SCRANTON, Pa. — It might look like your average day at Marywood University, but it is a little different. After all, this is the first day of the fall semester.
Before students hit the classrooms, before they visited the library, they came to the dining hall for breakfast.
Freshman Luke Strong is an architecture major from Trumbull, Connecticut.
Luke spent his first weekend exploring his new surroundings.
“Took a little drive around Scranton, just to see what's around, pretty nice. Students are nice, and everything has been going smooth,” Luke Strong, freshman.
Luke says so far, his biggest adjustment is classes here starting later in the morning than he experienced in high school.
Cameron Kuntz is another freshman. He's a music therapy major.
“It took a little bit to get adjusted, but it went well. It was a little busy, but I got used to it.”
Cameron does have a slight advantage. He does know this part of Pennsylvania. Cameron is from just down the turnpike in Slatington.
And then there is Kayla Kristopaitis. She is studying to be a physician’s assistant. This junior from New Boston in Schuylkill County knows how college works. She's spending some of her time thinking about life after Marywood.
“I don't know what specialty I’m going to do yet. My whole last year is clinicals and specialties I can do, so I’m going to try to put it off until the last minute to see what I want to do best,” said Kayla Kristopaitis.
Kayla added that despite everything on her plate, she does manage to stay focused.
Marywood University is not the only school in Lackawanna County kicking off a new semester. At the University of Scranton, there are more than one thousand new faces on campus.
One of those new faces belongs to Ralphena Brapoh. This biology major from Coatesville found geography to be her biggest challenge.
“I would say the walking distances. It took a long time to find my classes, so I know where everything is now, so it's easier.”
Ralphena was like the rest of the class of 2027, arriving Saturday, and she called her first weekend away from home "normal."