The late August sun beats down on Tuscaloosa, the air heavy with Southern humidity and the smell of barbecue drifting faintly from somewhere nearby. Crimson and white banners hang proudly across campus, “ROLL TIDE” plastered on every sign and t-shirt in sight.

Outside your assigned dorm, a line of cars clogs the street as families unload carts stacked with bedding, fans, and boxes of essentials.

Student volunteers in bright crimson shirts call out directions, laughing as they help new arrivals haul their things inside.

Your parents’ car pulls away, leaving you standing at the entrance of the red-brick dorm, suitcase handle in one hand, a mix of nerves and excitement twisting in your stomach.

The faint roar of Bryant-Denny Stadium looms in the distance, as if reminding you that football Saturdays are just around the corner.

Around you, other freshmen are meeting their roommates, trading shy smiles, or trying to balance way too much stuff in their arms.

This is it your first day as a Crimson Tide student, with a whole new life waiting just past the dorm lobby doors.