Amanda
Stony Brook as a whole is probably just about the perfect size. You can definitely find a place to sit and have a cup of coffee with some work throughout the day that does not revolve around running into people, or if you would rather, the exact opposite. Even though this sounds somewhat cheesy, I’ve really found that every aspect of your life here is what you make of it.
As far as school pride goes, I definitely see a lack of that. I have gone to my fair share of football, basketball, and soccer games, but I can’t say that they’re the highlight of my time here in the least. They’re fun and everything- don’t get me wrong- but if all of the people that go to school here actually turned up at some games, there would be a major difference. Most commuters that I know just don’t bother. Obviously, to some people this kind of thing matters more than others. It doesn’t really make or break your time here regardless.
To be completely honest, I don’t really feel one way or the other about administration. I sort of just know that when I need something taken care of I go over to the building and it usually gets handled pretty easily. In reality, no one really wants to deal with the stuff they have to get done anyway, so if people tell you something bad about administration it’s probably because they didn’t feel like being there in the first place.
The main thing here is finding where you feel like you really fit in. It isn’t one of those schools you hear about that have absolutely nothing to do off campus because they are in the middle of nowhere. It is a great college that has everything that Long Island can offer. Within minutes away are restaurants, a mall and other shopping, convenience stores, the movies, bars, and more. Stony Brook is located close to the highway, and has a train station that is basically on campus. This creates easy access to the city and other locations, including home for many students. I would actually recommend taking the train just one stop to Port Jefferson, which has several great places to eat and shop right by the water (you can even get on a ferry), and it’s just a great way to spend the day. For me, all of this is a huge plus. I get the best of both worlds- home is nearby and there whenever I want, but I can still say that I am having a true college experience.
Brett
The best thing about Stony Brook is the diversity. It goes beyond just ethnicity. You experience different cultures, ways of thinking and perceptions. You'll meet people with opinions and views you've never encountered anywhere else.
One thing I would like the school to do more of is promote more bonding and interaction among entering freshmen. The housing setup for freshmen is centered on academics and doesn't allow for the most development of relationships.
Stony Brook is a big school, as far as schools go, but I don't think thats a bad thing. It doesn't come with the same comfortable feel that small schools have, but it allows for students to experience so much more. When I tell people that I go to Stony Brook often they will tell me that they went there too or they know someone who went there. It just shows me how many people have passed through here and that a lot of them stay in the area.
I spend most of my time on campus in my room because it's where I can concentrate on my work the best, but there is an endless list of places on campus to go for peace and quiet. It's really not a college town because it's in the middle of highly populated area. The campus itself is like its own little town. The administration is like any that of any other school. Certain things can be a pain and take forever, but the more important matters tend to be resolved rather quickly. Recently there have been concerns with security as there have been a few incidents, but the campus police and security officials have been on top of the matter and kept the student body well-informed.
There is a noticeable lack of school spirit. This is mostly because there has not been a central sports team to rally around. I wouldn't say, though, that the students don't have school pride. Nobody walks with their head held down in shame.
My favorite experience at Stony Brook has to be my first weekend here. As is common, freshmen come in a few days before everyone else for an orientation weekend. The weekend was great, and most of the friends I made that weekend are still my closest friends here. The most common complaint I have encountered has to be the food. I wouldn't say the food is very different than other schools, but what can I say, college kids are hungry.
Blake
The best thing about Stony Brook, let's see... it's very affordable, and has a great reputation. One thing I'd change about Stony Brook is how inpersonal it can feel sometimes. I think that goes with a lot of large schools, you can easily feel like you are just another face in the crowd. I think Stony Brook is working on this already, but they need to make a stronger effort to reach out to their students to make them aware of the resources available to them on campus such as the Career Center and Academic Advising.
As I mentioned in my previous statement, I feel Stony Brook is too large. Most of my classes average about 100-200 students, even at upper division levels.
When I tell people I go to Stony Brook, most people seem impressed. I feel proud to be an SBU student, we're often in the news for something wonderful that we do.
This semester I seem to spend most of my time on campus in class since my schedule is set up where I have classes back to back. However, previous semesters, much of my downtime was spent eating. Freshman year if my friends and I were bored in class, we would often leave to get food at the SAC (Student Activities Center). Another place I spend my time on campus is at one of the many SINC sites. SINC sites are where students can use computers for school (or personal use) and can print there too.
Stony Brook is not a college town to me. I feel like Stony Brook University just happens to be located in Stony Brook. Other than that, I don't think it has much of an influence.
Ah, Stony Brook's administration. Some might call them a necessary evil, but I have no problem with them. In fact, there are many administrators on campus who seem to really care about the students' best interests.
Biggest controversy on campus? This past school year, there have been reports of several minor robbery attempts at the quads late at night. It's just odd because you wouldn't expect Stony Brook to seem unsafe. I used to have no qualms about walking to my car alone at night after class, now I try to be more aware of my surroundings.
Stony Brook is desperately trying to up the school pride through sporting events and such. SBU wants to become one of those schools where everyone is into the "big game". I think our school pride is getting better, but we have a long way to go. I think it is hard to foster that sort of pride when half the school commutes, and out of those commuters, many only go to campus for class and nothing more.
One thing that might strike some as unusual is the annual science fiction convention that happens in the spring known as I-CON. I've never been on campus during this event (since I commute, and it's usually on a weekend). I've heard during the convention weekend, the SBU buildings are infiltrated with all sorts of people dressed up representing their beloved sci fi genre. That's something I can personally do without seeing, but I'm sure for many it's exciting.
I'll always remember my experience as part of the learning communities freshman year. The learning community program is only offered to freshman. It's designed so that you get the feel of a small college, since your scheduling is done for you and many of the students in your LRN class are also in your PSY class, PHI class, etc. I met my closest friends from SBU through this program.
The most frequent student complaints I hear are about the food being overpriced, the classes being too hard, and from a commuter's point of view, the school does not like to cancel class in inclement weather. Also, some students complain about nothing to do on campus.