College Insights: UA and Rhodes

This article is part of the 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 issue will focus on The University of Alabama through an interview with Liv Komisar ‘19

1. What kind of person were you at Springs? What extracurriculars did you participate in and what were your favorite classes?

I was a very busy person at Springs. Most of my extracurriculars were sports related, I played on the softball team and continued with competitive horseback riding outside of Springs.  I was also the bio lab assistant (I don't know if that counts) so I spent a lot of time after school in Mr. Pollard's room.  My favorite classes were my art classes and the Salinger/O'Connor major authors elective.  I still talk about Nine Stories to my friends today. 

2. What do you participate in now?

I currently still ride horses at a barn in Tuscaloosa.  I'm looking into joining the Equestrian Team in the spring.  I also joined a small sorority. Most of my time is dedicated to school work, though. 

3. What’s your overall impression of your school?

The overall impression of the University of Alabama for those who aren't familiar with it would probably be that it's a big party school.  I had that misconception when I was deciding where to go.  Yet, I think that once I toured, it became obvious that I was grossly wrong.  While UA has a very active greek life, academics are certainly at the forefront of the majority of student's minds.

4. What kind of student is a good fit for your school?

Since UA is a large school, there are so many programs and clubs to become involved with.  I know for me personally, I was looking for a school with high-quality academics combined with a good social scene.  It was perfect for me. 

5. What’s something you’d change about your school?

If I could change anything, I would increase the diversity of the students here at UA.  I think that coming from Springs, I was very used to our large population of international students.

6. What kind of people are there on campus? 

With about 38,000 students at UA, it's really difficult to pinpoint what people are like.  I'm in a small liberal arts program called the Blount Scholars Program with about 100 students in my class.  Specifically for Blount, I think that my classmates were very similar to Springs students.  They are all incredibly academically driven and weird, but in a good way.  

7. What do you enjoy most about your school?

My favorite thing about Alabama is the Blount program. I was certainly intimidated about the size of UA, but by finding the Blount program I was able to form a small community of friends right away.  It allowed me to have the atmosphere of a small liberal arts school while still having the immense resources that a large school provides.  That, and football :)

8. How does the location affect your overall experience and social life?

Our campus is absolutely amazing.  Me and my friends will just go to campus and study or chill on the quad all the time.  Springs really spoiled me with a nice campus, but I can confidently say that UA's campus is just as beautiful.  Also, since we're in Tuscaloosa, it's the middle of October and still warm which makes having outdoor events like football enjoyable even until the winter months.