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College is about balance — yes, it's important to take your classes seriously, but it's equally as necessary to cut loose and have fun during your undergraduate years.

Business Insider has created a list of schools that best embody this dual principle — the "work hard, play hard" mentality that many students look for. We found that there was no typical "work hard, play hard" school, and everything from liberal arts colleges to Ivy League universities to large state schools are represented in the following ranking.

To compile this list, we used data from Niche, looking at its rankings of the best party schools and schools with the best academics, smartest students, best Greek life. Niche's college section — College Prowler — features close to one million in-depth student reviews on more than 8,000 schools.

We've included a few quotes from each school's Niche profile in our ranking to help illustrate what the student body is like.

No. 20 Washington University

St. Louis

"Amazing nightlife compared to peer institutions. Granted, we are no Arizona State but the students here know when to hit the books and when to party hard. There is a great hook up scene if you're into that."

"The academics at WashU are superb. The teachers add fun and an innovative approach to lessons which create an intellectual vibe here at WashU."

Visit Niche for more on Washington University in St. Louis.

No. 19 University of Southern California

Los Angeles

"You can find any type of person at one of USC's parties. As long as you are a Trojan, there is no discrimination. Everybody comes together to enjoy the night."

"USC is the best academically successful party school."

Visit Niche for more on the University of Southern California.

No. 18 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Urbana and Champaign, Illinois

"The social party scene is top notch and everyone always has a great time. Students are also responsible and know when enough is enough. The bars are always a great place to be to be social and most events occur there."

"The program is great and the advisers and professors are very knowledgeable. The workload is definitely not easy, but my motto is always "work hard and play hard." There are many diverse internship options for students."

Visit Niche for more on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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There are so many exciting new movies lined up for the end of 2014, but before you check them out, you should crack open the book version. 

We've compiled a list of all of the books being adapted into movies out this fall. Each cast is packed with Hollywood power players from Ben Affleck to Jennifer Lawrence, and many of the films are already generating Oscar buzz. 

You'll find thrillers, period pieces, dramadies, and even some true stories for your reading and viewing pleasure. 

"This Is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper

Release date: September 19

In this dramatic comedy, four grown siblings must sit Shiva for one week as per the request of their deceased father. While back together in their childhood home, the week loses control as the family encounters a slew of past and present characters, challenges, and well, life. 

The cast includes Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Corey Stoll, Rose Byrne, Kathryn Hahn, and Connie Britton.

Buy the book

"A Walk Among The Tombstones" by Lawrence Block

Release Date: September 19

A ruthless drug leader recruits former NYPD detective and recovering alcoholic, Matt Scudder, to find the monsters behind the brutal kidnap and murder of his wife. Scudder works outside of the law investigating the grisly murders targeting NYC's worst drug criminals. 

This crime thriller stars: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, Boyd Holbrook, David Harbour, and Sebastian Roché.

Buy the book

"Hector And The Search For Happiness" by Francois Lelord

Release Date: September 26

Tired of his routine boring life, a quirky psychiatrist, Hector, courageously sets out for a global adventure in hopes of uncovering the secret to true happiness. 

The dramedy stars: Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Buy the book

A diner in North Carolina is putting its faith in a new form of economic self-determination: Pay what God wants.

Dana Parris, owner of the Just Cookin restaurant in Dallas, North Carolina, decided to take the prices off her menus. Instead of having a set number, she asks her customers to pay what they think God would like.

"He just came to me and said I don't need to do it, I need to let him do it," Parris told the Gaston Gazette of Gaston County, North Carolina. "The way I could show I was giving God control was to give him control of the cash register."

The Good Lord has been something of a cash cow for Parris. Revenues tripled in the first week, she says. 

While pay-what-you-want-restaurants are starting to become a trend, like Lentil As Anything in Melbourne, Australia, SAME Cafe in Denver, Colorado, or Jon Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey, the diner is the only faith-based one we've come across.

