I’m from PA and considering Alabama as a Communications/Public Relations major. Does anyone have any experience being from this far away and dealing with home sickness, etc? I understand most students are OOS but a lot of them seem to be within driving distance!
I am from PA too and just for back from my visit to UA. Although I don’t have first-hand experience, my family knows atleast ten people at UA right now and they all love it even being so far away. There are many great places to stop on the drive down and the campus seemed like a community and had a home’y feel.
I’m the parent of a student from northern Illinois (about 12 hours away from Bama). My daughter has never complained about being homesick. Freshman year, she came home for Fall Break and Thanksgiving and met us in Florida for wnter break. She’s never come home for spring break. During her first year, she came home about the same amount as her high school friends who attended college within an hour or two drive of home - even though they were much closer they didn’t come home much. Since then, we’ve seen her for winter break but she usually doesn’t come home for other breaks/holidays (her choice). She generally stays in Tuscaloosa or goes home with a friend. FWIW, she initially did not want to go far from home because she thought she’d want to come home every other weekend or so. Obviously that plan went by the wayside. I think level of homesickness and desire to come home varies greatly among students. We did tell our daughter before she headed to Alabama that if she wanted to come home for a break or a weekend, we would pay for her to come home. I think knowing that she could come home if she wanted to helped her in going far away, but she quickly figured out that she liked being on campus and didn’t need to come home very often.
We’re from about 500 miles away in Indiana (about a 7 hour drive).
My son was very homesick his first few weeks. He participated in Outdoor Action, but since he was struggling with homesickness and missing his friends back home, he didn’t immediately make friends on campus. He also was VERY different from his roommates and although they all got along, they didn’t become close friends. I knew he was having trouble adjusting, but I told him he had to stay there the entire semester and then if he really thought that wasn’t the place for him, we’d discuss it I encouraged him to attend Get on Board Day to get involved in activities.
He wound up finding friends in the group that lived directly across the hall and began spending a lot of time with them. Also once classes started, he spent less time thinking about home. By the end of that semester, he didn’t mention homesickness or wanting to change schools. He’s now in his 5th year there due to his co-op (which he stayed in Tuscaloosa an extra year for).
His first year, we saw each other about once a month. He came home for fall break, Thanksgiving, winter break, and spring break, and I went there to drop him off in August, for parents weekend, for a visit during the spring semester, and for move out. I definitely saw him more often than I saw my parents when I was a student even though I was only about 90 miles from home.
As time passes and students develop friends and new lives on campus, coming home is less important. This year I haven’t seen him since August when he took a short break between working the summer in Tuscaloosa and classes starting. I am looking forward to heading down there for Thanksgiving and the Iron Bowl game.
@prpagirl17 we live in PA and with traffic it takes us around 16 hours to drive to Bama.
DS was 17 when he started school and I was very worried about homesickness as he would not be coming home too often.
He was very lucky to have gotten into a dorm with 3 great guys and they became very good friends. They were all from OOS as well, and not an easy drive, so they are there often as well. I think that really made a difference.
This year he lives w/ someone closer to campus so has gone home w/ him for fall break and probably Thanksgiving as well.
He didn’t seem to suffer from homesickness all that much. He does do online gaming so I know he stays in touch w/ all those guys. He seems to be doing very well in all aspects of his life there.
He had the opportunity to attend Temple as well. He would have been able to come home a lot more often. We had this discussion before he attended Bama. He was adamant he did not want Temple, so I think he went in with the right attitude; making it work for him on campus and accepting the lack of home visits.
We are from outside of Philly and my son is a 4th year student. He’ll graduate in 5 years due to co-op.
There are plenty of PA and NJ students.
My son did have an adjustment period. All his high school friends went to colleges near one another.
Trust me, your parents will have a harder time with the distance than you will.
Thanks for your help! Temple is/was on my list too. After my tour and meeting with someone from the college of communications I was blown away! Did he have a car on campus? did you fly/drive down for move in?
Thanks so much for your help!
Thanks for your help? Did she rush, and did she/does she have a car on campus?
