The University of Alabama — Attraction in Tuscaloosa

Ah yes, the University of Alabama—that other school in the South where houndstooth and haphazard tailgating reign supreme, and where the library, I hear, is open most days. I had the distinct experience of visiting the campus once, though admittedly not for academic collaboration—more out of morbid curiosity and a friend’s ill-advised wedding.

The campus is… fine. Expansive, certainly. Brick buildings that aspire to grandeur but somehow feel like they were designed by a committee of booster club donors. The quad is pleasant enough if one doesn’t mind the ever-present undercurrent of grill smoke and frat rock echoing from all directions.

Academically, well—how to put this gently? The institution does try. I’m told they’ve made great strides in "business" and “communications,” which I suppose are respectable pursuits for those who find critical thought a touch exhausting. The honors college appears earnest, though one can only hang so many banners proclaiming “rising excellence” before one begins to wonder if the elevator ever reaches the top floor.

Now, the students… bless them. Spirited, certainly. Proud to the point of delusion. One must admire their unwavering confidence—particularly those draped in crimson and white who treat SEC football victories as intellectual validation. I did attempt a conversation about Faulkner once with a young man in a “Roll Tide” tank top. It did not go well.

As for the faculty, I’m sure there are pockets of brilliance hiding in the humanities department—or at least in whatever is left of it after the latest budget cut to make way for a new athletic facility.

In conclusion, the University of Alabama is, I suppose, a suitable option for those who value tradition, spirited camaraderie, and the occasional economics lecture between football games. If one is seeking rigorous intellectual debate, a well-funded research environment, and classmates who can name more than one modernist author—well, Nashville might have been a wiser choice.

But to...

This school has way too many stereotypes. For those stuck up bitter people who say it is not a good school, say it is just based on football and partying, are extremely bias and clearly unintelligent. You can go to any school and make it what you will. So, therefore, if you believe that it is a party school with poor academics, I would double check your sources because you just sound ridiculous. Obviously you did not get in, or you partied a little too hard and didn't get the degree you wanted. People admire diplomas from such an amazing school because it is so different and selective and the academics are NOT "stupid." The University of Alabama is a prestigious school that offers many hard, tough classes that require a lot of studying and a lot of effort. It is also jumping higher and higher on the countries rankings of colleges. Yes it is not a Harvard or a Princeton, but it does not want to be. It is UA and that is all it wants to be. And hi...they do NOT accept everyone, their acceptance rate is 40% and is getting lower and lower each year. This school is a GREAT school. For those of you who disagree with me, you clearly are trying to make Bama look bad because you have nothing better to do. But for the students who attend that school, the hardworking, busy, and intelligent responsible people who go there, they are much much much better than you who are just sitting on your computer, with nothing better to do, and making arguments you cannot support. Plus, living in Tuscaloosa my whole life, it is NOTHING but safe. To those who disagree....shame on...

Been there for 1 semester and while I am considering transfer it's not a terrible school by any stretch. Teachers are about average (no matter where you go to school, there will be good ones and bad ones) and it's nice having everything very close (never have to walk more than 10 minutes to class). The dining halls are about average I guess.

I guess the main issue I have is the social life here. Fraternities are insanely expensive (low-end is about $2,000 per semester) and as a result you have them just filled with stuck-up people. For both of those reasons, I did not join one, and so it has been quite a challenge trying to find a good time somewhere. What's more, the large student body COULD be a good thing, except the only sense of community we have is the football games, and even that could be a lot better than it is. There's really not much diversity here, either, at least not compared to my home in downriver Michigan. I mean at UA there are basically only 3 races: white, black, Asian. Plus, the different races do very little interacting and mingling together. I'm not saying this to be like "f--k the south" either, this is just what I have experienced.

If you are looking for a school to really have a good time and meet a lot of interesting people, UA is probably NOT the place for you. If you don't really care about that and just want to get yourself an education, then I guess it's...