Dallas residents are taking kindly to Parris's new policy. As the Gaston Gazette reports: 

A few people haven't had the money to pay what might be considered "full price" for a meal, Parris said. She doesn't mind serving them.

Others don't seem to mind paying a little more.

A nurse came in short on cash and left with a drink and a hot dog at a bargain price, Parris said. Two days later the same nurse handed over $20 for an identical meal.

Parris hopes that the good news will keep on coming. 

"I pray that showing this little bit of faith will catch on and other people will have faith. I hope people will see his love shining here," Parris said. "Sometimes you just have to give control back to God."

While it's certainly a novel strategy, it's unclear whether it will be sustainable. Restaurant chain Panera Bread suspended its pay-what-you-can experiment last year when payments dropped to just 75% of the retail price, and New York City's only "pay what you feel" restaurant, Santorini Grill, closed its doors in 2012 after just four months of operation. 

Correction: The Just Cookin diner is in Dallas, North Carolina, not Dallas, Texas.

SEE ALSO: Who You Know Is Even More Important Than You Realize

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Poor Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg. They're worth billions of dollars, and that makes life hard.

Actually, it kind of does, and Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham explains why. Graham's startup accelerator program yielded a few billionaire founders of its own, including Dropbox's Drew Houston and the founders of Airbnb.

Graham points out that Google and Facebook run Page and Zuckerberg as much as they run their companies. They can never enjoy regular activities or do things spontaneously the way the rest of us can.

"Mark Zuckerberg will never get to bum around a foreign country," Graham writes. "He can do other things most people can't, like charter jets to fly him to foreign countries. But success has taken a lot of the serendipity out of his life."

What adds to the stress: billionaires can never publicly complain about how tough their money-filled lives sometimes are, because everyone else will freak out.

In a Stanford talk about how tough it is to be an entrepreneur, Graham says how all-consuming running a startup — even once it becomes a multi-billion-dollar company, can be. Here's an excerpt:

Larry Page may seem to have an enviable life, but there are aspects of it that are unenviable. Basically at 25 he started running as fast as he could and it must seem to him that he hasn't stopped to catch his breath since. Every day new shit happens in the Google empire that only the CEO can deal with, and he, as CEO, has to deal with it.

If he goes on vacation for even a week, a whole week's backlog of shit accumulates. And he has to bear this uncomplainingly, partly because as the company's daddy he can never show fear or weakness, and partly because billionaires get less than zero sympathy if they talk about having difficult lives. Which has the strange side effect that the difficulty of being a successful startup founder is concealed from almost everyone except those who've done it.

...Mark Zuckerberg will never get to bum around a foreign country. He can do other things most people can't, like charter jets to fly him to foreign countries. But success has taken a lot of the serendipity out of his life. Facebook is running him as much as he's running Facebook. And while it can be very cool to be in the grip of a project you consider your life's work, there are advantages to serendipity too, especially early in life. Among other things it gives you more options to choose your life's work from.

SEE ALSO: Startup God Paul Graham Has 6 Pieces Of Advice For Anyone Thinking About Doing Their Own Company

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Sometimes it seems like the world is falling apart. Between Ebola, climate change, Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, and the ongoing war in Iraq and Syria, there's bad news everywhere you look.

Yet while speaking at the UN on September 24, President Obama said that he often tells young people in the United States "that this is the best time in human history to be born, for you are more likely than ever before to be literate, to be healthy, and to be free to pursue your dreams."

So, is this really be the best time to be born?

Absolutely, by many measures — whether you are born in the US or the rest of the world.

Despite the fact that plenty of problems exist, people are healthier now than ever, the world has become significantly less violent, and education is more available now than it ever has been.

Here are 23 charts that show why this is the best time to be born.

1. Child mortality has dropped and life expectancy has grown around the world since 1950.

We've made this graphic that shows how both have changed since then.

The countries are color-coded by region: red is East Asia and the Pacific, orange is Europe and Central Asia, yellow is the Americas, green is the Middle East and North Africa, light blue is South Asia, and dark blue is Sub-Saharan Africa. (An interactive version is available here.)

