<p>Hi, I am going to be visiting campus in June and was wondering if anyone, students or people who have visited, could give me a general idea of what it’s like. Is it clean? Is it big? Does it have a college feel to it? Is it lively on the weekends still? And anything else you can think of. Thank you!</p>
<p>My daughter visited campus in January. She liked the campus. It was very clean and well maintained. It was big, but no bigger than the campuses of other public flagships she visited. The classroom buildings were within a reasonable area - it wasn’t so spread out that it would take a long time to walk between buildings. With the exception of the dorms, which she thought were spectacular, she thought the campus was comparable to the 3 other state flagships she’d seen (all Big Ten), and definitely had a big time college feel to it. Her visit included a Saturday and she thought the campus was very active on the weekend.</p>
<p>Thank you! That’s what I wanted to hear lol.</p>
<p>**Is it clean? **</p>
<p>After visiting several campuses with my son recently for grad schools, I can tell you that Bama is probably the cleanest one I’ve ever seen. 
There are a few “construction areas” where new buildings are going in or older buildings are being re-modeled, so in those areas, things will look “less neat,” but overall the campus is very clean.</p>
<p>Is it big?</p>
<p>Bama is a big campus, but it is very smartly laid out with Core Curriculum classes mostly centralized, and courses related to majors in clusters. Food areas are located in convenient areas…either near academic bldgs for mid-day lunches/breaks or near dorms for breakfast and dinner. </p>
<p>Support buildings - rec center, health center, etc, are located near the perimeters of campus. </p>
<p>All of this helps minimize a student’s need to “criss-cross” campus too many times during the day. </p>
<p>There is also a tram system called the Crimson Ride that has a few different color-coded routes to take students about. </p>
<p>**Does it have a college feel to it? **</p>
<p>Most definitely. Bama has a gorgeous campus that is very traditional looking…the kind of image that is featured in movies when they want to show a lovely college campus…big brick buildings, white columns, grassy areas, etc. </p>
<p>*Is it lively on the weekends still? And anything else you can think of. Thank you! *</p>
<p>Yes Bama is lively on weekends, but when you come in the summer, most of the kids will be home for the summer. </p>
<p>Of course, during football season, weekends are very lively - very lively. And, now that Bama is doing better with basketball and other sports, that extra liveliness is being extended throughout the year (much to the happiness of area restaurants, hotels, etc who are enjoying the increase in weekend sales). </p>
<p>Bama also has some very popular “off campus” hangouts for kids to relax when not in class or studying. The 3 main areas are: The Strip (right next to the stadium), Downtown (further west on University Blvd), and Midtown Village (on McFarland). These places have cafes, restaurants, ice cream shops, shopping, etc. </p>
<p>Of course, there are other places such as The RiverWalk, the new Outdoor Amphitheater and other places for rest and relaxation. </p>
<p>Here’s a little video to give you an idea of the campus…</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - The University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences “This is How College is Meant to Be”](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>The above mostly features the College of Arts and Sciences, but it gives a good feel for the campus.</p>
<p>Wow thank you for that. Very detailed. Thanks!</p>