Gabelli Dual Degree: My Experience at Fordham Lincoln Center!

As a current undergraduate senior at Fordham's Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill, I have had many unique opportunities to further my education in business. From internships, to case competitions, to consulting projects, there has never been a dull moment for me at the Gabelli School of Business. Now that I am entering my final undergraduate semester, the time has come for me to explore new opportunities the Gabelli School has to offer for its seniors. 

Fordham's Gabelli School of Business at
Lincoln Center is newly renovated!

This semester, I was accepted into the Gabelli School of Business Graduate Business School. Since I am currently a senior Applied Accounting and Finance major, I had the opportunity to apply to begin my graduate education early in order to get a head start on earning my additional credits to take the Certified Public Accountancy (C.P.A.) licensing exams. By creating the opportunity for Fordham undergraduates to get a head start in graduate school, Fordham makes it super easy for accounting majors to get their required C.P.A. credits and sit for their licensing exams! Taking a few graduate classes in addition to my remaining undergraduate classes this semester will allow me to better prepare myself for my career as a C.P.A.. 

Beautiful views from the hallways and
classrooms of the business school!

Fordham's Graduate Business school is located on the university's beautiful Lincoln Center campus on W 60th Street in Manhattan. Taking classes at Lincoln Center has been an amazing experience so far! The graduate business school is a beautiful learning environment, and the Lincoln Center campus is filled with exciting activities. It is very easy for students who live on the Rose Hill campus to take classes at the Lincoln Center campus, and vice versa. When I signed up for my classes at Lincoln Center, I was given free passes to take the campus shuttle (The "Ram Van") from my apartment on the Rose Hill campus straight to the Lincoln Center campus for class! 

View from inside of the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center

I am so lucky to be a part of a learning community that dedicates itself to helping its students succeed in their careers, and supports students professionally and academically. I am so excited to be taking graduate business classes at Fordham Lincoln Center this semester, and to continue my graduate education as a Fordham Ram! 

Rams See the Stars! My trip to the Museum of Natural History and Central Park

Since Fordham's Lincoln Center campus is in Manhattan, and its Rose Hill campus is 20 minutes away from Manhattan by train, Fordham students have total access to New York City for fun activities, school projects, service trips, jobs, and internships. When taking classes at both Fordham campuses, it is very common to get opportunities to visit museums and other places in the city for class assignments. Today, I spent the day in the Upper West Side of Manhattan at the Museum of Natural History, and Central Park! My roommate is taking an astronomy class at Fordham College at Rose Hill, and one of her assignments for the semester was to visit the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. Since I love museums and going into the city, I decided to tag along!

Getting to the museum was very easy, thanks to the trusty Fordham Ram Van shuttle service. The Ram Van transports students from Fordham's Rose Hill campus to its Lincoln Center campus. Since I live on the Rose Hill campus, the Ram Van made it very easy to get to the Museum of Natural History on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The planetarium was very exciting. My roommate was very excited to take the knowledge she learned from her astronomy class, and use it to better understand the exhibits at the museum. Getting homework done is never a chore when the assignment involves taking a trip to Manhattan! 

A sculpture of the Moon at the planetarium

After we were done visiting the planetarium, my roommate and I walked back to Fordham's Lincoln Center campus to catch the Ram Van back to our dorm on Rose Hill. On our way there, we passed through Central Park. It was a beautiful day, and we really enjoyed sitting in the park and walking through Lincoln Center! The classes at Fordham really motivate and encourage students to explore the city, and to use their classroom knowledge in actual places throughout New York. As a current sophomore at Fordham University, I can truly say: Fordham is our school, and New York is our campus.

Central Park is always a beautiful spot for a walk!

This is my last blog of the school year! I really enjoyed my first year as a Fordham student blogger, and I cannot wait to get back in the saddle next year for more blog entries! Thank you so much for reading, and stay tuned for next semester! 

