Students are back on campus, kicking off spring 2026 semester at the University of Delaware.

Students are back on campus, kicking off the spring 2026 semester at the University of Delaware.

Class is back in session

Article by Jamie Washington Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson February 02, 2026

UD students excited to begin spring semester

It’s the first day of class at the University of Delaware, and Trabant Student Center is buzzing. Nearly every seat is taken, laptops are open, and students are rehashing winter break while reviewing each other’s spring class schedules.

Sharing a booth in the far back left corner, third-year students Zari Kelly, Dominic Carletto-Vega and Ethan Roseman enjoy downtime between classes. Every semester, they’ve taken all the same classes, shared notes, and have studied together, and they plan to keep it that way until they graduate.

“We’ve been friends since the first day of our first year,” said Kelly, a biology major. “I would have never guessed that my closest friends would be two guys, but when the work becomes challenging, it’s nice to have them to lean on.”

Ethan Roseman (left) makes sure that his best friends Zari Kelly (center) and Dominic Carletto-Vega (right) have great study habits so they can finish strong together.

Owen Littleton, a first-year student majoring in human relations administration, is looking forward to making more connections and establishing lasting bonds, especially with faculty.

“Last semester was my first as a college student. I was a bit nervous about reaching out to professors, but I think that’s normal,” he said. “I’m looking forward to my professional speaking class, because I hope that it will help me get out of my shell.”

Owen Littleton is looking forward to another successful semester at UD.

This morning was emotional for Kaitlyn Landaverde, a marketing major who expects to graduate in May.

“I’ve always loved academics, so this being my last semester as a college student is super emotional,” she said. “As I walked out of my strategic marketing class this morning, it hit me — this is it — such a bittersweet moment that I wasn’t expecting.”

While this is Landaverde’s final spring semester, it’s the first for Johanna Chajes as an assistant professor in psychological and brain sciences.

Kaitlyn Landaverde is glad that she stepped out of her comfort zone, joining lots of clubs, a sorority and finishing internships as an undergraduate student at UD.

“Being an assistant professor in the same department that I was a student is definitely the most exciting part for me — I get to experience it all from a whole new perspective,” she said. “To prepare, I've been looking back at my materials from the fall, keeping the pieces I thought worked well and making changes to the ones I felt could have gone better or been communicated more clearly.”

Madeline VanBuren, a junior double majoring in actuarial science and economics, joked about becoming best friends with Google Calendar to keep track of her responsibilities and social activities.

Madeline VanBuren is looking forward to coursework and making more memories with her friends.

“I went to bed early last night because I’m a teaching assistant in the math department and I had an 8 a.m. class this morning,” VanBuren said. “I hope students will strive to get work done early and take advantage of every resource — make study groups with friends, go to their professor’s office hours and find a tutor.”

Second-year student Ryan Rappaport, a biochemistry major, was solo as he waited for his spring semester to officially begin.

“I’m most looking forward to chemistry labs because there’s always something fun happening,” he said. “I’m also planning to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that comes my way this semester.”