- Classes - Course registration
is handled directly through the NSE office. The schedule
of classes is key to helping you create a schedule. Please make
sure you are searching for the correct semester before you start. As
visiting students, you do not need to be concerned about our General
Education requirements, so you can ignore that option.
Once you have opened a list of courses by a department, you will find
a table with the following headings:
COURSE - Clicking on the course number will give
you the meeting times of the course. This will help you to avoid a time
conflict as you build your schedule. It also gives information on whether
the course is full. This can change at any time, so do not exclude a
course because it currently lists as closed. This screen also lists
all lectures (LEC), discussions (DIS) and labs (ACT) required for the
course.
TITLE - Clicking on the course name gives a description and format of
the course. It also lists any necessary prerequisites and may list the
required course texts .
CREDIT - Our courses are mostly 4 credits. In general, students take
16 credits, but 12 credits is considered full time. You may take 18
academic credits (not including HPE and HPEY courses) without it being
considered an overload. If you want to take 20 credits, you must get
approval for the overload from our Academic Advising office once you
get here.
GEN ED - This column lists which, if any, general education requirements
are covered by this course. As a visiting student, you need not be concerned
with our gen ed requirements.
CONFIG - L (lecture), D (discussion), A (lab). Some classes require
a lecture section AND a discussion section and sometimes a lab too,
while some courses are discussion only.
Once you have chosen your courses and the necessary lecture, discussion
and lab sections, please e-mail them to me and I will work on getting
you registered. The quicker you do this, the better your chances of
getting into a class.
- E-mail - Once we have
received your placement acceptance form, all your information is entered
into our computer system and the various offices will be contacting
you directly via your free binghamton.edu e-mail account. It is important
that you go on-line to access this account. Much information is disseminated
through this e-mail account and I wouldn't want you to miss out on anything.
When you go to our BUSI
site, look for the links for e-mail sign-on and password. While
you are on the BUSI site, please also complete the "Code of Conduct".
This has to be completed before we can register you for classes. This
e-mail is also used by the mail room to let you know you have received
a package.
- Housing - Our Residential Life office will send
information via your binghamton.edu e-mail and you will be asked to
complete an on-line housing request form. We have different types of
housing - traditional
corridor style, suites, and self-contained apartments. We also have
an excellent office, Off
Campus College, if you would like assistance in living off-campus.
- Meal Plans - There are a variety of on-campus
and off-campus meal
plans. If you are living on-campus in College-in-the-Woods, Dickinson,
Hinman, Mountainview or Newing residential areas, a meal plan is required.
We recommend you purchase the least expensive meal plan. If you need
more money to buy food, you can always add more, but if you do not use
all your money, they don't give you back the extra. If you are living
off-campus or in the Hillside or Susquehanna apartments on-campus, it
might be worth it to you to have at least some money on your card (check
out the off-campus
meal plans available), that way you can always grab a bite to eat
without worrying about how much cash is in your wallet. It also means
that you don't have to rush home to make dinner, especially if you have
evening classes or meetings. A meal plan is not required for Hillside,
Susquehanna or off-campus residents.
- Billing - Our Student
Accounts office will be posting a bill on the BUSI
website for you, just look under the student accounts section. It
will list tuition and fees as well as health insurance and room and
board. If you are on payment Plan B, it should also subtract the amount
of tuition and fees from the total bill. If you already have health
insurance you can request a waiver
by printing out and sending in the appropriate form. If you are living
on campus, there will be amounts for housing and meals. Depending on
where you are housed, the amount may vary slightly (there are different
amounts for living in traditional residential halls as compared to our
apartment complexes). For meals I would recommend that you pay for the
basic meal plan. You can always add money later if you run short, but
they won't give you any back when you leave it you don't use it all.
Please pay attention to any payment deadlines listed on your form to
avoid late payment fees. If you are receiving financial aid and will
be waiting for a refund check or have any concerns about your billing,
please contact Student Accounts directly. You can access billing and
financial aid information through the BUSI
web center. If you do not respond to this billing form, they
may charge you a late fee!!
- Health forms - There are health
forms required of all full time students. You should submit the
health forms directly to Health Services prior to your arrival at Binghamton.
There is a health insurance plan available to international students.
