Fordham University

Date: Nov 07 2009
Major: Fine Arts - Painting/Sculpture/Photography/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
I attend Fordham College at the Lincoln Center, which means our campus is literally in the middle of New York City. This provides great opportunities to get off campus and do pretty much anything you could possibly think of doing, from kayaking on the Hudson for free, to seeing Broadway shows (sometimes also for free), to finding parties or raves and dancing the night away. The school itself is relatively small(buildings plus the law school), being right in the middle of the city, which can cause problems for on-campus activities who have to compete to get space for events. However, student run clubs have gotten very inventive about finding ways to meet and have fun anyway. I've read a lot of reviews which say that the extracurriculars on campus suck or don't exist. These people are obviously not trying hard enough. Clubs and events are advertised all over the school, on every bulletin board and even on the school channel. All you have to do to find an activity is look. It's really easy since there is always something going on, either at LC or Rose Hill. Transport between campuses is a pain because it's long and uncomfortable sitting in the Ram Vans with drivers who often don't care if their passengers have a smooth ride over rough road; however, the Vans are a readily accessible and easy way to get up to the Bronx, instead of paying for the Metro North or taking the D and having to walk for ten minutes.

Personally I really enjoy LC. Most of my classes are a lot of fun and the teachers are readily accessible for questions, comments and just for plain old talking. Most of them have office hours that are heavily attended and are also open to meeting in other places for a cup of coffee and a chat. This is not to say that all of the profs are wonderful here. I've had a few who just didn't care enough to learn names or were so focused on their own research that that was all they focused on, limiting the amount learned in class. Some of them are very intelligent people who just cannot and should not teach.

The cafeteria is, I must admit, pretty horrible. It has been getting better, offering vegetarian options and adding a sandwich bar, but overall, the food blows. It's also not an actual cafe, with buffet-style dining. Instead students have to buy item by item which can really add up to a lot of money, depending on what you get. The seating area is also small. This is partially excusable by the fact that each dorm room gets its own kitchen to cook but really, who wants to cook ever night?

There is just too little space in general, especially for commuter students who have one small lounge by the cafe. For a school that is almost half commuter, Fordham doesn't tend to focus on them much. They have to spend their down time in the library or the tiny lounge with little option as to places to relax and just hang out. They aren't allowed in the dorms without a resident to sign them in, even to use the study lounges during the day.

The dorms, on the other hand are very nice. Basically each LC dorm suite is a full apartment with a huge amount of space. We get a full kitchen, with stove and fridge, one or two bathrooms depending on the number of people in a suite and a fully furnished common room. This is in EACH SUITE. We also get free heating and air conditioning units in each room, a definite plus when the weather gets too cold or too hot. The RA's in general are very dedicated individuals who take their jobs seriously but don't allow it to get in the way of making sure that the residents are enjoying and adjusting to college life well. The RA's and RD's really care about us residents and are willing to do anything to help. My favorite RA last year sat with my roommate for 9 hours at the hospital until her mom came after the girl had an operation. THAT'S dedication.

The core curriculum is very annoying as it restricts what students are able to do the first couple of semesters, but there are easy ways to get around it. A lot of the core classes fulfill the requirements for more than one part of the core. So a Sociology class could also fill the Anthropology requirement. A lot of kids don't get this and so they end up taking too many unnecessary classes. The core really isn't that difficult to fulfill if you work the system correctly.

Overall, I am glad that I came to Fordham Lincoln Center. It's a great school with a lot of opportunities available for the kids who are willing to look for and then pursue them.