Get posting and see how many you can collect
As you're looking around The Student Room, you might notice that people have a little picture of a purple badge with a number next to it.
This appears on the profile of every member of The Student Room: it shows how many badges that person has unlocked.
You can get badges for all kinds of things, like being first to reply to a new discussion or posting replies in certain areas of the site. Some are easy to get, but others are way more challenging...
There are 22 badges all together, and lots of them have multiple levels of achievement.
Check your own profile page to see how many badges you've got already, along with how far you've got towards earning the others. To help you claim some more, read on to see how each one is achieved.
Whale hello!

Welcome to The Student Room!
But don't hang about... This one can only be claimed when you have just opened your account. After that, be sure to make a post in the first hour of your membership and you'll get your hands on this badge.
Appy camper

You'll need The Student Room app for this one; you can get it on Android and iOS.
Once you've installed, just make a post on the app to collect the badge. There are six levels to this one: you'll need to reach 2,500 posts on the app to get to the top.
Section badges
You'll find seven sections of discussions on The Student Room, which divide everything into different topics. We've got a badge for each, which you can earn by contributing lots of posts to any particular section.

One of us

This one celebrates our regulars. You'll reach the first level of this badge one month after you register for your account. Stay active on The Student Room and you'll gradually move up through all six levels.
Conversationalist

Start a discussion that gets at least one reply and you'll earn this badge. But, can you start a discussion that gets 500 replies? That's the challenge that awaits if you're going to reach level 5...
First!

Jump into a chat and be the first one to respond to score this 'top spot' badge.
Rep boss

Do you know about the 'rep' system on The Student Room?
If you make a post that people like, they can tap the rep button to show some love. Get just one rep on a post and you'll earn this badge. But, to get all the way to level 5, you'll need a post that gets 100 rep...
Rep-present

Of course, you can give out rep as well as receiving it. Tap the rep button on posts you like and you'll not only earn this badge but soon be on your way up the levels.
Questioner

Need a hand with some academic work? Ask questions in the Study Help forums: doing so will quickly boost you through the levels of this badge.
Early bird

You might need to set your alarm clock... Posts made between the hours of 5am and 10am qualify for this badge. Grab a coffee and get started.
Night owl

Still on The Student Room after midnight? Those late-night posts can help you unlock this rare badge...
Home bird

Do you have a favourite place on The Student Room? Make lots of posts in a particular forum to earn the levels on this badge.
Social butterfly

This badge is all about exploring everything The Student Room has to offer. Get posting in all sections of the forums to unlock it. Level 1 starts at 10 posts made in each of the seven sections.
Chatterbox

You'll get the Chatterbox badge by making a certain number of posts within the past month (25 posts in a month will unlock level 1). Heads up though, this doesn't include posts in Chat and Forum Games...that would be too easy!
Clever clogs

Can you help people out by answering their questions about school and college work? This badge gets awarded if your Study Help posts are getting repped. Just one rep on a post of yours will unlock level 1...
Hero

Do you give great advice? Hunt out some discussions that are awaiting their first reply. If you get rep from the original poster (OP) of an unanswered thread, you'll unlock Hero!
How to see the badges you've got
To check all the badges you've earned, you just need to open your profile page.
If you're on a computer:
- Hover your mouse pointer over your avatar (top-right of screen)
- Click on the My Profile link
- Now click on the Badges tab
If you're on a mobile
- Tap on your avatar (top-right of the screen)
- Tap on your username, at the top of the menu that's appeared
- Now tap on the Badges tab