AH! It’s hard to believe that another year has flown by. But before we get to rejoice about all of our accomplishments throughout the semester it’s time for.... dun dun dun… FINALS!! Don’t panic! Here are my top 5 suggestions on how to beat the stress of finals and come out on top!
5) Start early! If you don’t have a lot of work the week before finals, don’t cram it all into one week. By spreading out your studying, you can make sure that you have time to really absorb the material so that your not staying up all night reviewing everything the night before your exam.
4) Although I’m sure that it would make mom and dad happy to know that you were in the library for 18 hours straight studying, DON’T! Your brain needs a break to make sure that it processes all the information your feeding it! Listen to your Ipod, make a stop at the coffee kiosk, or call a friend, but make sure that you make some time for yourself.
3) Study with a buddy!! Have a friend in your class? How about an acquaintance? By studying with someone that you know, you can share your notes and your brains to make sure that between the two of you that you remember and understand all of the information on your exam.
2) Get a good night’s sleep! Contrary to popular belief, staying up all night right before an exam isn’t the best way to prepare for the test. It actually leaves your brain too tired to work properly during the test! Make sure that you stop your studying by 9-10 that night, de-stress by watching some TV or having a late night dance party, and wake up refreshed for your final the next morning.
1) Don’t Panic! If you have been going to class all semester and doing your homework, I’m sure that you remember a lot more then you think you remember! As long as you follow all my tips, plus some of your own, and pack your bag with everything you need for the test the night before, you’re going to do fantastically!!!!
Good luck with finals everyone and remember, when finals are all done you’re free to be out in the sun to start your summer
P.S. This is dedicated to my roomate… hope you like my tips!
Posted by Tobey at 12:55 PM.
Filed under:
Academic life •
It is about that time of year where classes are wrapping up and and student’s will be graduating or heading home for the summer. Of course many students are sad to be leaving Binghamton, but new opportunities are on the horizon.
Let’s face it the ultimate goal of college is to get a great job in a field where you can enjoy yourself and flourish, and the Career Development Center at Binghamton can help you do exactly that! The CDC is a wonderful resource for students to create resume’s and cover letters, research jobs and internships, and grow professionally through workshops and seminars. The CDC is open for all students, faculty, staff, and even alumni. I had a wonderful experience with the CDC, they helped me create a resume as well as research some jobs that were a good fit for not only my academic background, but also my personal strengths. This is just another great service that Binghamton offers its students.
This past Friday I attended the finale of Binghamton’s second annual Binghamton’s Got Talent competition, the culmination of a week of touring through all the residential communities. Over 40 acts were showcased throughout the communities with the top 10 performing Friday night. This event featured the campus’ hottest rising acts. Showcased was everything from juggling and circus arts to comedians and singer/songwriter/guitarists. Even BU’s very own Pep Band was part of the show!
The night was filled with tons of laughs and smiles. Judges included members from our local radio and television stations, newspaper, and even one of our very own faculty members, Ryan Vaughan. Ryan is actually a comedian and teaches through the English department. It was amazing to see the immense amount and variety of talent right here among the student body. Raffles between each of the acts included free t-shirts, gift certificates to area restaurants, a GPS unit, a digital camera and an iTouch. The winning act for the evening was the BU Pep Band. They walked away with $500 and a spot to play at this Saturday’s B-Mets game. But the real winners for the night were not in attendance. This entire event was organized as a fundraiser for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. $3,700 were raised for St. Jude’s, $900 more then last years first ever Binghamton’s Got Talent. All proceeds were sent off to help benefit the continued success of St. Jude’s.
Living on a chemical free floor for the first two years of my college career has been more enjoyable than expected. Chemical free housing gives students an alternative means of living that aims explicitly to prevent the seedier realities of a college campus from entering the living spaces and daily activities of the most academically oriented. Chemical free housing stipulates a binding agreement for all occupants to maintain a substance free living space at all times.
I have had a very positive living experience on my own chemical free floor located in College in the Woods. Choosing a chemical free life style does not prevent students from having an enjoyably socially charged living experience. Mutually agreeing to abstain from illegal drugs and alcohol, relationships are often tightly formed based upon interests and hobbies. If you’re setting out to stringently follow an academically centered schedule, chemical free housing is a viable living option that cuts out many of the destructive aspects of a college life and its associated freedoms.
Just because the semester is almost over doesn’t mean the fun has to stop!
So much has been happening on campus these last few weeks: Spring Fling, Earth Day, Relay for Life, and so much more! The campus has really come alive. Everyone is spending more time outside and enjoying the sun. It’s been an amazing month and it’s a great way to bring the semester to a close. Want to take a look at what’s been going on for yourself? Go to the Pipe Dream website for photos from around campus and links to various articles. It’s a great way to keep in touch with the campus happenings. Definitely check it out!
Posted by Ali at 02:44 PM.
Filed under:
Campus Life •
Several of Binghamton University’s athletic teams are finishing their regular seasons and making a run for the championship!
