College Insights: UAB
This article is part of a new series, College Insights, in which Springs alumni discuss Colleges that they’ve chosen to attend, and why. If you have further questions or would like to suggest different colleges, feel free to email me at clara.rominger@indiansprings.org or Carina at carina.lim@indiansprings.org
This month’s article will focus on UAB
1) What kind of person were you at Springs? What extracurriculars did you participate in and what were your favorite classes?
Sam St. John (‘18): “I only spent my junior and senior years at Springs, but they were an exceptionally formative experience for me. I spent the previous four years at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and I wanted a school that was more focused on my academics overall, rather than art in particular (I was a visual arts specialty at ASFA). At Springs, I still did AP Art with Mr. Colvin, and I was part of Art Club. I also joined the concert and later chamber choir, and I acted in one play and stage-managed one of the One Act plays.
I actually wrote for the Woodward Post my senior year (I wrote the left side of the political column). Springs was incredibly important to the development of my writing skills, and certainly my essay- and persuasive-writing, both because of the teachers (Mr. Woodruff, Ms. Wainwright, Ms. Peters, and Dr. Cooper in particular) and my classmates. Because of my English classes at Springs I skipped the first two English core classes required at UAB. My favorite classes were all English classes, although Ms. Wainwright's Constitutional Law class (a four-person seminar when I took it) nearly pushed me in the direction of a legal career.”
Sam Dilliard (‘19): It's hard to really gauge what kind of person I was at Springs since I changed so much throughout my time there. I started out pretty soft-spoken, but grew to be more active in the community. I was co-head of Jew Crew my final year with Ilan Goldfarb, played a couple of sports (basketball and tennis), and would occasionally go to a few other club meetings depending on how much time I had. As far as classes go, I really enjoyed creative writing and personal essay with Ms. Graff, chemistry with Ms. Tetzlaff, and photography with Mr. Sheehan.
2) What do you participate in now?
Sam St. John (‘18): I was a Senior Scholar in the residence halls at Springs,
which had a partial leadership component to it, and that experience encouraged me to work in Student Housing as an RA at UAB, which I did last year. I have not been able to participate as much in the artistic programs I loved when I was at Springs, although I am now an officer in the Latin American Film Club at UAB and I participated in a student poetry slam for the first time my freshman year. I've been more involved in student political movements and on a more local level than I was while at Springs.
Sam Dilliard (‘19): Well, everything is sort of on hold now, but I'm working on getting a Jewish Hillel group set up at UAB (despite it being so diverse and supporting many religious institutions, it lacks a Hillel) with a few people I know, I played intramural basketball all last year, I'm involved with the Theta Chi fraternity, and try my best to go to any on campus events like school wide water balloon fights, parades, honors luncheons, etc.
3) What’s your overall impression of UAB?
Sam St. John (‘18): Springs can have something of an insular, "bubble" culture
in terms of social issues, though it engages critically with wider media and culture; this luxury is absent from UAB culture which can be an exciting or intimidating change for Springs graduates who go to UAB. UAB also lacks the tight social support networks that Springs offers, and it takes more initiative to get close with your professors in college than in high school. You will find professors and older students to guide you, but--and I know it's a cliché--there is much less "hand-holding," as it's sometimes put. The nice thing about UAB, however, is if you put yourself out there enough in smaller classes or honors programs or student organizations, you quickly form more social connections than you know what to do with.
Sam Dilliard (‘19): I've really come to love it. At first, I was, admittedly, hesitant. It was closer to home than I originally wanted and the first couple months of college can be tough in general, but once you find people you mesh with it's great. UAB is a really diverse place and I love that there's space to breathe since it's a bigger school, but it's not HUGE.
4) What kind of student is a good fit for UAB?
Sam St. John (‘18): People who like to put themselves out there and try a lot of different things excel at UAB both academically and in terms of social and professional opportunities.
Sam Dilliard (‘19): Realistically, I'd say anyone could thrive at UAB. That being said, it helps if you're adaptable, determined, and want to get involved.
5) What’s something you’d change about UAB?
Sam St. John (‘18): UAB has some issues with bureaucratic indifference to student change and a strange position as simultaneously a progressive research university and an economic and political giant in Birmingham. There really is no separation from the city and local issues like over-policing and poverty, but it also spurs the student body to improve the institution and the community.
Sam Dilliard (‘19): My serious answer: Make sure all the advisors are on top of everything. They have a lot on they're plate, and, in my experience, I haven't had any issues. I have heard that outside of the honors college sometimes they can be slow to respond or not respond at all. However, at a bigger school like this you have to expect that and make sure you take initiative if you see that happening, and a lot of people don't do that. So, I guess in a way it's sometimes the advisors at fault, but the students too.
My not as serious answer: Knock down the humanities building. It's truly awful.
6) What do you enjoy most about UAB?
Sam St. John (‘18): I do love that there's always something to do or get involved in or learn or attend at UAB. This has been diminished somewhat because of COVID but still there are always meetings or discussions of art in film and poetry and painting, community service projects, volunteer opportunities, entrepreneurship projects, and more research programs than any person could possibly engage with.
Sam Dilliard (‘19): I love the urban setting and the people I've met (not to mention I haven't met a professor I have really disliked yet).
7) How does UAB’s location affect your overall experience and social life?
Sam St. John (‘18): If you want the best parts of Birmingham, it's the place to
be; if you hate the city, it's definitely not..
Sam Dilliard (‘19): It's pretty great actually. I can stay in contact with people
who come back to Birmingham from highschool and I get to meet new people at UAB. I also love that it's in the city of birmingham, because even though I grew up just outside of it, I never really got to explore the city. Birmingham is a pretty cool place if you give it a shot.