Fordham University

Date: May 11 2009
Major: Unknown (This Major's Salary over time)
I've noticed a majority of the the negatives were coming from students up in the Bronx campus and/or commuters. As a LC alum I can see where the complaints come from. I usually went uptown to hang with friends (commuters mostly) and area surrounding the Rose Hill campus is NOT the safest of places. I can also see the bitchy comments about a lot of the RH student body. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of chill Rose Hill kids, commuter and otherwise, but I always got this you're not welcome here vibe from most of the students. And don't get me started on the Ram Van rides back at night to my campus with the rich bitches with no respect for the other passengers going out to ~~party~~ down in the village and blow their disposable income. Even when I was an OL and us LC kids got carted up to RH for orientation training, we got boo'd a few dozen times. And what the hell is up with this ROSE HILL v. LINCOLN CENTER rivalry? I was surprised that the Bronx took it so seriously. Yeah, the lincoln center kids get the branding of being pretentious dicks (And some are) but with what, 51% commuter, I think we've got a pretty solid bunch. We can't all be ARTEEST.

So incoming freshmen? That rivalry is just a stupid pointless thing. Let's not fuel anymore retardation.

There's one thing between the two campuses that is shared equally.

THE FUCKING BUREAUCRACY. Believe me. You will have to jump hoops to work out anything. Scheduling is a bitch, you'll run in a circle trying to get classes, trying to get INTO classes, and so on and so forth. The Jesuits have been ridiculous in recent years, starting to push towards a more conservative stance in their university policy as well. One point of conflict within the university in recent years was the production of the Vagina Monologues—Something that in the past had been partially funded by the student activities office, but my Freshman year had been cut off. Luckily the departments stepped up, but there was a whole lot of drama there.

Another thing is the core. It's ridiculous that they have what amounts to two years worth of courses when you could be taking electives relevant to your major. But I don't think they're going to be changing it anytime soon. What I can recommend is if you can or if you know your major, try taking a few major classes early/seeing if any double up with core. Also if you're set in your major, declare as early as possible. You get paired up with an adviser within your major right from the get go and things go much more smoothly.

One of my final gripes were the timing of things like job-fairs/job shadowing events and the like. I don't know about others, but I had to hold a part-time job on my off days and it seemed like career planning would hold events on the days when it seemed like no one was free and wonder about the poor turn-out.

On the plus side here, I went to Lincoln Center. So that was a blast. Being in the middle of Manhattan there was plenty to do in the city that never sleeps. Anything from catching a midnight screening of a recent flick to vegetating at the 24 hour Starbucks with friends. And academically I was really happy with my professors, and I enjoyed my classes (Well, not the workload, but who does?).

The only caveat I have is your experience at Fordham is only matched by at least some of the effort you put into it. If you communicate with your professors during the years, it'll come in handy when you have that pinch of trying to get an override for that one senior values course. Or if you want a fulfilling social experience, go to events or join one of the clubs. Actually get out there and hang out. I know while I was there I was more than willing to go out to Queens/Brooklyn/Jersey/whatever to hang with commuter friends and if I wanted them to come into the city I didn't have any problem with coordinating a time when they could come around. It's give and take here.