@chris17mom, if you notice my post above, DS did not deposit early, but had friends that did. If your son knows others that are attending that put their deposit in early and are willing to pull him in, then you have no worries. If he knows no one else attending and you don’t think he will make friends with anyone before room selection time, then putting a deposit down would be safer. Good luck to you!
NOTHING! We love Bama. We’re from NY. Our daughter is a sophomore.
@chris17mom, I read your comment above about your son’s need for a private room. If he has medical documentation of issues that you feel would affect his housing, the UA website says you should submit that as well by February 1. Just wanted to mention in case you didn’t know that. And not sure if that applies to your situation or not.
If Bama were the number 1 or 2 pick for DD, we would’ve put the deposit down, I’ll take 50-50 odds for the money. But since DD is going to narrow her choices down to 3-5 schools by March 31, when she finally hears back from numerous RD applications, I can’t justify sending in the deposit now. On a list of so many positives from our Alabama research – Best visit (by far); Best dorm; One of the Best campuses; One of the Best “feels” about how they want undergrads – I had to find something to NOT like after all!
M2CK In reply to your post #19, I think UA could do something which doesn’t cost much. UA could have Nick Saban give a plug for UA academics during his interviews. See my comment #69 on another thread about putting UA on CC Top Universities List.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18074640#Comment_18074640
I want to address a couple of things mentioned in this thread. About the wi-fi. When we were at Bama Bound last May, there were upgrades being made to wi-fi. Due to the explosion of devices that eat up bandwidth and the growth of students, I believe there was more of an exponential growth in the bandwidth use, and upgrades on equipment etc had to be implemented. We found this also happened with a nearby apt complex (built in 2012); major upgrade in equipment to bring it up to residents’ wi-fi needs.
Parking enforcement - be wise on and off campus. I was a bit shocked at some of the ‘risks’ students took in parking in spots that were marked with pretty high fines and towing.
Honors dorms. My DD was in this school year and loved it. Her good friend was in Presidential II and liked that. Each had one room-mate that was a ‘dud’. DD does study a lot in her room by herself, or gets together with others on particular subjects. Made and had friends from various activities. Didn’t look to meeting others in dorm suites near hers unless she recognized someone from class or other activities.
DD said food was being improved at Lakeside this semester - food service is responding to feedback. Glad for the new dining option near STEM buildings - popular, so lines and waiting for lunch. Sometimes ate at Burke. You make it what you can make it. DD had a little better schedule second semester (even with taking a heavier course load) so better opportunities on eating meals and snacks.
Freshman year is more expensive with living on campus and having the unlimited meal plan required of all freshman. Other DD was at UAB and had required meal plan (they gave two levels, and even the lesser level was not fully utilized - so we overpaid some, but the food services needs a ‘core’ to plan on for operations).
For those that didn’t submit a housing deposit and their student eventually comes to UA - some students do ‘change their minds’ at late dates. DD’s friend that was in Presidential II had already gone through other school’s orientation and realized she wanted to come to UA - and she was happy to get into a Bama Bound session and have a spot in Presidential II.
UA in many ways works to accommodate. However you also have to realize it has a sizable student body.
We have that problem also with gluten allergies…not just intolerance. The lady that handles the contract is Kristina Hopton-Jones. They contract out to Aramark from what my daughter said in an allergy meeting is that the contractor is not set up to handle allergies and they are huge in the food service industry. Just google Aramark and see how many schools they support. It too many people complain they will have to get better food. Per the directory, email these: khjones@fa.ua.edu; mealplans@bamadining.ua.edu; defalco-aj@aramark.com
I think if we ban together we can get a response. UA does not realize how crucial this is in the upcoming years. Allergies are just getting more prevalent and if they can’t handle it we need to force them to change providers for the sake of our children and future children.
UA Contracts out their dining service. If the people that handle the contract do not know they can not help you. They can be found by emailing:
khjones@fa.ua.edu; mealplans@bamadining.com; defalco-aj@aramark.com
The contract is with Aramark and they have a gozillion contract across the US. Email and complain. The more we complain the better service we can expect.
Haven’t read past the first page so I am probably repeating stuff.
No good way to get to Atlanta to fly out of for students who don’t have a car. There is an amtrak from Ttown and a Megabus from downtown Birmingham but they do not go to the airports and didn’t line up well with flights from the West Coast. Greyhound doesn’t go from anywhere near campus. Flights from BHM are more expensive and do not run as late in the day (so we lost a day of break because there was no later flight) and sell out quicker so sometimes it requires loosing a day at each end of a break with flying times. Flying home to Ca for T’giving was eyewateringly expensive for the number of days he would actually be home so we didn’t see our son for four months. That was hard for a new freshman and his family. Also food service was closed over T’giving break so that made it worse.
