The First Week in Binghamton
The MPA program is very demanding. We were in your position and understand the added stress of coming from another country. You should use your first week in Binghamton to get used to the city, walk around and enjoy the warm days, if you are arriving in August, or the snow if arriving in January. Also, get some rest and meet new people. Here are some tips for your first week:
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Get a night of good sleep. You are probably arriving from a far place and possibly a different time zone. Take the time to get a good rest.
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Ask your housemates to take you to a nearby supermarket and stock some food (see tips in the Supermarkets section). The cheaper option for you might be stock up on food for a two-week period. If that is too much, stock it for one week. If no one you know or who lives near you has a car, the next best option would be Uber, then the last one - bus. Once you get your School ID, the city buses are free, so try to get your school ID as fast as you can.
3
You will most likely live with housemates. Engage with them. Sit around the house, get to know each other, explore options to go together to see the main campus, downtown area, have coffee, etc. This will help you familiarize yourself with the area and help you feel more relaxed.
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As soon as you arrive, the University will already have some administrative obligations - visit the main campus to check in to ISSS, and get your student ID.
Open up your bank account - downtown has three banks, where you can open up your account. The two most recommended banks are M&T Bank and Visions.
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Make some time available approximately two-days before school obligations begin to go over your school documents and prepare - orientations, the first day of classes - to simply make you at ease to start your Binghamton University endeavors.
Get a US phone number - the most recommended companies are T-Mobile and MetroPCS. It is cheaper to get in a group phone plan. So, you could form a group with friends to subscribe to a family plan so that it's cheaper once you get settled here. Until then - you can rely on wifi with your home number and use WhatsApp. On this map, you can find places with free wifi should you need it. https://www.wifimap.io/3273-binghamton-free-wifi/map
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It is highly recommended to email MPA professors and schedule meetings if you want to reach out for advice before the school starts. They are very encouraging and they like to meet students one-on-one during their office hours or by email appointments. It is not necessary that you just meet them regarding course matters; you can meet them to talk about anything. For us, the office hours helped a lot to navigate through the program and also to boost our confidence. Also, it was a moment to discuss our personal and professional backgrounds and interests, and to engage in one-on-one conversations that helped to relieve school and personal stress.
Mili shared his experience about his interesting arrival in Binghamton. He also gives you some tips to avoid unpleasant situations on your first night in Binghamton. Watch and enjoy!
