Birmingham-Southern College
Reviews

Academic Life Is Never Boring

Birmingham-Southern is definitely a work hard, play hard school. The academics are not a joke and you are held accountable for your efforts. The classes are smaller, so it is noticeable if you do not participate. Professors will challenge you and expect you to be better than what you consider to be your best. The professors are available to help you with anything and will often times invite you to have coffee or meet with them in their office to show you how you can improve. If you want to enter the work force or further your education, you can have faith that you will be better prepared than your competition after finishing 4 years at BSC.

Go Greek or Go Home.

The vast majority of students at Southern are members of Greek organizations, but every student at Southern is somehow involved. The social scene on campus revolves around fraternity row, where Greeks and non-Greeks alike come together for drunken revelry every Thursday through Saturday. Housing for Greeks, especially fraternity members, is pretty fantastic-- the houses comprising the row are the first thing visitors to Southern see of the campus, and it is an impressive sight.

BSC has opened up so many new...

BSC has opened up so many new doors for me. I wouldn’t trade anything for the memories I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned. Would I be anywhere else? No way. You learn to love everything about what you ‘hate.’ The dorms can be the worst place in the world at times, but you learn to love them because of the people you meet and the memories you make while you are there. The faculty can drive you up the wall, but they’d also bend over backwards to help you if you really needed it, and they push you to succeed because they want you to be the best and do your best. The food may be so bad that you don’t eat for a few days, but all the fun road trips with your new friends to Wendy’s at one in the morning because you’re starving makes you appreciate the ‘bad food’ after all. BSC is a great place to get an education, and I wouldn’t change anything about it!

The weather is always humid. Bring...

The weather is always humid. Bring jeans, shorts, T-shirts, and sweatshirts. In the summer and spring it is really hot, and you will sweat a lot. But have a jacket for in the buildings on campus because they are extremely cold. Don’t bring a lot of sweaters for winter unless you’re extremely cold-natured because it does not get that cold in Alabama.

This school is so Greek it isn’t...

This school is so Greek it isn’t even funny. Seriously, I think BSC is the only school in the world in which I would’ve joined a fraternity. It’s ridiculous. I went from not knowing jack about fraternities to Mr. Frat Boy in a matter of weeks.

It does dominate the social scene,...

It does dominate the social scene, but for the most part, it does not affect the good time that I have on campus. I do not feel closed off from anything or any part of campus, and I am a very socially-active non-Greek.

Greek life is pretty big on...

Greek life is pretty big on campus, but I think we have a pretty even percentage. I say it is pretty big because, even if you aren’t in a fraternity or sorority, you will more than likely go to parties thrown by them. Most people participate in campus-wide Greek events, and just about everyone, at some point in time, is somehow affiliated with a fraternity or a sorority.

The girls are extremely attractive...

The girls are extremely attractive and tend to be pretty open to new friendships. The small-college atmosphere tends to help with meeting people.

The dorms are generally pretty...

The dorms are generally pretty good. New Men’s (the freshman male dorm) is absolutely terrible, with furniture that doesn’t move and a smell that doesn’t leave. If you can make it through your first year, though, you can move into Hanson (with its very large rooms) or one of the fraternity houses which were all built a few years ago (and have yet to be trashed, amazingly enough).

The campus café is not bad at all,...

The campus café is not bad at all, but the selection is such that you start desiring different types of food after the second month or so.

Teachers at BSC are like friends...

Teachers at BSC are like friends who know a lot, and when they lecture, it’s sometimes like sitting down with a cup of coffee and listening to your friend talk about his favorite hobby.

Security of BSC

When entering the gates of BSC, one will notice the security located in the front. Check in is mandatory which provides a safe and secure campus. The location of the school is in a bad part of town, but campus police does a good job of keeping unwanted people out and the students safe.

English Majors

The curriculum for an English Major at BSC is the best curriculum option. Instead of being told exactly which 10-13 classes you have to take and then fighting to get in them, you have a guideline of categories that classes fall into, and you have the fill each category. The teachers in the English program are great, and very helpful when it comes to scheduling choices. Each semester the English Honorary Sigma Tau Delta holds a semester preview where the professors all get together and explain what they expect their class to be like, what the class will be covering/reading, etc.