Campus buses do not always run to the end of classes. DS hurt his knee and had to walk home because he had a late test and the buses had stopped.
Not many things to do in Tuscaloosa for those who are visiting. We come from an area where there is a lot to do because we have a lot of tourists. We didn’t find much to do when we were visiting.
Off campus housing doing an Aug-Aug rental. Why don’t they do Mid may to mid may? That way you could get your kid moved out and moved in at the end of freshman year in one go.
Not knowing when the last day of the semester will be for your student until after classes are finalised. Some classes don’t have finals and you are meant to be out of dorms within 24hrs of last exam. When you have to book flights months ahead of time it can be frustrating. I can understand why they don’t want partying kids with nothing to do hanging around for days but some leeway could be allowed. Not knowing if a professor is going to cancel a class or not right before a break, would be nice to know so an earlier flight can be arranged. Last minute doesn’t work even if you can get an earlier flight if you are relying on a shuttle you had to book weeks ago.
Amy, we went from August to Dec. I’d never gone more than about a week without seeing my son before that. It was a long wait. Five days still really isn’t worth it if it costs close to $1K and you spend the bulk of two days travelling. Ideally classes would start on a Tuesday after a break because sunday flights can often be much more expensive.
Oh one other thing, orientation started before DS finished school. There were no honours orientations left when he signed up and when he went there were no places left in honours classes for him and he ended up signing up for classes he didn’t want. The advisor told him that they all went much earlier in the summer. We thought that they were keeping some spots open for later orientations. It worked out in the end as we re-jigged his schedule right before classes started and he got the classes he wanted but it was stressful for him at orientation.
Hello everyone. I am a 2nd semester freshman guy here at UA and I have a few things to contribute. This is mostly directed to guys because I think the experience is somewhat different for girls. Also these complaints aren’t necessarily exclusive to UA.
I can’t emphasize enough how horrible that first semester/first few months can be if you don’t have pre-existing friends and don’t have the means to join a fraternity. Fraternities are quite expensive. At the low end, they cost $3,000 per year, not counting the hidden cost of the various clothing and other items you may need to buy as part of pledgeship. At the high end, some approach $8-9k/year, similar to the cost of tuition. But to even be considered for the honor of paying these dues, you will need connections at the better houses, and at least 4 fraternities (generally regarded as the most popular) are almost entirely exclusive to Alabama-residents and occasionally legacy recruits from other Southern states–no non-Southerners allowed, and while this is not information you will find on any of the websites, it’s necessary to secure some form of recommendation. Other fraternities are less exclusive, but not by much. Memberships are decided long before school starts at Spring and Summer parties–there is no formal rush.
I know you may be thinking–as I thought–that a fraternity is unnecessary, but I can promise you that the culture will make you feel it is so once you are here, and it can be a bitter pill to swallow to realize you are on the outside looking in. I am not an inept person, nor am I overweight, anti-social, or particularly nerdy–I am blessed with a strong physique, I played football in HS, and I am 6’3’’, but even given these advantages it is very difficult to woo many Bama women–and the stat is a whopping 50% of freshman females are sorority sisters–if you aren’t attached to a Greek house, and preferably one of the more exclusive ones.
And it’s not just about the girls. It’s rough to meet fellow men at Alabama if you didn’t pledge. And again, I am not a socially incompetent recluse. It’s just that no matter how many clubs you join, most people are in clubs as resume builders, not to make friends. And you can also expect many clubs to be filled with mainly girls, which may sound nice from a dating perspective (until you realize they’re getting all of “that” out of the way on the weekends at “swaps”) until you realize that this means there are relatively few guys there. And the one’s that are there are often gay.
And finally, despite what the movies may lead you to think–that everyone just walks in and gets tossed a beer–if you want to party at Bama, you have to either be a brother or know a brother, and this is a tough thing as a first semester freshman.
Simply put, if you’re smart fella who’s coming here on scholarship, whose family can’t afford thousands of dollars to get into the parties, who had a few friends in high school, and who would like a chance with some of the Bama hotties…your first semester will be tough. Second semester has been better, mainly cause I’ve adapted to the realities and learned to be happy with what I’ve got in life, but that first one is a toughie. If you’ve never been conscious of your social class, prepare, because that’s what this campus environment is all about.
