Undergrads Doing Research!

Before it gets too crowded, presenters check out other students' work. 

Last Wednesday, the weather was beautiful at Fordham. Eddie’s Parade looked like a beach with the number of people lounging and sunbathing. On Wednesdays, a lot of students don't have classes, so it was the perfect day to just kick back and relax. It was glorious. I, however, staying inside most of the day doing something else fantastic: the 8^th Annual Fordham Undergraduate Research Symposium. Now before you think I am being sarcastic, hear me out.

One of my favorite posters is a thesis that will
take the form of a stand-up comedy routine. 

Some of the tote bags being handed out, with copies of the
Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal in the background. 

There were 322 undergraduate students presenting research at the symposium. Some did independent research using grants, and others submitted research papers they had done for a class or their theses. Students gave oral presentations as well as poster presentations to peers, alumni, professors, deans, and anyone else who cared to drop by the McGinley ballroom where it was held. Even the people who arrived for the free sandwiches and fruit (and cafeteria cookies!) stayed to learn more about research in all manner of disciplines. Students talked about HGH in diabetic patient treatments, raising Deaf children, nanoscale drug delivery systems, and how early New Amsterdam/New York became a melting pot among a multitude of other things. Watching classmates present on their work is a lot of fun because, oftentimes, you forget how brilliant the people surrounding you are.

Participants and their research mentors received fair trade tote bags as this year’s gift. Fordham has a working relationship with the Amani Project, and the bags helped pay for school fees for Tibetan children who wouldn't otherwise be able to attend. All in all, it was a great way to spend the day, and there was still time after to enjoy the great weather. 

On a personal note, this is my final blog entry. I have written for I Am a Fordham Ram since the very beginning of my sophomore year (September 24, 2012, to be exact). It's been a pleasure to talk about some of my favorite things at Fordham and to talk to students who reached out after finding my email on the profile pages. Most readers are probably in the midst of making their college decisions, which is really, really hard. Everyone writing for this blog remembers that and may be going through the same process with grad school and jobs, so please look at our profiles and send us emails if you have questions that haven't yet been answered. We would be glad to talk with you-- that's really why we are here. So long, good luck, and I hope to see you at an alumni event in 4-10 years. 

Senior Spotlight: Kevin Kosciuk

Picture for my last home swim meet!

Name: Kevin Kosciuk

Hometown: Cheshire, CT

Major: Public Accounting

Graduation date: May 2015

Why did you choose Fordham? 

As a student in the business school, being close to the City was very important in making my decision. All of the other quality schools I looked at were not very close to any cities. Also, coming from the suburbs, I wanted to try something different by living close to NYC.

What clubs/organizations/internships have you been involved in? What has been your favorite experience? 

At Fordham I am a member of the varsity swim team and also a member in Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting Society). Outside of Fordham I have interned twice. Both of my internship experiences were great. I also look forward to my third internship this summer with Deloitte. My favorite experience has been being a part of the swim team at Fordham. It was a good experience to be a part of a team and having others as teammates but also as friends outside of competition.

What do you think is the best resource available to students on campus? 

Career services is the best resource available to students on campus. Although is it not a job placement center, they can always help you out the best they can and point you in the right direction as far as internships and possible job opportunities. They were the ones that fixed up my resume and suggested I join Beta Alpha Psi and that has really helped me throughout my time here at Fordham.

What is your favorite personal memory at Fordham? 

My favorite personal memory of Fordham is the first time that I stepped out on to Eddie’s the spring semester as a freshman. I thought that it was the coolest thing to see all of Fordham hanging out there.

Where is your favorite place to hang out at Fordham or in NYC?

Arthur Avenue is probably my favorite place to hang out around Fordham. The food and the markets in the area are all delicious and it is nice to live so close to it all.

What are your plans/goals/aspirations for post-graduation? 

Post-graduation, I will be attending graduate school for one year here at Fordham to get my Master’s Degree in Professional Accounting. I then aspire to start working for one of the “Big 4” accounting firms in New York.

