Gettysburg College | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Jane

Class: Senior
Major: Other Natural Science And Mathematics
Gender: F

High School: Farmington High School, Connecticut
Transfer Student: N

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I just graduated from Gettysburg and couldn't stop crying as I left. The most wonderful thing about Gburg was the friends I made. From teachers to coaches to fellow students, Gburg introduced me to some of the most amazing people I've ever met. I'll never forget meeting my advisor at orientation freshman year. She pulled me aside after the group introduction and told me "Jane, you're the furthest from home. If you ever need anything, you can come over to my house and we can have milk and cookies!" Four years later I sat on her back porch as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes having hamburgers and hot dogs as part of our annual cookout at the Wright's house. Gettysburg will always be my home away from home. Because of my athletic schedule I didn't go home much. On breaks when other students went home I took advantage of opportunities like GRAB (Gettysburg Recreation Adventure Board), where I went kayaking and backpacking in the region. Over 90% of students live on campus all four years, and the ones who are "off" are so close to campus the term becomes laughable. 99.9% of people stay for the weekend and if you do leave students will give you a funny look and ask why? Why would you leave Gettysburg? Orange and Blue are the best colors on earth. There's a good amount of school spirit, especially for lacrosse. Sometimes students are so involved in their own activities it's hard to attend a lot of others. The accapella concerts are ALWAYS packed!!

Academic Life

Not only do my professors know my name, they know about my latest performance at a recent track meet, my love for UConn basketball, and my favorite food. Classes are small and participation is expected. This semester I had a class in which 2 days a week were entirely dedicated to group discussion. Contribution was mandatory. For the most part students do a lot of work. You can choose not to, but your grades will suffer. I had semesters that were harder than others, but I did dedicate a lot of time to my studies. The Health Sciences department is wonderful!!!! The professors are warm, friendly, and some of the best people I know. The unique major allows students to look at the human body from a variety of viewpoints. Most graduates go on to become physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and exercise physiologists. There are academic requirements at Gettysburg, but they're pretty easy to fulfill. For example you need to take one "humanities" course while at Gettysburg. This can be any Engligh, History, or Religion course, just to name a few.

Student Body

I which there was a little more diversity at Gettysburg. It is hard to discuss race relations in a class made up of entirely white students. The college is doing a better job at recruiting minority and foriegn students to Gettysburg. I saw a difference in the make up over my four years there. What students wear to class can range from sweaty tee-shirts after an early morning team practice to a sundress and pearls. There is a wide range with everything inbetween. Most students are from the east coast. The majority are from PA and NJ, within about a 3 hour driving distance. Many students come from New England and VA. I had friends from as far as Oregon and California, but they are few and far between. Gettysburg draws from a wide area considering they are a small, relativley rural school. Politically students range from very active to completely unaware. It deprends on the individual interests. Students are very involved. At last count there were over 140 student groups and organizations on campus. The average student is in 3 extracurricular activities. So get involved, or get outta here.