New York Is My Campus, The Rest Of The World Is A Step Away

Newark-Liberty Int'l Airport is a short trip from Fordham

Happy Easter future rams! While this blog has provided an abundance of information on life in New York City, although NYC is the greatest city in the world, as they say it is possible to have too much of a good thing. What's great about Fordham and our location in New York City, however, is that when you do want to get away for a weekend or Easter break it's very easy. 

My Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

If you come from a family like mine, holidays are meant for family time and any opportunity to take a vacation is soaked up to it's fullest. With much of my family in the Great Lakes and the South, driving home isn't such an attractive option when it comes time to go away for breaks like Easter. Luckily for us, Fordham is located in the midst of the biggest transportation hub on the east coast. NYC's 3 airports (JFK, Laguardia, and Newark-Liberty) make up the busiest airport system in the US, so finding a direct flight is never a challenge. The Ram Van even operates as a shuttle between the Rose Hill campus and LaGuardia and JFK during busy travel seasons such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring break. If you're like myself and typically fly through Newark Liberty (the east coast hub for United), getting there is a breeze. The cheapest way is to take the D train from Fordham Road down to 34th street, and walk one block over to Penn Station where you catch an NJ Transit train to the airport. The subway stretch takes about 30-45 minutes and will cost you just $2.75 and the NJT takes about 15-20 and costs $12.50. Substituting the D train with Metro-North is also a popular, but more expensive option, as are taxis and car services like Uber.

Cumberland Falls in Cumberland Gap National Park

This Easter, I was lucky enough to go visit my family in Cincinnati, and meet a friend in Tennessee for the day. I flew in direct from Newark-Liberty to Cincinnati (oddly enough the main airport is in Kentucky) and drove a few hours down to the beautiful Cumberland Gap National Park to spend a day with my friend. The best part of my flight is that it was completely free, including my checked bag! 

If there's any recommendation I have for future or current Fordham students who live outside the Northeast Corridor, it's to enroll in a frequent flier program. I've been racking up miles with United since the airline was called Continental, and my flights to New Orleans and Charleston over Christmas and Thanksgiving have allowed me to fly for free between NYC, Cincinnati, and really anywhere I'd like to go.

I love being able to visit my family in Charleston, SC

For those of you who live close-by to Fordham, or are afraid of flying; you're in luck too! Fordham has it's own stop on the Harlem and New Haven lines of Metro-North that serve downstate New York and coastal Connecticut. To avoid back-tracking through Penn Station, Metro-North is also a convenient way to get to Stamford Connecticut and transfer to Amtrak trains to Providence and Boston. From Penn, New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Railroad serve the rest of the NYC area and Amtrak has numerous routes stretching across the country.

Eliminating Travel Stress with the Airport Shuttle

At Fordham, in addition to a weeklong Spring Break, we also have a 5 days off for the Easter holiday around this time.  I am originally from Vermont so I have a ways to travel to get home. While many students live in areas nearby and the states surrounding Fordham, there are many students who come to Fordham from all over the country and the world.  Fordham offers a great service to help students get to and from the airport during breaks.  

Its easy to register for the shuttle on Fordham's website.

Fordham has a special Ram Van Airport Shuttle that runs specifically to transport students to and from the nearby airports, both LaGuardia and JFK, before and after breaks. Students can sign up about a week before each break starts, whether it is Thanksgiving, winter or spring break, or even at the end of the school year.

The shuttle costs $20 per trip.  You provide the Ram Van office your flight information and you can choose a shuttle time that works best with your schedule and your flight. The shuttle will bring you to the airport at the appropriate time and will coordinate with you if you use the shuttle to return to campus from the airport after break.

Enjoying a few days to relax at home.

I have taken a variety of modes of transportation to get home for breaks, a train, a bus, a car, but every time I fly home I have used Fordham’s shuttle service.  It is safe, reliable, very convenient. and eliminates some of that travel stress.  Just one of the many ways Fordham helps students move around the city!

Getting Around Town

I'm originally from a small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and before coming to Fordham, I had never been to NYC.  One of the reasons I chose to attend the Rose Hill campus was because it had the typical college campus feel with lots of green space, yet it was close to Manhattan and all of the amazing opportunities that come with being one of the greatest cities in the world.  Before I arrived at school, I had never taken any form of public transportation, but three years later, I consider myself a pro at navigating the city.  Here is a breakdown of the usual ways Fordham students make their way around.

