Using selected value in @Html.DropDownListFor

Hi I'm building application to display reports, I have a set of setting which I would like the user to select, and while he selecting a preview updates. It is strongly typed view:

@model MRS.UI.Models.SettingsModel

@using (Html.BeginForm("Settings", "Report", FormMethod.Post))
{
    <div class="white-box edit-box">
    @Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.range, new SelectList(new List<Object>{new { value = 0, text = "12 hours"}, 
                                                                        new { value = 1, text = "24 hours"},
                                                                        new { value = 2, text = "4 days"},
                                                                        new { value = 3, text = "8 days"},
                                                                        new { value = 4, text = "16 days"},
                                                                        new { value = 5, text = "month"},
                                                                        new { value = 6, text = "quarter"},
                                                                        new { value = 7, text = "year"}
                                                                        },
                                                                        "value",
                                                                        "text",
                                                                        Model.range
                                                        ), new { @class = "select_change" }
                        )

    @Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.title)

    @Html.RadioButtonFor(m => m.layout, 1) <p>Layout 1</p><br />
    @Html.RadioButtonFor(m => m.layout, 2) <p>Layout 2</p><br />
    @Html.RadioButtonFor(m => m.layout, 3) <p>Layout 3</p><br />
    @Html.RadioButtonFor(m => m.layout, 4) <p>Layout 4</p><br />

        <input class="blueButton" type="submit" value="Complete Report"/>
   </div>
}

      <script>
          $('.select_change').change(function () { alert(@Model.range); })
      </script>

After I press "Complete Report" data is saving and then I can use it on different view, but how can I use it on the same view, while is selected. I tried to use JavaScript to display value of range in a form of alert message, but it displays not updated value.

How can I use selected value in @Html.DropDownListFor ?

Many thanks for your help

you can't use the value coming from your Model, which is not updated on client side (and the change event happens on client)

You have to do

$(.select_change).change(function() {
   alert($(this).val());//selected value
   alert($(this).find('option:selected').text());//selected option text
});