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Tucked away in Montgomery, Alabama, you’ll find the “often quiet and calm� Auburn University at Montgomery. AUM has “degree plans for pretty much everything, no matter what job you’re looking for,� with students particularly praising the nursing, business, and education programs. Add to that “campus resources [that] are top-notch,� a “student to teacher ratio [that] is superb,� and professors who “truly care for your success and will help you in any way,� and you’ve got an academic experience that students fawn over. Plus, those professors are also “engaging [and] knowledgeable,� and show they “want to get to know their students,� offering “good instruction as well as career guidance.� The coursework they assign is “rigorous and challenging,� but students find it all “makes for a good learning environment.� Simply put, according to one, the faculty is “one of the best parts of AUM.� There are a few who cite underwhelming experiences with their instructors, but overall “they don’t teach … just for the paycheck—they care.�

With “a lot of people of different ages and backgrounds,� AUM feels like “a huge melting pot� with “many religions, cultures, [and] races.� And students describe it as “one of the gems of the South in that it is much more diverse than many other places in the area.� But regardless of any differences, AUM’s is a “close knit campus� where everyone “feels almost like a family.� While some report that their peers “keep to themselves or their groups,� the majority find those on campus to be “respectful, helpful, and eager to learn.� Still, even with those who place “a greater focus on learning than socializing,� it’s “easy to find someone to talk to get help or ask questions about your classes.� In fact, “students help each other almost as much as the professors.� Overall, it’s agreed that this is “a very welcoming atmosphere.�

Attending classes and studying with fellow classmates may be the main focus at AUM, but “there is active involvement in student affairs.� Popular events include those hosted by the international student group and occasionally “the counseling center will have therapy painting or the library will host a haunted house.� Also note that while Greek life is present on campus, involvement wanes due to the high commuter population. Other nightlife options include off-campus parties or going downtown to bars—and students even sometimes attend events at Montgomery’s large public university. But this is not a party school; as one student puts it, “You go to [AUM] with your eyes on the prize, ready to work and get your degree.� Well, maybe there’s one eagerly embraced distraction: “sporting events bring everyone together.