It's easy to get around and explore the city that's your home

Ram Van- The Ram Vans run between the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, with vans leaving each campus every half hour.  Each ride can take anywhere from 30 mins to an hour depending on if you're travelling during rush hour or not.  Students taking classes away from their home campus can get free passes, but anyone else can take the Ram Van for $3.50 a ride.  You can even reserve your seat for a van in advance online.  The Ram Vans are driven by students, so if you are looking for a job on campus consider being a driver. 

Ram Van also offers transportation to and from JFK and LGA airports for breaks.  I personally love this service.  I just enter my flight information and Ram Van will schedule me for a van that takes me from Rose Hill right to my terminal and gets me there in plenty of time without any hassle, all for $20.  When I'm coming back, I again provide my flight information and am scheduled for a Super Shuttle van for Fordham students that brings me right back to campus.  This inbound service costs $30.  Of course there are many other ways of getting between campus and the airport (and I've used different ways when I'm travelling and it's not a break for school), but I much prefer the Ram Van service because I know it's very safe and convenient.   

Metro North (Harlem Line)- The Metro North station is literally right next to campus.  It is about a 20 minute ride to Grand Central.  Heading back to campus, you usually hop on a train going to North White Plains, and Fordham is between the second and forth stop the train makes (depending on if the train is local or express).  During peak-hour, a ticket is $8.75, while an off-peak ticket is $6.50.  One of the great things about Metro North is that on the weekends there is a City Ticket, which is only $4.25 and you can use it to travel to or from Grand Central.  

You can see campus from the Metro North station

Subway/Local Bus- Subway and bus fare is $2.75 per ride.  There is a D train stop about a 10 minute walk from campus and a 4 train stop just a little bit further from that.  If you don't feel like walking, you can take one of the local buses that stops outside of campus to the subway stations and transfer to the train for free.  Although it takes a little bit longer, I like to taking the subway because I can transfer between trains for free, meaning I can get to right where I want to go without having to take another form of transportation.  There are subway maps in each of the trains, but I found a handy smartphone app that lets me plug in a starting and ending station and it will tell me which train(s) I need to take.   

From 10pm-6am, Public Safety has vans waiting right outside of the D station on Fordham Road to take students back to campus.  One van doesn't leave until another one shows up, so there is always someone there waiting for students getting off the subway.      

Taxi/Uber/Lyft- Of course there are these stand-by methods of getting around the city, and prices vary depending on where you want to go.  

An iconic NYC taxi in the basement of Forever 21 in Times Square

I have used all of these methods of getting around, and I think that each has its own benefits.  When deciding what I'll use I take into account: the time of day I'm traveling, who I'm traveling with, where I want to go, and how much I feel like spending.  I also think that if you're living in New York you should embrace the "walking culture" (which is why I don't mind taking the Metro North to Grand Central and walking 20 minutes to Penn Station).  With all of these ways of getting around, it is easy to take advantage of Fordham's prime location.  Happy travelling!

Intercampus Transportation Shuttle

Since the second semester of my freshman year, I have had a job at Fordham's Ram Van. Fordham has two campuses in New York City: The Rose Hill campus, or Bronx Campus, and the Lincoln Center campus. The Ram Van is the most direct mode of transportation between the two campuses (although you can also get there by taking the subway or a bus!). Many people on campus use the Ram Van to get to their classes at the opposite campus, or to simply go and explore the city on a weekend! It is a cheap and quick way to get from one campus to another, which many Fordham students and faculty take regularly.

A view from the van over the Hudson

The intercampus shuttle provides a great student employment opportunity. It is the highest paying student job on campus, and it does not require you to be eligible for work study. There is a work study opportunity available, however, as clericals are always needed in the office to complete various office tasks for the administrators. There is a 10-12 hour a week requirement for drivers, and when scheduling, administrators are really helpful and understanding when it comes to working around your schedule. A job at the Ram Van is not only an awesome way to make sure you have a little extra spending money in your pocket, but also an awesome way to meet other students on campus and to get involved in the Fordham community.

