Fordham University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Accounting
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Straight Male
Summary
I part of the Campus Ministry, the Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society, and the Business of Sports Society.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Straight
High School Experience: Private school in Hillsdale, NJ with a graduating class of about 200 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Accounting
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I part of the Campus Ministry, the Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society, and the Business of Sports Society.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
The Campus Ministry has had the biggest impact just because of my identity as a person and who I’ve been able to meet through it. I’m very blessed to have an opportunity to interact with people who have similar values as me.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
On a weekly basis, it’s mostly problem sets that are recommended and not graded. The professor will give example questions you can try to do yourself. But, for me, most of the success I’ve had has come from doing extra problems that aren’t assigned that will help me do well on exams. Exams are the major graded assignments and we have quizzes as well.
Is there anything you feel the undergraduate business school does especially well or poorly?
They probably don’t do a great job of giving you hands-on experiences in terms of the problems that we do. One thing I’ve noticed is how dedicated the professors are. They make sure that each student understands what we do in class and how we can improve. They are very helpful and willing to assist in any way. I’ve had very good Accounting professors and we have great resources.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s collaborative more than competitive. Especially in Accounting, the students are very willing to help each other out if they don’t understand something. The competition aspect comes from the individual person and not driven by the atmosphere.
How accessible are your professors?
They are very accessible. In Accounting, my professors are always willing to get on Zoom whenever they’re available now that we’ve gone virtual due to COVID-19. It gives you the chance to bounce stuff off of them that you normally would be able to bounce off them at the end of a class.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m definitely happy with my choice. Accounting gives you a good sense of the language of business and gives you a streamlined look into every corner and cranny of a business. Also, what made me choose the major is I’ve spoken to people who are accountants about their job and learned that I think Accounting matches my skillset since I’m good with numbers and analytical.
What is the Jesuit impact on the academic experience?
For some of the courses we take, we have Jesuits teaching, and also a lot of the main objectives of the academic program come back to Jesuit ideals of community and educating the whole person.
Reasons to Attend
1) The proximity to New York City.
2) The tremendous faculty and strong professional development staff.
3) If you’re looking for a religious education, the interaction between Jesuits and students is way stronger than I could’ve imagined.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you’re a non-business student, there could be better options. At the same time, I know a lot of students who are not business majors who are still thriving. [See The Fordham Ram article, “Arts and Sciences Council Discusses Future Initiatives.”]
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Loyola Hall with two roommates
Sophomore: O’Hare Hall with one roommate
Junior: Walsh Hall in an apartment with five roommates.
How was transitioning from your hometown to the Bronx, NY?
For someone who came from a suburb of New York City, it was relatively easy because I’ve been to the Bronx before for Yankees games and had a feeling of what I was getting into. Arthur Avenue being there is a huge benefit to our campus. There are so many beautiful spots on campus where you can spend time on campus and get some peace and quiet, or you can feel the hustle and bustle of the school day.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
It’s vastly overstated how dangerous the area is. You have to be careful, but as long as you are smart and spend time late at night in a group, I don’t think it’s unsafe at all.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I’m not much of a partygoer, but I know that the nightlife scene on campus is active and off-campus there are apartments and off-campus housing that we spend a lot of time at. One of the best things you can do is take the train into Manhattan and sit in Central Park or go to a Yankee game. There are so many things to do off-campus that you have accessibility to because of the location on campus.
Every Sunday we have mass and other activities the Campus Ministry puts on that usually has food. During the weekends, my favorite thing to do is go to Yankees games with my friends because we’re big fans. It gets you away from things on campus and gets you to a spot that’s very cool and something I love going to. Off-campus, I have friends who live in houses and watch sports. We’re big sports fans [laughs].
How happy are you with the weekend options at Fordham? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
I think pretty much everything is as good as I could have envisioned. I don’t think I’d change anything.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
Freshman year most of my closest friends and I lived in the same building. There were different activities we’d take part in like intramural sports and going to different sports games on campus like basketball and football games. We would also spend time hanging out in the dorm rooms.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Fordham?
It’s very good and very positive. There’s something for everybody to look forward to after classes are over whether that’s hanging out with friends or pursuing individual interests.
How strong is the Jesuit presence on campus? How has it impacted your experience?
It’s very strong. One of the main reasons I chose Fordham is the community aspect of everything and the feeling that you’re part of a family and can be identified by something that’s greater than yourself.
To what extent do you think people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Fordham is not a very diverse campus, but at the same time, I feel that the different thought processes, mindsets, and backgrounds make it very diverse intellectually. I know I interact with people who I disagree with and have different opinions in terms of social or political issues. [The undergraduate population is about 57% White, 15% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 4% Black, and 9% international.]
What is the impact of the school’s Jesuit affiliation on campus? How strong is it?
I feel like you can feel the Jesuit presence every time you’re out and about. We have a lot of Jesuit priests here and there is a Jesuit retirement home off-campus. I like the fact that it’s a private Christian school because it forms you into a better person. Our Jesuit values are present in every class, even the business classes, and there is a lot of talk about Jesuit values and the Jesuit belief system. It’s also present in the university church, mass the campus ministry, and different volunteer activities. I really like the strong Jesuit presence because it’s a great talking point when you meet someone and it also just makes you feel good and makes you want to be a better person and learn how to be a better person.
How do you like the size of Fordham in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How was transitioning to a school with [about 9,600] students?
It’s the perfect size. I think it’s not very big, but at the same time, it’s enough students where you get to see a lot of different things in action and a lot of different skill-sets. That makes you better as a person. The more people you meet and interact with will make you better in the long run and Fordham gives you the opportunity to accomplish that.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes, one of my best friend’s dad is in accounting and a Fordham alum and I have had multiple conversations with him. I have had conversations with other people who have gone through the education at Fordham and love the school so they are happy to help. If you go to Fordham, you tend to have a great experience and be open and willing to help students around campus.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I’ve used the career office on a couple of occasions. I use it especially when I’m getting ready for an interview or am trying to figuring out what I should do during the semester in terms of an internship opportunity. The office is very helpful when you have a dead end in your career search.
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve definitely used Excel and I’ve also learned Python as an elective.