HOWEVER, despite all of what I said, I still think you can be happy here. And honestly it’s been somewhat rewarding to weather it and realize I can deal with being somewhat alone–but as I said, it’s rough.
Roll Tide
edit: I am white, but if you aren’t white, don’t believe what some people have said here. UA is still very much a race-conscious campus, and is de facto segregated. I have met plenty of nonwhites who are happy here, but everything I said above is doubled if you’re black, hispanic, or Asian.
Thank you @mrnostalgia for sharing your experience! I’m glad that you’re finding your place in the second semester, and are adapting. I have no advice to offer- college was much the same for me back in the Middle Ages (when I went to school). I just wanted you to know that your opinion is valuable contrast. Best of luck in your continued studies!
@mmostalgia Of course, your experience is uniquely your own. However, I don’t want any incoming male student to think that they will be unhappy if they don’t join a fraternity. That is certainly not the experience of all male freshman students at UA. I think your college experience and happiness depends on many factors. I know that my student had many good friends, great experiences and plenty of opportunities at Bama and was not in a fraternity. I know many male students who have had great success at UA who were not in a fraternity.
Some students think that college is mostly about social events, parties and drinking while others are at college strictly to study, graduate and get a job. You can find a happy medium even if you are not in a fraternity or even if you are.
I feel bad that you found your first semester to be rough socially, perhaps you should try other ways to socialize, go to the rec center and take a fitness class, join a study group, get an on campus job where you will interface with both students and staff, or volunteer at one of the many humanitarian organizations on campus.
Remember that only about 1/3 of students on campus are Greek but even if 50% of freshman girls rush, there are 50% who don’t.
I’m wondering how my son, with his athletic 6’5" physique, has managed to have two girlfriends in his 3 years at Bama, without being Greek. Maybe there’s a 6’4" minimum?
Also wonder how he met his best friends early freshman year without pledging. Or how he manages to be part of clubs where nobody else does anything because they’re just building a resume. Guess those intramural and club sports aren’t any fun. He met both girlfriends through UA clubs, btw.
I’ll concede one point, with modification. If you want to party at Bama, you need to be a brother or know one. The biggest and most frequent parties are Greek. If that’s your thing, then you really do need to be connected. However, if you think those are the only parties, look around. More than half the students are independent. You think they’re all staying home or pressed against the frat house windows waiting to get in?
There are 2,000 independent freshman girls on campus. Another 5,000+ sophs and uppers, if you’re into older women. Surely some of them will be attracted to your killer bod. Maybe a few will even be attracted to your National Merit mind.
???
I don’t think joining fraternity is very important in Bama. Remember that only 1/3 of boys are in fraternity(I think), and that UA is soooo big that you can do lots of stuff without going to party and whatnot. Like, go to rec center, go watch movie, engage in Honors college activities, etc etc.
I don’t have many friends either but I doubt it’s because I have no connection to frat or frat brothers…it’s more because I am too shy to approach to new people.
I think a lot depends on your major. There are plenty of engineers who are independents. I think business majors are more likely to go Greek. Your dorm choice might be a factor, as well, and sometimes, for whatever reason, you don’t connect with the students on your hall or in your classes. That can happen anywhere.
I appreciate @mrnostalgia’s sharing his personal experience. Freshman year can be challenging in the best of circumstances. I’m glad to hear he’s pushing ahead!
And if you are not really interested in fraternities, these non-sorority girls might be just your type.
It seems as though the issue is whether a guy wants to be in a fraternity or not. If he does, but has little money, then it can be a problem. But if not interested in fraternities, then that seems not to be a problem.
Precisely. It is easier to find friends and activities at larger schools than at small ones. 'Bama has over 30,000 undergraduate students and almost 7,000 are freshman. This means that at least 3,500 frosh are not in fraternities nor sororities.
@NROTCgrad how to you quote other person’s post?
By the way, it could be harder for people who came in spring semester to make friends because by the time they come to school as new students, many Freshmen will have already made friends in dorm, activities, frats, classes, etc and it’s hard to break through what has already been formed.
And personally, I don’t want to join frats unless I am REALLY attracted to (Like SAM) because it’s too costly and paying that much money just for social life is plain foolish unless you are overflowing with fortune like Harry Potter, JK rowling, Rockefeller etc
Paul,to quote, type [ quote ] at the beginning without the spaces between the letters and brackets, copy and paste quote, and type [ /quote ] at the end, again without spaces.
To include the name of the poster, type [ quote=name ] at the beginning.