The State University of New York Binghamton

Potential freshmen, stay away, don't make the same mistake I did. Despite what the university's propaganda may suggest, nobody really likes it here very much, at best people tolerate Binghamton. There is a copious amount of drinking due to the fact that we are in the middle of absolutely nowhere, Upstate NY. If you can't accept the fact you are upstate and not in New York you will never make it here (like me). People are mean, everyone is from Long Island, and it's overall just a miserable experience.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2006

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Education Quality: F

I am transferring out of here after this semester and am literally counting down the days until I can leave this horrid place. Binghamton is just such a disaster on so many levels, being here really tests your character. There is no school spirit whatsoever, nobody likes Binghamton or wants to be here, it's in the middle of absolutely nowhere (and don't underestimate how boring Upstate New York can get), the food is horrible (even the food in the surrounding area ain't exactly NYC, for example, I have discovered that a delis and pizzerias are New York creations and don't exist north of Westchester), the guys are all jackasses and think they are the shit, the girls are all Jappy (hence it is near-impossible to find a girlfriend here, which probably would be one thing that might help one cope with this place). Not only is it difficult to get a girlfriend but even making friends is hard because everyone is from Long Island and extremely cliquish and provincial, and have this strange idea that anything that's not NYC or LI is the Moon. There is no racial diversity, like half the student body are Koreans who think they are "ghetto", the other half are Jews who pretend they are not Jewish, and politically people are let's say...a little to the left, to put it mildly (I was surprised there were no 'Free Saddam' protests last December.) People here compare Bush to Hitler, which is terrible because it is unfounded and trivializes the Holocaust.

The weather is dreary and cold, the campus is a sprawling, hideous monstrocity, and just a touch too big (a good 10-minute walk to the gym, and long walks to class if you live in Newing or Dickinson). Classes are harder than I expected and you really have to have a work ethic to make it. The administration is condescending and bureaucratic, and likes to exploit its students (Lois DeFleur, that dirty French hag) and treat us as though we are 5 years old (i.e. Rodger Summers) by insulting and authoritarian alcohol policies which you will be compelled to break due to a complete lack of city life in this boring rural area. Even the parties suck, they're all in shitty run-down apartments and all the girls go in packs, so it's impossible to hook up unless you are handsome and tall (which I'm not) because the Long Island Japs are extremely shallow and picky, or have boyfriends and only reveal that to you after coming onto you for hours. Even the off-campus transportation system is sub-par, the buses seldom come on time if at all, and simply do not run frequently enough or late enough at night. The only good thing I can say about Binghamton is that it's cheap, you get 4 credits per class, and GenEd requirements are lenient. Other than that, Binghamton sucks, steer clear of it and all SUNY's for that matter, you should really go to a private school unless you really are totally flat broke. After wasting two years of life here, I look forward to actually enjoying my new college next year and not have to wish I were back in high school like I did when I was here.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2006