These are the Best Digital Camera Binoculars from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Why We Love Them: How many times have you cursed the zoom on your digital camera for not being able to get as close as you'd like? These digital camera binoculars earned a "best" rating from Hammacher Schlemmer because they provided the sharpest magnification, allowing analysts to read a six-lined eye chart from up to 100 feet away.

Plus, the digital prints taken by this model are brighter, more detailed, and have truer-to-life coloring than those from lesser models. The camera also includes a built-in video camera and an SD card slot that supports up to 32 GB memory cards.

Where To Buy: Available through Hammacher Schlemmer.

Cost: $279.95

Want to nominate a cool product for Stuff We Love? Send an email to Megan Willett at mwillett@businessinsider.com with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.

Don't Miss: Cire Trudon Candles For Men

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Cadillac has a big plan to return to the top of the luxury market now dominated by foreign brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, and the all-new ATS is a crucial part of it.

To prove the once-great brand is back in business, GM gave me a Premium 3.6L ATS (worth $50,035) for a weekend.

I used the opportunity to drive from New York to Boston and back. Over the nearly 500 miles on the car, I got to test out all its features, and really see how it compares to the best.

Read my full review to see how it stacks up, and take a look at the photos from my test drive to see for yourself.

The 3.6L engine produces 321 hp, and its 5.4 second 0 to 60 mph time matches that of the BMW 335i.

The ATS is a big part of Cadillac's plan to compete with luxury makes like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW.

The Premium model I drove had the Cadillac logo and name all over.

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Since the days when "Cadillac" was shorthand for quality, the brand has taken a backseat to Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and especially BMW in the sporty luxury car market.

Revitalized after the 2009 government bailout, GM has big plans for a Cadillac resurgence. The newly introduced XTS and ATS join the CTS to make a full luxury sedan lineup, with offerings that cover 80 percent of the luxury car market.

Click here to jump to photos of the ATS >

Don Butler, Vice President of Marketing for Cadillac, says the ATS is made to compete with BMW's 3 Series, easily the top dog in the segment.

Butler admits the all-new ATS has not won every comparison, but says it is gaining ground. For Cadillac to hit its targets, ATS sales have to be at least 50 percent "conquest" — winning over drivers of other brands. So far, it is actually beating that goal: GM reported this month that 70 percent of drivers who traded in a vehicle to buy an ATS were new to Cadillac.

Whether or not those buyers traded in other luxury cars is not clear, but the numbers are good for Cadillac either way. Apart from conquest sales, Cadillac is targeting young, first-time luxury buyers, whom it dubs "move-ups."

Among critics as well as customers, it seems the German hold on the compact sedan crown is loosening. Motor Trend compared the sportier iterations of each (the BMW 328i and ATS 2.0 Turbo), and gave BMW the win "by the skin of its teeth." The Los Angeles Times wrote the ATS "is not a better car" than the 3 Series, but that it is nonetheless "a massive step in the right direction."

I have not driven a recent 3 Series, but after a weekend in the ATS, I agree.

Performance

GM put me in a 3.6L Premium version of the ATS worth $50,035; the least expensive ATS starts at $33,990.

Unlike the large XTS, branded as a luxury, spacious, high-tech car, the ATS is built to be "nimble, quick, and fun." I criticized the cocoon-like feel that isolates the XTS from the road; that does not apply to the ATS.

The 321 horsepower in the 3.6L version provide a 0 to 60 time of 5.4 seconds, a solid time that matches the BMW 335i, according to Motor Authority.

I put nearly 500 miles on the ATS in two and a half days, on a weekend trip from New York to Boston. Most of that was highway driving (a lot of it in traffic), but the performance of the car still impressed me. It handles hard turns easily, accelerates quickly, and brakes smoothly.

The various safety alerts were well calibrated, and I love the lane departure warning system: Drift over the left lane line, and the left side of the driver's seat buzzes.

The fuel efficiency numbers (19 MPG city, 28 MPG highway, 22 MPG combined) are not especially impressive, but accurate. On my trip from Boston to New York, I averaged 27.3 MPG.