The vans drop you right outside of the Lincoln Center campus

I absolutely love working at the Ram Van! I started as a driver, simply driving the shifts that went to Lincoln Center and returned to Rose Hill. I then became a fueler, which consists of longer shifts that run multiple vans to get fuel and then back to the Rose Hill campus. Fuelers also take care of minor van maintenance, including taking vans to the car wash, filling wiper fluid, and vacuuming out the vans. As time went by, I became a Dispatcher. Dispatchers are primarily in charge of handling the front of the Ram Van office. They sell tickets, watch traffic and tell drivers which route to take, make sure vans board and leave on time, handle any customer needs, and basically ensure that everything runs smoothly in the office.

One of the vans in the car wash!

I have met so many wonderful people with this job. Not only do I absolutely love my administrators and fellow drivers, but there have been so many passengers that I have also been able to chat with. I have also, by picking up special runs (for clubs and organizations that use the ram van to go to different destinations) learned my way around the city really well. Ram Van is a fantastic opportunity for students to have a job and get involved on campus, and definitely something I encourage incoming students to look into!

Mid-Week Breather

Wednesday is a light day academically for most Fordham students. Many of my friends and I don't have classes on Wednesdays, which is really nice because we get to enjoy a day off in the middle of our busy week!

This morning, my friend Eric and I hopped on the Fordham Ram Van to head down to Lincoln Center for Brunch. The brunch opportunities in NYC are endless, but we chose to go to Sarabeths! Sarabeth is known for her famous jams, but her brunches are just as delicious. The restaurant has an outdoor patio that looks out on Central Park, so we got to enjoy the lovely weather and some people watching.

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict! 

There are so many sights to see around and in Central Park. You can almost count on being able to see street performers. Today, we got to see a great hip-hop group perform on our walk back to the Lincoln Center campus.

With midterms approaching, Eric and I both decided to keep our visit to the city shorter than usual, so we made our way back to Rose Hill. I will be spending the rest of my day studying for my Theology midterm tomorrow!

I Promise-- NY Really IS Your Campus

You’ve probably heard the slogan “Fordham is my school, New York is my campus.” It's simple and to the point, but it can be hard to understand what that phrase means in practice. I, for example, thought it meant that we went to a lot of museums and shows in the city for class and recreation. We do service in the city, explore the city, and figure out its secrets. This semester, however, I am gaining a deeper appreciation for what my "campus" can offer me.

The New-York Historical Society on Central Park West

The castle-like American Museum of Natural History is
just across from the NYHS (and Shake Shack!)

 My early American material culture class meets weekly at the New-York Historical Society. Founded in 1804, the impressive building sits on some great real estate. It is on the Upper West Side, facing Central Park and beside the American Museum of Natural History (do I have any secret Night at the Museum fans?). It is a block from Shake Shack (New York’s equivalent to In ‘n’ Out with even better shakes) and a short walk from bakeries, clothing stores, restaurants, and even a Trader Joe's (which will become more exciting when you are in college and cook for yourself).

At Fordham Lincoln Center to catch my
evening Ram Van back to Rose Hill

The NYHS is a museum and a library devoted to the history of New York, which is also the history of America. New York has been inhabited for over 450 years and is rich in the period my small seminar class is examining, early America. A material culture class focuses on objects as a way to understand the people who created them, traded them, bought them, and used them. You’d be surprised to know how little we actually know about colonists, including the number of female traders, the fact that we imported china in the 1700s, and a fashionably designed house was more important than a big house for more than a century. Our class is using items from the museum and our professor’s collection as a launching point for class discussion ranging from the quotidian (witch’s lantern, candle mold) to the refined (solid silver spoons, two-toned teacups).

Class is easy to get to from Rose Hill, with free Ram Van passes to and from Lincoln Center. In good weather, I can stroll through Central Park to class. In bad weather, I can hop on the subway, which the history department has been kind enough to subsidize for us. For me, it's a great excuse to get into the city in the middle of my school day. It might be the same for you, in a couple of years!