How was your visit? After actually touring and meeting with someone in the communications school I was blown away
My daughter is attending UA, sophomore, from Ohio. She has only been homesick when she became ill, mostly misses her dog more than the home! She did join a sorority, and had some other activities that helped keep her engaged. She is a PR major, which has been an amazing experience. Getting involved in PRSSA or Capstone Agency would be important as part of your PR major. Capstone Agency was just named Best College PR/Advertising Agency in the US. PR professors are excellent. PR does require a minor or second major, you might want to consider a business degree as your second field of study to maximize your opportunities.
@swim4school thanks for your help! I met with someone from the communications school who suggested joining both organizations and I definitely plan to. Does she struggle managing those organizations with Greek life? And does she have a car on campus?
@prpagirl17 Lots of questions, didn’t know who they were directed to. 
We flew in for move in and I regretted it. Flight was delayed over 5 hours, tons of boxes to unpack and dispose of, and I had an early flight out the next day, so I felt very rushed and we didn’t accomplish everything I had hoped. This year we drove down and though it is a long drive, and can get expensive w/ hotels, it felt a lot less rushed and I could stay as late as I needed. Also, more organized as we had everything organized/packed before leaving.
Next fall, he will be moving into a rental unit. Haven’t decided yet how we will handle it.
DS does not have a car on campus, might be convenient but not really necessary. Next year he will be moving off campus and most of his potential roommates have cars, so he usually bums a ride. Campus shuttles get him to the airport and back to campus when needed.
If he ever needs one, we would probably buy him a used car, though he doesn’t know that and we are going to keep that option to ourselves for now. 
We never toured the school before DS accepted. Simply unaffordable for us to do so. My husband and I toured Temple and I rather liked it, but at the time DS was interested in Computer Engineering and it really seemed to be a major that wasn’t supported very well at Temple.
So even though I wish he were closer, Bama was a better option and he is living the life! I am very happy with the opportunities he will have and only wish he would take advantage of all Bama has to offer. But, he is happy and it is his life, he worked very hard for it.
@prpagirl17 As a freshman, she did not have a car on campus. However, she does have one as a sophomore. I think as far as balancing the Capstone Agency, school work and Greek life–its a lot. It also depends on if you are selected for the CA as a freshman, and what role they give you. CA is a little like having a part time job. Greek life has a lot of obligations as a pledge, then gets easier the next semester–especially if you get good enough grades to eliminate mandatory study hours. It’s doable–but its a busy time.
@prpagirl17, my son started fall 2103. We rented a van and drove down incorporating stops on the way. The mail center at Bama is great and I regret driving so much stuff. Would have been better to ship it and have the mail center deliver it.
My son did not have a car his first year. His second year, he chose an off-campus apartment that had shuttle service to campus. He did take a car down his second year only because we got lucky that a neighbor was selling his mom’s car.
My son did not pledge. It is not his thing and the costs were high for our financial situation.
His first year, he did the Outdoor Action honors college program. This allowed him to move on campus early and start making friends. OA is a week long honor’s service project. He also joined a club athletic team. These two things really aided in forming a core group of friends.
My second son just started touring colleges (11th grade). He toured Temple with my husband last week. My husband was very impressed with Temple. Son #2 prefers to not go south and he is not eligible for the Bama scholarships. Son #2 put Temple second on his choices after Pitt. Husband put Temple 3rd on his “if I were the student” list and Bama as #1.
I would advise if you like Bama to apply immediately and get the housing deposit in. A large portion of it is refundable if you choose another school.
Another parent of a happy kid from PA. We don’t visit as much as a lot of families, but our son comes home when he wants to, which isn’t often. He mostly flies.
My freshman daughter is from California. She is in one of the fancy four room suites, and she is best friends with two of her roommates. U of AL has a great online roommate matching service so you can room with like minded people. One of her roommates is from New York, the other is from South Carolina. The girl from SC took them with her to SC for Thanksgiving. This was my daughters first Southern thanksgiving, and she loved it. Southern people are so friendly, if you meet the right people, you won’t miss the parents very much and by the time you realize it, the semester is over. She didn’t want to come home for Thanksgiving, as she was nervous she wouldn’t return in time for Alabama/Auburn. Roll Tide baby