Bang for Your Buck

The academics at BSC are really worth every penny of your actual tuition. Class sizes are small, the largest I have ever been in was about 60 people, compared to class sizes of 400+ at state schools. The professors are always available to talk about papers or assignments, or just to talk. Interim term is amazing because you have a chance to travel abroad or just stay around campus focusing on one class. The curriculum is easy to understand, and registration is all online. In terms of workload, it depends on your schedule and your extra curriculars, but the whole point of college is to be learning so don't expect easy a's!

Great Times in Magic City

Living in Birmingham has been one of the best experiences of my life. While not everywhere is pretty or safe, like any normal city, it has such an amazing cultural history. There are plenty of museums and libraries. Five points and other parts of downtown have great clubs and restaurants, and with three malls less than 30 minutes from campus, and an outlet mall just out of town, shopping opportunities are abound. There are also a lot of great things to do such as visiting Vulcan, going to the Zoo, or just hanging out downtown.

BSC Is in the South...So Expect a Southern Climate

Birmingham weather can be very hot until winter strikes. Spring is beautiful and the fall feels long. The weather is typical of the south...

Because We Work Hard...They Let Us Play Hard

There is always something happening on campus. Most weekends, everyone wants to stay in town because social life is HUGE on the weekends. The school is tied up with sports, clubs, activities, and lots of studying during the weekdays, so everyone lets loose on Fridays and Saturdays. Alcohol is tolerated if used responsibly. If you're stumbling around or out of control...expect a citation and a fatherly talk from the Campus Police officers. For the most part, the campus police is awesome. I always feel safe and they are known as Fatherly figures on Campus. As a matter of fact, the head of campus police leads a talk for freshman about safety and reads the lyrics to Rascal Flatt's "My Wish" to express his feelings toward the students and why there needs to be enforcement.

Environment

Southern tends to have a more liberal environment in which there is an obvious atmosphere of acceptance.

Many New Facilities

The facilities at BSC are impressive. In the past several years, the College has added 2 new dorms, an apartment community, a football stadium, a new gym, and a lake habitat. There is also a state-of-the-art science center, and renovations on our new all-you-can-eat Caf were finished earlier this semester.

Interim

The winter "Interim" term at BSC is one of the more unusual aspects of the school. The school year is divided into 3 terms: Fall (Sept-Dec), Winter (Jan), and Spring (Feb-May). Each January, students take only one class in any subject they like. Many students choose to study abroad, others stay on campus, and still others contract their own class to fit their interests.

I Love It Here!

BSC is a great school! Students are truly interested in their academic work and professors are actively engaged in their students' educations. The general atmosphere on campus is one of respect for each other and the mission of the College. Most everyone is involved in some organization or sports team and this shared desire and respect makes for a close-knit community. If I were to design a liberal arts college from the ground up, it would look very similar to Birmingham Southern.

Greeks Are Everywhere

Greek life is a big part of campus life! There are about 5-6 fraternities and sororities each, and each one is different. The sorority townhouses house 8 girls per house, at least half of which are high officers in the sorority. The frat houses have roughly 50 brothers, and the Row is the social scene on the weekends for Greeks and independents alike. Because the College is so small, everyone knows or at least recognizes most everyone else, which makes for a friendly and pleasant social atmosphere.

Honor Is Important

BSC students all are required to abide by the Honor Code, which can be found on the school website. Students who violate the Honor Code in some way, be it drinking while underage, possessing illegal drugs, or cheating, will have a hearing before the Honor Council, a group of students selected each year to decide on appropriate consequences in such situations.

Ideal for a Small College

BSC is a small campus, as far as colleges go, and most everyone knows each other. Greek life is big on campus, but most part everyone gets along, Greek or not. BSC has a reputation of being a school for rich white kids, but there are also many middle-class students, economically speaking, as well as several international students and students of different racial backgrounds.

Lots of Attractions

Birmingham is the biggest city around and has several cultural, historical, and educational attractions such as the Civil Rights Museum, Sloss Furnace, and the McWane Science Center. The city is home to many good restaurants, shopping centers and malls. Also, located not too far from the BSC campus are UAB, Samford, and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.