student life

13 of The Weirdest College Traditions

By Kaeli Nieves-WhitmoreLast updated on December 22, 2022

There are strange things happening at college campuses across the country. Students are nailing their shoes to trees, howling at the moon, and kissing statue’s bums with no one giving these weird pastimes a second thought. From the outside looking in, there is no way to explain these odd acts. But, college traditions are a …

student life

10 Best College Music Festivals

By Kaeli Nieves-WhitmoreLast updated on February 27, 2023

One of the most amazing aspects of going to college is the availability of new experiences for students. Through on-campus organizations, leadership opportunities, classwork, and events, colleges aim to help broaden students’ horizons. Many colleges across the country throw festivals as a way to celebrate all of the hard work that their students do.  Over …

tips tools & advice

Science Says Playing Video Games Can Make You Smarter

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Take a second and list all of the stereotypes you can think of relating to video games. You probably came up with some like gamers are lazy and anti-social or gamers are bad at school. We’ve all heard the negative stigma associated with digital gameplay—true or untrue—but what about the positives? How can video games …

tips tools & advice

The Science Behind Studying: Best Study Times and Proven Study Hacks

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on November 20, 2024

Key Takeaways To maximize your study sessions and help you remember information for longer, try implementing some of these science-backed study hacks, including: “chunking” information by breaking it down, reviewing notes frequently so as not to fall victim to the Forgetting Curve, exercising before studying, and using the Pomodoro Method for built-in short breaks. The …

college news & trends

Map: States Where Students Move (and Leave) For College

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022

Ever wonder which US states students flock to go to college? It’s probably not where you expect. Students aren’t all migrating to warm weather or coastal US states (although many of them do pick up students each year). Instead, Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Vermont are the states that picked up the most students, according …

affordability & college cost

The Costs of Transferring Colleges

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Students can transfer schools for all sorts of reasons –another college has a better program, they weren’t clicking with the environment, etc.– but whatever the cause, all transfer students face similar challenges with their move. Whether it’s financial or academic — what’s the real cost of transferring colleges? The benefits of transferring colleges: Given the …

tips tools & advice

20 FREE Online Study Tools and Apps for College Students

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on January 9, 2026

It’s easy to forget about schoolwork when you’re on the internet. From cat videos on YouTube to Reddit to TikTok, there are so many rabbit holes to go down! But the internet has also made studying much easier. There are thousands of websites, tools, and apps out there designed to help students learn new skills, …

student life

College Admission and Survival Advice from 5 Counseling Experts

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

There’s a lot of great college advice out there, but sometimes it can be a little scattered. So we went straight to one of the best sources for tips, tricks, and information about college admission and campus life — counseling experts. There are two types of college counselors. The first type helps high school students …

college comparisons

5 Things Most College Rankings Won’t Tell You

By Tyler HakesLast updated on December 22, 2022

As students begin to search for a college, one of the first places many look at are college academic rankings–which schools are the best? Rankings can definitely be useful (we have our own, in case you missed them), but they also offer a lot of limitations. After all, it’s impossible to rank something that’s as …

questions & answers

Should I Hire an Independent College Counselor?

By Lynell EngelmyerLast updated on December 22, 2022

Which came first the chicken or the egg? Is world peace possible? What is the meaning of life? While the question about hiring a college counselor is not nearly this philosophical, it can often garner just as much heated debate, and like the philosophical questions listed above, there really is not a right or wrong …