Honors College Preview Day Report

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>We just got back from the Honors Preview Day which was in the main a great success. DS and I flew out Nov 3 on the red eye from California, arriving in Birmingham the morning of Nov 4. Birmingham Airport has easy access car rental in the covered parking lot right across from baggage claim. Access to I-20 west is well signposted and about 5 minutes away. The drive to Tuscaloosa is straightforward and takes about an hour. </p>

<p>Dr Sharpe spoke first and came across as very knowledgeable about, and committed to, the Honors Program. He gave the audience a thorough overview of the program, lots of details of the opportunities available such as study abroad, and shared that a recruiter has recently been hired to source internships and employment opportunities for the students. Two honors college students followed Dr. Sharpe. They were both very articulate and were able to give a good account of their experiences at UA and the opportunities that were made available to them.</p>

<p>Next our group was split up and we were able to visit Ridgecrest Honors housing. We were impressed with the high standard of the facilities. The suites were compact but had everything needed and DS was particularly keen on having his own bedroom. The communal kitchens were spacious and clean, and the laundry with machines that text the user would be very useful. Other nice touches included the wall mounted monitors which displayed the weather and bus schedules, the volleyball and basketball courts, and the staffed reception desk which deals with security, problems, questions, and is even able to lend out a vacuum cleaner.</p>

<p>Lunch was next and we were escorted to Lakeside Dining. Lakeside is a large food court facility with multiple serving stations each with its own food selection. The food quality there is pretty standard for a cafeteria, not notably good but not terrible either.</p>

<p>Advising sessions followed lunch and honestly I thought this was the weakest part of the program. We were part of the College of Arts and Sciences group and within the group were students who were intending to major a number of different subjects. The adviser addressed us as a group and showed us the UA webpages for Environmental Science and Pre-Medical. He then showed everyone how to access the webpage to sign up for tutoring services if needed. Lastly he asked if we had any questions. Since he had made no mention of the major my son was intending to study I asked a couple of questions, one regarding the University Scholars program and the other about job placement data. Since the adviser was unable to answer either of these questions he referred me to alternate faculty members. I left feeling that the adviser didn’t usually deal with programs such as University Scholars and didn’t really know what was involved. </p>

<p>Last we took the walking tour with a student guide who was delightful. She had lots of information to share about the campus and student life. It was during this tour that we really began to appreciate what a walkable campus UA has despite being so big. Students living in Ridgecrest in particular have an easy walk to the quad where most of the instructional buildings are located. During the tour we saw lots of diverse, happy students including asian, middle eastern, white and african american walking through the quad in groups chatting and laughing. Overall it gave us a very good feeling about UA.</p>

<p>Outstanding issues for us include:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Are the opportunities and advising in the Honors College as good for subjects outside of business and STEM? </p></li>
<li><p>What is it like to live at UA without a car? Within the campus seems fine as the Crimson Ride works well, but the rest of Tuscaloosa might be a problem. There are few sidewalks that we saw and the bus routes seem few. Also, what is there to do in Tuscaloosa if you want to leave the campus? We saw the Strip but were wondering if there is a downtown or center of Tuscaloosa with things to do.</p></li>
</ol>

2

<p>Is a car necessary? Not at all. Many OOS students do not have cars and do just fine. I would add that having a bike can come in handy. Publix is within walking distance for food shopping. Car pooling for runs to Target or Walmart are doable. There is also a Sunday bus service to Midtown Village, Univerity Mall and Target. Don’t forget that walking and biking can easily fend off that dreaded “Freshman Fifteen” :)</p>

3

<p>Thanks robotbldmom. Actually my son could do with gaining the “Freshman Fifteen” as he takes his metabolism from my husband’s side of the family. Lucky boy!</p>

<p>I’ll pass on your reply to him.</p>

4

<p>My oldest daughter is an instate Junior and she does not have a car in Tuscaloosa. During her freshman and sophomore years she used the shopping shuttle to get to Target or the malls. As a junior she has a boyfriend with a car, so she hasn’t needed to use the shuttle as much ;)</p>

<p>Something else she has available, but never used, is the Zipcar. It is parked out in front of Lakeside dining. It is useful for the occasional need of running an errand in Tuscaloosa.</p>

<p>As for advising, she has never been advised through the Honors College. She is an art major with a CS minor. She gets advised through the art department. </p>

<p>Regarding University Scholars, my younger daughter and I recently made an honors college visit where she had the opportunity to talk to a professor from her intended major. He brought up the possibility of the program for her. Knowledge of the program may be more prevalent in the departments that are on the list of University Scholars programs. I would email the department head of your son’s major.</p>

5

<p>AlbionGirl-
We were there, too! My son was the big guy with a bow tie. We went to the Engineering breakout and was a much better experience than you describe. It went long, though, and the end of the day tour left without the engineers! This was not a big deal to us, since we had toured on a previous visit, but some others seemed disappointed. I hope they found someone to give them a tour before they left!</p>

6

<p>AlbionGirl,</p>

<ol>
<li><p>As someone mentioned, advising is done through the student’s major area, not through the Honors College. My D has two majors and was advised for the most recent registration through both departments. She is not a business major though as a math major she is technically STEM. Her other major is journalism. She just added that this semester and has found their advisors to be very helpful. Regarding University Scholars, it is probably best discussed with the particular major department. </p></li>
<li><p>Last year as an OOS first year student, D did not have a car nor a problem getting where she needed to go. She did not frequent the shuttle though she certainly could have. She also did not use the Zipcar though we had purchased a membership. She did ride a bike to most of her classes. Regarding downtown, it isn’t the traditional type of downtown you might think of but there is one and the restaurants and stores there are popular with the students. I think there is a shuttle there are well though it is walkable. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Glad you had a good visit. Roll Tide!</p>

7

<p>My DS is currently a sophomore in the Honors College, also from California. He will be driving our 2000 Subaru to Bama during semester break. His grades were good enough that he demonstrated maturity to be able to handle the responsibilites of a car on campus. He has a bike that he uses around the campus now. I am amazed at how he has matured in the last couple of years. For him, Alabama has been an awesome experience.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for all the advice everyone. I hadn’t realized that advising was done through the departments and knowing that now makes me feel much better about the whole situation. </p>

<p>Using a bike with the option of the Zipcar for longer trips makes sense at least for the first year. Looking around on the web I saw that Tuscaloosa has a movie theater with IMAX, and a beautiful riverwalk with a park that has outdoor Shakespeare plays. I’ll send links to those venues along with this thread to DS so he can see what’s available.</p>

<p>Maryjay60 I think I remember seeing your son. I hope he had a good day and I’m sure he’ll have plenty of time to explore the campus if/when he attends UA.</p>

9

<p>So glad you enjoyed your visit. We attend Honors Preview Day in October and DD is very committed. Our “advising” session was very different than yours. Not really an advising session, but a one on two talk with the guy who organizes internships and job placement for communication school kids. He was very personable and gave us the impression that our DD would have someone looking out for her. We can’t wait for DD to start her Bama time!</p>