The University of Alabama - Birmingham

Date: Jan 25 2006
Major: Computer Science (This Major's Salary over time)
UAB was an excellent experience for me. Though certainly not the most demanding school around, I'd say it's on par with other state schools in the area. UAB provides the opportunity to get an excellent education, though it's probably possible to get through without having done so. I say this having spent 2 years at Auburn University where I rarely studied and frequently skipped class. With the same level of effort, I probably would have lasted, perhaps, an extra quarter at UAB.

Another major difference between my experience at UAB and Auburn was that I received much more personal attention at UAB. I met frequently with my advisor (the Assistant Dean of my school) and our meetings were quite casual and unhurried and she seemed genuinely interested in my academic progress and how I was getting on in general. At Auburn, "my" advisor was of much lower rank, the meetings only involved approval of my course schedule (with a couple of dozen students waiting in line behind me) and I don't recall seeing the same advisor twice.

One of the things that really sets UAB apart from Auburn and Alabama is that the students are, on the whole, older and more committed to graduating. For some this means viewing the school merely as means to career advancment, rather than as a place to obtain an education. Nonetheless, they are at least serious about why they are there. (One side benefit of this is that students who are looking for an education and who show a serious interest in the subject will be given a level of attention from his/her professors that is unavailable at more prestigious schools.)