Posted By Gettysburgian Staff on Sep 1, 2019 | 1 comment

Safiya Amin ’23 (left) poses with friend at her high school’s decision day (Photo courtesy of Safiya Amin)

By Safiya Amin, Contributing Writer

I’m going to be honest here, Gettysburg was not my first choice of college. Nor was it my second.

I actually didn’t even remember applying to Gettysburg until I got my acceptance letter, so I’m sure it doesn’t come as a complete surprise when I say that I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to put down my deposit and commit.

A week before coming here I remember feeling anxious and nervous about what to expect. I had never visited Gettysburg before committing and I was truly going in blind to this school far from home.

Coming from a busy and bustling suburb in New Jersey and only a 30-minute train ride from New York City, I didn’t know how I would do in a quiet small town in the middle of Pennsylvania. I also did not know what to expect from the school itself — how the professors would be and if the classes were truly as hard as everyone was telling me. Would Gettysburg truly be my home away from home?

However, after successfully completing five days of orientation and a week of classes, I’m happy to say that I am not disappointed in the slightest with my decision to come to Gettysburg.

I found a school where the professors truly care about their students and want them to succeed with whatever they want to do in the future and offer opportunities that you would never expect as a first year. I found a school that puts emphasis on helping with bettering the surrounding community, a school at which I feel like I can truly thrive.

And it is just a bonus that Servo has the best campus food I’ve ever had at any college.

Even though I have only been here for a week, I’m excited to see what my next four years at Gettysburg have in store for me, and most importantly, I’m excited to do great work.

Editor’s Note: This article is part of the 2019-20 edition of our series “Getty, Set, Go: The First Year Journal” (formerly “Dodging the Bullet”), in which The Gettysburgian’s staff members from the Class of 2023 share stories, reflections, and perspective on their first year experience. (-M. Neiman)