Experience

Erasing Cadillac's reputation as a passé car loved by old men requires great technology to appeal to young drivers. That's where the Cadillac User Experience (CUE), a touchscreen system that controls just about everything the car does, comes in.

In my review of the XTS, I said the CUE has lots of upside, but still needs work. Again, the voice recognition did well with phone contacts, but failed me on navigation: "Navigate to Logan International Airport" got me "Tune to Hair Nation XM."

Apart from that, the CUE is top notch, and makes controlling the climate, sound system, and various settings easy to control.

The navigation system (once the location is set) is excellent, and recalculated almost immediately every time I missed a turn.

For most of the weekend, I was alone or with one passenger, and we were both very comfortable. While it does not compare to an amazing interior like the $110,000 Audi S8, the seats are easily adjusted and heated (so is the steering wheel).

When I picked up a second passenger, things got tight, as the back seat is not spacious. After all, it is a small sedan; that's why Cadillac makes the larger CTS and XTS.

The Verdict

Cadillac has its work cut out for it if it wants to overtake any of the foreign automakers that currently dominate the American luxury market. So far, it has done a great job of winning over customers and critics, justifiably so.

The ATS may not beat the BMW 3 Series just yet, but it's an excellent car should attract "move-ups" and luxury owners alike.

SEE MORE: Take A Close Look At The Luxurious New Cadillac ATS

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

If you're looking to save some money, New York Times writer Nadia Taha gives an easy solution: don't have children.

Taha wrote a long essay in today's Times called "Opting Out of Parenthood, With Finances in Mind," about why she is not having children.

Then, she broke down the math of the cost of raising a child, in dollars, on the Times' Bucks Blog.

Taha found that for her and her husband, the total cost of raising a child would be a shocking $2 million. The couple currently live in New York City, are in their late 20s, and earn slightly less than the average couple in the top third income bracket cited in the USDA study, she writes.

The Department of Agriculture publishes an annual report on what families spend on their children, but Taha tailored this to personal life. She also factored in the cost of college and supporting a child until age 25 (the Department of Agriculture's cutoff is 17).

Here's how she did her math:

• Basic needs: She used the Agriculture Department’s figures for the cost of food, transit, clothing, and expenses such as personal care items, entertainment, and reading materials, for children in a two-parent household in the urban Northeast area of the country, with a combined income of more than $103,350.

• Child care: Taha used the numbers for primary child care in New York City from birth until kindergarten. The cost ranged from $12,750 to $16,000, according to the Administration of Child Services. She then used the price for normal schooling grades 1 through 12.

• Health insurance: To add a dependent to her plan would cost $4,000 more a year, plus another $750 for co-pays, prescriptions and other therapies.

• College: "To pay for half of the projected tuition at an average-price four-year public university would require we save $5,328 each year from birth to age 18, according to BlackRock’s college savings calculator," she writes.

• Post-grad: She then added housing, clothing, food, transportation, and healthcare for the child post-college, from ages 18 to 25.

• Grandkids: Taha used a MetLife study of grandparents’ relationships with their grandchildren to factor that she and her husband would have to support their grandchildren with $8,289 every five years.

• Wage losses: Taha calculates she'd lose $700,000 when factoring in maternity leave and studies showing that mothers just earn 73 percent of what men do.

Whether you agree or not, one thing is certain: having kids is expensive.

DON'T MISS: These 10 Countries Have The Highest Quality Of Life

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

"Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" host Guy Fieri has become one of the biggest food show hosts out there, and he has a new restaurant called Guy's American Kitchen and Bar in New York City's Times Square.

New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells absolutely destroyed the place in a review, giving it zero stars and a "POOR" rating.

The review itself is done as a series of questions posed to Guy Fieri and is hilariously weird.

We toured Fieri's restaurant shortly after it opened, and while we didn't try the food, we can show you what it's like in the massive complex.

Here we are at the three-floor complex in the former New York Times Building. It's located right next to Bowlmor Lanes and Discovery Times Square.

And there's Guy on a screen near the entrance, promoting his Food Network show.

