<p>Yeah, in November, I knew the Soph class was already down several students…so this attrition does not surprise me. Many students realise a couple of things: it’s too difficult…or it’s not for me. (Some schools purposefully build in an attrition rate and ‘weed out’ the non-committed and the no-hope-rs…) Hopefully my son is not one of those. He has had a passion for aviation all his life. (The prof who took us around mentioned that he hadn’t had someone for a long long time who was quite as interested and asked quite so many questions on his personal tours as my son…which is a good thing, right?!)</p>
<p>Anyone on the fence still at this point about UA who is reading this: trust your gut. You will know if being on a changing tide makes you nervous or excites you - sorry for the pun. Because the tide at UA Eng’g is definitely changing. For the better…</p>
<p>I guess we are in the camp of being excited about Bama’s engineering program. My son has reported nothing but good things about his brief time at school. He is in the emerging scholars program which just started this semester. Things are looking promising for his research project in the fall. While he wan’t looking for employment, he did dress the part and visit the career fair this spring. He said three companies were more than happy to talk with him and give him some pointers. I encouraged him to go and said see what it was like so next year he would be more comfortable with the process. He said it was pretty interesting. </p>
<p>As far as the students leaving the program you are right aeromom. My son said kids left for all different reasons. Alot of them realized after taking AEM 121 that aerospace just wasn’t to their liking. They transfered to another engineering program. That is one of the purposes of that class, to introduce the students to aerospace and see who likes it and who doesn’t.</p>
<p>Engineering is like Pre-med. At the beginning, you’ll have a very large number of students state that they’re engineering majors (or pre-med). </p>
<p>Then college begins…</p>
<p>Some students will not do well in the weeder courses (both Eng’g and Pre-med have weeder courses). So a number of students will change majors. This happens again the next semester. And, sometimes kids who are doing well simply decide that a different major suits them better.</p>
<p>And not every engineering discipline is similar in difficulty or interest… So, some may start in xE and then change to yE. </p>
<p>This happens everywhere.</p>
<p>The problem is that many kids (maybe influenced by parents or the desire for a well-paid career) declare eng’g or pre-med when they really do not have the math/science aptitude to do well. </p>
<p>And, yes, UAH is literally in Cummings Research Park, so there are many internship opps right there. But, UA kids get those as well. My UA kids did their internships in Cummings Research park as well.</p>
<p>Is it rude to wonder openly why some parents at UAB and UAH feel the need to come to the UA page on CC to promote their schools and badmouth UA? Maybe it is rude to do the latter. I have said it before and I will say it again. UAB and UAH will not give a student the traditional college experience. And neither have the beatiful campus that UA does. If those things don’t matter to you, then check out those sister campuses, but just know beforehand that they can not compete with Bama in many many areas.</p>
<p>I assume folks from UAB and UAH come here because it’s the University of Alabama forum and there aren’t separate forums for UAB and UAH. I for one appreciate the input - it’s nice to learn about the other schools in the system. Maybe you’re referring to something different, but I didn’t view the UAH post as badmouthing UA - just asking why only UA is considered while UAH has a good engineering program.</p>
<p>As someone who lives a few miles away from UAH…I can tell you this.</p>
<p>It is a fine school for STEM majors. </p>
<p>A number of my kids classmates have commuted to the school to save money on room and board. But, as Atlanta mentioned, it does lack the full college experience and it doesn’t have a large number of OOS students.</p>
<p>Rsingh…then that means that your social circle in NY enjoys clinging to stereotypes instead of learning what’s really going on. Maybe you can be a leader of enlightenment.</p>
<p>There was no hostility in my statement; it was purely an observation and something worth asking. In a system that differentiaties itself (like the UA System), schools develop programs that tailor toward more specific goals. For example, UA provides the only law school whereas UAB hosts the hospital and medical schools.</p>
<p>As for posting within the UA forum, UAH and UAB do not have their own forums, but are also within the UA System as independent schools that carry the UA name. I feel it would only be reasonable to assume that would apply here as well.</p>
<p>In regards to the college experience, that is something that UAH certainly needs to improve, but it has been getting better overtime. However, UA certainly excels more in this regard.</p>
<p>Unfortunately that really is the prevailing reputation here in NY. Of course for 99% of us, it’s just ignorance. Trust me, a microscopic number of New Yorkers know anything about Alabama or UA besides the football team.</p>
<p>*Chardo quote:
Assuming they’re not from the area, when UA kids do an internship in Huntsville, where do they live?
*</p>
<p>That’s a good question. since I live in the HSV area, it’s not been an issue for us.<br>
I wonder if UAH lets summer internship students “rent” space in their dorms in the summer? </p>
<p>Real Focus…do you know?</p>
<p>What do kids do at other schools when they have internships? Surely many of those internships aren’t near their campus housing. Many schools are in the “middle of nowhere” or the STEM internships simply aren’t nearby. </p>
<p>I recently spoke with a mom whose child has been selected for a fabulous research opportunity this summer in another country, not sure where that child will be staying either.</p>
<p>However, for REUs, housing is typically provided.</p>
<p>There must be something…all the interns don’t live here. I know that some of my sons’ fellow interns weren’t locals. </p>
<p>It would seem like a good deal for UAH to get money for renting out summer dorm space to Bama, UAB, or Auburn interns working summers in Cummings Research Park. After all, if the student is in good standing with his university, it doesn’t sound like much of a risk.</p>
<p>I’d imagine that there are apartment complexes in most cities that would rent on a short term basis. Interns could also sublease from people who are only there for the academic year.</p>
<p>In some areas of the country, fraternity houses rent rooms over the summer to non-members.</p>
<p>While not all companies assist in finding internship housing, HR or the supervisors generally have a good idea of which areas are best for interns to live over the summer.</p>
<p>Summer REU programs or corporate internship and co-op programs offer housing, usually by providing apartments they rent by the block or a including a housing stipend in your benefits. If you’ve independently arranged an unpaid internship or an independent research work at a different university, you’ll likely be on your own to find and pay for housing.</p>
<p>For my kids’ REUs and VIGRE, they were housed in university dorms for free.</p>
<p>My nephew did an REU over Spring Break, so he was put up in a hotel.</p>
<p>I just wanted to add…students have to “do their part” to get these opportunites…that means reading the emails that their dept sends out, going to their major’s website and looking for the posted opps, going to the REU website and looking for desirable opps.</p>
<p>Then, once you’ve identified the opps that interest you, you have to get your LORs, fill out the apps, and send them in.</p>
<p>No one is going to “hold your hand” and do it all for you. Part of the selection process involves having the “go getter attitude” to find/get these opps. </p>
<p>I remember seeing one email that my older son had overlooked ( I had his school emails forwarded to me…lol) . This email had a fab opp in it. I brought it to his attention, he applied, got his LORs, got selected, and had an awesome experience. But, you have to open the email!!!</p>