Taking Class Outside the Classroom

As a student at Fordham, you will commonly here the phrase – “Fordham is my school, New York is my campus.” What does this actually mean? To start, Fordham is located in the Bronx borough of New York City. The school’s close proximity to Manhattan makes travel super easy and accessible! On average, it takes about 35-45 minutes to get into Manhattan by Ram Van, which is my favorite way to travel into the City. The Ram Van is always reliable because it leaves on time and is an inexpensive, safe way to travel.

But what does “New York is my campus," really, mean?”  Yes, Fordham’s location facilitates City travel, but this phrase means so much more.  It is guaranteed that at least one professor per semester will encourage or require students to venture into the city.  This not only makes lessons more dynamic and interesting, but makes the lesson plan more applicable.  For example, last year, for my Fine Arts requirement, I took a class on Opera.  My Opera professor encouraged our class to go to the Metropolitan Opera after he received reduced price tickets for students.  This was a truly great experience as the class culminated in an actual visual of what we studied all semester.  Students met and traveled together for the Opera showing at Lincoln Center for a night of music and culture.

With my classmate and good friend, Nick Hardiman, at Lincoln Center for the Opera.   

This year, I ventured to the Museum of Natural History for Lab credit for my Astronomy class.  Again, this took a topic that seemed so obscure and made it accessible and interesting for students.  Receiving this lab credit was definitely my favorite part of the class as information presented at the museum reiterated and reinforced class lectures.

Ram Van and Museum Ticket

At Fordham, professors realize how busy students are, but they also recognize the importance of our access to the City.  It may seem burdensome to take out extra time to work on class projects or receive credit by travelling.  However, these out of the classroom lessons are what really makes the information come into fruition, which I have found is a common thread amongst all professors at Fordham.  This is what I have come to realize what it means for New York to be my campus.  

Being Thankful for Fordham

Every year for Thanksgiving at my house, we go around the room and tell each other all of the wonderful things we are thankful for. Overdone and cheesy, I know, but tradition is tradition. This year, I couldn't help but be thankful for my amazing school, Fordham. I'm thankful for all of my great and interesting classes and all of the things I've learned in them. I'm thankful for the excitement of New York City that I am fortunate enough to have right in my backyard. And most of all, I'm thankful for the caring people that I am surrounded by everyday in the Fordham community. 

I'm extremely thankful for my wonderful Fordham friends!

But it's always nice to come home and be around family, especially since I'm from Texas, and I don't get to come home that often. I always envy the people who live in the tri-state area because they usually take a train home, which means that they don't have to deal with airport security, flying, and baggage check. Fordham, however, makes at least one portion of the flying process much easier. During school breaks, the Ram Van has a shuttle service to and from LaGuardia Airport and JFK airport that is open to all students. The ride is usually only 30 minutes and it costs $20, which is much cheeper than a cab. They help you with your bags and drop you off right at your terminal. I've used it so many times, and I can proudly say that I am definitely thankful for the Ram Van. 

Even on a rainy day, the Ram Van is there to make sure we all make our flights home!

Spending time with my family and loved ones this Thanksgiving has been perfect, and a much needed break. We all spend time together cooking and baking in the morning, watch the parade, and then we eat and watch football, like every good Texan family should. We think about the year we've had while we eat too much, laugh too much, and talk too much. 
I always enjoy getting to come home and relax a little bit, but I know that once this turkey coma wears off, I'll be ready to be back in New York at my wonderful school!

Celebrating Thanksgiving with all my loved ones in Texas!

So from everyone here at Fordham, we would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a Happy Hanukkah! 

Classes at LC

As a Fordham student, you have the opportunity to take classes at either the Rose Hill Campus or the Lincoln Center (LC) campus. This semester, I finally took this opportunity and enrolled for a Lincoln Center course. I love the Rose Hill campus, but am happy to have the excuse to go into the city once a week-and on a weekday, too! I've been able to get dinner in the city before class, and also had time to explore the Lincoln Center campus. I have found that I love Red Mango (a frozen yogurt place located in the cafeteria at Lincoln Center), and have spent time before class sitting in the quad outside the Lowenstein building (the main academic building at the Lincoln Center which houses Quinn Library, the bookstore, classrooms, student lounges, and the cafeteria). Sitting on the quad is a great place to sit and relax, but you still get the city feel with all the skyscrapers in the background!