Inside is the gift shop, packed with all sorts of Guy memorabilia.

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Five New York real estate brokers are under investigation for allegedly charging extra fees to place HIV-positive tenants, The Real Deal is reporting.

Two of the unnamed brokers are from Queens, two are from the Bronx, and one is from Manhattan.

The city normally pays brokers a fee to find housing for tenants with AIDS.

But the fee has been a topic of controversy since March 2011, when the full commission (normally a month’s rent) was reduced by half as part of a plan to reduce spending, according The Real Deal.

City and state regulators are currently investigating the complaints.

DON'T MISS: Some Real Estate Agents Will Go To Crazy Extremes To Sell A House

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

We’ve all been there—you enter the credit card digits on what you think is awesome airfare, but just moments later you realize that really wasn’t the case.

Thankfully Uncle Sam has got your back more than ever, as now canceling flights within 24 hours of booking is pretty much the law. So if you realize your best friend can’t skip out of work, or if you see an even better fare less than a day later you can cancel your purchase—hassle free.

We’ve rounded up some of the policies below to ensure that you can book first and figure things out later.

Delta
They call it their “risk-free guarantee” and they actually had this pretty generous policy before the new rules and regulations went into effect. Refunds are allowed for most tickets purchased directly through their website, as long as you are leaving from the United States, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Again, you can do it all online, and you will be credited back with a full refund—including any prepaid fees and direct ticketing charges — with no cancellation fee.

United
When it come to booking now and changing your mind later, United is totally cool with it — even after their merger with Continental. Their 24-hour flexible booking policy allows you to change things as well as cancel within 24 hours of when you booked your flight. The clock starts ticking as soon as your enter your credit card digits at United.com, and refund requests will be credited back in the original form of payment. If you use that FareLock thing to hold a certain price and end up booking later, you’re out of luck — those fees will not be returned.

American Airlines
If you’re going through American Airlines to get your tickets things work a little differently, but not necessarily in a bad way. They are cool with you holding your ticket online before booking, and they give you at least 24 hours to make up your mind. Your reservation is held until midnight on the following day. After that you’re free to book or free to let the hold expire, but after your booking you're going to be flying.

Virgin America
If in-flight television and in-flight WiFi just isn’t for you then you’re more than welcome to skip out on your bill with Virgin America. In fact they are especially generous when it comes to their fares, as they will gladly hold your itinerary for 24 hours if you book the old fashioned way — by calling them up on the phone. Once you finally do hand over your payment you’ll still have 24 hours to cancel without penalty and for a full refund. Of course they’ll be out a couple hundred bucks, but your wallet will thank you for acting quickly.

US Airways
To us things seem a little bit more cranky over at US Airways, but they do play by the new 24-hour cancellation rules. They’re fine and dandy with your change of plans, but you do have to call them — and probably wait on hold — in order to cancel your flight. Both refundable and non-refundable tickets are eligible for full refunds, and you won’t be stuck with a change fee or anything like that. Watch that clock, and dial 800-428-4322 to take care of business.

Southwest Airlines and AirTran
No problem if you’re booking with either Southwest Airlines or their little buddies over at AirTran, as the 24-hour fee-free cancellation is not a big deal. Southwest is even pretty proud of the fact that they’ve been basically doing this since 2000. Remember, they also don’t have change fees, so as long as you are willing to pay the fare difference you’re free to change your mind on pretty much any ticket. Now you can calm down, call your grandma back, and tell her that you will be there for the holidays after all.

JetBlue
Yet another generous airline. They allow reservations to be held for at least 24 hours, but just make sure that you do so at least a week in advance of your planned departure. After handing over your plastic money you’re fine to cancel within 24 hours of booking, and the payment will head back to your card — or whatever else — without any sort of cancellation fee.

Everyone Else
We covered most of the airlines in the nifty fifty, but a few more still come to mind. Hawaiian Airlines says they will allow you to allow cancel reservations made 7 or more days prior to departure without penalty as long as you do so within 24 hours. Over at Alaska Airlines it's pretty much the same thing—cancel within in 24 hours and you’re fine. They’ll even allow one change within 24 hours of purchase, but you’ll have to give them a call.

