Gettysburg College Top Questions

Classes are generally very small and the relationships with professors are much closer than say at a big state university. A lot of my professors know me by name, especially the ones in my major department. Class participation is common in classes, and even required in many. I think students have intellectual conversations outside of class. I do sometimes. I suppose there are some competitive students on class, but not everyone is nearly that hardcore. The most unique class I've taken was my First Year Seminar, which was The Mysterious World of Fungi. It counted as a lab science and we had a special fungi dinner at the end of the semester. It was awesome. I'm a Japanese Studies major, and the Asian Studies department is small, but surprisingly good. There are 3 main Japanese professors and 1 or 2 Chinese professors. Since the department is so small, you get to know everyone in your major VERY quickly. I've spent some time with professors outside of class. My freshman year we had a party at once of the professor's houses. It was a lot of fun. As for requirements, I think they're good for the most part. It helps you to broaden your knowledge outside of just your major. I don't really know about the education being geared toward getting a job or just learning for the sake of learning. I suppose that all depends on your major and your own future plans.

The academics are very challenging at Gettysburg. There are small learning environments where faculty do get to know the students personally. The more dedicated professors are the ones who get to know their students on a personal level. Students here are very competitive in their classwork but also many are helpful with eachother.

Most classes are quite small, so professors quickley learn names. There are some professors i like so much that I've taken over 4 courses with them. They always have office hours and give you their home number and email, just in case you have a question. People participate in most classes and many hours are spent together studying outside of class. The most interesting calss I've taken was a class on Buddhist spiritual biographies. We read a whole bunch of biographies of all different kinds of Buddhists. It was so interesting and we even got to meditate. I feel like a lot of people are uncomfortable with the requirements, especially if they come here with an interest in mind already. I think they are good requirements. This is a liberal arts education, so they make sense. I feel like Gettysburg realizeds that people learn the most outside of the classroom, but their ultimate goal is to get you into a job.

Because of the size of Gettysburg, I feel that it's easier to get closer with my professors. With larger schools, it's harder to get in touch with teachers because everyone else and their mother is trying to reach them. My teachers from last year's classes still know my name. I'm not a number at this school. I'm actually a human being with a name. I've even gone in to talk to my advisor about things not related to my classes. And once you form that foundation with your teachers and advisor, it's easier to approach them when you have problems in class. And if you won't, they definitely will. The teachers here want you to do well, and want to see you succeed. I doubt professors will be as forward with you at larger colleges and universities.

the liberal arts education here pushes students to far out of their comfort zone with some of the mandatory requirements.

-professors very close to you, all know you name, its like highschool in that regard -students sometimes talk outside of class -its very competitive -language requirement is bullshit

Academics are great, but could use a little more career focus.

Academics are very good, definitely the best part of my Gettysburg experience. I study a lot, but there are plenty of students who get by doing very minimal work. The Philosophy department is amazing and I have a great connection with several professors there and do spend time with them outside of class. The education is geared toward learning for its own sake, not for getting a job.

Because of our small size, your professors get to know you well which is great when it comes to letters of recommendation. Our bio department is awesome, a lot of work, but they are great professors. If you plan on coming in to do Bio, Chem, etc. be prepared. The first year is easy. The second year is hard as hell. A lot of people drop their major sophomore year. One of my favorite classes here was "Death and the Meaning of Life" as a freshman seminar. It was a different but very interesting class. I loved it. Overall, Gettysburg is a really really great school and I couldn't see myself anywhere else. It becomes a home not just a school.

because it is a small school, professors always know you name. they are great! i really haven't had a bad class here. the hardest classes are biology. my favorite class was abnormal psychology. i think by your second year you start to really have a lot of academic conversations, and you really start to appreciate your experiences. I am a philosophy major, and i think it is the greatest department. the professors are funny, great people that i have a very strong bond with. we meet outside of class, talk about our personal lives and i really think that my professors have become huge mentors for me.

