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The State University of New York Binghamton
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| Major: Unknown (This Major's Salary over time) | | Gender: Male | This person cares more about Educational Quality than the average student. | Intelligence:
Super Brilliant | | ACT: | | SAT: | | Lowest Rating
Educational Quality F | Describes the student body mostly as:
Broken SpiritDescribes the faculty mostly as:
Friendly, Condescending | Highest Rating
Safety A+ | How this student rated the school:
| Educational Quality | F | Faculty Accessibility | B- | | Useful Schoolwork | F | Excess Competition | F | | Academic Success | F | Creativity/Innovation | F | | Individual Value | C- | University Resource Use | F | | Campus Aesthetics/Beauty | F | Friendliness | C- | | Campus Maintenance | B- | Social Life | F | | Surrounding City | F | Extra Curriculars | F | | Safety | A+ |
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I
transferred from a community college to Binghamton. The overall quality
of education was higher at the community college, with a
more enthusiastic and motivated student body and faculty. My
experience at Binghamton left me with a diminished respect for
academic titles and skeptical the value of university education in
general. My impression was that instead of creating a
nurturing environment for learning, the faculty is either too depressed
to care or is insecure about the fact that the
school really is not all that it is cracked up
to be in the promotional literature, so they compensate by
trying to make things unnecessarily unpleasant. The campus is unattractive
and utilitarian. None of the classrooms in the engineering
building have windows in them, so you can't even stare
out the window when a monotonous lecture is making you
crazy. I stayed in a CIW dorm room for one
night during orientation. It was filled with a stale, salty
smell reminiscent of warm autolyzed yeast extract. I don't see
how anybody could stay there for an entire semester. My
impression of the student body is that somewhere around 90%
is either Jewish (from Long Island or the city) or
of Asian descent. This is probably where the “public Ivy”
notion comes from. Being that I am not Jewish or
Asian, and these groups seemed to be cliquish, this was
a definite negative for me. The Binghamton city-scape
and surrounding area is a mix of old neighborhoods, empty
buildings and other relics comprising a post-industrial wasteland. Downtown Binghamton
is small, but it is not that bad for what
it is. Recreation Park and Otsiningo Park are both nice.
Houses and other buildings are generally old. My
impression from my trips to Giant (the major grocery store
chain) is that many of the locals rely on welfare
to meet their basic needs. Although I don't think
Binghamton is particularly dangerous, I did experience an attempted break-in
to my car, witness about 8 kids working together to
steal a locked up bike, and a car-to-car shooting in
front of my building. I was regularly asked for
a dollar, “ten cent” or a cigarette when I went
for a walk. For an authentic slice of American
slum life Kennedy Fried Chicken on Main St. is not
to be missed. Fried chicken, crack pipes, and Newports
all in one convenient location, served to you from behind
bulletproof glass, with a bewildering array of surveillance cameras tracking
your every movement in the ultra-futuristic dining area. ON THE OTHER HAND: To be fair, I had a handful
of genuine, helpful, and enthusiastic professors whose friendly demeanor and
positive attitude made all the difference in the classroom. When
the weather is nice in Binghamton, it is usually very
nice. Vestal has very pleasant neighborhoods, and there are
plenty of nicer areas than where I lived in Binghamton,
including some very modern lofts downtown. Prices vary a lot,
and you get what you pay for. There are
a lot of local events (like Spiedie Fest and hot
air balloon rally if you are there in the summer)
and there are minor league baseball and hockey teams.
There are also concerts at venues like Magic City Music
Hall in Johnson City, and Broome County Arena on a
regular basis. There is a bowling alley. There are art
galleries, and an art theater. Greek Peak is only a
short drive for skiing and snowboarding. You can fish in
the rivers (I saw huge trout there) right in downtown.
If you have a canoe or a kayak, you can
use them in the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers. There are
a couple gun clubs with shooting ranges in the area.
I imagine the hunting is good in the surrounding area
based on the number of deer I saw. Of
course there are movie theaters, bars, and even a hookah
bar. There is a head shop on court street.
There really is no shortage of things to do
in Binghamton, you just have to avoid letting the weather
and urban decay discourage you. Though I didn't take
advantage of these things, my advice is to make some
friends and get a place off-campus with them, get a
car even if you don't use it to get to
campus (parking is terrible), don't make a high GPA your
priority (have fun, you will get better grades and be
happier that way anyway) and be active in seeking the
recreational activities you desire. Binghamton is not sunny southern
California, and it is not Manhattan, but it has plenty
to offer for those willing to embrace it.
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