As for Spirit here’s what they say: “Refunds are allowed for reservations made 7 days or more prior to your departure, provided that you make the refund request within 24 hours of your initial reservation.”

SEE MORE: Tour The Amazing $64.5 Million Gulfstream G650

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Zaha Hadid has been a pioneer in the field of architecture, becoming the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize (the Nobel Prize of her field) in 2004.

Hadid, who was born in Iraq in 1950, recently told Glamour, “I always wanted to be an architect. My house was like Auntie Mame’s, with my mother redecorating every season.”

She studied architecture at the Architectural Association from 1972 and was awarded the Diploma Prize in 1977. 

Hadid's first building in the United States, the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, was applauded by critics, according to The New York Times. When she won the Pritzker in 2004, The NYT wrote of her reputation:

Ms. Hadid's personal charisma has also helped to publicize her work, though to mixed effect. Beloved by journalists and members of her own profession for what is frequently described as her diva presence, Ms. Hadid has only recently found the clients willing to look beyond her reputation for being difficult.

She's now based in London, and is currently working on 43 buildings with her 360-person studio, according to Glamour.

Her buildings all seem fluid and have beautiful curves and arches. These are some of her most incredible designs.

Completed in 2003, the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati was Hadid's first project in the United States. It was a huge critical success.

Source: New York Times

After the success of the Rosenthal Center, Hadid was hired for several other projects. The BMW Central Building in Leipzing, Germany was among the first. It was completed in May 2005.

Source: New York Times

She also designed the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg in 2005. The New York Times called it "the kind of building that utterly transforms our vision of the future."

Source: New York Times

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

The Historic Stevens Estate in Bernardsville, NJ is on sale for $12.885 million.

The house sits on 15 acres of land, and has seven bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, and four half-baths.

The estate was the summer vacation spot of Robert Livingston Stevens, whose family helped develop steam-powered boats and locomotives. They also founded Stevens Institute of Technology.

Today, it's being sold by architect Jeffrey Beer.

Welcome to the Historic Stevens Estate.

It's a European-style estate in rural New Jersey.

The attention to detail is outstanding.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Yesterday, BMW brought its BMW i Born Electric Tour to New York City. At the daylong event, it hosted panels on the future of mobility, particularly in cities, and discussed ways to move toward a sustainable future.

It was the perfect venue to introduce the convertible version of the i8, a plug-in hybrid BMW first unveiled in 2009. It's a gorgeous, attention-grabbing car that delivers a whole lot of power.

More impressive to me, however, was the i3, the purely electric car that was tucked away in a corner. It is less obviously cool than the i8 Spyder, but appealing in its own way. More importantly, it's the practical one of the pair, with room for four people and luggage.

Between them, BMW has covered two approaches to developing the electric car market: Going after luxury buyers who want speed and beauty, and targeting families looking for a practical vehicle that eliminates the cost of gas.

Peter Miles, Head of Electric Vehicle Strategy and Operations at BMW of North America, stressed the concept of "purpose built," meaning that these cars are made from the ground up to be electric cars, rather than conventional cars with a battery instead of an engine.

And while that idea is not unique — Tesla makes only electric cars, so everything it does is "purpose built" — it's clear that BMW has produced two very impressive cars. And with an automaker as formidable as BMW entering the electric vehicle market, others are likely to follow.

The i3 and i8 are headed for production in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Although BMW released images of the Spyder in April, they pulled a cover off it yesterday to add some flair to the event.

Because the i8 coupe is made from strong carbon fiber, BMW did not have to re-engineer the i8 coupe. It just cut the top off.

The stats are impressive, especially for an electric car: it has 356 hp, goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 155 mph.

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

It’s incredible how fast the value of currency is changing these days; by that we mean it’s incredible how fast that 20 euro bill in your wallet suddenly turns into a couple awkwardly large coins lost somewhere at the bottom of your backpack.

