Son has gotten into Auburn which is one of his 2 top schools. He recently visited for the first time and loved the campus and the feel of the school. He knew going in that the town of Auburn was fairly small but once he got there, it was even smaller than he pictured.
What do most students do on the weekends or around town during any free time they have? Because we live far away, he will have to remain in town for shorter breaks and is curious what the kids do for fun in and around Auburn. He will not have his car the first year and would be living on campus. Walkability and access to outdoor activities (fishing, hiking, etc.) are important to him.
Chewacla State Park is a place some students like to hang out at. It is just off the Interstate exit heading in the direction away from campus, so he would need to get a ride with a friend to go there. It is a great place to go hiking. Here is info on the park: http://www.alapark.com/chewacla-state-park
Opelika is near Auburn and students sometimes go there for outings in addition to Auburn, but again a car is needed.
Students generally hang out on and around campus, go out to eat, and get involved in clubs, Greek life and other activities. Some get involved in churches or other religious institutions. Popular places to hang out change over time, but I’m sure he will quickly find out from other students where to go.
@mommyrocks thank you for the suggestions and information. The issue he is having is that the other school at the top of this list is located in a more urban area with shops, restaurants, and multiple avenues for outdoor activities. But, he liked the campus at Auburn better. So he is trying to weigh every option as the schools both offer the academic environment he is looking for and are otherwise similar in many other ways.
He knows he will be able to make the most of wherever he ends up but right now, the area around Auburn seems to be holding him back from the school.
Auburn senior here - there’s a lot of “outdoorsy” stuff to do around Auburn. There’s the Ecology Preserve, which is a 15 minute drive up North College, and Chewacla State Park about 20 minutes down South College from Toomer’s corner.
As far as things he can walk to from campus dorms, there’s a lot to do at the gym: rock climbing, running, basketball, racquetball, and much more. It really comes down to how involved he wants to be in extracurricular activities; people do everything from playing multiple intramural games every weekend to staying home and playing video games. If he’s not interested in those, most of what he seems to be interested in requires a car to drive to.
Thank you @esssse for the response. Not having car is a point of contention for my son but we are of the firm opionion that he does not need one for his first year. I am certain that between school offered transportation and friends with cars (who obviously have nicer parents), he will have many opportunities for off campus activities.
That being said, I also think that he will not be heading off campus as a freshman as much as thinks he will. He plans to do both intramurals and/or club sports (golf, bass fishing club, etc.), workout frequently at the rec center and join school sponsored clubs. Between those and the whole homework and studying thing, he will stay busy most, if not all, of the time.
His big indecsion stems from his high interest in both of this final 2 school choices and he keeps second guessing himself.
@VaNcBorder, we live in Knoxville, both graduated from Auburn, and have a daughter at each school! Both love their respective schools, and I think he could be happy at either one. Yes, UT is in a bigger town, but the campus is downtown and he would still have to get rides to hiking and fishing. Smokies are about an hour away, and south Knoxville across the river from campus has Ijams Nature Center which has trails, lake in a quarry where you can canoe in season, etc. The daughter who is at UT is very jealous of Auburn’s on-campus green space! However, she does like being able to walk to restaurants at Market Square and on Gay St. That being said, downtown Auburn is getting more nice restaurants every time we go. But honestly the kids mostly eat fast food (either on “The Strip” at UT or in downtown Auburn), and the nice restaurants are for when parents visit! As mentioned above, Chewacla State Park is very popular at Auburn, and I’m pretty sure their bass fishing club is very strong. My freshman at Auburn has a car, but she mostly uses it for weekend Wal-Mart runs. Both campuses have bus systems that will take the kids to places both on and off campus. My (biased) heart is with Auburn, because of the indefinable “spirit.”
Thank you so much for your response @HandLMum. You definitely have the background to provide opinions on both schools and you gave us some great insight!
When we visited UTK over the summer we made a family vacation out of it and spent 5 days exploring the campus, and walking around Knoxville. We ate every night outside on the main square, and spent a day at Dollywood and a day in Gatlinburg. He really got a sense of how he could fit in at both the school and the city. He also went in not knowing if he would be admitted so his interest was tempered by the ‘what if’s’.
When he visited Auburn last month, he and my husband stayed for one night and they flew out the same afternoon as his tour. But, as he had already been admitted, he was able to look at the school with the excitement of somebody who knew definitively that he could spend his next 4 years there.
You are right that he can’t go wrong with which ever school he chooses but the decision in itself has still been stressful. He bought a hat at both schools and alternates wearing them. I want to scream ‘just choose already!’ but I know he is thinking hard and will make the right choice when he is ready.
VaNcBorder - one of my sons roommates has not had a car for 4 years - my son and some of their friends sometimes give him rides if the weather is bad but he rides his bike everywhere and they do live off-campus in an apartment that is also serviced by the shuttle. I’m prejudiced but he will absolutely love Auburn, it is such a special place (from a Mom who went to school in TX).