Students head back to BCC

8/27/2012 (Updated 11:09:11 PM)

BCC --  It's time to put away the flip-flops and swim trunks and break out the textbooks.  College is back in session.  Students flooded Broome Community College for the first time today, a welcome site for the faculty.

"The difference is when I look out the window, I see dozens of students walking down the sidewalks instead of the two or three in the summer that go by every few minutes," said Kevin Drumm, President of BCC.

There are many reasons for returning students to be excited.

"Getting to meet new people, getting back into the swing of classes, and just getting your head on straight because summer is all just crazy," said Tom Lewis, a sophomore studying Liberal Arts.

For those making their return to BCC, it's just a return to normal.  But for those stepping foot on campus for the first time, the experience can be a little nerve racking.

"I was really nervous coming into today," said Kaila Champen, a freshman Criminal Justice major.  "I didn't know if I wanted to come, but after my first class, I really like it."

That first class is all it takes to put your mind at ease.

"It was more relaxed than I thought it would be," said Champen.

For all new freshman, the biggest adjustment is the difference between high school and college.

"Everything is on you, you're responsible for your own education, you're responsible for getting to classes," said Christine Parkhurst, a freshman studying Early Childhood Education.  "You're not being forced to do everything, it's your responsibility."

That better prepares you for the future.

"It gets you ready for the real world, you're not being babysat anymore," Parkhurst said.

Helping the students towards their next step will be 21 new faculty members this year.  President Drumm says it's the biggest class of new teachers since 1971.

In Binghamton, Jeremy Donovan, Fox 40 News