<p>I’ve learned alot from this board over the past few months but I’m leaving my comfortable status as a “lurker” and decided to post…</p>
<p>My son, now a junior, will likely be NMF and is very interested in attending University of Alabama Fall 2013. He will likely double major in EE and Physics with a possible minor in theater. Because of dual enrollment, he will have completed all his freshman and sophomore science and math requirements. (Chem/Physics & Calculus/Diff EQ) as well as freshman English and a few miscellaneous classes. </p>
<p>My question is would Bryant or the Ridgecrest Honors be a better living situation. Most of the posts seem to indicate that Honors housing with like-minded students is better, but he (and I) like the idea of being with other engineering students, especially since he will be “jumping in” to his EE classes pretty quickly. Also because he will likely be on campus all 4 years (because of the housing portion of the NMF scholarship) he would prefer a dorm where at least some of the students are juniors/seniors. </p>
<p>I don’t know if this matters or not but he skipped a year of school so he’ll only be 17 most of his freshman year. I (and hopefully he) would prefer a low “party scene”.</p>
<p>Since the football players and other athletes are in Bryant, I’m not sure if that is a lower party scene than honors. It may be, but I’m not sure. </p>
<p>My guess is that few NMF and other high stats engineering students are in Bryant. I’m betting that most are in honors.</p>
<p>Since the NMF scholarship pays for either, cost-wise would be the same. </p>
<p>* Because of dual enrollment, he will have completed all his freshman and sophomore science and math requirements. (Chem/Physics & Calculus/Diff EQ) as well as freshman English and a few miscellaneous classes. </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Except for Cal III & Dif EQ, your son’s credit situation won’t be unique. many high stats kids come in with full Gen Chem I & II, Bio I & II, Cal I & II, Frosh Comp I & II and other requirements. Many enter as juniors or “second semester sophs”. Both of my kids entered Bama as “near-juniors” (just short of a few credits).</p>
<p>Your son’s age will be young, but there might be others in the same situation. There was a 16 year old that started last year.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman engineering major this year and is living in Riverside (another honors dorm which is much like Ridgecrest). He just told me he wished he’d lived in Bryant because it would have been much closer to all his classes and his fraternity house. I don’t think there was any kind of party scene so maybe that’s the way all honors dorms are. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>So Bryant is not honors but is engineering, or has an area that’s engineering specific? I understand it’s where the athletes also are, but not applicable in our case.</p>
<p>Class2012Mom: Your son will be able to find plenty of engineering majors living in the honors dorms. My son roomed with two engineering majors the past two years. Students often meet each other in classes, and then they form their study groups. My son, for example, met at girl in one of his econ classes as a freshman. They studied together before exams for that class and have remained friends. </p>
<p>Do remember that if your son lives in a non-honors dorm as a freshman, he cannot move into an honors dorm his final three years.</p>
<p>Bryant is not honors.</p>
<p>I think many/most males in the honors dorms are some kind of STEM major. </p>
<p>As mentioned above, if you don’t start in an honors dorm, you can’t later move to an honors dorm during a later year.</p>
<p>I recommend Riverside. My son is an engineering major, sophomore, mechanical engineering, and he is very close to the engineering buildings, and the physics building. He walks several times outside of class attendance to the engineering building to work on his CBH project. All of his suitemates are engineering majors, as well as the two suites on either side, and a few other suites on the floor. Riverside is an honors dorm, so your son would be able to stay in honors dorms if he chooses it as a freshman. My son is in his same room that he started in last fall, and will probably stay there until he graduates. He is also a NMF, does not have a car, and plans to live on campus as long as they let him.</p>
<p>For an engineering major (especially a NMF) Riverside East is one of the closest honors options.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input. Looks like Honors housing is the way to go!</p>
<p>Montegut,
What steps did your son take to stay in the same room since his freshman year? Does he have to move out at the end of the spring semester and move back in at the start of the fall semester?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>You just pick the same room when it’s time to pick again.</p>
<p>Yes, you do have to move out during the summer. Bama uses that time to clean/repair the dorms.</p>
<p>Also…the honors dorms are used during the summer for band camps, cheer camps, Bama Bounds, etc, etc.</p>
<p>^^^Yep, Mom’s right, you do have to move out. When housing selection comes around, there’s a specific date if you want to stay in your own room.</p>
<p>Thanks m2cK and Montegut. Son is planning on staying on campus for the next three summers and was looking for a way not to have to move during the summers.</p>
<p>^^^If he’s staying during the summer, it might be worth a try to talk to housing about it.</p>
<p>^Son and I both talked to housing. They didn’t seem to understand the question when my son talked to them, so I called and the first person started to suggest Ridgecrest East as an option but she transferred me to another person up the chain of command who said there really wasn’t any option because they are not certain which dorm will be the summer dorm one year to the next and wasn’t very encouraging when I mentioned the Bluffs. I see in another thread here that some have been told that the Bluffs are not an option for next year.</p>