While studying abroad may feel like an extended vacation most of the time, one thing is most certainly not luxurious about the experience: your ever-tightening budget.

The good people at Party Earth understand your desire to avoid the inevitable kiss-of-death email from Mom with the subject line “stop spending money on alcohol.”

They also understand the importance of spending money on beer, which is why they’ve compiled a list of great student bars throughout Europe that are guaranteed to offer you a cheap drink and a good time.

This story was originally published by Party Earth.

N’Importe Quoi: Paris

If you are on the hunt for the kind of bar that still has an “Operation Flash Boob” policy in place that awards free shots to girls who show their assets, N’importe Quoi is the quintessential place to make that happen.

Although it isn’t much to look at on the inside or out, this tiny dive bar offers endless drink specials and no-frills fun. From the bottle-spinning bartenders, to the rowdy crowd of college students looking for some cheap thrills, everything about N’importe Quoi makes it one of the perfect bars in Paris for some down-to-earth boozing.

16 Rue du Roule
75001 Paris

The Roxy: London

Although The Roxy boasts ivory chandeliers, chamois barstools, and sleek leather loungers, patrons will most likely be focused on dancing to the venue’s retro and pop DJs and surviving the crowd swell of university students. If you get to The Roxy early enough you can enjoy half-priced wine and beer during Happy Hour that runs Monday though Friday. Wednesday is official student night where you will find crowds of rowdy lads and lasses enjoying affordable drinks and socializing shoulder-to-shoulder.

3 Rathbone Place
London W1D 1

Chupitos: Barcelona

Chupitos is a rowdy bar that specializes in creative shots and dramatic bar service performances, some of which involve lighting the bar on fire with a blowtorch. The tiny bar attracts a mix of fun-loving locals and young international travelers looking to grab a simple and cheap drink. The venue is a dark hall with a bar on one side and spunky menu board featuring shots with names like “the General” and “the Monica Lewinsky” on the other. The cramped but wild atmosphere at Chupitos makes this one of the best bars in Barcelona to pregame some late-night adventures.

Passeig de Colón, 8
08002 Barcelona

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

If you're hoping to see Africa's "big five" on safari, there's no better destination than Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the massive caldera, formed nearly three million years ago following a volcanic collapse, and was amazed by the quantity and diversity of animals I saw in a single afternoon.

The 100-square-mile crater, part of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area, is home to some 30,000 animals, including around two dozen black rhino, which are extremely endangered. It also has the densest known lion population, and thousands of flamingo gather there during the rainy season.

Disclosure: Our trip to Tanzania, including travel and lodging expenses, was sponsored by the Tanzania Tourist Board, Africa Adventure Company, Singita Grumeti Group, Coastal Aviation, Qatar Airways, Tanzania National Parks, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and Wildlife Division.

I flew directly over the crater on the flight to Manyara Airstrip, where visitors to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area start their trips. The walls of the crater are around 1,600 feet high.

Source: Africa's Top Wildlife Countries by Mark W. Nolting

Our guide Ephrata of the Africa Adventure Company picked us up at the airstrip. From here, it's an hour-and-a-half drive the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

U.S. residents must pay $50 to enter the conservation area. The crater covers 100 square miles, but the park is much larger, encompassing some 3,200 square miles of plains, forests, and lakes.

Source: Africa's Top Wildlife Countries by Mark W. Nolting

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Stanford University— home to more than 15,000 students; almost 2,000 faculty members; 19 Nobel laureates; 24 MacArthur Fellows; countless tech giants; and an increasingly impressive football team — just quietly changed its famous logo.

Gone is the caps-locked thin font, and in is a more rounded scrawl.

Before:                                                                        After:

So while sweatshirts used to look like this:

They now might look like this:

But don't worry, alumni, the famous Stanford "S" with the tree emblem isn't going anywhere.

This isn't the first time Stanford changed its logo. Design blog Rioleo tracked the signature's many changes over the last 20 years.

Disclosure: The author went to Stanford. (Go Card.)

Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are shacking up together in Beverly Hills.

The adorable couple just purchased a $2.5 million home together, according to The Real Estalker.

