The University of Alabama Top Questions

The University of Alabama is an overall outstanding school in my opinion. The university has some of the top academic and sports programs in the nation. Everyone has a chance to get involved with organizations on campus and there are endless opportunities to get experience for a successful career. It also is a very diverse school, welcoming students from out of state and also out of the country.

The University of Alabama is the most diverse atmosphere I have ever been a part of. We have plenty of jocks, Indie musicians, sculptors, and party people too. I love meeting so many different people and learning different things from various backgrounds and interests. The only thing I'd change about the Capstone is the political aspect. Our SGA has been rather sketchy in recent years, and I think it's despicable. My school is rather large, boasting over 30,000 students. We pretty much run the city of Tuscaloosa, and this is definitely a college town! We live for football and Saturday nights after the games. "Dixieland Delight" is a mantra for us. "Rammer Jammer" seeps through our pores. And "Sweet Home Alabama" is our anthem. Roll tide, y'all.

In my opinion, The University of Alabama is one of the best college towns. Ever since I have been here my experience has been great. The lay out of the campus is so homey and I love how the town is outside the campus rather than running through it. I am a nursing major and spend a lot of time in the library. There are multiple libraries and they range from being very quiet to openly talking, so depending on how you study, you have a variety of places to choose from. I am also in a sorority here and I have just fallen in love with the Greek system. Others would disagree and say the Greek system ruins Alabama, but I believe that it is a GEAT way to meet long lasting friends.You always have events to go to and it just makes your weekends exciting! I came from a very large high school, so I love the fact that Alabama is very big. I love seeing new faces everyday on campus, and you are constantly meeting new people. The only negative thing I could say about the University would definitely be the parking. There is not any parking for guests to park. Even parking for students is always interesting. You are lucky to find a spot and make sure you park in your zone are you are definitely going to get a ticket. There is definitely a lot of school pride. It is the University of Alabama where the football is fantastic and to die for! Alabama has spirit even when it is not football season. I am only a sophomore but I am so happy with my experience so far at Alabama!

This school is great in terms of it's campus, location, and activities available for students. It is not the best school to got to if your looking for a lot of people with liberal views and open minds.

There is a unique atmosphere from the moment you step on campus. The university has been here since 1831, and you can tell. We have 25,000 students and will have 28,000 by 2010. People who are afraid of getting lost in the shuffle shouldn't be, though. You see the same people everyday, but the size also means that there is always someone new to meet. You can be anonymous if you like, but you can also retain your identity. The Ferguson Center is the place where a lot of students spend their time between classes, so you can always find someone you know there. But the know people you have to meet people, so it is always advisable to try out clubs that interest you so that you can find people who interest you. The University of Alabama is the perfect place to get the full college experience. We are proud of our southern heritage, but at the same time we are unlike any other place in Alabama because we are a center of learning, and thus a bit more liberal. Tuscaloosa is much the same but yet it is not entirely a college town. It could still exist without the university, though it is very connected to the university. The point is that once you leave the campus, you pretty much leave the college feel. Except during football season. If you absolutely abhor football, you might want to hide between the months of September and December on weekends when there are home games. That is because Tuscaloosa becomes overrun with tailgaters, and shouts of "roll tide" fill the air. School spirit goes into overdrive. But if you are not a born Alabama fan, at least give it a chance. You don't have to go crazy, but it is hard to resist joining in with the other 92,000 people singing the fight song when the team scores a touchdown. The biggest complaint on campus (at least the ones that show up all the time in the Crimson White, our newspaper) are the woes about transportation/parking. As with any university, UA has complaints about parking, but I can assure you we have more than our neighbors across the state. If you get to campus on time, you will not have a problem. Just make sure you park in your zone, and you will be fine. And for all that everyone complains about the Crimson Ride, our transit system, it will get you where you need to go if you plan your schedule accordingly. It is very nice on cold, hot, or rainy days. But if you are short on time, it might be a better idea to walk because sometimes the buses get into traffic or take breaks without any warning.

I love attending Bama. My favorite thing would have to be the football games. Just seeing everyone in crimson and white and all the tailgaters on the quad gets you ready for the game. My major is Advertising with a minor in graphic design. Being in advertising, I'm in the college of communications and information sciences. It's nice that all the class for my major is in one building. The faculty and staff in the communication department are very nice and will do their best to answer your questions. There are only two things I complain about- parking and the transit system. Of course parking is a mess, there is not enough. The thing bad about the transit system (Crimson Ride) is that there are days that buses are a minute behind the other. This is frustrating to those waiting on it. I have found that walking is your best bit and it is actually faster to walk than riding the bus.

For me, UA is just simply awesome. If there were one thing I'd change, it would be the lack of scholarships for out-of-state students. Most people are surprised when I tell them that I go to UA, but once I start telling them what all UA has offered me and what all I do on campus, they realize that UA isn't just another large public state university. On campus, I spend most of my time either in my dorm room, the Ferguson Center, or Gorgas Library. The latter two both have access to food/coffee/drinks, good seating, computer access, and fewer distractions than the dorm. It's easier to get work done in both places. Tuscaloosa is possibly the greatest college town in the Southeast. I've been to most of them, and it is one of the most student-friendly towns I've come across. There are multiple restaurants, clubs (you have to be 19), shops, churches, etc. that students can go to when they want to venture off-campus. There is so much school pride here that even an out-of-state kid like myself (who had no UA affiliation before college) becomes a raving lunatic when football season rolls around. Students can literally walk up to a random person's tent on the quad, and they'll let you sit with them and watch the game. I met one of my best friends randomly at a home football game because we got so excited towards the end of the game that we were jumping up and down and hugging each other. Being a die-hard Crimson Tide fan is honestly one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had.

I chose UA because of its size and close community. And for the most part, that's what I have gotten. The administrators and faculty are second to none. I know everyone in the Student Affairs department by name, and they are always willing to help a student. This campus seems really huge at first, but it becomes like a family the longer you are here. I would not trade my experience in Tuscaloosa for the world. It is a college town, but Birmingham is close if you want some big city culture.

UA as a whole is nice. It doesn't feel too big or too small. People are generally really nice. I spend almost all of my time on campus in the biology building. Tuscaloosa is definitely a college town (evident by the empty summers and lack or non-college activities). That's not always a con though. The university offers more than enough things to do (plays, sports, etc). UA's administration overall are really great. The biggest problem right now on campus is not having free prints in the computer lab. There is definitely a lot of school pride here.

Most people think I'm a huge Alabama football fan automatically. That's not true. Actually, I'm a huge Auburn fan. I spend most of my time on campus in the Business College: Alston, Bidgood, and Bruno. UA's admistration can be helpful if you find the right person. Sometimes they act like it's not their problem. The biggest controversty on campus is the "Machine" consisting of greek members who rig election. There is a lot of school pride because Alabama has a long tradition.