SUNY Binghamton has its fair share of pros and cons. As summer vacation draws near, I am so excited to get to go home for a long period of time and forget about school. With that being said, there’s a lot about being at SUNY Binghamton I’m going to miss for those few months.
Don’t’ get me wrong, I love the idea of relaxing all summer with friends and Netflix, all the while forgetting about having to keep track of assignments and writing millions of essays. But at the same time, I have to admit I like the busyness that classes and homework give me, and SUNY Binghamton offers some amazing courses for students to take. When I sit in bed all day and watch a season of Game of Thrones, I feel like I’ve accomplished absolutely nothing other than being completely lazy. But after finishing a 10 page paper I’ve been procrastinating for a few weeks, I feel like I can conquer the world.
My source of Starbucks and pizza, the Marketplace has been my savior, providing me with dinner whenever the dining halls had nothing appetizing. In a central area of campus, the Marketplace just makes everything easier about being able to get food between classes, or coffee when you really need it. Sure, the food there is generally expensive and could absolutely kill your meal plan if you eat there too often, but eating at the Marketplace is a welcome change from the meals you get every day in the dining halls. I know that over the summer I’m going to be craving a Red Mango smoothie or the pasta from Pandini’s.
Living in a dorm can be completely terrible and wonderful at the same time. You have to deal with constant noise and interruptions, and it can be hard to find a place where you can manage to hear your own thoughts. At other times though, dorm life can have certain positive qualities that I know I’ll miss over summer vacation. I have grown very close to the people who live in my hall, because we’re basically living together. There is something about the friends you make in your dorm that is especially unique, because up to this point in our lives, most teenagers haven’t lived a few steps away from their best friends. Other than that, dorm life gives a sense of independence that’s also new and hard to give up when you go home for break.
One thing I’ve noticed so far in my time at SUNY Binghamton is that our campus has a bunch of random events that go on. You can be completely bored out of your mind, and then you wander outside and find something going on. The Student Association and other organizations are always planning events to keep everyone entertained. The beginning of the semester promises events such as University Fest and Rec Fest, where you can find some interesting clubs or sports to join. Late Nite Bing happens every Friday and Saturday, and can end up being a lot of fun. The Anderson Center and Hinman Production Company have shows throughout the semester that are always high quality. I will definitely miss all the great activities that the campus provides for students.
One of my absolute favorite things about the SUNY Binghamton campus is Night Owl, or what is known by us students as NOWL. NOWL is what gets all of us through those rough nights when the homework just keeps coming, or when you have a late class and the dining hall closes, so you can’t get any dinner. Essentially, at NOWL, you can get all the junk food you want, including milkshakes and French fries. Sure, the school closed down two of our NOWL locations during spring semester, but I know I’m going to miss having someone make me food at midnight when I’m having a mental breakdown.
Bartle is a great library to go to when you need to focus and get work done, except during finals time when everyone is camped out there. I love that when I know I’m going to have a bunch of work to do one week, I can reserve a group study room with my friends, and we can have a private place to work in for hours on end. Not only that, the library is also just fun to walk around in. You can get lost in all the rows of books and never find the same place twice. The library also has Jazzman’s, the coffee shop. I always get a croissant and their amazing iced blueberry green tea. Overall, being at Bartle makes me feel like a productive student, and I know that when I come back from summer vacation, the library is one place I’m going to want to visit right off the bat.
Being from a small town in upstate New York, SUNY Binghamton has opened my eyes to so many things in the short amount of time I have been here. It wasn’t until I started college that I had the opportunity to be exposed to so many people from a million different walks of life. I love having the chance to meet so many different kinds of friends and acquaintances here who help expose me to new experiences and cultures that I never knew much about, which is something I’m definitely going to miss.
Going back into the food category, University Plaza has provided me and many other students with an escape from eating on campus. There are a few good choices for food, such as Five Guys, Cold Stone, Moghul’s, Mario’s Pizza, and Wetea for bubble tea. Just a short bus ride away from campus, I’m going to miss the weekend trips to University Plaza to get off campus and have food with friends.
When I get too stressed and just need to calm myself down and take a break from everything, I always go to the Greenhouse. Connected to Science III, the Greenhouse is made up of four separate climates, each section housing the most beautiful plants. The desert climate section is very cool with all the cacti and succulent plants. I don’t know what it is about stepping into the rainforest climate section, but being in there and walking under the trees puts me at ease and makes my day. When going home, I’m going to miss this little piece of heaven in the university that has managed to keep me sane.
Hands down, the thing I’m going to miss most about SUNY Binghamton over the summer break is my friends. I have met so many amazing people in my year here, and I’m definitely excited to meet more. The people I have met I consider to be my family away from home, and I have formed so many close bonds that I know will last for a lifetime. Even a summer away from them will feel much too long to handle.
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