The 3,862-square-foot home has four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.

The house has once belonged to the late English actor Dudley Moore.

Welcome to Noel Place in Beverly Hills. The gates will provide privacy for Emma and Andrew.

Inside the house is very cozy.

The ceilings in the living room are very high, and a lot of natural light gets in.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Guy Fieri's new restaurant in Times Square, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, was eviscerated by New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells in a scathing review.

Now, Fieri has something to say about it. He took the redeye flight in to go on Today to tell his side of the story.

Here's what he had to say on Today:

I just thought it was ridiculous. I mean, I've read reviews, you know there's good and there's bad in the restaurant business. But that to me went so overboard, it really seemed like there was another agenda.

The tone, the sarcasm, the question style — I think we all know what's going on here. I mean he came in with a different agenda. He came in four times to a restaurant that's been open two months? That's tough times, especially this size of a restaurant.

I've been in the restaurant business 25 years. This is an ever-changing ever-evolving process. I mean you get new guys in, some guys out, you've got different timings that go on. And do we do it perfect? No. Are we striving to do it perfect? Yes. But that's what we're all doing in the business.

... To me it's impossible to come in and have a dining experience and have every single thing wrong, unless you come in with a different agenda, and you want to sensationalize something, and you want to blow it out of the water.

It's a great way to make a name for yourself. Go after a celebrity chef, that's not a New Yorker, that's doing a big concept in his second month, big way to hit it.

Watch the whole interview below:

 NOW SEE: Inside The Guy Fieri Restaurant That Was Eviscerated By The New York Times [PHOTOS] >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Ten years ago Williston, North Dakota was a quiet agricultural town with a population around 12,000.

Now, oil prices and drilling advancements have turned Williston into one of America's biggest oil boomtown, pushing its population to over 30,000. The wait at the town's Wal-Mart can push two hours, and the infrastructure is deeply strained.

I visited Williston in March. Interest in the small city is only continuing to grow as America's energy boom rolls on and concerns about a new drilling technique known as "fracking" increase.

These days, America's new boomtown is more in the news than ever, so we thought we'd re-visit what life is like there.

Williston, North Dakota is in the Northwestern portion of the state, not far from Montana and Canada

The town happens to sit in the center of the large Bakken oil formation — 640 square miles of oil, holding up to 34 billion barrels

Recent advancements in fracking allow operators to go deeper, more precisely than ever before

Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.

College is all about striking the right balance between work and play. Sure, you want to go to that kegger — but only after you've finished studying for the upcoming exam.

At some schools, though, students take it to the next level, studying diligently for hours and then raging all night long.

Our friends at College Prowler compiled a list of the most intense schools where students work hard and party hard. College Prowler ranks schools based on input from real students at the schools. To compile this list, they considered schools that students said have the toughest workloads and schools that students said have the most raging party scenes.

We've included some comments that students posted on College Prowler about the schools.

This is part of our series on The Best Colleges In America.

#25 Cornell University

Location:Ithaca, New York

Founded: 1865

Undergraduate Students: 13,905

"Fantastic Range of Options – Great range of nightlife options, from frat parties, dorm parties (in your first year), collegetown bars (must be over 21 / have an ID). It's a fantastic mix, and everyone stays on campus, so you get to see a lot of your class (and other years) out at night. Only downside is that the bars close at 1:00am. Otherwise, love it."

"Great Course Offerings – There are many courses to choose from. I have had pretty good professors. Workload is high, but as expected at an Ivy League school. One thing that could be seen as negative is the highly competitive nature in some pre-med courses."

#24 Washington & Lee University

Location:Lexington, Virginia

Founded: 1749

Undergraduate Students: 1,789

"Work Hard, Play Harder – If sleep is of high importance to you, this is not the place for you. Plan to spend 45 hours plus doing school work each week. Plan to be heavily involved in at least one extracurricular activity. AND plan to go out for at AT LEAST 3 nights a week. Everyone here is smart and driven, but EVERYONE here lets loose. Everyone works hard, AND EVERYONE plays hard."