2. Racial disparities still exist, but infant mortality has dropped by a huge amount in the US since 1935.

3. It's not just the US either. Around the world, people's risk of dying young has dropped from 14% in 1970 to 5% in 2010. Chances of dying before turning 50 were 28% in 1970, but half that now.

4. Here's another chart that helps get that point across, showing the number of children who die before age 5 from 1960 to today.

Bill Gates uses this chart to help demonstrate the ways that vaccines have transformed our world.

5. Vaccines have massively reduced the likelihood of dying or being disabled by many diseases.

This chart shows the change in morbidity from various diseases in the US from the pre-vaccine era to the modern era.

6. In fact, vaccines have helped eliminate many diseases from much of the world entirely

In 1988, the World Health Assembly decided to start tyring to eliminate polio from the world through comprehensive vaccination programs. Look at the progress so far.

7. Infant death rates from all kinds of causes have dropped.

This charts shows changes in the US since 1960.

8. Children born now are much more likely to have access to clean drinking water.

9. And life is getting better in other ways too. Fewer people around the world now have to live on $1 a day.

Global income distribution has shifted so that many people who were making $1 a day are now more likely to make $10 a day.

10. As the numbers of extremely poor people in the world fall, more and more of the population is being pushed into higher income categories.

This chart divides the world into those above the middle class, the middle class, the near poor, the moderately poor, and the extremely poor. Obviously, there's still room for progress, but the percentage of workers that are middle class and above has grown.

11. The number of international conflicts, which tend to kill more people than civil wars, has been declining steadily.

Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker explains that violence of all sorts has been declining for years — by most measures, we're living in the most peaceful time in human history.

12. Despite the fact that we hear a lot about gun murders, firearm homicides have dropped significantly since the 1990s in the US.

13. Youth violence has declined too.

The CDC shows that youth homicides are less than 50% of what they were in the mid 1990s.

14. The decline in homicide rates isn't just a modern day one either. Historical data shows that homicide rates in the modern era are drastically lower than they were centuries ago, and that number is still declining.

15. US data on the long term decline in the homicide rate shows a similar trend.

Thought there have been some fluctuations, there's a clear trend towards fewer homicides over time.

16. Rates of domestic violence have also fallen.

17. Anyone born today in the US is much more likely to grow up literate.

18. That's true for kids born all over the world.

19. And we also live in a world now that takes "rights" into consideration much more than ever before.

20. People born now will most likely receive more years of education than they would have in the past.

21. And that's especially true for women

22. People are much more likely to live in a democratic society.

23. More people have access to the internet than at any other time in history, and that percentage continues to grow.

Bill Gates has said "We're on this rising tide that's not recognized. It's overwhelming how prosperity is spread around the world."

The world is far from perfect, and there are plenty of areas of improvement needed. But is now the best time in history to be born?

We'd say so.

SEE ALSO: 11 Scientifically Proven Reasons You Should Go Outside

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Women have limitless options for where to buy clothes.

To help narrow it down, we're seeking your input on the best places to buy apparel for every occasion. 

Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey below. Thanks in advance for your time and cooperation. We'll publish the results in a couple of weeks.

SEE ALSO: The Best Places For Guys To Shop

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We interviewed Robert Kirkman – the creator of "The Walking Dead" – at New York Comic Con 2014.

Produced by Matthew Stuart and Alana Kakoyiannis. Special thanks to Kirsten Acuna.

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Eighty-three percent Russians approve of Vladimir Putin as president, a number that has soared from 54% last year since his annexation of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine as well as the Sochi Olympics.

Westerners may wonder why Russians so happily approve of a man who is becoming an international pariah.

And that might get them wondering what else Russians think and what Russians are like anyway.

Taking care to avoid unfounded stereotypes, we've turned to data from polling centers, the World Health Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and Pew Research Center to identify facts about the majority of Russia's 144 million citizens.

