Fordham University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Political Science
Minor: Peace and Justice Studies
Student Self Identifies as: Biracial: Peruvian and Jamaican Bisexual Male
Summary
I work as a resident assistant, I’m in an acapella group, and I’m a student fundraiser for the university.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Biracial: Peruvian and Jamaican
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
High School Experience: Private school in New Jersey with a graduating class of about 150 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Political Science
Minor: Peace and Justice Studies
Extracurricular Activities: I work as a resident assistant, I’m in an acapella group, and I’m a student fundraiser for the university.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
I think that those three particularly have impacted my entire experience. Being an RA has helped fine-tune my professional skills because I’m a student leader and have to have confidential conversations with students and be an advocate for them. Then, being part of my acapella group has been a lot of fun and will be a great memory from my college years.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
For my major, there are lots of heavy readings we have to have done before class and we have discussion boards where we have to post about the readings. Most classes have culminating projects at the end and then also usually two essays on top of that. In general, it’s a lot of reading and writing.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The Political Science department at Fordham tries to be understanding and also challenge you. I think they understand the different situations that can come up with people’s personal lives and also how to push you.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
For Political Science majors, I think it’s a bit more competitive. But, I’m much more of a collaborative person so I try to not feed into that nature. Overall, there is a bit of competition.
How accessible are your professors?
They are extremely accessible. You can reach them through email and they will respond. They’re pretty flexible with meeting with you and will respond to you quickly.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
I think when someone introduces a new way of looking at something, other students may question it. But then when that idea gets fleshed out a little more, the other students get more open to it. I also think the professors play a part in not adding to that confusion and helping with the conversation.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m a politically active person, so my major choice feeds into that. I also plan to go to law school, so I thought with that in mind it would be best to be in the Political Science department. I like the Political Science department. I think there are a lot of interesting courses they provide and the professors are really good.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Were there any resources available that helped you adapt?
There really weren’t many resources that I was aware of. There was a lot of confusion on my end for a lot of different things that my parents didn’t know as much as my fellow students’ parents did. I had to ask a lot of questions to professors for clarity and how to do things. There wasn’t a specific resource for me, I had to tailor different things to meet my specific needs.
Reasons to Attend
1) The Jesuit mission is very good and helps the whole person grow.
2) The student body is very lively and you get a whole mix of different people who you wouldn’t have met otherwise.
3) The accessibility to New York City.
4) The alumni network and the career services here are very caring and helpful.
5) The nightlife is pretty good.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The tuition cost is a lot, so be mindful before you decide to come in.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Martyrs’ Court with two roommates. I was in a forced triple.
Sophomore: O’Hare Hall in a single
Junior: Finlay Hall in a single
How do you like going to school so close to your hometown?
I live 30-minutes away so I still have the comfort of being independent. I like to try new things and go to New York which is awesome. It also gave me the comfort that I could visit home if I ever needed to.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
When I step on campus, I feel safe because we are within a gated community. At night, I don’t personally feel 100% safe walking in the gated community. I know many of my peers feel 100% safe, I just don’t and still feel we should be watchful. I know Fordham takes a lot of steps to make sure that students do feel safe. We have the blue light system and there’s a safety hotline that’s helpful.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There are three bars at Fordham that are really popular. My friends and I don’t really go them though, we usually just hang out in one of their apartments. I’m the kind of person who likes to stay and hang out with my friends rather than go out.
What have been some of your favorite times at Fordham?
Definitely Spring Weekend. It’s the weekend when the school hires musical performers. That weekend is a big party and it feels very community-based which is a great part of it.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Fordham? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I think the weekend options could have some options that are not drinking related. The issue is those things can’t be forced on them. Students need to do that on their own, so the first step is to have programs in order for people to go to them instead of drinking-related options.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
My closest friends I met through the dorms my freshman year. They lived on the floor above me and I visited their lounge and they were there and we hit it off.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Fordham?
It is not as cliquey as I would have first thought. Everybody at Fordham pretty much knows each other and knows who is on campus and who a certain person is. There is that comfort, which I really like. There isn’t any serious cliquey-ness, but people still do have friend groups.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
During my freshman year there was not a lot of representation for different Queer individuals, but as I have progressed here there have been many more Queer individuals who are leaders on campus that I have noticed and more advocacy for clubs on campus. There was a point where I noticed that I was in a room full of Queer individuals and I was surprised because I didn’t think that would happen based on how I perceived the culture here coming in. I’m really thankful that I could have that moment.
How would you describe the Queer community on campus? How strong is it?
It can vary from being very active to not being very active. It depends on who is taking charge of the Queer groups on campus. I think I know a lot more Queer people on campus than straight people, which I think is good and shows that the campus is Queering. There are a lot more Queer individuals who are outspoken and present than there were previously.
How would you describe the Hispanic community on campus? How strong is it?
The Hispanic community really intertwined in a lot of different things, like different cultural clubs on campus. We also have Hispanics in different leadership positions on campus, so people have stepped up in that way.
What is the impact of the school’s Jesuit affiliation on campus? How strong is it?
It’s very present. There are weekly masses and there’s always a kind of refocus to remind students we are a Jesuit institution and we have Jesuit values. I had previously never been introduced to the Jesuit mission, but the aspects of social justice and stewardship that they hold dear to their mission are something that I really like and really benefit from, even if I didn’t know about it before I came.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
There is a really tight-knit alumni network at Fordham. For me personally, I have been presented with opportunities through the alumni network but haven’t taken advantage of them.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I went to them to help with my resume. They were helpful and helped me organize it. They were also helpful with finding internships in Manhattan, The Bronx, and even back home. They helped me with literally everything I needed.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I haven’t personally.