“Determine on some course,
“More than a wild exposure to each chance
“That starts in the way before thee.”
~William Shakespeare, Coriolanus, Act IV, scene 1

What is the value of a college degree?  Is the value of a college degree rising or falling or staying about the same?  Is a degree worth the cost of college?  Are some college degrees worth more than others – does the field and major in which the degree is awarded matter?  Does the college matter?

These questions are but some of the numerous related questions confronting parents soon after a child is born, as they are bombarded by advice pressuring them to open college-savings funds and enroll the child in elementary and secondary schools that are most likely to prepare him or her to be accepted into their choice of colleges.  Then, students and parents alike face a similar battery of questions again as high-school graduation approaches.

To make makers worse, these questions all must be contemplated in a state of great uncertainty in today’s world, which is changing at a dizzying rate, where the direction and magnitude of the change frequently are incomprehensible and usually incalculable with any high degree of precision.

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Over the course of your college years, you’ll be faced with some of the toughest decisions of your life. Choosing whether you’re going to shack up in the dorms on campus or take on the real world in your own place will immensely change your college experience. Most freshmen opt for a dorm during their first year on campus, but what about the next three (or maybe 4) years?

If you’ve ever lived in a dorm, you know the horrors that come along with it. If you haven’t, you’ll soon find out. Sure, staying on campus has its advantages—like not having to clean up your own bathroom after a night out and one too many cherry bombs—but a place off-campus comes with some unbeatable perks. So say goodbye to the annoyances and hello to your new found freedom! You know it’s time to graduate from the dorms when you’ve experienced these fifteen things.

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#13 on our list.

You finished taking those grueling ACT and SAT’s and have been filling out college applications like it’s your job. The time to choose which college you’ll be attending is fast approaching, and it’s no small matter; you want to make the best choice. Among the lengthy list of things to consider, one thing that should not be taken lightly is campus safety. We all know you want to get out of mom and dad’s house, but knowing you’re going somewhere safe will put you all at ease.

To help narrow down your choice, we took a look at the stats and compiled a list of the 25 safest university campuses across the United States, based on the least amount of crime per capita. According to the data, you can rest easy while attending these 25 campuses.

Safest College Towns in the US

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Kansas State

Texas Tech

Iowa State

Colorado State

South Florida

Utah State

Virginia Tech

Washington State

West Virginia

Between going to Hoosiers games, grabbing a coffee, and seeing how many baskets you can score on your over the door mini basketball hoop, some of you might be actually be looking to do some studying. It can be hard to find a place to go for some peace and quiet when your roommates are in the middle of a debate over the best household appliances.

To help out, we compiled a list of the top 5 study spots on and around Bloomington’s campus based on the least crowded and most quiet locations. Assuming you actually want to get something done, of course.

On Campus:

ACES Library

Find the perfect trail for one last hike before summer ends. (Photo: TRAILSOURCE.COM | flickr)

With school right around the corner, you might be thinking, “What did I do this summer?” You had a road trip to California, at least two trips to the local amusement park, and several days at the beach on your list of things to do this summer. Now it’s almost September and you’ve barely hit the beach twice. Where did the summer go?

Here are five fun things you can do in the last few nights left before heading back to school.

1. Have a cookout with some friends.

Celebrate the end of summer by hosting a cookout with some friends. Brats, hot dogs, burgers, steak, kabobs, etc. Save yourself some $$ by making it BYO meats/veggies to grill and spend the afternoon hanging out and enjoying some good food and sunshine

2. Go to the beach!

There’s tons to do at the beach, play beach volleyball, go swimming, lay out in the sun, or throw around a frisbee. Don’t have a beach? Check out the local parks, or make your backyard a beach oasis.

3. Go for a bike ride/walk/hike

Find a bike trail, hiking trail, etc and explore nature one last time before shutting yourself away in the library.
4. Invite some friends to a drive-in movie.

Every state has a few, so odds are, there’s one somewhat close to you. This is a fun way to chill with friends, watch a good movie (or two!), and still save some money. Plus, they tend to be cheaper than the traditional movie theater.

5. Host a bonfire/campfire

Roast some marshmallows, relax around a fire, and enjoy the last it of the cool summer breeze.

It’s that time of year again. Thousands of students will line the lengths of bleachers across America—donning drapey gowns and a full head of hat hair—and wait patiently to commence the next phase of their young-adult lives. But before that, they’ll bear witness to some of the most notable academic, political and pop-culture figures of the Twenty-First Century speak on adulting, some of which will give some pretty darn good advice.

If you’re graduating this year, or if you’re just wondering what you’re doing here and could use a good pep talk, be sure to check out some of our favorite advice straight from the mouths of this year’s best commencement speakers.

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Why do some landlords prelease? To ward off the possibility of vacancies, of course. There’s nothing worse for a landlord than a unit sitting vacant—each month that goes by is a month’s worth of rent metaphorically thrown in the trash. It’s for this reason that preleasing can act as an insurance policy for landlords; one that ensures you won’t be missing out on any potential revenue. But are there other advantages?

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Colleges around the nation are home to some of the most loved characters who help lead their team to victory! Mascots are a symbol of school spirit to help rev up the crowd, inspire fans, and intimidate the opposing team. However, some mascots just don’t quite live up to those expectations. We understand that with so many different teams and colleges that coming up with a unique mascot name cannot be the easiest task. After taking a deeper look into what mascots exist, we’re shaking our heads at these characters. In no particular order, here’s our list for some of the most outrageous college mascots.

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You Tweet at your favorite celebrities. You “like” your favorite artists and restaurants and you “like” that your friend posted a brand new selfie on Facebook. You’re constantly Snapchatting throughout the day making sure you look oh so adorable in the infamous puppy filter. Ever consider taking your social media obsession and turning it into your dream job?

On average, as reported by CNN, Americans spends over ten hours a day looking at a screen, consuming media. That time is divided between cellphone use, computers, video games, and TV. Of that time, it is projected that the average person between the ages of 18-64 spends 3.5 hours a day on social media, where as teens nowadays spend up to nine hours a day on their favored social media platforms, according to Social Media Today.

Taking data from LinkedIn, Rent College Pads put together a list of universities you should attend if you want to land a job in the social media world. Listed below are the number of employees that work for Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter that graduated from that particular university, as well as, what that university is most known for!

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