<p>I am from the North, and am wondering if it is different. I would appreciate if a student from the north answered this. Is it a big culture shock? What changes should I expect? And socially is joining a fraternity hard? Thanks…</p>
<p>Not many current students frequent this forum, we get them occasionally on here but they are usually too busy having a great time at Bama :)</p>
<p>Would you care to pose the question to any parents?</p>
<p>Well, my DS just arrived home for fall break, and also just finished his pledging period with a fraternity. He is very very happy at Bama. He told me last night the last three months were the toughest, and some of the best, of his life. We are from upstate NY, and yes, there are cultural differences, but they only increase the value of the experience. He looks forward to returning on Sunday.</p>
<p>My DS, from NY, is a soph who has come home several times for school breaks, etc. Each time, he could not wait to get back to UA. He says the biggest culture shock is that everyone is friendly.</p>
<p>My D is from Chicago and is a soph…she loves it so much there that she did not come home for Fall Break :(. Bama is a very special place. I hope you have a chance to visit. Biggest change for my D? She is much more polite and says y’all.
Life is good in Tuscaloosa.</p>
<p>Not sure if Maryland counts as the “north” but our son (STEM/MBA, 2nd year) loves Alabama and has never had a hint of a problem related to “culture shock” or anything else. If anything, the culture is more welcoming and inclusive than what he was expecting, and the academics have kept him on his toes.</p>
<p>He says the biggest culture shock is that everyone is friendly.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So true. We were in Tuscaloosa last weekend, after which my wife (who was raised, in part, in the Northeast) went on to New York for business. She said the transition from a weekend of across-the-board manners, graciousness, and friendliness in Tuscaloosa was absolutely jarring.</p>
<p>DS had a more difficult time than expected adjusting to humidity. Buy LOTS of wick away to wear in Aug/Sept.</p>
<p>Mornings in Oct were cold – so yes, you’ll still need that jacket.</p>
<p>If you are “North” in the NY/Phila area, you will miss good bread. Can’t be found AT ALL. Trade off is awesome BBQ. </p>
<p>DS was also shocked at the dress clothes – buy khakis and polos, esp if you plan to pledge.</p>
<p>My biggest cultural shock was seeing kegs being filled at the grocery store and seeing guys openly carrying hand guns (off campus).</p>
<p>And DS’ biggest lament – no good radio stations or anywhere to hear live music if you are underage. He lives by I Heart Radio and I have already bought tix for several shows over semester break. I expect him to be at a club every night to make up for the drought of music.</p>
<p>As far as the “friendly” south – start practicing now smiling and talking to strangers.</p>
<p>From above:
"DS was also shocked at the dress clothes – buy khakis and polos, esp if you plan to pledge.</p>
<h1>My biggest cultural shock was seeing kegs being filled at the grocery store and seeing guys openly carrying hand guns (off campus)."</h1>
<p>Question about clothing: You mention “dress clothes”. Does this mean your DS sees a lot of students in dress clothes on a normal, average school day? Girls/guys/both? I don’t anticipate that my DS (engineering major) will rush; however, he is a VERY casual dresser – long athletic shorts (basketball type) and a t-shirt EVERY day, with the occasional hoodie and/or sweatpants (the nice type) over the top when it’s below 30 degrees. I’m wondering if we need to stock up on a bunch of khaki shorts and nicer shirts! :)</p>
<p>Also… filling kegs in grocery stores? I’ve never seen that!</p>
<p>Thanks for posting.</p>
<p>VERY casual is always ok at Bama, during most activities, so have no fear. There are many other threads covering clothing…but since you mention that he is probably not rushing, he will not need khakis and polos, unless he wants to dress like that. If S is in honors college or belongs to various business clubs on campus, he will need at least 1 change of nice business-type clothes to wear to functions/meetings. I would be safe and send him w/ 1 change of business clothes, at the very least, dress slacks, dress shirt, tie, and a blazer or suit jacket. Check out the other threads on this subject of clothing. Career fairs and on-campus interviews require business attire, too, so he will eventually require this anyway.</p>
<p>First of all, male eng’g types are the worst dressers! lol (wife of an eng’r here! 
