By Midas Leung
First of all, we have inconsistent weather which can change on a dime. The forecast—which is EVER so reliable—changes from phone to phone so you really never know which is right until you get to a computer and check (which in reality who would really do that because I am lazy as shit).
Second is how far everything is from each other. The campus is not so big, but the hills really kill the legs in some parts. Buying anything requires a car; once you have a car, it only goes to the shopping center, the university, and home. The buses are no better. Whoops! You missed the first bus? Now you have to wait an hour for the next one. Oh! You forgot to get off at your stop? Welp, welcome to a stop 2 miles away. Have a nice walk! You didn’t download the app to check where the bus is? Now you can decide if you are 10 minutes early for your bus or 15 minutes late. It’s probably the latter.
Third, food options here are shit. The meal plan is ass! I literally gave up my air-conditioned life in Mountainview just to swelter in a Hillside apartment and walk that 15 mins to campus to save money. If I do buy food at the dining halls I buy it with a friend’s ID and I just Zelle them back. Usually I get a Freshman card because they need a meal plan anyways so suck it freshie.
Fourth is the lack of activities on campus and free facilities. Sure there is some CA/RA/RD that needs to meet their requirements in order to keep their job but most of the time I see them doing jack shit and they still get paid. I had one thing going for me here and that was bowling. I would bowl every single day just because I didn’t have anything to do. Soon it became a stress reliever and then an addiction. This semester, they implemented a new policy in which they charge 50 cents for shoes. I keep bowling and I sometimes bowl with friends who I am too lazy to wait for so I buy their shoes. That shit adds up quickly. I’m probably gonna lose $50 on that shit this semester.
Fifth are the professors. Some are good, and some are just so atrocious I want to switch my major but I am so deep in physics that I would have to spend another 3 years to even get a different degree. I mean, how is it that 1-stars on RateMyProfessors are still teaching? It can’t be possible. If their RateMyProfessor scores are that bad, how are their end-of-semester reviews not taking them out of their job?
Sixth, EDUROAM and changing the PODS login to have Two-Factor Authentication is just ass. Do you know why we have two factors now? It’s because some kid years ago decided to bring their own router and it routed anyone close to it to Eduroam through his router through which he would collect data. Then the first day the whole internet shut down was pretty cool. They don’t grade first-week attendance because of that now so that’s great.
Seven, Some of the people are just so annoying, One time I was walking down the street with my friends to go to Goodwill because I am a frugal guy and you see this car full of white kids just drives by screeching “niiiiiii-haaaaooo.” Don’t get me wrong, it was funny, but looking back at it now, I think that was one of my first racist experiences I can remember from strangers. I found the most annoying people when I would go to the bowling alley and put my balls on the rack (;D) and then some kid would come over and just snatch that shit behind my back. At least do it in front of me so I can scream at you! I know what ball I use, so if you do it behind my back, I will see it in your lane, and I will get the lane right next to you and keep using it out of spite.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do like this school and its students. It’s just the small things that I hate add up and ruin it for me. I mean being away from family is nice and doing what I want, whenever I want is cool too. Maybe my subconscious is making me hate the small things because, deep down, I don’t want to go to the pRemieR sUNy of New yOrK. Most lists list Binghamton as second or third rather than first, anyway.