The Binghamton University’s Men’s Tennis team rallied past UMBC 4-3 yesterday to capture the America East championship at the Yale Tennis Center. Freshman No. 5 singles player Arnav Jain (Mumbai, India) was the hero, battling back from 5-3 down in the final set of the final match to give Binghamton the winning margin.
Binghamton’s Men’s Lacrosse team beat Hartford to capture the 4th and final spot in the America East championships which will be hosted by number 1 seed UMBC. With this big win the Bearcats qualify for the AE championships for the 5th straight year!
After a rough start the Binghamton University Baseball Team has won a school record 9 in a row! Binghamton is currently in 2nd place in the America East and is in prime position to make a run at the championship once again.
With the college deposit deadline just a few days away, here are six tips to help you choose the best school for you.
When making your final decision, consider:
School Culture
Binghamton students represent almost 100 countries. Over 30% speak a language other than English at home, and another 30% are first-generation college students. You’ll find every race, ethnicity, and religion here. Binghamton will prepare you for the real world, where you’ll be interacting and working with all sorts of people. Your fellow classmates might even rival your professors when it comes to teaching you new things. The students here are friendly, passionate, and motivated. They work with each other, as opposed to in competition with one another.
Reputation
The Fiske Guide to Colleges has ranked Binghamton University the “premier public university in the northeast” for five consecutive years now. We’re also in our 11th consecutive year as one of the top 50 public universities in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report, and we just keep climbing the list! When Fortune 500 companies are looking to recruit, they look to Binghamton, and our students’ acceptances to medical, law, and graduate school are all way above the national average.
Size and Location
One of my favorite things about Binghamton is that you have all of the opportunities of a big university (tons of majors, renowned professors, top research facilities, giant alumni network, endless friends) with a wonderful small-school feel. It’s really the best of both worlds. We’re a mid-sized university, with 11,500 undergraduates, but unlike other schools of our size, you can walk any place on campus in about 10-15 minutes.
Our residence halls are grouped into communities and have a real, neighborhood-like feel. Every neighborhood has its own personality, each with unique events held each year - like College in the Woods’ casino night.
Binghamton University is a world unto itself. It is a self-contained campus, which means we are able to have excellent security. And, Princeton Review ranks us 17th in the nation when it comes to “more to do on campus.” We are home to the Binghamton Senators (ice hockey) and Mets (baseball)… Greek peak, a popular ski resort, is just 30 minutes away from campus… and that’s just the beginning!
Connection After You Graduate
Binghamton doesn’t wave goodbye and shut the door on you after graduation. Our career development center (CDC), for example, will always be committed to helping you with your career - even 20 years later! The CDC even keeps a database of alumni job titles, locations, and contact information. We can help you network, shadow alumni, get internships, and nail jobs.
Price Tag
Take a look at your/your family’s financial picture. Compare the bottom line costs of the various schools your considering. Will one university’s education be vastly better than the other? What will your return investment be like (in terms of average starting salaries, name recognition, alumni network, etc.)?
Binghamton’s total cost for a year is under $16,000 for in-state students and under $22,000 for out-of-state students. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine named us one of the top five best values for in-state students and one of the top two for out-of-state students!
We also have over 90,000 alumni around the world, who love to give back to the Binghamton community and assist current students.
Go with YOUR Gut
Your parents won’t be spending the next four years at college - YOU will be. Pick the place that feels right for you. Maybe you visited a campus and just felt at home? Keep in mind that a school can look great on paper, but as soon as you step foot on campus you just know it’s not the place for you. Trust your instincts. Comparing rankings and going over stats will only tell you so much.
(Check out my blog from last week on the “Top 10 Reasons to Come to Binghamton")
Today is Spring Fling! My friends and I spent the better part of this afternoon on campus. We enjoyed the free food, the games, and the great rides. We’re going back in a few hours to watch the concert. Lifehouse will be performing!
Spring Fling is always fun. It’s a great way to bring the campus together. There’s something for everyone. Many of the clubs and organizations on campus set up booths to raise money. They sell food, sponsor games and have great prizes. This year, there was an oxygen bar and an amazing trampoline act.
Spring Fling signals the end of the year. It brings spring to the campus and reminds us all we’ve almost completed another year. My friends and I had a lot of fun this afternoon and we’re all looking forward to the concert this evening!
I’m working at the YMCA right now. Just looking for the place was a journey in itself; figure out the bus schedule and ask the driver what stop you need.
The buses are free guys, all you need is your student ID and you’re set. BC Transit and the blue campus buses come and go all day and all night, and here’s a link you can check out: http://www.ridebctransit.com/transit/
So if you don’t have a car, don’t worry about a thing. Good luck.
When I came here I was twenty years old. I didn’t know anything. I still don’t know much, but at least now I feel like I can take on whatever, whenever. I started off wanting to be an English major. I tried out some psychology courses, found out it wasn’t for me, then declared the English major.
Just making that decision to “try” out another major was a little scary, you know? Because things go through your head; I was thinking I might get hindered a little bit, that I’d be behind schedule.
I found out you make your own schedule in life.