#23 James Madison University

Location:Harrisonburg, Virginia

Founded: 1908

Undergraduate Students: 17,086

"JMU is recognized as a huge party school by many, and people are not wrong about this. A saying at JMU is "work hard, and play hard". During the week, you work hard and focus on academics but on the weekends there are parties everywhere. The most popular are apartment parties, house parties, and fraternity parties, but if you are a fan of bars and clubs there are a few in the area that I would rate as decent."

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

America's best college towns have huge student populations, loads of cultural opportunities, and a relatively low cost of living.

Thanks in part to the economic recession, towns with 250,000 people or fewer beat out mid-size cities and major metro areas as the best places to go to school on the American Institute for Economic Research's latest index of college destinations.

According to the AIER, college towns are relatively recession-proof since they are home to a high proportion of students who consistently spend money. As a result, their economies tend to be more stable than those of larger cities.

These 10 are the best of the best.

This is part of our series on The Best Colleges In America.

#10 Columbia, Missouri

Population: 172,319

Student concentration: 212.1 (per 1,000 people)

2-bedroom apartment: $666/month

Earning Potential: $36,241

Colleges: University of Missouri, Columbia College, Stephens College

Source: The American Institute for Economic Research

#9 Morgantown, West Virginia

Population: 130,288

Student concentration: 205.7 (per 1,000 people)

2-bedroom apartment: $586/month

Earning Potential: $34,412

Colleges: West Virginia University

Source: The American Institute for Economic Research

#8 Lawrence, Kansas

Population: 111,130

Student concentration: 255.5 (per 1,000 people)

2-bedroom apartment: $536/month

Earning Potential: $31,250

Colleges: University of Kansas

Source: The American Institute for Economic Research

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

College is expensive, but if you choose carefully, it really pays off.

 PayScale surveyed full-time U.S. employees with bachelors degrees to find out which colleges have the best returns on investment.

This year, Harvey Mudd College took the top spot, edging out Ivies such as Stanford, Harvard, and M.I.T.

And Colorado School of Mines made its first appearance on the list.

For the list, PayScale projected the average future income of each school's graduates. Then it compared the future income to the cost of the college's tuition.

Not surprisingly, technical schools and Ivies ranked pretty high. But small state school and small religious schools didn't fare so well.

This is part of our series on The Best Colleges In America.

#15 Columbia University

30-year net ROI: $845,100

Annual ROI: 9.4%

Total tuition cost: $217,100

Source: Payscale

#14 Colorado School of Mines

30-year net ROI: $851,700

Annual ROI: 11.9%

Total tuition cost: $99,460

Source: Payscale

#13 Cornell University

30-year net ROI: $857,500

Annual ROI: 9.6%

Total tuition cost:$209,600

Source: Payscale

Please follow Careers on Twitter and Facebook.

With college tuitions reaching record highs and the task of finding employment as challenging as ever, selecting the right major can mean the difference between making a good living and staying stuck in student debt.

PayScale compiled a list of the college majors that can lead to the highest potential salaries.

They asked full-time employees in the United States who possess a bachelor's degree (and no higher degrees) about their college majors and salaries. PayScale ranked majors by median starting salary and median mid-career salary.

Unsurprisingly, majors in math, engineering, and science led to the highest earning potential, while majors in the arts and education led to lower salaries. So which majors will make you rich?

This is part of our series on The Best Colleges In America.

#10 Statistics

Median Starting Salary: $49,300

Median Mid-career Salary: $99,500

What you can do with this major: Statistics majors make great investment bankers. If you work well under pressure and can make quick decisions, a career on Wall Street might be for you.

#9 Computer Science

Median Starting Salary: $58,400

Median Mid-career Salary: $100,000

What you can do with this major: Computer Science majors make good use of their technical backgrounds with careers in computer programming, web coding and design, or video game programming.

#8 Applied Mathematics

Median Starting Salary: $50,800

Median Mid-career Salary: $102,000

What you can do with this major: Applied Mathematics majors are well-suited for teaching positions, in particular calculus, trigonometry, algebra, and other advanced math courses.

Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook.