<p>If she decides to live in the honors dorms, have her signup for the UA roommate finder. She’ll probably have more luck.</p>
<p>My son also did the luck of the draw his first year, and he ended up with two honors roommates and one non-honors. The young man who was not in honors originally had selected housing in one of the older dorms, but when UA housing opened up all the open spots in June, 2009, he grabbed a place in my son’s suite. Since he was taking a couple of classes during that summer, my son met him during Bama Bound. Very nice young man. Had been a D-1 football recruit before surgery on a knee. My son’s other two suite mates were good guys, too. The biggest complaint my son had was that the suite was not as neat as it really needed to be. Because my son was the last to check out last spring, he had to do a lot of cleaning at the last minute.</p>
<p>This year, he is rooming with three young men whom he befriended last year. All seem to have very busy schedules. But they do see each other. One has two classes with my son. The other two each have a class with him. They have divided things up in terms of cleaning. My son does the dishes, while one suite mate cleans the bathroom that they share. </p>
<p>They plan to room together again, and in fact, they will stay in the same suite, same rooms next year. I think one of the big reasons why things worked out was because all had some interesting stories about their roommates from their freshman year. Things were not always happy or clean. All four seem to have done well in terms of respecting each other’s space and property.</p>
<p>I know that I am new to post (but have been reading this for a long time!) and that a lot of you are friends…AND my D is not in Honors Housing (she lives in Tut because it is close to Sorority Row) but I feel like I need to weigh in on this discussion.
I know as parents we all want the best situations for our children. We want them to be happy and productive and not have to deal with “difficult”, “messy” or “uncomfortable” situations. We are their “protectors”. When our first D went off to school at an Ivy, on the East Coast, far away from the Midwest suburb she had grown up in (we didn’t have a front door key…great high school where she was very involved, parents active in the community…you get it) I was so worried about all that you are discussing. We had three more at home and so she and her Dad went there to do the final visit and I didn’t see the dorm until we moved her in (oh by the way that was 2 steamer trunks checked onto an airplane and two UPS boxes. this D is 31 now! Quite different from the mini van, borrowed from a neighbor, crammed to the top with youngest D’s stuff). The halls were gross, it smelled of cooked food but the room was nice and the roommate who was an honors Student like our D seemed pleasant. My husband put his arms around me and told me this…“College life is not only about books and studying…the intellectual learning is important, it prepares us for the path we will follow and the paycheck we will eventually receive, but college is also about learning flexibility, compassion, people skills and developing ourselves socially as well as mentally”. You know she survived and thanked me at the end of her 4 years for allowing her to make her own choices and for pushing her out of her comfort zone and encouraging her to become a more tolerant and adaptable person. It has helped her tremendously in her profession (she is a film production coordinator in NYC for a major studio…one of the youngest women in the profession.)<br>
So, as difficult as it is and no matter how much you all want to make sure that your children are in the best possible learning situation, here is my suggestion…continue to discuss and to read others comments, encourage you D’s and S’s to take risks…it will benefit them in the long run. Roommates are tricky sometimes and we all are not the same (I have to tell you I am so jealous of all of you who have posted about sons who clean…I have threatened more than once to bulldoze his room and start over!) Tell them to get out of that room…to explore and find a secondary place to study (mine goes to Bruno…), not everyone is a “cleaner”, make a rotation schedule of cleaning duties and realize that this might just totally out of someones capabilities. USE YOUR WORDS!!! Talk and communicate about problems, use your RA for mediation if needed and most importantly be flexible. Do not sit and stew about problems that arise…the more time you waste being upset will only make the problem seem bigger!
I am positive that you all will encounter those people in your life who keep their living spaces messy, dirty and maybe even at times downright GROSS (my S had one of those last year!) and so you clean…is it fair? No, but that’s what happens…think of how many times in your jobs that you have had to “clean up” after another co-worker…not fun but we do it.<br>
So…hang in there…try not to micro manage the whole roommate selection process as well as the process of just picking the room. I have to tell you I have a lot of trouble with the suites where you go in and just shut the door. I know that a communal bathroom and 2 bunk beads in a room is not for every one but I think it does have it’s social learning advantages. That being said I understand that all children are not alike and that many many need that particular set up of their own room and space to learn. We all need different environments to maximize learning.
