Stony Brook University Top Questions

The best thing about stony brook is the area that surrounds the school. If i could change one thing id change the amount of commuters so that they dormed here. A large amount of people living on campus would spice things up on the weekends. The school is very large. When i tell people i go to stony brook they say "isnt that the school that all the asians go to?" I spend most of my time on in my room or the athletic complex. I think our town surrounding our school is unbelievable there is so much to do and the area is so nice. I really dont have a opinion on the administration aspect of things. Biggest controversy was the possible gunman on campus. There is a tremendous lack of school pride here. Speaking from an athletics standpoint our attendance at games is pitiful. A large home crowd makes all the difference and would make sporting events a fun event to attend. The amount of asians at our school is ridiculous. Most frequent complaints are about food.

The best things about Stony Brook is probably it's many options in majors, minors, and extra curricular activities. It's hard not to find at least one thing, whether academic or not, that catches your interest. The size of Stony Brook is very comfortable and while it's a very largeschool it's not overwhelming. Unfortunately there is not a lot of school pride, except during homecoming, which is the only time the school seems to come together. The most frequent student complaint is how empty the campus is on the weekends.

The best thing about stony brook is that this school is what you make of it. If you want to be a partier you easily can be, or you can study if you want to every night. I would make some classes smaller, just to get more attention. And some classes are absurdly hard for no reason ::cough cougg:: bio 203 and 205. Most of my time on campus is spent in my room. The administration is kinda distant and you only go there when you really need too. The gunaman. School pride depends on the people. The one experience ill always remember is the night i drank over h alf a bottle of 151... even if the memory is a little blurry.

it is just the right size (in terms of # of students) it is in a good location, and it is a very well respected university

I guess the best thing about Stony Brook is that if you want to remain completely anonymous its very easy. I would change the RIDICULOUS paths that are completely unnecessary. There is absolutely no need to have 16 paths that swirl in all different directions when there could be just one that goes straight. I don't mind how large the school is, I sorta like just getting lost in the crowd. There's no obligation to talk to anyone. When I tell people I go to Stony Brook they usually ask if I like it because they've heard horror stories. I spend all of my time in class. Sometimes I'll go to the SAC in between classes but I pretty much go to class and then go straight home. There is no college town. Stony Brook's administration? I'd love to know what they do with my money. Besides making 200 paths, of course. The gunman on campus was the biggest recent controversy. But apparently now there was no gun? I don't think anyone really knows. Not many people are really school spirited. I'll always remember when I offered a girl my table in the cafeteria since I was leaving and there was no where else to sit and she was bitchy to me because it wasnt near a window. NOT ENOUGH SEATING IN THE SAC!!!

Stony is huge, which gives students a chance to have new experiences and have to fend for themselves. I would like stony to have a better dining for students on diets. People usually admire stony. The recent contraversy is the gunman

The best thing about Stonybrook is the opportunities that are presented to the students. Being involved in biology research, I have had the chance to meet so many professors who have really made great impacts in their fields. This is one of the perks of going to a research university. Honestly, I probably spend a majority of my time in the Student Union. The club that I am involved in meets there and it is good place to study. Stony Brook is really not a "college town." I really wish we were within walking distance to the main shopping areas and even the center part of town. This is probably the one thing I would like to change about Stony Brook. Without a car, I often feel very isolated. I feel that Stony Brook's administration is effecient at certain things, however the safety on campus needs to be bumped up a little. The most recent controvery was the gunman in our Studnet Activities Center. It was not handled very well and I felt uninformed. I would say that Stony Brook does not have a great about of school pride. Although at this year's homecoming, I feel it was pumped up a little bit and I felt connected to the school. I think it all depends on whether you are involved on campus and feel tied to it or not. I can't say that there is one experience I will always remember, but overall I have really enjoyed my time here and am glad I chose Stony Brook. Stduents often complain about the food, but now that I live in the apartments I can only complain about my own cooking.

The best thing about SBU is it's diversity. Students in Stony Brook are from all over the world! You can befriend anyone from any culture and there are groups and events for everyone to attend. I am not sure what I would change, because as many problems as there are, I am sure that people have tried, unsuccessfully, to address them, and there are so many variables to account for that I cannot think of a way to address them all. My school is the right size for me. If you want anonymity, or diversity, this school gives that opportunity. With such a large student body there are all kinds of students. I spend most of my time on campus either in my room or at work. Stony Brook, the town, has actively voted against turning Stony Brook into a college town. SBU is surrounded on all sides by woods which separate it from the community outside. On one side, where the train stops on campus, there are a few stores which cater to students, but for the most part, there is no "homey college town" feel, in contrast with, say, Amherst, Massachusetts. SBU administration is overly focused on publicity and press, and not focused enough on students' needs. The biggest controversy was the supposed "gunman" on campus and the emergency reaction to it (a total failure of coordination and successful communication). There is a limited amount of pride amongst students, especially since there are many international students and many cultures, which have their own priorities. Stony Brook is trying to inject pride in students but it is artificial and forced. Most frequent complaint of students are being screwed over by campus residence, high cost of campus foods, and the lack of effective weather management (clearing away snow, ice, etc).

Biggest Controversy was the gunman that they tried to cover up. STONY BROOK SUCKS DON'T COME HERE!!!! GO TO FERRUM COLLEGE THEY KNOW HOW TO HANDLE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS!

School pride is on the increase, admin seems to have gotten better about relating to students. There are always complaints though...my biggest is about parking and road construction...never understand why they can't do it on breaks when there are less students around. Not so much of a college town, but a good vibe on campus during the week. Weekends gets to be a bit of a ghost town...

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.

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.

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.