinions you’re receiving about a sorority’s reputation may be biased or outdated. Go in with an open mind, and trust your gut.

8. Don’t hold grudges or blame anyone if you get cut from a house. The way a sorority can bid on a girl differs for each Panhellenic administration, college, and chapter. Have an open mind about where you end up, and remember that you’re there because everyone in that house wanted you to be their sister!!

What do you think?

Are you planning on rushing? If you’re already in a sorority, what tips do you have for incoming freshman? What do you wish you knew before you rushed? Do you have any funny stories or experiences to share?? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear them!

With summer vacay still in full swing for many of us, it’s hard not to feel like you have ages until you head to campus. But in reality, back-to-school will be here before you know it, and preparing ahead of time will make the whole process much easier.

Whether you’re heading back to college again as an upperclassmen, or taking the plunge for the first time as an incoming freshman, packing for college is certainly a daunting process. Fortunately, we’re here to help with some tips to get you back on campus stress-free and certain that you have all your essentials in tow. Here are three tips for successfully packing for college:

1. Make a serious list.

This one is 100% Zephyr (and textbook Virgo)-approved: make a list! It doesn’t have to be radically organized or detailed, but keeping an ongoing list of your living essentials will help prevent those “oh no!” moments once you’re back at school.

So start with the basics: Think of your typical day and write down everything you use in that day, from shampoo and conditioner to eye-makeup remover and hair ties. Keep the list somewhere central, like your desk or car (or make it on your phone), so you can add to it over the next few weeks. Whenever you remember something random that you’ll need at school, add it to the list (my stapler!).

2. Resist the urge to over pack.

Photo Credit

This will be no news to you upperclassmen, but if you’re a freshman, take this advice to heart: While it may be tempting to stuff every item you own into your suitcase, you DON’T want to over pack for college!

Here’s why: If you’re moving into a dorm, you’re going to have limited space (often VERY limited space), and until you get there, it’s hard to judge just how small that space is going to be. Similarly, if you’re returning to a dorm, house, or apartment that you’re familiar with, it can be easy to forget how small your space is, or how much stuff you left there over the summer. So focus on packing only what you know you need, and maybe one or two extras that are special to you (like photos or CDs).

For clothes, figure out when your first visit home will be (Thanksgiving? Christmas?) and only bring stuff you’ll wear before that date. If you’re going to be gone for a few months, it’s a good idea to bring some of your fall and winter wardrobe now. But, if you’ll be heading home in a couple weeks, just bring your summer clothes for now and switch it up when the temperature drops.

3. You will probably forget something. If so, don’t panic.

Trust me on this: There’s practically nothing you can forget to bring that can’t be fixed one way or another. Beg your Mom to Fedex your favorite going-out top to your dorm, convince a friend from home to visit you for the weekend with your hair straightener in tow, borrow your new roommate’s printer (pitch in for ink and paper!) until you can get home to grab yours, or, if all else fails, go out and buy whatever you’re missing. There are always ways to get what you need, so while forgetting something might be annoying, it’s nowhere near the end of the world.

It helps to be prepared and take time when thinking of everything you need to pack, but don’t stress yourself out; stress will only make you more likely to forget something important. As long as you stay calm and be creative, you’re guaranteed to survive your back to school journey, even if all you remembered to pack was clean underwear (but, please don’t let that be the case!).

Thoughts?

What are your back-to-school packing essentials? What are your tips for staying organized when packing for college? Have you ever forgotten to pack something you really missed? Leave us a comment and tell us your tips!

Dorm shopping is kinda like going on a safari. Not just because there are waaaay too many sheet sets out there with zebra print on them (you guys, zebra print can be totally cute, but no doubt it also is reminiscent of Austin Powers’ pad which is kinda less than groovy…), but also because it is so overwhelming and exhilarating you kinda don’t know what to do with yourself.

I mean, with “I Heart College!” Bed, Bath & Beyond ads hitting your mailbox every week, it’s hard not to buy that cushioned toilet seat or $26 stainless steel trashcan. I just wanna look super fly come college time and every little thing counts, even a steel trash receptacle.

But from the mouth of a wise woman (my mom): “Darling, if you really want it we can get it. But don’t be stupid.” Real talk: We all want to walk into college with swagger, but a steel trash can probably will not accomplish that. (Unfortunately.)

So, fellow freshmen, unless you’re Emma Watson and have Harry Potter cash to blow, let’s consider what we really need before we get sucked into Target’s cute dorm deco displays:

-Sheets: You could potentially be using these sheets all 4 years, so make sure you get ones that will last. Feel the sheets before you buy them. A lot of times, sheets will be incredibly cute but ultra scratchy, which isn’t exactly prime for helping you sleep. Also consider the fact that your bedding probably has a high chance of getting gross stuff on it (Spaghetti-O’s, Easy Mac, etc…..), in which case a snowy white comforter may not be your best option. Quality is important when it comes to sheets; don’t waste money buying multiple crap bedsets rather than just buying one nice bedset.

-Trashcan: Quality is not so important here. Find a decent looking plastic one. (Editor’s Note: Avoid a mesh one. Just trust me on this.)

-Hangers: Tiny shared closets and too much clothing? Get attachable hangers; they enable you to hang more clothes than you normally could, saving you valuable space.

-Laundry Hampers: Plastic basket or mesh bag? Up to you. You can put folded clothes back into the baskets… but the mesh bags are easier to hold, take up less space, and are more flexible to allow a month’s worth of clothing to be stuffed inside.

Curious as to what else this incoming freshman recommends? Read the rest of the list by clicking over to CollegeCandy!