Top 10 College Basketball Rivalries

1. North Carolina vs. Duke - The Battle of Tobacco Road is always that, a battle. Each team has talented squads year in and year out and the fact that their campuses are separated by only 8 miles of highway makes this our #1 choice.

 2. Kansas vs. Missouri - Dubbed the Border War,  this rivalry dates back to the Civil War and the hatred between the two fan bases hasn't dwindle too much since then. Kansas usually has the more talented squad, but Missouri has been known to pull an upset on more than a few occasions.

3. Kentucky vs. Louisville - Kentucky is one the bluebloods, but always finds themselves trying to keep their instate rival at a distance.

4. Maryland vs. Duke - Maryland has done a great job closing the gap in terms of talent with Duke, but the Blue Devils still seem to hold the edge over the Terrapins. Maryland does pull its fair share of updates though.

 5. Texas A&M vs. Texas- You may have immediately thought about football when you saw this matchup, but don't let these traditional football powerhouses fool you, as they have some of the best basketball games year in and year out.

6. Purdue vs. Indiana - The Battle of the Shot Clocks as I like to call it. There may not be a lot of scoring in these games as defense is the key. But these two teams know how to execute and play smart basketball. This instate rivalry always gets the Indiana natives riled up.

7. Cincinnati vs. Xavier - These schools are only 10 minutes apart, which means their fans bases know each other well. These teams may not always be in the Top 25 of the rankings when they meet every year, but the intensity that these games are played at cannot be overlooked.

8. Arizona vs. UCLA - Both of these programs have been down as of late, but their traditions keep them firmly in the Top 10. You will always see athletes galore when you watch this track meet play out.

9. Michigan vs. Michigan State - Michigan has also been down for the past few years, but they are improving. Tom Izzo keeps sending out talented squads which is one of the reasons Michigan State has one won 18 out of the last 21 games against Michigan. It also doesn't hurt when he has a recent Final Four under his belt.

10. Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia - The Backyard Brawl as this is aptly named, looks more like a wrestling match when they hit the hardwood. It came to a head over the last couple of years when West Virginia students started throwing pennies on to the court.

With a record number of students heading to college in America, we thought it would be cool to take a look at what the average college student could expect. This is a great breakdown of information ranging from tuition prices, drinking and the importance of social networking. It's crazy that 85% of college students are on facebook, but I guess that's not surprising. Also pretty interesting was that 1 and 10 admissions counselors look at a perspective students facebook page before deciding their fate. So make sure your social profiles aren't too crazy while you are going through the admissions process. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it is accurate?

There is always a debate on what the best cities are for college students. Well the fine people at AIER came up with a pretty good map of where the best towns are. If you are a high school student and are still undecided on where you want to go to school, then this map should help you out. If you are a current college student, let us know what you think about these ranking by leaving a comment below.

Please click to enlarge

Tips to Adjusting to College: 

Starting College 

As a freshman year college student, give yourself time to adjust to the college transition. You need some time to digest all of the new things around you before you go home for a visit. It's very common to become homesick when you first move into a dorm. Especially if you're within driving distance of home, you may be tempted to go back within your first few weeks because of that feeling. Try to avoid doing so and instead give yourself time to experience your new surroundings. Look into college programs on campus that can help keep you engaged in the campus social life. Be sure to check out our College Freshman Survival Guide for tips on making this adjustment easier. 

Dorm living

 Leaving your family to move into a dorm and become a college freshman is something that you might be looking forward to or you might be dreading. For most undergrad students, adjusting to college life is a combination of both. The idea of going away and being independent is exciting but there is some worry about being alone, possibly for the first time and some people have trouble adjusting to college. Below you will find some tips or adjusting to college.

Many college freshman tips talk about how to adjust to dorm life, how to budget your time and your money and how to handle living with a roommate that you don't know.  They will also talk about moving out checklists, dorm checklists, dorm stuff and the dreaded freshman 15. Not as much college preparation seems to be spent preparing you for how you'll feel when you leave your family. This could be one of the toughest things to do. But you have to consider your family and your place within it, as well. It's often just as much an adjustment for parents and family members as it is for you when you leave home. Though they know you'll be coming back for visits (and maybe even bringing your laundry with you!) it may be the first time you've been away from home for weeks at a time. 

College Activities

 Going home early or often in the beginning can actually make you more homesick. Do your best to stay on campus as much as you can and get involved in social activities around your campus to help distract you from those feelings until you adjust. Ask your RA if there is a college activity list or if they have any ideas on what you can do. Some colleges also have a college activities board that can help place you in the right group. Call home, write, e-mail or talk via web cam when you feel home sick, and express your feelings. Your parents or family members are bound understand because they're going to be missing you, and they may remember what it was like for them when they went away to college. 

College Freshman Tips

There are a lot of sites that have college freshman tips and advice for students that are having some problems. Here is an idea that could help, revive the somewhat forgotten art of letter writing and actually mail them home. Your parents will probably be thrilled to hear from you in this way and the act of manually writing down how you feel and writing to them about your college freshman adventures can help you feel less homesick and make the adjustment easier. This is also a lot more personable and only takes a few more minutes to complete than sending an email. 

College Depression

 If you're a freshman year college student and you're having some homesickness, don't forget that your family may be having a harder time than you.  Call home and contact your family on a regular basis to help ease their transition to your college life. Staying in touch with your family and friends can help keep your spirits high. And don't hesitate to contact a school counselor if your feelings of homesickness persist, or you start to feel lonely or depressed, because counselors have great college freshman tips to share. Those tips listed above will help you avoid college depression, college anxiety, or feelings of being home sick or bipolar. There are a lot of college depression facts that show a correlation of college success vs. college drop outs. So be sure to seek help if you feel you are starting to struggle with any of these feelings. 

Comparing Colleges

One way to make sure you find the right college that’s not too far from home, is to use AnyCollege. You can compare college and universities though our online search engine. We also have a great resource center with stats, charts and worksheets on colleges in your area.

Ick... what a situation to be in. You want one thing for your child, and your child (who is fast becoming an adult) wants something completely different. Only this time it's not just a shirt or a pair of shoes... it's college and not only will say what becomes of their next four years but the rest of their lives!

[More]

We want to hear!
Are you just starting to look? Have you been looking for a long time? Are you just starting college? How many schools did you visit? What did you like or dislike about your visits? What did the schools send you and what did you like or dislike about that? Did you like your admissions counselor? So many questions....

[More]

Actually, make that, "Need Some Likin' "

These videos need some love, er, like... from YOU!

http://www.anycollege.com/video_library/index.cfm?cid=3622798

Or... there's this one:

http://www.anycollege.com/video_library/index.cfm?cid=1563445

Or, be the first one to like THIS video:

http://www.anycollege.com/video_library/index.cfm?cid=1594688

What about this video?

http://www.anycollege.com/video_library/index.cfm?cid=1565417

Still no love? Try this:

http://www.anycollege.com/video_library/index.cfm?cid=1592197

Were you the first liker on any of these? Did the videos get you interested in any of these schools?