The first day of classes for the new 4,750 freshmen spurred a mixture of reactions.
For some students, the added responsibility of college is a stress, but for others, the extra freedom is a privilege.
According to Teryn Shaw, a freshman in First Year College, classes do not seem that intense yet and the college atmosphere is better than high school.
“I feel like you have a lot more free time,” she said. “[But] you have to learn to manage [it].”
Katie Quigley, a freshman in First Year College, agreed.
“I liked how my schedule was spaced and we could do what we wanted,” she said.
According to Quigley, the worst part of her first day was having to attend a night class, something she had never had to do during high school. She also said she wasn’t used to walking such long distances between classes.
But still, she said, college is better than high school.
“You have a lot more responsibility, but the classes were a lot more fun,” Quigley said.
Shaw said her main worry was that she would get lost and not be able to find her classes, but she managed to find her way around.
Mary Santos, a freshman in political science, said she wasn’t used to finishing her classes so early.
“I only had two classes,” she said.”I had big blocks of time.”
Santos said she liked her professors, especially her Spanish professor because she showed her students that she was willing to work with them.
Her math class, on the other hand, Santos said, was a class of 130 students and was really fast paced.
“He went through all of pre-calculus in 30 minutes,” she said.
She said it seemed that, unlike in high school, the individual attention to each student would be a lot less in that class.
Another difference, Santos said, is people’s interactions.
“People are really open and they talk more to random people [unlike] high school,” she said.
Freshmen also got a taste of the dining halls.
Qugley said she ate at Case Dining Hall Wednesday and that she liked it better than Fountain Dining Hall.
As the new freshmen explored the college atmosphere, they also looked for organizations to join.
“I signed up for the pre-law program and I’m thinking of joining CSLEPS,” Santos said.