This may be waived for Canadian students if they have proof of comparable
coverage while they are here. That would be addressed on a case-by-case
basis. If the health forms are not received prior to arrival, your course
schedule may be dropped.
- Parking/Buses - If you are bringing a vehicle
to campus, you will need to register it and pay a parking fee with our
Parking Services
Office. The parking lots can become quite full and you may end up
having to park a distance from your residence hall or classroom. There
are two bus services that stop on campus, both are free. The public
transportation, BC
Transit, buses are free to students with a current ID card. The
OCCT,
blue school buses, are run through Off Campus College and exclusively
serve Binghamton University students. The OCCT routes focus on the main
shopping areas and the sections of town that have a large student population
living off campus. Schedules for both services are available on-line
or in the Student Union.
- Mail - Mail
services will allocate you a mail box number if you live on campus.
Each residential area has a set of mailboxes for students. Mail is delivered
once a day during the week. If you get a package, you will get a notification
on your Binghamton University e-mail. You must have your Binghamton
University student ID card to pick up a package at the post office/mail
room in the University Union. The mail services web site shows you how
to address mail to your on-campus box.
- Phones - You will have a phone in your room.
In order to make international or operator-assisted calls, you will
need a pin number that you can request online from the telecommunications
office.
- English as a Second Language - For those of
you who are interested in English
as a Second Language classes, please contact that office directly
for more details.
- Computer Access - All the residential halls
have wireless internet connections. The university also provides free
virus protection software. If you bring your own computer, there is
a "res con", student computer assistant, in each building
who can help you out with the technical details or any questions. If
you are not bringing your own computer, there are many computers around
campus for public use. In fact, there are 12 machines in the area where
I work. Every student is allotted a certain amount of free laser printing.
There are laser printers available in the various computer pods. We
have one here by the NSE office. Every student is also given a free
Binghamton University e-mail account. It's accessible through the BUSI
(registration) system. You will need a computer pod sign-on to access
the public computers and the laser printing. If you live on-campus,
the Discovery Advisor (DA) for your building will be able to help you
access your e-mail account and pod sign-on, ask them directly or just
stop by a Discovery Center for help. There are student assistants in
some of the computer pods who will be able to help as well.
- Stuff to bring - You must provide your own linens
(sheets, pillows, blankets and towels). The beds are twin size, extra
long - so make sure the sheets you bring or buy once you arrive will
fit. You can rent refrigerators
for in your room while you're here. If you are housed in the apartments,
they do not provide dishes and pots and such. I would recommend you
contact your apartment mates to find out if they are bringing all the
necessary household "stuff". The residential halls are not
air conditioned. You may want to bring or buy a fan. For questions concerning
banking and other services, please check our Campus
Community Services website.
- Arrival - Please let me know when you plan to
arrive. I try to meet as many students upon arrival as I can. I am willing
to pick up students from the LOCAL airport and bus station if possible.
Just let me know when and where you are coming in. Please check the
current
semester calendar for when the residence halls open for new students.
If for some reason you need to arrive before opening day, we might be
able to get you into your room a couple of days early. You MUST let
me know if you are arriving early so I can make arrangements for you.
Also, please check the university calendar for dates when the residence
halls are closed for various holidays. Susquehanna and Hillside apartments
and certain halls in remain open for the whole semester (break housing),
but the majority of residence halls do close.
- Activities/Activity Fee - I try to plan a couple
of activities each semester. In the past these have included a play
at a local theater, a Binghamton Met's game, an ice hockey game, a visit
to Howes Caverns, or a visit to Cooperstown. A lot depends on the interest
of the current NSE students. I also have a welcome dinner for you to
meet each other. Due to budget restraints, I have to charge a
$25 activity fee per semester. This
can be paid after you arrive. I prefer a check or money order made out
to Binghamton University/NSE, but will accept cash if absolutely
necessary. Unfortunately, I cannot accept charge cards at all. No
student will be able to attend an NSE function if this fee has not been
paid.
- Weather - Click on the icon below for current
weather conditions in Binghamton. You can also use this site for checking
the weather history to see what it's like in Binghamton at various times
of year.
- FAQ - I have tried to answer many basic questions
here. If you would like to see pictures of our campus, go to the on-line
photo album. You can also go to a clickable
campus map to find out the location of specific buildings and departments.
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