Mental Floss

SCHOOL

Who was the original Mary Jane?

Mary Janes have an early-20th-century comic strip to thank for their name.

Maybe you’ll find your major on the list.

According to Google data, these are the top majors people are researching.

If you could turn back time...

The humanities aren't in first place.

Harvard ranks third on the list.

Princeton comes in first place for the second year in a row.

A Los Angeles high school turned out to be a hotbed for fossils.

Millions of fossils, from shells to the largest known shark species, were unearthed beneath San Pedro High School.

You've got the key.

In honor of Banned Books Week, the ALA published its list of 2023’s most contentious titles.

Being an astronaut isn’t as glamorous as you were led to believe.

In the latest episode of The List Show, we’re tackling some fun facts—and the occasional harsh truth—about the careers you imagined for yourself as a kid.

‘Hi, Dad!’

To curb teen pregnancies, schools in the ‘80s forced kids to care for another delicate dependent: an egg.

Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Seven of the eight Ivy League schools make the list.

Chalkboards have given way to dry-erase boards and smart boards.

From book straps to dunce caps, these obsolete items may make you feel really young … or really old.

There's definitely some learning going on in there.

This ranking of America’s best community colleges considers everything from tuition rates to postgrad salaries.

Some kids are already hitting the books while other are still relaxing at home.

If you've ever wondered how varied back-to-school start dates are across the country, you've come to the right place.

Caffeinated instant ramen is destined to fuel many all-nighters.

You can now get your caffeine fix in noodle form.

Ithaca, New York.

Ithaca, New York, has a lot of offer college students. As do Amsterdam, Netherlands and Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Radcliffe Camera at the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

While many of these hallowed halls have gone through changes over the years, they remain among the oldest universities still operating.

Some college degrees are better investments than others.

Unsurprisingly, engineers dominate the list.

Not a great place to keep your money.

These schools, from pharmacy institutions to Ivy League mainstays, give you the best bang for your buck.

Every Bart Simpson "Eat My Shorts"

This cheeky euphemism was kicking around years before Bart ever used it on “The Simpsons,” but it prompted some significant backlash in the early ‘90s.

These captivating titles span all kinds of genres.

From gripping essay collections to graphic memoirs and more, these banned books by LGBTQ+ authors are still worth diving into.

Ricky Martin performing in 1999.

Which single was topping the charts when you were suiting up in a cap and gown?

She’s gonna need a bigger jar.

Kenyon College, the University of Southern California - Los Angeles, Haverford College, and more charge high tuition.

Stanford’s interactive map shows where school segregation persists.

See how your neighborhood is faring.

Princeton University's ivy-covered Nassau Hall, which dates back to 1756.

Here’s the story of how the Ivy League got its name—and a list of all the schools that belong to it (including the informal “Ivy Plus” schools).

You know what she's listening to.

“Pomp and Circumstance,” also popularly known as “The Graduation March,” is typically used during graduation processionals. Here’s why.