Every summer, the incoming first-year students participate in what is known as Bama Bound. Almost everyone at this University went through this process before their first semester began, and the number of people attending Bama Bound grows every year.

Bama Bound is designed to be an interactive experience that introduces students to their fellow peers while also providing the students with advice and college tips. The event is also when most students sign up for their first classes of college. Bama Bound is an event that is supposed to benefit the students tremendously, however, many parents benefit from attending their portion of Bama Bound as well.

“I have had three kids go through this process now and I have enjoyed it all three times,” said Vann Jones, an alumnus of UA. “I learn something new every time and I believe Bama Bound helped prepare my daughters for college.”

With the ever-increasing number of freshman coming to The University of Alabama has come an increase of personnel in charge of Bama Bound. The incoming freshman population constantly growing may be a positive from a financial standpoint, but it may also lead to overcrowding, which Bama Bound experiences sometimes. Although overcrowding at UA and Bama Bound is an inconvenience, the influx of new ideas and perspectives from out-of-state students seems to please UA students.

“The area that benefits the most from this new wave of students is the student culture,” said Gerald Fraas, a junior from South Dakota. “The more out-of-state students has taken Alabama to a national university where a diversity of voices, interests and passions are allowed to speak and be heard.”

The diversity of voices and opinions can be seen at Bama Bound, where the first-years are broken into groups lead by UA students known as Avanti leaders. Although parents are encouraged to attend Bama Bound, they are discouraged from attending the smaller groups in order to allow them to actively engage solely with those around their age. The first social interactions with their peers along with providing the students with the necessary prep is designed to prepare students the best they can before they even move to Tuscaloosa.

“Our goal is to prepare you for the next step,” said Kim Sterritt, UA’s Director of Parent and Family Programs, at one of the Bama Bound events this summer. Sterritt was talking about preparing students as well as parents, who sometimes have just as much of a difficulty adjusting to college as their children.

Sessions for Bama Bound will continue throughout July and August, with the last days for freshman to attend being August 17th and last day for transfer students on August 18th. Students staying for the longer sessions are residing at Ridgecrest South.