Even though Gettysburg is a small liberal arts college, you can still get through it without ever knowing a professor. However, if you take the time, a student can get to know one or two professors fairly well. Class participation is a must in almost every class at Gettysburg, though these academic discussions are usually limited to the classroom. I very rarely over-hear a stimulating conversation on this campus other than gossip or the news on which fraternity is open that night. Similarly, the academic requirements are downright silly and take up a very large chunk of a students time here. The school attempts to downplay its large numbers of required classes by sending home fliers promoting the connections between these classes, but in my experience there is very little connection. The academics here are geared for neither learning for its own sake or for getting a job after graduation. Instead, academics are geared towards getting into graduate school. Most majors at Gettysburg College have a "Methods" class which is required, and is meant to teach students the methodology of their major. This is a boring, and downright silly way to present the methodology of each discipline, when it could be done much better in individual classes that the student is actually interested in. In my personal experience, "Historical Methods" was created for students to go on to graduate work in History, which I have no interest in doing.

The music department faculty is always willing to work with students outside of classes. However, I often notice tension between faculty members. I am not very happy with Gettysburg's requirements. As a transfer student to Gettysburg, it has been a complete nightmare trying to figure out how I can even graduate. As a matter of fact, I cannot even graduate with the degree I would prefer (BS in Music Education) because I need to student teach a ninth semester. In order to receive a BS in Music Education, I would have to enroll as a full time student my ninth semester, and I simply cannot afford it. Now I must graduate with a BA in Music and request to be certified to teach music.

The academics here are top notch. You will never be just a number. All of the professors not know your name, but they know your goals and will do anything to help. They have regular office hours and many will give you their home and cell phone numbers. Classes are pretty small, about 18 people, except for intro level science courses and are very interactive. It's rare to have a professor who spends the entire class just lecturing. The most unique class I've taken is my first year seminar. All first-year students pick one of 20-30 seminars in almost every department and the people who are in your seminar are also the people that you live with in your residence hall. Mine was a Hands On Approach to Legal History, where we ended the semester by competing in a mock trial.

The academics on campus are great. I presonally love the political science department. Most of the professors are amazing. They really know what they are talking about, and they try to get their students excited about what they are teaching. Some even invite their classes to their homes for dinner. They try to get to know their students. This is true for several other deparments on campus as well.

with class sizes small, students are urged to participate. it is also less intimidating and students are more likely to do this free willing. my favorite class was philosophy 101. there was a lot of discussion an interesting topics that were open to anyone to provide personal answers. students study quite often. the library is always lively. the education is geared towards learning and developing well rounded people.

The academics at Gettysburg are challenging in that the professors expect a lot from each student. The classes are small enough that every professor knows your name, your strengths and weaknesses, as well as how often you attend class or not. Needless to say, everyone attends class almost all of the time! Students are generally conscious of their schoolwork and work hard to get it done correctly. Professors are made available to students through office hours and students are often seen in the library in study groups. Gettysburg's liberal arts curriculum is well-rounded and requires students to get a complete education through taking a variety of courses.

Dr. Shirley Anne Warshaw, is one of the most respected Presidential scholars in the country and she teaches Political Science at Gettysburg College. She is an amazing professor and knows more than most in here field. Gettysburg is a very intellectual campus, and classes are filled everyday with debates and class discussions. This past weekend, our professor invited myself and another girl to attend a conference in Chicago with her, the college paid for everything and we had the best time! its those type of undergrad experiences that most people do not get the chance to be apart of.

the academics here are very personal. i don't think there is one professor i have taken throughout my four years how does not know my name, even within my out-of-major classes. they make an honest effort to getting to know you and both a student and a person. they are interested in the campus new and gossip as well as the athletic activities.

All my classes are small and the teachers make an effort to know my name and something about me. They are all very kind and willing to help me out when ever i have a problem. They truly hope that i succeed in class and will do whatever they can to help me along the way.

My favorite class I took was Disabilities Studies with Cindy Wright. It was amazing to learn about all the different disabilities out there and what those people struggle with. We had lots of guest speakers that really opened my eyes. I also loved the books we had to read for that class. The best part was teaching swimming once a week to a special education class from a local middle school.