This semester, I made the seemingly unfortunate decision to take a Monday 10 a.m. class at Rose Hill. Before returning to campus this January, I mourned the loss of my Sunday nights and Monday mornings. My roommates even gave me a pep talk the night before my first class. But when I got on my first 9 a.m. Ram Van, I knew I made the right decision. 

The 9 a.m. Ram Van is always packed with Lincoln Center students traveling to their first class of the week. Like many other students, I consider my morning rides to be the moment of peace I get before the chaos of my day: I play my music, enjoy my coffee and clear my mind as I look out over the Hudson River passing by on my left. There is no better feeling than being on the Henry Hudson Parkway, peering through the window into the sun-filled sky and hearing Courtney Love’s raspy yell blasting through my AirPods. 

As for the actual morning class, I find the structure and content to be similar to the Lincoln Center classes that I have attended. Learning in a different location does fundamentally change the educational experience.

Being at Rose Hill strengthens my Lincoln Center identity.

The Rose Hill classrooms are not confined to the perimeter of a city block. Rather, they allow students to move between different buildings and enjoy the campus’s beautiful scenery. Additionally, the Rose Hill campus itself has far more resources for students. The library hosts hundreds of volumes, students have more on-campus food options, and Rose Hill just opened its latest addition to the campus: the student lounge. 

The Lincoln Center campus, of course, does not have the space to provide these resources, but we have the right to utilize them as Fordham students who pay for these resources with our tuition and fees. It would be a waste not to take advantage of them.

It’s refreshing to learn in a new environment, whether it be a new building or room or campus. Lincoln Center is surrounded by cars, high-rises and the sounds of the city. As city dwellers, we face so many distractions that it can be overwhelming at times. As soon as we step out of our dorms, our feet hit the cement. At Rose Hill, students can step out into the grass and breathe in the fresh air. Rose Hill provides us with a place to relax in a large green space and enjoy the outdoors.

At the same time, it is beneficial for Rose Hill students to attend Lincoln Center classes — learning in the city is a unique and rare opportunity.

The part I enjoy most is meeting students from Rose Hill. Though these interactions are fleeting, the brief conversations I have rehashing the highlights of the lesson or even just asking for directions have always been pleasant. People are always willing to help, and many are also lighthearted enough to poke fun at the trademark Lincoln Center student “I have no idea where I am going” face. 

The truth is, I like going to Rose Hill because I love attention. I love walking past my peers and hearing, “She’s definitely LC.” It gives me a sense of identity and campus pride that I haven’t felt before.

Going to school in the city has made me dysphoric about my college experience: Sometimes, it does not feel real. I think we can all accept that the Lincoln Center campus is not geared toward the stereotypical college life in the same way that Rose Hill is. The Rose Hill campus and students are dripping with maroon and white merchandise, while the Lincoln Center hallways are filled with swarms of fashionistas doting patterned pants, dyed hair and angst. 

Being at Rose Hill strengthens my Lincoln Center identity. Wherever we go, we bring the city with us. We are different, and the balance between the more “normal” college experience at Rose Hill and the urban lifestyle that I crave and have found at Lincoln Center is something that I hold very dear.