)</p>
<p>So, the male eng’g majors will be wearing a hodge-podge of whatever is semi-clean in their rooms. (semi-clean means refreshed with Febreze. )</p>
<p>Your son probably will want to transition from gym shorts to khaki shorts or similar just to have pockets that things don’t slide out of. My older son lost his wallet TWICE from his wallet slipping out of basketball shorts pockets…the fabric is just too slippery.</p>
<p>Your son and I already chatted about this whole subject and he told me that you’d be happy to find him some khaki shorts at Kohls. (that’s what he told me. lol)</p>
<p>Totally fine to wear Tshirts. Bama gives away a ton of Tshirts, so those get worn a lot. But, also pick him up a couple of polo shirts.</p>
<p>My boys wore:</p>
<p>khaki shorts (not cargo)
jeans
tshirts
polo shirts
waffle-weave henleys when cold
hoodies</p>
<p>On days that they had a “gym type of class” they would wear their gym shorts under warm-up pants.</p>
<p>In the evening, when kids are out and about, they wear everything from “date wear” to hippie-bohemian.</p>
<p>Touche! <wife of="" eng’r=""></wife></p>
<p>aeromom and m2ck: Thanks much! Too funny…the whole thing about the slippery fabric of the basketball shorts…so true!!..we have that conversation about once a week when he realizes wallet/phone/etc has slipped out and was left in car, on the couch, etc! And he looks so much nicer in khaki’s anyway :)</p>
<p>NOTHING orange and blue. Or orange and white. Leave orange out of it totally.
I’m hearing that “only old people” wear houndstooth. Not sure how true that is - I’m still seeing lots of houndstooth on sorority row.</p>
<p>There’s not really a huge culture change. Guys tend to dress preppy and be friendlier and more conservative (politically) than guys from the North. As for joining a fraternity, it’s not hard to get a bid since there are so many different ones, but the hazing that occurs during pledgeships is really hard on the pledges. Most say although their lives are basically hell for the first couple months, its worth it in the end</p>
<p>My DD is from the Chicago area and she said the biggest shock is the use of manners and the lack of profanity! DD made a funny observation that in the south it is expected that you end each sentence to a professor with “sir” or “ma’am”. If she tried that at her high school last year she would have been accused of being insubordinate. </p>
<p>Another BIG difference is that in the north DD dressed up every day for school - not fancy but with an “outfit”. All the northern kids whip out their ironed cotton shorts, belts and fashion shirts the first week - don’t be a “stand-out” northerner 
Go to class casual and you will be more comfortable and you will fit in without any trouble.</p>
<p>Roll Tide!</p>
<p>I’m a current student! I’ve been a long time lurker of the bama forum (because I think it’s interesting to hear what others have to say) but I made an account to answer this and calm any fears!</p>
<p>I’m from the north and I love it at bama. There’s no hostility. Very rarely you’ll get a joke about being a Yankee but it’s all in good fun and not mean.
Your accent will change much quicker than you expect. You’ll talk slower, have a lilt in your voice, and find that saying “y’all” really is easier to say than “you guys”. I once didn’t say “yes ma’am” to the server at Subway and I felt bad so I was very nice to her for the rest of the transaction. It was odd because I never said sir or maam up north but it’s common here.
Not to say the North is mena, but people are nicer here- ALL the boys open doors for me. It’s a nice change from home.
Day to day clothing is very casual. Girls wear oversized tshirts and nike shorts or leggings depending on the season. Boys wear khakis, t shirts, and polos if they’re a pledge. Popular brands are Hunter boots (for girls), North Face, Nike, Patagonia, Vineyard Vines, Lilly Pulitzer.
Fall means football. As in you live and breathe it. Games are social events NOT to be missed. UNBELIEVABLE atmosphere at games. Absolutely love it and I wasn’t a die hard football fan in the north either.
Hope this helped!</p>
<p>rolltiderollxx - Thank you for chiming in! Very nice to hear from an actual current student!</p>