The average Russian adult consumes 15 liters of pure alcohol annually, far more than the 9-liter average in America. Heavy drinking has been blamed for alarmingly high early death rates for Russian men.

Source: WHO and Reuters

56% of Russians aren't pleased with the quality of their drinking water, the worst of the 36 nations ranked by OECD.

Current data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

60% of Russians think their country is moving in the right direction.

August 2013 Levada Center Poll

Many people have trouble getting to sleep or waking up in the middle of the night – here are the reasons and how to fix the problem.

Produced by Matt Johnston

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Looking to spend a couple of thousand dollars on your next meal? Look no further than the "Glamburger," a hamburger that will set you back nearly two thousand bucks.

ABC reports the burger is the "most expensive serving of meat on a bun" and it's sold in London.

But this isn't just any old Big Mac. The Glamburger is made with venison from New Zealand and Kobe beef, topped with Iranian saffron ($250/oz), white truffle from Italy ($1500/lb) and the most expensive, Beluga caviar from Russia ($3000/lb). It's topped with a 24-karat gold leaf. 

The burger also carries about 2600 calories. Glam, indeed.

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"You know, what's her name was in it": A phrase known all too well by most of us when trying to remember an actor's or actress' name.

You may be so successful as to remember the correct talent, but are you pronouncing their name correctly? 

Produced by: Justin Gmoser; Narrated by: Alana Kakoyiannis; Additional research by: Kirsten Acuna.

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While Greek life is often associated with toga parties and beer pong, professionally your Greek affiliation can work to your advantage.

Greek networking is HUGE. When you join a Greek organization, you join for life. You probably didn't realize that accepting your bid on Bid Day would lead to such an extensive network.

Thanks to data provided by RelSci, an information services business based in New York, we give you CEOs who went Greek while in college.

Take a look at the chart below to see if any of these CEOs are in your chapter. 

SEE ALSO: The Sexiest CEOs Alive!

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World-of-mouth has always been an amazing resource for finding the latest great places.

It's how you discover that a restaurant in Montreal will give you cigars upon arrival, that a place in Copenhagen will shower you in champagne, or that the best restaurant in Beijing is actually hidden inside a restored Temple.

So when TripAdvisor wanted to compile a list of the best restaurants from around the world for 2014, they did so based purely on the ratings and reviews from millions of real travelers. 

From Chicago to San Sebastian, these are the best restaurants in the world right now along with original TripAdvisor user reviews.

#25 Costes, Budapest, Hungary

"There is no surprise that this place has earned a Michelin Star. It is very much deserved. The food was absolutely amazing. Honestly, words can't do it justice. The flavors, textures, and cooking methods used were phenomenal. The "treat" at the beginning of the meal was fantastic and the tomato macaroni was a highlight for me. And then there was the service. All of the staff were attentive and helpful. They clearly knew what they were doing." - TripAdvisor reviewer Amanda H 

#24 Vue de Mondem, Melbourne, Australia

"This is unlike any other restaurant, from the moment you arrive, it is full of surprises and not what you might expect from a french restaurant. We absolutely loved every mouth watering meal, the beautiful french champagne, the decor, the atmosphere and the personal service from the waiters and chefs. Not mention being served by the owner." - TripAdvisor reviewer Tania_Shane

#23 Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco, USA

"In a city where a plethora of Michelin-rated restaurants abound, Gary Danko is not one to rest on its laurels. I've had the pleasure of dining here quite a number of times and dining at GD just keeps getting better. Meals are prepared and presented with such meticulous detail. Service is warn, exceptional and discrete — at par with the world's best. GD is a place where a proposal, that special anniversary or that milestone achievement is often celebrated. But don't wait for something like that to happen because dining at GD itself is an amazing celebration." - TripAdvisor reviewer djmontano

Since 1987, self-taught artist David Zinn's playful chalk drawings have been popping up around Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In his "Lost and Unfounded" street art series, he creates playful characters and temporary illustrations on the fly using chalk, charcoal, and found objects.