The Early Action Deadline is November 1st!

Colorful folders make organizing application material way more fun!

It's seems like just yesterday that I was completing my application for Fordham University...but it was actually 4 years ago! Yikes! Time really does fly by. So for all of you prospective students, relish every moment! For me, applying to college was the most exciting time of my high school career. Organizing and crafting every piece of my application was like putting one foot toward my future.
Now I am jumping toward my future by applying to graduate schools and fellowship opportunities for post-graduation!! This means writing another personal statement, and taking another standardized test, and making sure I get all my letters of recommendation. Fordham has been such a great help in getting me ready for grad school. I have taken practice free GRE tests rights on campus, and my advisors have been continuously critiquing my personal statement. While applications seems tedious now, I know that pursuing further education and fellowship experience will make me the ideal candidate for competitive job positions in the future. I hope to pursue an MA in Public Policy which will, hopefully, allow me to work within legislative government, or just let me leap right into the White House ;) Wish me luck! And good luck to prospective students! May the odds be every in your favor. 

Almost as daunting as the SAT!

Just a few reminders to myself.

THE EARLY ACTION DEADLINE FOR FORDHAM UNIVERSITY IS THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST! 

Completing your application for early action is a non-binding commitment, but a good way for the admissions staff to get a jump on holistically reviewing your material. It shows your interest in Fordham and allows for an early admission decision. You still have until May 1st, the national decision deadline, to make your final decision.

You can follow Fordham admissions on Instagram: @fordhamadmissions
and on Twitter: @fordham_admis
and don't forget to join Varsity Outreach: apps.varsityoutreach.com/fordham

These platforms will allow you to get the most up-to-date information on Fordham and the admissions process, as well as allow you to ask questions to current students!

Honey, I'm Home!

While it is sad to leave home for the first time at the beginning of freshmen year, there is no doubt that you will make yourself right at home in Fordham's spacious and diverse residence halls! Each residence hall on campus has its own unique attributes, and you won't be able to resist the views from your window! Some dorm rooms are traditional two-person rooms, while many upperclassmen rooms on campus are apartment style; they include bedrooms, a kitchen, a living space, a dining room, and a bathroom! 

Below is a compilation of pictures from dorm rooms all across campus! If you were to come on a campus tour at Rose Hill, we do our best to showcase a freshmen residence hall. Here are some pictures from upperclassmen residence halls. While this post only features a few of the residence halls, descriptions of all the halls can be found online at www.fordham.edu. Enjoy!!!

O'Hare Hall Residential College: A traditional residence hall that includes double and triple rooms. Each room has its own bathroom! The hall has versatile social and study lounges throughout, and free laundry in the basement! There are multiple integrated learning communities (ILC) including: Wellness, Science Integrated Learning Community, Integrated Learning Community - Global Business, and West Wing: Integrated Learning Community for Ignatian Leadership and Civic Service.

Walsh Hall: This residence hall consists of apartment-style housing. About 500 students live in this 13-floor building, in two and three bedroom apartments. There is free laundry within the building, and many of the apartment have beautiful views of campus and of the city! Walsh Hall is only steps away from Edwards Parade and Keating Hall. 

Martyr's Court: This is a freshmen residence hall complex that consists of three sections: Lalande, Goupil, and Jogues. Each section is named after a Jesuit Martyr. This hall includes traditional double rooms and a small number of single rooms. There are 15 community lounges with kitchenettes throughout the complex, and 17 study lounges. There is also free laundry in each section of Martyr's Court. This hall also houses the freshmen Science Integrated Learning Communities in the Jogues section. The SILC is a great way to jumpstart your science career, whether you are majoring in a science field or are thinking about pre-med. The SILC offers tutors and a surrounding community that you can learn from.

Single room in Martyr's Court

Campbell, Salice and Conley Halls: The integrated learning community within these halls is designed to meet the unique needs of seniors and junior during the transition into the "real world." The learning community helps develop the special skills that are needed after college. These halls were erected in 2010 and consist of apartment style housing. Between 4-6 people live in each apartment in either single or double rooms, and each apartment has its own living space, kitchen, and bathroom. Plus, there is air conditioning and free laundry!