So am now climbing off the soap box before I fall. Thanks for listening…just had to get it off my chest and if I offended anyone I apologize. I am sorry that some of you are so worried…I tell you to relax, that it will all work out but as a worrier as well, I get it! Hang in there…buy cleaning supplies (oh benefit of communal bathrooms at UA…they don’t have to clean :)! )
Although I only have one at Bama, she is the youngest and so have been through this with 3 before. I don’t claim to know it all but feel like I have quite a bit of information to share about college in general. UA actually asked me to sit on the Parent Board for Bama bound but being from out of state it just doesn’t work for us. I would have liked it…would have been fun. Good luck and Roll Tide!</p>
<p>ahpimommy - No offense taken here…think I need to hear it. Sending first child - and only D - off this fall & I do believe it may kill me! She has already said she wants a non-honors dorm, although she’ll be in Honors. Don’t know if she will end up at UA, but she’ll have to make choices for herself no matter where she ends up. Can I pick your brain, though? Do freshman need cars? Or is it more of a hassle? And should we make sure she has housing even if she might not make college choice til April? Planning on going to recruitment weekend for rush, is that a BamaBound weekend, too? Sorry for all the questions…We’re from Midwest, too so I’m not too familiar with UA. Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, honors suites are carpeted…the low level type.</p>
<p>So, usually one person brings a small vac that is borrowed by everyone in the suite…Wal-Mart often has an inexpensive small vac for about $30. </p>
<p>As for other things needed to clean the place…the basics…</p>
<p>Glass Plus kind of spray…I like the Windex “all in one” that is anti-bacterial. Good for cleaning counters in the bathroom and the kitchen. Also for cleaning the microwave.</p>
<p>toilet cleaner (and a brush and a plunger)</p>
<p>shower cleaner</p>
<p>Lots of paper towels!</p>
<p>Swiffer wet for kitchen and bathroom floors</p>
<p>I am happy to answer your questions. If I were you would go ahead and secure housing. My D wanted to live in Tutweiller. It is not for everyone but she had stayed there during Panhellenic Preview weekend and she loved how it seemed to be filled with mostly girls who were Greek affiliated. In addition she felt that going through recruitment was going to be stressful and being in Tut with tons of girls who were in the same situation would be emotionally comforting. She chose her roommate and then pulled in the roommate she met on the roommate site. Both pledged different houses but has worked well.
Bama Bound and Panhellenic Preview are not the same thing. Bama Bound is run by the University and is when you go to get orientated to UA and choose your classes for Fall. There are special ones for Honors students. We attended the first regular one (first weekend in June) and although my D is not honors there were honor kids there. It is generally a day and a half…lots of info…my D loved it and did not want to go home! I believe registration is February 1…check the UA website.
Panhellenic Preview is the weekend of March 26th. It is a one day program for girls and parents who want more information about participating in recruitment. I suggest if at all possible you go. The day is well planned and packed with great info. Your D will get to visit each house for a very brief period of time as well as visit all the brag tables that each sorority puts up. My D loved it! Last year if you knew someone in a sorority you were able to stay with a member who did not live in the house. This year that is not the case due to changes by Panhellenic. But…most of the houses will have invitation only dinners, teas and brunches. I would suggest asking those people who are writing recs for you to contact their sorority at UA and introduce you…sometimes that will get you an invitation. My D was a legacy to several houses on campus so she had a very busy weekend!
As far as a car goes we do not allow our children to take cars their freshman year. we feel very strongly that part of the the college experience is learning how to navigate campus and town sans car. When your D pledges she will have LOTS of sisters with cars. If she chooses to live in Tut the parking lot on game day is for reserved parking only. All cars have to be moved or are ticketed! My D’s boyfriend brought her flowers on game day and received a $150 ticket! UA has the Crimson Ride bus system. It provides students with transportation around Campus as well as to the Strip and I believe Mid Town Shopping Center and maybe Target on the weekends. My D will tell you that you must be patient but in a pinch it works.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more if I can’t answer there are lots of great people here who can!</p>
<p>Just to clarify. . . only half of the parking lot at Tutwiler was reserved for Game Day parking this year. Our D would make sure she was in the non-reserved half of the lot the Sunday before a game and not move her car all week!</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification…good to know since D didn’t have a car we didn’t have this issue. Did your D find it helpful to have a car ? Did she use it a lot?</p>
<p>She does use her car several times a week and is very glad she has it. She uses it for errands - Target, the dry cleaners etc. She also uses it for off campus volunteer activities, to go out to eat on the weekends and to go to church downtown.</p>