Zinn told Business Insider that he chooses locations that are either unimpressive or easily ignored (cracks, curbs, or pipe covers), and invents interesting ways to incorporate his imaginary friends into the landscape. 

The majority of his work is a playful trompe-l'œil effect that uses the surroundings to make the cartoons appear 3D and as if they're coming to life.

The creatures that show up most often in his work are a green monster named "Sluggo" and a flying pig named "Philomena." All of Zinn's drawings usually feature some sort of cartoon animal and are a big hit with the children in Ann Arbor.

"Philomena was first requested by a young girl I met while drawing in front of a market," Zinn told Business Insider. "Since then, I have found that flying pigs have a strong positive effect on many people."

"I think it's because the phrase 'that will happen when pigs fly' is such an inherently glum and discouraging phrase, and so any demonstration of porcine aviation is seen as a symbol of encouragement," he added. 

Sluggo, the green monster, was inspired by a series and cracks in the sidewalks and now shows up in drawings, “whenever he feels like it."

As for using chalk as his medium, Zinn enjoys the freedom that comes from the fact that his drawings are ephemeral.

“Knowing that the art will wash away in the rain makes it easier to enjoy the process of creating it," Zinn told us. "There is nothing that needs to be framed or sold or stored away after the drawing is done, and very little planning beforehand to make the art suitable as a permanent presence in the community."

"Since the installations are so fleeting, the experience of seeing one in real life is both more surprising and more exceptional," he said.

For more of David Zinn’s work you can check out his Facebook page, and keep scrolling to see more of our favorite designs.

A fish peeks out from its shallow basin in the sidewalk.

An octopus climbs out of an imaginary pool as people walk by.

A rabbit looks forlornly out of its window in the brick wall.

A cat wails against its imaginary imprisonment as a mouse sits guard.

SEE ALSO: This Street Art Animation Is Completely Mesmerizing

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Over the past several years, all the news out of the taxi industry has been doom and gloom. An industry that once seemed impervious to competition or risk has been upended. Smartphone apps like Uber and Lyft have opened the floodgates to amateur drivers and new Green taxis have added thousands of cars to the mix.

The price of a New York medallion — which licenses taxis to pick up passengers — remains above $1 million, by far the most expensive in the country. 

Amid all the hype about Uber, the taxi drivers whose livelihoods depend on the stability of the taxi business get lost in the shuffle. But not for photographer Samyukta Lakshmi, who grew up in Bangalore, India, watching TV shows and movies set in New York. For her, the relationship between yellow cabs and Manhattan was so strong that she couldn't think about one without the other.

When Lakshmi moved to New York to study at the International Center of Photography, she decided that photographing taxis and the drivers behind them —many of which are from India — was a perfect way for her to explore New York.

Lakshmi's work documents an industry in crisis even as the drivers keep on moving forward. She shared some photos from the project with us here, and you can check out more on her website. 

There are about 14,000 yellow cabs in New York City and more than 50,000 drivers.

To meet taxi drivers, Lakshmi would take taxis often and ask the drivers if she could photograph them. Sometimes they said yes, but most often they would say no.

The airports turned out to be a great place to meet taxi drivers, because so many have to stand around and wait in a queue for passengers. Here, a man prays during a break.

Roy Furman, chairman of private equity firm Jefferies Capital Partners is selling his nine-room condominium on top of the south tower of Time Warner Center for $35 million, according to The Real Deal.

He bought the unit for $9.7 million back in 2005.

The condo includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

And if that's not enough, the views from the apartment are killer: you can see the Hudson River, and Central Park's pond and reservoir to the north.

One bright red wall spices up the otherwise classic looking interior.

Here's the view you'd have sitting on one of the couches.

Dining would be incomplete without a small statue and a collection of great literature.

It appears to be an airport secuity checkpoint. Artist Roxy Paine's latest piece Checkpoint debuted at the Marianne Boesky Gallery in Manhattan. 

Produced by Sam Rega. Additional camera by Alex Kuzoian.

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