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Heading back to school? Be sure to check in for foursquare’s newest badge

16

By on August 27th, 2012

Students at colleges across the country are heading back to class today. To celebrate, foursquare has added a new badge to their college badge series: Back to School.

The badge can be unlocked by checking in to any college campus or building. The unlock text reads:

Stacks on stacks on stacks! Time to get your learning on. But before you lock yourself up in ye olde library, use foursquare to explore your campus. Find a sneaky study spot, or the best cup of coffee (fuel!) – then leave a tip to pay it forward. Boom!

As with a lot of core badges, the unlock text serves to give users hints about how to use foursquare on campus. Colleges are an ideal spot for foursquare since everything is typically within easy walking distance and finding friends and current hot spots are made simpler by using the app.

UPDATE (October 30): This badge appears to have gone inactive on October 27.

What do you think of the new badge?

This badge appears on the foursquare core badge list×
  • 5square

    As someone who is going back to school… (city of chicago colleges started last week) I dig this badge.. But I cant help but think that its underlying release is just a reminder/push to get people to use the “explore” feature that they worked so hard on that for most of my friends anyway.. has fallen back to the wayside..
    Im all for the badge, and the reminder about the “explore” feature.. So all and all.. this is a win/win badge.. for me at least.

  • Queena

    As an elementary school teacher who started school almost 3 weeks ago, I’d like to find a way of obtaining this badge. :(

    • Chris Thompson

      This one apparently came out of their 4sqOnCampus marketing unit, so they focused it on college campuses. I’m a little surprised no one said “Hey, we ought to open this up to anyone going back to school.” I’d say the only way you’ll get it at this point is to visit a college and check in.

      • scott

        I got it for checking in at a high school yesterday.

      • Chris Thompson

        Yep, it looks like it’s been extended to high schools, too. Middle schools, elementary schools, etc. don’t appear to work.

  • Vi

    As someone that’s back to school in October (on a college campus),I would love to find out how I could earn this badge as well.

  • 5square

    @Queena.. Ive noticed that most “elementary schools” that were set up a looooong time ago may have been categorized ago some time of college or university location.. Im not saying this is ok.. But before 4sq added additional venue options, college venues were all that were available or commonly used to designate schools.. so… maybe you’ll get lucky?!?

    @Vi… Getting this badge for yourself should be easy.. When you get back to school, just check in at any one of your main college facilities. I got it last night when I checked into my general college building.. and a classmate unlocked it after I told her about it on our break by checking into our campus library. I think any college venue should do the trick. easy peazy..

  • 5square

    correction: @Queena.. Ive noticed that most “elementary schools” that were set up a looooong time ago may have been categorized as some type of college or university location

  • Chris Todd

    I got this today from checking in at a gym? Strange!

    • Chris Thompson

      There are two gym categories: one under shops/services and the other under colleges. Unless it’s actually on a college campus, I’m guessing it was just put under the wrong one.

  • Kye

    I got the badge yesterday morning. Didn’t even expect it :)

    • Chris Thompson

      Same for me. I was actually testing something completely different and unlocked the badge.

  • Steph

    It’s nice to see foursquare put out a core badge. I feel like we haven’t seen one in months, which has made it become a little boring for me.

    • Chris Thompson

      We haven’t seen one in months. Ace was the last core badge launched and that was back in June.

  • Alexander Banks

    Hi! I’m a foursquare user from the UK.
    I go to secondary school which is the equivilant to high school.
    I unlocked this badge by checking in at my local library.
    I don’t use foursquare for checking in at school (privacy risks) but I probably will when I head off to uni!

    • Chris Thompson

      I’d guess that someone accidentally categorized it as a college library instead of a regular library.

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