Top Ten Differences from being a Freshman to being an Upperclassman

 1.  You are able to choose you schedule

Coming in to Fordham as a freshman your schedule is handed to you. However, after that, you are able to choose your own schedule. This is a great way to take classes that interest you and plan a schedule that fits your daily routine. If you are a morning person, like me, you can choose to sign up for all of the 8:30s!

2. You take classes at the Lincoln Center Campus

Whether its because a course is only offered down at Lincoln Center or because you just want to get into the city for classes and have an excuse to venture into the city, as an upperclassmen you may find yourself taking classes down at Lincoln Center. I am currently taking a graduate Geometry course at Lincoln Center on Wednesday nights and it’s a great change of pace and its, surprisingly, great being able to get into the city at least once a week.

3. Your dorm style changes, if you are living on campus.

For those who choose to live on campus, as a freshman you will live in a single room dorm in either a double or a triple. The bathroom, at least in most of the residence halls, will be communal. Not to worry, this is how you will, surprisingly enough, meet most of your friends freshman year! As a sophomore you will once again live in a double or triple with an added bonus of the bathroom being in your room. Finally, as a junior or senior you will have the opportunity to live in an apartment style dorm which includes a living area, a kitchen, bathroom and single or double rooms.

4. The number of classes that you are required to take decreases

Once you become a junior, you are only required to take four classes whereas underclassmen are required to take five. The reasoning behind this is that students, in their junior and senior years should be getting internships and volunteer opportunities to prepare them for life after Fordham. Since  I want to be  a teacher, I currently volunteer by tutoring girls at the Rosedale Center in the Bronx.

5. You begin to take more classes for your major

In my personal experience, as I advanced through Fordham I slowly began to take more classes per semester that applied to my major than to the standard core. I am a math major and last semester all four of my classes were math classes!

6. You take on leadership roles within clubs and organizations

The clubs and organizations that you choose to join freshman year will play a big role in shaping your Fordham experience. For this reason, while you may just be a general member during your freshman and even sophomore years, as you become a junior or senior you may take on E-board (Executive Board) positions and hold more responsibility. I am not the Club Liiason of the Polish Club which I have been involved with since my freshman year.

7. You realize that office hours are the best resource around, and they are actually very helpful

As an underclassman I always hesitated to go to my professors office hours. However, after being here for three years,  I now go to at least one office hour, practically every day.

8. You become more focused on the future

As graduation approaches, you begin to think more about your plans for the future. I am currently working on graduate school applications to get my masters in Secondary Education.

My friends and I as underclassmen. 

9. You know your way around Arthur Avenue, the Bronx, and NYC more.

Once you become an upperclassmen you begin to know the best pizza place, the best restaurant on Arthur Avenue, the cheapest place to get groceries and the best places to hangout with friends. Additionally, all of your trips into the city as a freshman make you a master at the subways and cool things to do in the city.

10. You know the ropes

As a freshman everything is new and exciting. You are exploring where your classes are, what your professors are like, who you will be friends with, what clubs and activities you will become involved in and what you will do on the weekends. As an upperclassman you have been able to get settled in and can now enjoy all that Fordham has to offer, and believe me, from experience, it has a lot to offer!

Still great friends as upperclassmen! 

With all of this said, not everything changes as you move from being an underclassman to an upperclassman. For me, while all of these changes were taking place the one thing that did not change was my group of friends. I am glad that I have been able to share all of my experiences with them!