Classes are back in session at the University of Arizona, and for the 10,000 new students, it's the first day of a new chapter. Most of the students we spoke with were anxious but hopeful that the first day would be a good one.
"I'm feeling super excited but super nervous at the same time," said first year biochemistry student Soraya Sandoval. She plans to research cancer treatments once she is done with school.
These were the top five things students we spoke with were worried about for the new school year:
- Finding their way around campus
- Making new friends
- Getting good grades
- Adjusting to the fast pace of college life
Experts say all the anxiety about a new school year can be positive. It can mean that students are invested in succeeding and are anticipating new challenges
Of the 10,000 new students this year, 2,000 of them are transfers. This year's incoming class also has the highest GPA and the most diversity ever. Here's a quick breakdown of the class of 2020's demographics released by the university.
- Average GPA: 3.51 (up from last year's 3.38)
- 56% of freshmen are Arizona residents (up from 53% last year)
- 42.6% of freshmen are ethnic minorities (up from 41.1% last year)
- Enrollment among American Indian transfers is up by 18%
- Average SAT score up 6 points from last year
