August 22, 2017

At UVA, First Day of Classes Brings Buzz of Activity Back to Grounds

Jane Kelly | University News

Students walking to and from class — Tuesday marked the first day of the fall semester and the return of many students to Grounds. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications)

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University of Virginia students arose Tuesday to warm weather, sunny skies and the first day of the academic year.

The bustle across Grounds began in the early hours, as students found their way to 8 a.m. classes. For many, it was the very first time they would be stepping foot inside a college classroom.

First-year student Maggie Trundle, a Charlottesville native, was excited to be heading to her microeconomics class with Ken Elzinga, the popular and beloved Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics.

“I am really excited for this class, because I’ve heard fantastic things about the professor,” she said. “I am looking forward to seeing how different it feels sitting in large classrooms, compared to my high school classes of 20 people.”

Maggie Trundle is holding off on declaring her major. “I’m undecided. I want to keep my options open,” she said. (Photo by Sanjay Suchak, University Communications)

Trundle, who is enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences, started preparing for her first class well in advance.

“I made sure I knew where the building was so that I wouldn’t get lost today,” she said. “Besides that, and packing my notebooks, I mentally prepared by just reminding myself that this is new to everyone. I want to go into this with an open mind. I know that I’m not the only one who is nervous.”

People walking the sidewalk and two people shaking hands

There are about 16,000 undergraduate students at UVA. The class of 2021 has just over 3,800 members, and they fought hard for those spaces. The last application cycle was the University’s most competitive on record.

Twitter was alive with welcoming messages to students.

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