Gettysburg College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Physics
Minor: Math
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Straight Male

Summary

I [had a leadership position] in the Tae Kwon Do club and I had various jobs within the Physics department.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Public school in the Bronx, NY with a graduating class of about 180 students. There was a program that helped the students who wanted to go to college, but there were many students who did not want to go to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Physics
Minor: Math

Extracurricular Activities: I [had a leadership position] in the Tae Kwon Do club and I had various jobs within the Physics department.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
Being in the Tae Kwon Do club helped me understand more about myself because it’s martial arts and showed me a lot about my body, how it moves, and such. It also helped me understand how to work with others because I [had a leadership position] and I had to lead others.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
We had a lot of weekly homework because of problem sets. Then, I usually have about three to four exams per semester.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I like how each professor is kind of unique in the way that they teach every class because they have different perspectives, which made every class feel different. I liked that because the way the professors conduct classes is really fun. It wasn’t just about learning on your own because every professor is very interactive.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly collaborative or competitive?
Within the Physics department, yes, because there aren’t very many of us to begin with. It is really friendly since we all understand how difficult the major is, so we all work together. We would spend time outside of class and joke around, so it’s a really nice environment since we’re all in it together.
How accessible are your professors?
Usually, the professors make a lot of time to meet with us. The professors go out of their way to have office hours and they are always open to making appointments outside of office hours.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I chose my major because coming into college I wanted to do the dual degree engineering program that I’m currently enrolled in. I’m very happy with my program choice.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Were there any resources available that helped you adapt?
To be honest, it wasn’t much of a difference to me because I have always been the kind of student that studied hard academically. The classes in college got harder, so I just adjusted and did what I could to keep up. The professors specifically have helped me adjust a lot because they are the ones who give you the coursework. I also really have utilized the library since it’s a place that’s a relaxing environment to study and has access to computers if I need them.
What has been your favorite part of Gettysburg College academically?
I think my favorite part has been working with other students. A lot of us would come together and try to do a problem set and joke about how tough the work is, but still take it seriously and get it done. Going through those difficulties with other people has been my favorite part.

Reasons to Attend

1) There are a lot of people from different backgrounds that attend Gettysburg. There is a mixed culture and faculty. [About 16% of faculty and 17% of students are from minority backgrounds.]
2) Being on campus is a really fun time. There’s always something to do.
3) The professors are really good here. Every professor I’ve had has impacted me in some way. They’ve made the classes interesting and I’ve learned a lot.
4) The school does a good job of getting students involved in solving issues. The school is always making sure that we’re actively involved in them.

Reasons Not to Attend

I don’t have any.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Hanson Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Paxton Hall with one roommate
Junior: I studied abroad the fall semester and then I lived in the Global Study House in a single
Senior: Corkran Hall in an apartment with four other people
How was transitioning from your hometown in the Bronx to Gettysburg, PA in terms of location?
I visited Gettysburg in high school and I thought that I wanted to get away from a city with a bunch of people to study, and I thought Gettysburg was a good place to do that because it wasn’t so populated. Moving there I thought was a good move, and I didn’t feel too far away from home since it’s only a few hour drive away. It didn’t impact me too much.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
The level of safety is very excellent. I never have had an issue with safety and I never felt like I was threatened. I think the campus does a good job of helping me feel like I am safe at night, and during the day. I also felt that way off-campus.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in?
There are theme houses around campus where I have friends and I will go over there and play board games or play pool in their club room. I’m not a huge party person, but I will sometimes go with a friend to a frat party if they are going.
What have been some of your favorite times at Gettysburg?
This past February during Snowball, which is a dance on campus, because that was the first time I went to an event like that. I went with a few of my friends and had a blast the entire time because we also bumped into other people we knew and danced and talked together.
How happy are you with the nightlife options at Gettysburg? Is there anything you would change if you could?
Personally, I never felt like I knew much about what was going on during the weekends. On the weekends, I’d like to go to the gym and play basketball, volleyball, and stuff like that. I saw certain events that were advertised, but aside from those little events, I wasn’t aware of many events that were going on.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met them indirectly from another friend I had met who was also from the Bronx. We all had dinner and talked afterward, and just kept on hanging out with them and developed a better friendship.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Gettysburg?
Everyone’s pretty socially active. It doesn’t seem like anybody tries to distance themselves too much. Everyone seems to have a good time talking with each other and going out and planning things, so I’d say it’s pretty active.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I don’t think this is specific to Gettysburg, I just think it’s a social thing that can happen, but it does seem that a lot of groups tend to stick to themselves at times. For example, there might be a Vietnamese group that socializes together and they won’t really reach out to the Caucasian group and vice versa. I don’t think it’s anything against the other groups, it’s just that they are comfortable with people that have interests they share. I do have a group of Hispanic friends, but I also am somebody who talks with everyone.
How would you describe the Hispanic community on campus? How strong is it?
I’d say it’s pretty active. They have a lot of events and a lot of parties on campus to try to promote Hispanic pride. I’m not too involved in it because I don’t personally feel like showing that much energy when it comes to Hispanic pride. I understand what they’re going for, but it just isn’t my vibe.
How do you like the size of Gettysburg in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience? [There are about 2,370 undergraduate students.]
It’s a pretty good size for me because you see the same people every now and then when you’re transitioning from class to class because it’s such a small campus. It’s a small campus so you see the same people everywhere, and then you’ll eventually start talking with them.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
I feel like they mix pretty well because I’ve known a few people who are involved in Greek life and they are very socially active and friendly. They didn’t have a problem spending time with someone who’s not in Greek life. The same goes for people who are not in Greek life with spending time in Greek life. [About 31% of men are in fraternities and 33% of women are in sororities.]

Careers

Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I’ve learned Excel, MatLab, Java, and Python.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
I do use financial aid. I have approached them about some issues and they were very quick to handle them, so they helped me a lot. They are very helpful when you need them.