My Secrets to Choosing Fordham

April 27, 2012, 7:30AM, the moment I finally made the long awaited college decision.  Over two and a half years after my first college visit, 6 months after playing “I Want You to Want Me” while sending in each application, and almost a month after my last letter came through the mail, the process was over!  That moment when I finally chose Fordham was one of the best feelings ever!  However, the time leading up to it was very, very stressful.  For me, it included coming up with little tricks to help.  These tricks were a way to help with the process and to choose my school rather than make a decision.  Making the decision always added pressure, so instead I thought of the process as finding my school. (I know it's cheesy but it really did work for me!) Here are a few of the tricks I used to help:

1) Build your perfect college

2) Talk to everyone and anyone

3) “Sleep on it”

Build Your Perfect College:

Campus in the snow

This "Perfect College" may sound strange and depressing at first because the school doesn’t exist, but believe me, it helps out a lot! It's pretty much a list of everything you would have if you built a college from scratch, but you use your final schools for influence.  To make the list, first pick different aspects from your schools and create your ideal college.  You can even name it if you want (I called mine “The University of Drew” because my first choice was already taken).  Some of the items on the list can be location, campus aesthetics, curriculum, food, sports, gym, distance from home, etc… Now, you rank each item based on its importance to you.  For me, campus and location was one of the most important factors for me, and Fordham easily won this, as it has a great, open campus 15 minutes from the center of Manhattan. After ranking and matching each item in the list, you can see which school holds the most weight for you.  Although I did not decide solely on this (and would not recommend that) this list definitely helped me see what was important and which college had the most aspects that I wanted in a school.  It’s a good way to take a step back from everything college and actually see what you really like about all of the schools.

Talk to Everyone and Anyone:

My high school's college t-shirt day

This one may sound tedious, and you may have heard it a bunch of times, but it is actually extremely helpful.  By talking to others about the decision, you are able to talk through your thoughts and also hear your ideas out loud.  I know for me, hearing something out loud can help a lot.  By talking about my process out loud, I was able to hear how lame some of the reasons for liking a college were.  Although the small things can carry a lot of weight, some small aspects shouldn’t hold as much weight.  However, by talking to people, you will be able to work through everything and receive advice.  I know I talked a lot with my parents, college counselors, teachers, and friends, and with most conversations, I came closer to finally choosing Fordham.  I also found in my experiences that other people often know where you’re going before you even know.  When I first told one of best friends that I chose Fordham, he pretty much said “finally? It was obvious from the start.” That was really good to hear, as it helped to confirm my decision!

Sleep On It:

Although this is just a saying and was only used at first to get my parents off my back about colleges, it was actually one of the most helpful decision makers I used.  If your parents are like mine, they're probably constantly asking about updates in your college search.  One way to buy some time is to use the classic “I’ll sleep on it” trick.  However, after many nights of sleeping on it, I somehow knew I wanted Fordham.  On the night of April 26^th, I had a dream where I was talking to someone about Fordham and how I would be a freshman there in the fall.  The next morning while driving to school and jamming out to “Born to Run,” I started thinking about the weird dream I just had.  I noticed that I never actually made a decision, yet I told the person in my dream about my plans for the fall.  It may have been the morning tiredness, adrenaline from Bruce Springsteen, or fact that sleeping on it really works, but at that moment I realized I wanted to be member of the Fordham University Class of 2016!

My sister's graduation

These are just of few of the tricks I used to help choose Fordham.  There are many other ways to help, but if you find another way or make your own definitely use it.  With tough decisions, I feel that any help is always for the best.

Ps…  I learned later that day that “sleeping on it” is also known as discernment and a legitimate way to help make a tough decision!

April 27^th is also my sister’s birthday.  She graduated from Fordham in 2011, so naturally, my birthday present was joining the Ram Family!