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When I was in college, I had to work a couple of different part-time jobs in order to help pay for tuition, books, meals, and living expenses. I didn't really have a lot of cash left over for extras, and on those few occasions when I was ahead of my bills, I usually treated myself to a lunch or dinner at a restaurant with friends. Consequently, when I graduated, I didn't leave school with many of the souvenir that other students had, such as hats, t-shirts, key chains, and shot glasses with the school logo on them. The one or two items that I did have were already well-worn and faded.

I can't say this fact really bothered me at the time, but once I was a few years removed from the situation, I started regretting the fact that I didn't have any gear to remind me of school. But these days, there are several ways to get authentic college merchandise from almost any institution in the country. So whether you are a current student or graduated long ago, you can still conveniently get the school souvenirs you want at affordable prices. Here's how.

The best place to get authentic college merchandise is directly from the school itself. Most every school sells gear from its bookstore, so that would be the first place to check. If you live a reasonable distance from your school, then purchasing items is simply a matter of stopping by whenever you have the time. But you can still order merchandise even if you live a thousand miles away from your alma mater. In this Internet age, nearly every college out there has a website. So all you have to do is find your school's site, navigate to the bookstore, and place your order. If the school doesn't have an online order form, you can e-mail the bookstore manager and ask him or her to complete the transaction over the phone. Nine times out of ten, your wishes will be accommodated.

Another great option is to get your college gear from retail outlets. If your school is big or has a nationally recognized sports team, then you will probably be able to find officially licensed merchandise at any sporting goods store across the country. The really big schools, such as USC, Notre Dame, and Michigan, have their gear available even at mainstream stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, and the like. If your college is smaller, you might have to go closer to the physical location of the campus to find stores that offer the school's gear. But you should still be able to find some items at off-campus shops.

Finally, don't forget to check other Internet sites such as eBay. By now you should know that eBay has just about everything under the sun. So even if you went to the smallest college out there, you can probably find some souvenirs pertaining to it on eBay.

If you missed out on college gear the first time around, or just want to get some merchandise from your favorite collegiate sports team, follow the suggestions listed above. You'll be able to get some great items no matter which school you went to!