The University of Alabama - Birmingham

Date: Dec 27 2017
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
I went into UAB as a biology major intending to get into the medical school and be a trauma surgeon. I eventually changed my mind after realizing I did not want to go that route in life, and became a history major. Never have I seen such a sad, underfunded, neglected history department as the history department here. They are shoved into a corner wing in heritage hall, while other majors are given whole seperate buildings. Anything in the College of Arts and Sciences is relegated to Heritage hall, and treated like an afterthought, even though it is the biggest school at the university. The few good professors in the department teach very little (as they do a lot of research) so the teaching is given to TAs or hack professors who give history a bad name. I would not advise being a history major here unless you are big into revisionist history, or being taught history of Birmingham classes, which are of course useless in the larger picture.

UAB is not a safe university. The university backs up to government housing, and there have been many robberies and strong arm rapes on campus. Going into the parking garages past 9 PM is a death wish, with ambush muggings being common. Parking, speaking of, is heinously bad. The university constantly demolishes parking lots to build useless buildings.

The food on campus is also heinous. Almost everything is horridly greasy. The BBQ restaurant in the student center serves warmed up meat that is dry, and the Chinese restaurant across from it is so sugary it's disgusting. The Panera bread is overpriced, but good.

Students are horrible. You are constantly accosted by liberal political activists. Pre med students act as though they are Gods gift to the world and actively talk down to other students. The honors college is a joke that exists to suck up university money with useless projects such as a nap a thon. I wish that was a joke, but it happened. They also had a restaurant cater an event that consisted of the students playing with toys. It is more reminiscent of a kindergarten class than what is supposed to be an elite program.

Campus jobs are non existent if you do not have work study status. The one campus job open to non work study students is located off campus in 5 points, and includes calling alumni to solicit donations.

Sports are a joke. The football program is a money pit, and the students rioted when it was cancelled. Upon reinstatement, the university raised fees on students, who foolishly voted for it. The university dumps 20 million dollars a year into the program, which could be put to academics or patient care at the hospitals.

The hospitals are first rate, but the student health center is a bad joke. I was prescribed MRSA antibiotics for an ingrown hair on my arm, that upon taking them made me feel so poor I could barely leave my bed, as they killed all bacteria in my digestive system, so I could no longer process food. If you have a non life threatening emergency, do yourself a favor and drive to the nearest urgent care.