Recent graduate shows others how to survive life after college with new book

GRADUATE! is the complete guide to adjusting from college to the real world

The caps have been thrown in the air, the diplomas handed out, the dorm rooms emptied-now what? Kristen Gustafson, a recent college graduate (Class of 1998) and public relations professional has provided the answers to now what?" in a new book, GRADUATE! Everything You Need to Succeed After College, just released by Capital Books.

In the next few weeks, new graduates will feel the euphoria of finally having a diploma quickly turn into a paralyzing fear that none of the expense or hard work of school taught them how to survive in the outside world," Gustafson says. You may know the basics about checking accounts and leases, but when you start your first day of work faced with a stack of insurance forms filled with unfamiliar terms, you suddenly realize how much you dont know."

And she knows what she is talking about. Three months after graduation, she moved 800 miles from Maine to Washington, D.C., where she didnt know a soul. I had to find a place to live without knowing anything about the area, in addition to starting my first real job and trying to find new friends," she says. It was very stressful, and I needed some help." She scoured the shelves for information on how to survive in the real world. When nothing gave her the information she needed-or it was scattered among 6 or 7 different sources-she decided to do some research on her own and come up with a comprehensive, but complete, guide to surviving life after college.

The result is GRADUATE! Everything You Need to Succeed After College, a new title from Capital Books. Released just in time for college commencements, GRADUATE! is the complete guide to adjusting from college to the real world -- from finding and keeping a job, financial planning, to decorating, cooking, and wardrobe planning. Kristen researched her book by extensively interviewing many other recent graduates and real estate, financial, and human resources professionals. The book contains invaluable samples of leases, resumes, roommate questionnaires, and other paperwork that is mandatory in setting up life after college.

The first few months-even years-out of college can be scary and overwhelming," Gustafson says. How are you supposed to know what an IRA is or how to buy insurance? You dont even know what you want to do for a job yet. I wanted to give people in this situation the confidence that they can and will survive. Going out on your own can be scary, but it can also be exciting and very fun, and this book helps you deal with the details so you can spend more time on the fun stuff."

Originally from Massachusetts, Kristen Gustafson currently lives in Bangor, Maine. For a review copy or set up an interview with the author, please contact me at jennifer@booksintl.com or 703-661-1533.