5 University Of Alabama Resources You Should Definitely Make Use Of
Whether you are just starting at UA or this is your final semester there are plenty of university resources that are highly useful. One thing is for sure, whether through lack of knowledge or sheer apathy many students don’t take advantage of the resources available to them. These resources can go far beyond academia, we will run down five of the most useful resources at the University of Alabama!
1. The Speaking Studio
If you didn’t know, the University of Alabama has a speaking studio! Located in Reese Phifer hall in suite 166, this is the perfect place to hone your speaking skills. If you are taking public speaking at any point in your UA college career I would strongly suggest taking advantage of the studio’s help. It is continuously staffed with UA students, like yourself, who are more than willing to help.
The speaking studio assists in, you guessed it, speaking. This could mean practicing your public speaking skills, which is what it is mostly used for. Every semester the speaking studio is utilized by those with the desire to get ahead in their public speaking classes. However, if you’re smart you’ll see the studio as an opportunity to perfect your own speaking skills in order to further your post-college career.
Needless to say, the speaking studio excels at their process. They will even film you speaking or presenting, then go back and break down your process and how you could improve. Everything from eye contact to the way you move your hands could be important. The speaking studio is first on this list because the power to present yourself well is one of the greatest advantages to your future career and is completely free at the university.
2. Career Center
What is the whole point of going to university? To get a specialized career after college that you have in mind. What better way to do that than to take advantage of a center for your future career. The career center can help you plan ahead and take steps to benefit you in your pursuit of a career that’s worthwhile to you.
If you’re saying to yourself, “I’m not sure what career I’m searching for yet.” then this is also the resource for you. The career center can assist you in finding a major that can lead to a career you would be happy in. At some point in college you are almost guaranteed to change your major so when you make this important decision, go and seek advice from the right people.
However, this isn’t just a resource to help people find career paths. The career center can also help you get internships or connect you with important UA alumni in your field of study! That’s right, for all of you worried about getting an internship this is a great place to start. The career center can reach out to UA alumni on your behalf to see if they have any internships open, they can also scout the local Tuscaloosa area to help get something close by.
3. The Recreation
It’s important to point out that UA recreation is so much more than just the gym. Still, it should be said that as a student at UA you have a complete gym membership available to you as long as the recreational centers are open. So take advantage of that! You already know about the gym so we will highlight some resources that you may not know about!
UA recreation also holds a multitude of outdoor opportunities as well. Everything from canoe rentals, hiking excursions, to rock climbing, whenever you feel like getting up and out just swing by and swipe your act card or take a look on the UA rec page. It’s a great way to stay active and get that fresh air outside of the library or your dorm.
There is also the opportunity to get involved in any of the sports you enjoy playing. UA recreation is a resource that sets up hosts of intermural sports for casual players. UA recreation makes it very easy to look at a calendar of a variety of intermural sports they have going on at any point in the year. So go ahead and sign up for a soccer team or start up a basketball team with your friends!
4. The Edge
Woah, this one sounds cool, doesn’t it? Well, that’s because it is cool. The Edge is a University of Alabama sponsored center for entrepreneurship, which is just as hard to do as it is to spell. If you’re itching to start your own business or you have an idea that you want to bring to life then this is the resource for you.
The Edge is described as “an incubator and accelerator” for your ideas or business. It is a 26,000 square-foot facility located about 1.5 miles from the UA campus. It is filled with conference rooms, office spaces, you name it. It holds everything a starting entrepreneur could possibly need. This resource is for those who see a vision and just need help or know-how to execute it.
The University of Alabama has this resource open and available to anyone with ambitious self-starting goals. The Edge has regular workshops, seminars, and clinics. These are all to help entrepreneurs connect with fellow innovators and offer assistance in their goals. If you feel like this may be a path for you, go and look into it today!
5. Counseling Center
I think it goes without saying that college can be a very difficult time, filled with many changes. If at any point you find yourself struggling or just need someone to talk to the counseling center is available as a UA resource. If you feel that you are seeking better mental health or personal growth then stop by. The counseling center is located at 3000 South Lawn office building.
The counseling center can help you stay in school or can even end up improving your academic performance. Although there may be a difference in sessions UA provides up to 15 sessions per student through the academic year. There you can have a face to face conversations with a counselor or therapist. However, it’s a good idea to sign up fast because they are often overbooked.
There is always an on-call counselor who is available to talk over the phone if the center is closed. Keep in mind that your first visit to the counseling center will be a screening of around 20 minutes. First visits are also always free so if you are feeling some type of way, don’t hesitate to go. College can be a very confusing time, but it is also some of the greatest times of your life, so don’t get caught up in your own head, if you need help don’t be afraid to ask!
