I’m a 23 year old man deciding between 2 schools, both of which would provide me with a tuition waiver and stipend to live on. I currently work a full-time job that pays relatively well, but I’m itching to go to school to go to school to research in a field I’m passionate about.
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Buffalo is on the Great Lakes and is a major urban area that is within two hours of Toronto. However, the Winters can be cold with over 10 feet of snow.
Binghamton is a smaller area and a nice campus. But it is isolated.
My gut feeling is Buffalo, it is much more Cosmopolitan.
I may be biased but I will say for graduate school Buffalo is,better than Binghamton. Much bigger University with a much bigger research profile. We used to get snowy winters, it has changed, we get few isolated snow storms or isolated cold fronts and long stretches of mild weather. Of course in the summer, it is better than any place I have been to among 45 states. Not hot not humid just pleasant sunny skies. Social life in Buffalo Is better than Binghamton because Greater Buffalo Area has 1 million people and a dozen universities and colleges. Of course I don’t know what your field is, but with limited info I have I will say Buffalo.
Both are great schools, but one is likely a better fit for you. The best way to find out is to do a little more research in the real world. Visit campus, talk to faculty and grad students, and get a sense of what the area is like. Your highly evolved brain is like an amazing computer that can process vast amounts of information simultaneously to help you decide; i.e. some call it “that gut feeling”. If after all that you’re still undecided, flip a coin. While it’s in the air you’ll know which way you are hoping it will land: follow that instinct.
In the end, it will be your attitude and hard work – not the school – that will allow you to follow your life’s passion and with it, lead a life filled with meaning and happiness. Good luck, and if you choose Binghamton, stop by to say hello 😉