Academics
Stony Brook University offers a world class research university experience with excellent value. There are more than 200 academic programs that attract “a diverse array of students with interests and passions in everything under the sun,” with STEM programs receiving particularly high praise. The large campus population means students need to be motived self-advocates, and the university does a good job of making students aware of opportunities and structuring their curriculum. “Advising [is] very organized and helpful,” and “larger lectures are broken down into smaller groups to help facilitate better learning.” After the first year, “class sizes reduce drastically.” “Research is a key part of the academic process” and those who choose to attend Stony Brook “are often interested in making discoveries in this world.” Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) is a program that gives students the ability to get involved with research or other oncampus experiences with faculty.
Professors are “always willing to give educational and professional advice” and “are all very enthusiastic about the courses they teach.” They are great at “offering creative problems that show the real-world applications of our studies.” Many teachers at Stony Brook “combine the theory of the textbook with what they experienced,” which “is extremely dynamic.” Students agree that there are some professors that focus too heavily on their research, but once you get to more advanced courses, “actually interacting with and getting help from professors and TAs is far easier and more worthwhile.”
Student Body
Students describe the campus population as very diverse, “with people from different places, of different ethnicities, and of different ages,” which makes for “a very inclusive and inviting environment.” With a large international student population, it “is so easy to become socially aware of other cultures simply by talking to people.” This “cheerful and helpful” crew is “incredibly knowledgeable,” and the work ethic most students display motivates others to work harder. “A Seawolf doesn’t hesitate when another needs anything,” says one student.
Campus Life
During the week, students “spend a lot time in class, studying, or doing homework” in the dorms and the library. On the weekend, students typically “go out with friends either to restaurants, parties, the movie theaters, [or the] mall,” and a large portion of students head home. Still, there are plenty of school-sponsored activities, and the university sends out twice-weekly emails to the student body publicizing events on campus, “which is a wonderful gesture.” There is “a surplus of clubs” that mostly meet on Wednesdays from 1–2 P.m. (there are no classes scheduled at this time), and it “is hard to get bored. If you aren’t involved, you aren’t trying.” Stony Brook has a “spectacular” recreational center where students can play sports, work out, or take fitness classes (such as kick boxing, self-defense, and yoga), and the campus is “surrounded with historic sites, beaches” and not too far away from New York City, with a train near campus. School spirit infuses annual Stony Brook traditions “such as Roth Regatta (a boat race of boats made from only cardboard and duct tape), Earthstock, and semesterly concerts.”
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