For some University students, arriving in Tuscaloosa means more than merely starting college. It means entering an environment that looks, sounds and feels different from the places they have called home.
Tuscaloosa is home to more than 100,000 people and a University with over 40,000 students. For students transitioning from rural communities, it can mean adjusting to a faster pace of life and larger social environments.
For Jazmyne Price, a sophomore public health major from Pinson, Alabama, the size of Tuscaloosa and the University presented a different kind of adjustment.
Transitioning from a much smaller high school, Price grew familiar with an environment that was slow-paced and quiet. Arriving on a campus filled with thousands of students shocked her and showed her how different her hometown was from her new normal.
“My high school had about three buildings that served the entire Pinson area,” Price said. “So when I got here and saw all these people in one place, I realized … this isn’t Pinson.”
Price said there were differences between Pinson and Tuscaloosa in terms of football culture. She said football was a smaller part of her high school’s community, which did not prepare her for the large crowds, traditions and excitement that would ensue on University game days.
“Seeing all the people on the Quad, and the traffic and large crowds was very shocking for me. I did not know how big football can get in Tuscaloosa,” Price said.
While the size of Tuscaloosa and its football culture can feel unfamiliar, some students eventually find parts of the community that make it feel like home. Jamiya Edwards, a junior social work major from Selma, Alabama, said the hidden gems in Tuscaloosa are what astounded her overall.
“Coming from Selma, there are only certain things you wouldn’t learn about Tuscaloosa unless a native tells you,” Edwards said. “So it really surprised me seeing all the things you can do around here.”
Edwards said since she came from a very historic place like Selma, it was really important to her to learn how to navigate campus and find connections.
“I would just ride my scooter around and look at all the buildings,” Edwards said. “It would help me feel like I at least know something around here.”
Israel Cole, a sophomore elementary education major from Aliceville, Alabama, said her transition was about much more than campus, but also adapting to the pace of Tuscaloosa as a city.
“The first thing I noticed was all of the traffic,” Cole said. “In the country it can tend to be very dark, but it is really bright here.”
For students from rural communities, finding home in Tuscaloosa does not happen overnight. Students said the transition can mean learning to navigate a larger community, managing independence and finding solace all in one place.
For Cole, that sense of community became more than simply meeting people on campus. It gave her a space where she could feel connected with others while adjusting to a place that initially felt unfamiliar. As she navigated a new environment, finding people who shared similar experiences helped make Tuscaloosa feel less like somewhere she was simply attending school.
“The Black community at UA is growing tremendously, and I really like how we come together,” Cole said. “That was really surprising for me coming here.”
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