A Student’s Perspective on Binghamton University
“The Ivy of the SUNY schools.” That is the model here at Binghamton University as our administration proudly proclaims. While this may indeed be true, the university administration is indeed full of itself in every sense of the word. There is a ridiculous amount of red tape that students must go through to get anything accomplishment. One of the only good things about the school is its really low tuition: around $4,300. A tuition hike is planned for all SUNY schools by governor Pataki of about $500 moving the price to $4,800 which is still a bargain. After housing, books and food costs, tuition for the year comes out to about $15,000.
This really is a bargain compared to all private schools which range from $35,000 to $50,000. Most schools in New York will cost you around $45,000 and so will almost every Ivy League school in the country. Besides the ridiculously low tuition, the school is hard to deal with. From a student standpoint they really create a lot of problems. Choosing classes is difficult and information about anything is scarce. Its all about who you know and if you don’t know someone knowledgeable about programming and events you might find yourself lost. The administration even causes problems for its own students even when they find protocol regulations. For example, the administration made all freshman take an alcohol and drugs online information session and a short quiz that came with it. Students who completed the exam in around the 1st month the test was open online were shocked and outraged to find letters sent to their houses over the Christmas, winter break saying that they didn’t complete the course. Furthermore they must fill out a form that states that they accept responsibility for not completing the course and agree to be put on academic probation. The other alternative was to have a hearing with the judiciary board. This all happened to students who complied with all regulations but the administrative board somehow put several students on the wrong list. Students had to make phone calls to administrators, which took several hours of time to rectify the situation.
The funding of the administration is also a joke. On the tours they show new students the newest housing Complex that was built in 2002. They conveniently forget to show student dorms that were built at least twenty years ago that are falling apart that most freshman end of getting because they are on the low end priority of students. Speaking of funding, all revenue generated by sports goes right back into the sports programs. A student attendance of 1500 students at a Binghamton
basketball team is considered a season high which is quite sad since other Division I basketball schools receive triple that amount. Total attendance for most games tops out at 4,000 people. Most other schools get crowds of 20,000 people. And just to make a joke of it, 4,000 people who actually go to the games is considered a home court advantage. While the sports teams are actually good this year, the student body still doesn’t go to games. Its as if school pride doesn’t exist on campus. There are a lot of cliques that exist on campus and most people belong to fraternities.
Speaking of fraternities and alcohol, most students go to fraternity parties on weekends and get drunk or stoned from marijuana. Speaking of alcohol I have never seen a school so hypocritical about its alcohol policy. Years ago the university had a drinking bar and pub on campus which was removed. They wanted to foster a safe and non-drunk atmosphere on campus. What’s mind boggling is that frat life is highly encouraged and advertised for incoming students. Believe me when I tell you that the school knows what happens at the frat parties. Underage drinking goes on and the university turns a blind eye towards it.
Finally, the weather really is awful. The old joke is that when it rains, it pours. If its not doing either its snowing and if none of the above happen its downcast with no sun. The weather can be downright depressing sometimes.
On the bright side, so to speak, academics is the universities strong point. They just built a new school of management and business which looks great from the inside and outside with all brand new facilities.
The best point about New York’s Binghamton University has to be the lasting bonds of friendship that you make with complete strangers whom you have never met before. The groups that are formed will last you a lifetime.
When making your college decisions, make sure you visit every school and see if Binghamton University is right for you. If academics, cheap tuition, drugs and booze is your brand of vodka, then Binghamton University is right for you.
