College Grad Lessons

My freelance web site and my portfolio (in progress) can be found at www.erinmstewart.com and I continue to tweet @erin_stewart.

My current plan for this fall is to start grad school (Information Management program at University of Maryland) and continue working at my current job part-time (Web Development and Training Specialist). Unfortunately I cannot telecommute for my current job and will need to be closer to DC several days a week, so I will have some additional time to take on freelance projects. My hope is to gain some new experience through such projects that will help me advance my career.

College Grad Lessons has been on my mind recently and I plan to start posting again by the start of the fall semester. Topics will likely include: grad school, working part-time, freelancing and more. I’m also hoping to convince a friend or two that graduated this year to document their transition to the “real world” by posting on College Grad Lessons with me occasionally.

In the nearer future I plan to set up a blog at www.erinmstewart.com and start writing about all things web - what consumes most of my time, both at work and at home. I hope to see some of you commenting over there as well once things get started.

If you have suggestions for web-related posts for www.erinmstewart.com or are interested in hiring me for a project or two, please e-mail me.

Hope everyone is having a great summer,

Erin

College students can be a tricky group to shop for, so I asked college students and recent college grads for gift ideas. Overall, practical gifts are best when shopping for a college student. Here are some of the suggestions that I got, as well as some that have always been my favorites to give and get: (more…)

Do you need a gift idea for a recent college grad that has a new home? Here are some ideas:

1. New Dishes - They don’t have to be expensive, but college grads often lack a full set of matching dishes. Plastic dishes, pint glasses from bars and silverware from their college’s dining hall will gladly be traded in for something new.
2. Framed Photos or Art - College grads may have furniture for their new home, but chances are the walls are bare or look more like a dorm room than a first apartment or home. Frame some photos or find art that would mean something special to the grad.
3. Restaurant or Movie Theater Gift Card - An entry-level salary might not leave room in the budget for a night out. A gift card to their favorite place to eat or somewhere else fun will make sure they enjoy their weekend after working hard.

Post a comment with you favorite gift idea for college graduates living on their own. I look forward to hearing your suggestions!