I would definitely recommend that every Fordham student take a class at the campus they do not attend. I've met new students and had the chance to explore a different part of Fordham. And travelling to the campus is easy: the Ram Van, Fordham's inter-campus transportation system makes it simple. Vans leave every half an hour from each campus, and the trip is free for students going to class. I would definitely consider taking another class at Lincoln Center!

A picture of the quad at Lincoln Center (There's usually more students around, but it's cold today!) The closer building on the right is a newly constructed building opening for the Fall 2014 semester: Find about the exciting changes going on at LC at Fordham's website: http://www.fordham.edu/lc2014/ 

Getting Around in NYC

One of the best things about Fordham is the fact that it's in New York City, where there is so much to do and see. It's also easy to get around, with easy access to public transportation and Fordham-sponsored ways to get to and from your city excursions.

From the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx:

1) By train: If you walk out the Third Avenue gate and walk about 10 steps to the right, you'll find yourself outside the Fordham Road Metro-North station. The Metro-North is great because it gets you to Grand Central, in the heart of Manhattan, in just 20 minutes! Going home for the weekend? The Metro-North goes up to Westchester and Connecticut. Penn Station is also a quick subway ride from Grand Central if you want to take the Long Island Railroad or NJ Transit. 

Tickets to Grand Central are $8.25 one-way during peak hours and $6.25 one-way during off-peak hours. If you take the Metro-North to Manhattan on a Saturday or Sunday, make sure to buy a CityTicket, which only costs $4 one-way. Keep an eye on the time, though! The Metro-North generally runs twice an hour during the week and once an hour on the weekends, and the last train from Grand Central to Fordham is at 2 a.m.

2) By subway: A short 10 minute walk up Fordham Road is the station for the B and D subway, and another 5 minutes past that is the 4 subway station. To get on the subway, you simply swipe a MetroCard. Buying a MetroCard costs $1 and then you can add money to it and refill it. Each swipe costs only $2.50. Once on the subway you can go almost anywhere in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. In particular, Fordham students take the D train to get to Yankee Stadium, Columbus Circle and Lincoln Center, Times Square, Herald's Square, and the West Village. It also runs pretty frequently, especially during the week and during the day. If you take the subway at night, Fordham security shuttles will be there waiting to drive you back to campus.

The subway may seem overwhelming if you've never taken it before, but it's definitely worth trying as it's the easiest way to get around in New York, and it's a part of the New York City culture. 

3) By bus: Right outside the gates of the Rose Hill campus are stops for the local BX9, BX12, BX22, and BX61 MTA buses that takes riders around the Bronx and upper Manhattan. Using a MetroCard for $2.50 per ride, students often take the BX12 up to the D subway station or the BX9 over to Target to do some shopping for their dorm rooms.

4) The Ram Van: The Ram Van is Fordham's own method of transportation, driven by students, between the Rose Hill campus and the Lincoln Center campus.  It runs every half hour, with the last van leaving from Lincoln Center at midnight on Sunday-Wednesday and 4am on Thursday-Saturday.  To ride the Ram Van, you have to reserve your place online and then buy a ticket in the Ram Van office at Rose Hill or in the lobby of Lincoln Center's Lowenstein building.  A one-way ticket is $3, but if you're taking the Ram Van for class or an internship, you can get free passes.

The Ram Van also has other great services, such as an office-campus shuttle that brings students who live off campus to their apartments at night and an Airport Service that will bring students (and their luggage) to LaGuardia and JFK International Airports before a long weekend.

From the Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan:

In addition to the Ram Van, the A, B, C, D, and 1 subway trains all stop down the block at the 59th Street/Columbus Circle station, and the local M5, M7, M10, M11, M31, M57, and M104 buses all stop right near the campus.