I took a bunch of English courses, some creative writing courses. I found a job downtown (that’s another thing, looking for a job yourself, checking the classifieds, learning the bus schedule to meet the employers, setting up your resume, all these things I had to do, because it was just me over here. The Career Development Center (CDC), teachers, and maybe, if you’re lucky, some older people who go here and who’ve been around can show you the ropes). It was all this huge learning process, like everything else.
This internship I’m doing now, it’s also something that helped me see what I can do, that I could be a part of a group of people with tasks on their hands and show results. I learned some responsibility; it’s like practise for when I get out of college.
I took some chances. I joined a school paper. I met so many people. On campus and on the streets downtown. Hey, you know how people say life starts when you’re twenty? I wasn’t always the biggest fan of that idea, but now, okay, I can see it. I don’t know why, but life all of a sudden really feels like it’s just starting, like now, I can do the things I want to do if I try, like I might just get what I want.
I have an opportunity to be a teacher. The program is called Teach For America. What happens is that the program sends me to one of the five boroughs in New York to teach..I get some training and the starting salary as any first-time teacher.
What I’m saying is that this school is packed with courses that helps me prepare for Teach For America. I’m taking education and sociology courses (the school has too many to count, anywhere between fifteen and twenty); one of them starts me off by examining diverse cultural backgrounds of students and teachers; ways where these differences affect the practice of schooling; the nature of “education that is multicultural”, linking these issues of school culture, educational policy, community relations, curriculum, classroom interactions, teaching styles, student learning, grouping practices, labeling, assessment and the need to develop strategies for the improvement of educational practice.
You know what else? Race, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation and the effects on schooling.
That’s a lot.
And there you go. I was clueless as a freshman. Now it’s Teach For America. If you feel like pursuing a teaching career, you’re in a good place. Take chances guys, and enjoy it.
#10 - Student Satisfaction
We have the 8th best freshman retention rate among public universities in the nation. Retention rate means how many freshman return for their sophomore year, in other words, how happy are our freshman students… was Binghamton really the right choice for them? The answer? A resounding YES!
#9 - Small Classes
U.S. News and World Report (2007) named Binghamton in the top 20 for smallest classes. Over half the classes at Binghamton have fewer than 29 students.
#8 - Success After Binghamton
Binghamton’s 4-year graduation rate is 30% above the national average. We’ll get you in and out, and you’ll have a great time in between. We hold career fairs and graduate school fairs every year, and all of the top recruiters for major companies love hiring Binghamton students. For instance, we are the #3 feeder school in the nation for the “Big Four” accounting firms.
#7 - Best of Both Worlds
At Binghamton, you have all of the opportunities available from a larger university (tons of majors, endless clubs/organizations, top research facilities, and outstanding faculty), but you still have that small school feel. You can walk anywhere on campus in about 10-15 minutes, and our living communities feel more like neighborhoods than dorms.
#6 - Diversity
Binghamton students come from all across the U.S. and all around the world! Our students represent almost 100 countries, and 36% of our students speak a language other than English at home. We are a global community, and you can learn as much from your fellow classmates as you can from your classes!
#5 - Sense of Community
We have five different living communities or “neighborhoods” on campus. Each has its own personality and special events. For instance, the College in the Woods (CIW) community holds a casino night each year. You can’t go wrong when it comes to housing.
#4 - Credit from High School
Binghamton is super generous with giving you credit for your hard work during high school. A score of three or better on an AP exam will most likely get you credit at Binghamton, and same goes for grades of “C” or better in any college course you took through your high school. Scores of 5, 6, and 7 on HL IB exams will also equal credits at Binghamton. You can come in a sophomore if you work hard enough during high school!
#3 - Study Abroad
Through the SUNY system, we can offer you over 400 study abroad programs! Anywhere you want to go, anything you want to study. And, if you’d rather stay in the United States, we also have a national exchange program. Hawaii during the fall semester perhaps?
#2 - Accelerated Degree Programs
Also known as 3/2 and 4/1 programs, Binghamton has a number of combined degree programs that allow you to get your bachelor’s and master’s in a total of just five years - saving you time and money! So, for instance, you can major in anything at Binghamton and get your MBA in five years.
#1 - The Price!
Need I say more? You’re getting an Ivy League education at an extremely affordable price. Graduating from college with low debt is always a good thing.
Binghamton University Track and field star Rory Quiller cleared 18’ 1/2” to win the pole vault at the Division I indoor championship after finishing second in 2007. A three-time All-America and five-time qualifier for the indoor and outdoor NCAA meets, he is the Bearcats’ first Division I champion. Because of these wonderful accomplishments Quiller was showcased in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd”. The “Faces in the Crowd” section honors amature athletes who do remarkable things. Quiller, who has exhausted his NCAA eligibility now has his goals set a bit higher, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing!
Binghamton University's Admissions Blog is written by current students for students considering, applying, transferring and enrolling at "the premier public." Here you will find real-life points of view about campus life, classes, faculty and more! So, If you want to know about Binghamton University, you've come to the right place.
Binghamton University Track and field star 