Cortland is a great school, ask anyone who goes here and they would agree. Students create countdowns to their return to Candyland after a break or vacation because it is their second home. Unfortunately, when you get accepted to SUNY Cortland they never tell you what you really need to know. So, here is a short list of some of the most important things any Cortland student should know.
1. It is always cloudy or raining.
Once you commit to Cortland, you might as well buy a brand new pair of rain boots and a nice rain jacket, because trust me you will get a lot of wear out of it. Self-tanner also doesn't hurt.
2. The sidewalks are never plowed.
You would think being in central New York, the school would know how to properly plow and salt a sidewalk. You will feel like a newborn fawn trying to get to class without falling on your face.3. Eating dinner on campus at a normal hour comes along with a crowd.
If you want to eat dinner around 6:30 or 7:00 anticipate not being able to find a seat. The earlier you go the better. If you want no line at the dining halls, go around 5:30.
4. Drunk people will wake you up in the dorms.
Without fail, at 11:00 p.m. and again at 2:00 a.m. you will be woken up by the clattering of heels down the service road, people screaming for a taxi, and guys yelling for no reason. It becomes impossible to get a good night's sleep for class.
5. Classes will never get cancelled.
Even if it has snowed over a foot in one night, the real feel outside is -32 degrees, classes will still be on. In my three years of college at Cortland, there has never been a day where classes have been cancelled entirely. There have been extreme winter advisories and class still goes on. They even send out e-mails reminding you that 15 minutes of exposed skin will result in frostbite... it takes 15 minutes to walk to class.6. The library is not a good place to study.
The first three floors of the library basically turn into a social watering hole. Don't expect to get any work done while you're there unless you go up to the fourth floor. The best place to go to is an empty classroom, most of the time Sperry has unlocked doors.
7. Bars are overcrowded.
You will be charged $5 cover charges on a Friday or Saturday night when you want to go out and have a good time with your friends. It's not that big of a deal if it meant that you would not be standing shoulder to shoulder, unable to walk through the crowd and getting wet by someone else's sweat.
8. You'll never want to leave.
After you're done with everything and it comes time for graduation, you will realize Cortland has become a home for you. Friends have turned into family, and it is almost impossible to see yourself out in the real world. There will always be a sense of pride when you tell people you went to Cortland.
