University of Delaware students make their way to class on Monday, Feb. 5, officially kicking off the spring 2024 semester.

First day of classes

Article by Amy Wolf Photos by Evan Krape February 05, 2024

UD students share excitement for start of spring semester

Megan Drucker, a sophomore psychology and communication double major at the University of Delaware, is excited to be back in a routine — even if that routine began at 8 a.m.

But despite the early alarm after a winter break spent sleeping in, Drucker was excited to start the spring semester along with thousands of other UD students on Monday, Feb. 5.

“I’m tired — I'm used to waking up late — but I'm excited to be back,” Drucker said as she sat down to eat breakfast in the Patrick T. Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE) Lab in between her two classes of the day. “There’s already work to do, and I’m excited to jump right back in.”

Megan Drucker, a sophomore psychology and communication double major, said she was excited to be back in the routine of classes.

Andrew Christie, a sophomore operations management and marketing major, also said he was happy to be back on campus.

“I definitely enjoyed being at home, but I think it was definitely time to get back to campus life,” he said. “My main goal this semester is to try to manage my time better and plan out my day better so I have a better idea of when to do certain things.”

Andrew Christie, a sophomore operations management and marketing major, said his main goal for the semester is to improve his time management skills.

Nicole Wang, a sophomore biochemistry major, said the beginning of a new semester feels like a fresh start. Her main goals for the semester are to get good grades, adopt a better sleep schedule and get more involved on campus.

“I feel like every semester, I'm like, ‘This is the semester I'm gonna get it together.’ I'm kind of in that mindset,” she said. “I just finished my first class, and I have another one soon, so I’m just getting the hang of it, but it's working out. I think it's gonna be a good semester.”

Nicole Wang, a sophomore biochemistry major, said the beginning of a new semester feels like a fresh start.

For Jordan West, a senior political science major, the start of the spring semester is bittersweet since it’s his last semester as an undergraduate student. His first class of the day — global politics — wasn’t until 11:30 a.m., but he woke up early and got to campus with plenty of time to relax in Perkins Student Center and review his course syllabus before class began.

“I’m looking forward to meeting new people and having new experiences,” he said. “It’s my last semester, so it’s a little bittersweet, but I’m going to continue school, so it’s not the end of the road.”

Jordan West, a senior political science major, said the start of the spring semester is bittersweet since it’s his last semester as an undergraduate student.

Marcus Ceglinski, a senior mechanical engineering major, is also going to make the most of his last semester at UD. He wants to meet new people, get good grades and land a job before walking across the stage with a diploma in May.

His advice for underclassmen is to get involved on campus outside of classes.

“Join clubs that aren’t related to your major,” he said. “There's too much at this school to just stay in one lane. There's too many opportunities to pass up. Don't stay in your dorm, don't stay in your apartment. Go out, meet new people and try something new.”