UTEP holds New Student Orientation for a unique group of students

EL PASO, Texas -- Many students starting college or university are in a unique situation. They spent a significant portion of their high school years learning online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And now they have to be ready for higher education. 

UTEP had its new student orientation Friday. 

UTEP'S new student orientation welcomed all incoming freshmen into the university, with a welcome from UTEP's President, as well as from the campus departments.

Students who attended received help with advising and class registration. They also were introduced to student organizations and were given campus tours of the recreation center and housing complexes.

ABC-7 spoke to two incoming freshmen who had different experiences with the pandemic.

One said the pandemic set her back mentally and physically. It affects her grades and motivation to learn.

The other told us it pushed him to be more independent and strengthened him. Helping him to learn how to prioritize and set new goals for himself.

Both of them are ready to take the highs and lows they've experienced through the pandemic and apply them to their on-campus learning.

"It feels nervous a little bit to now be in college and now you have to repeat like if you're in high school but you're at a bigger level and it's kind of exciting," said Jesus Vasquez.

"It's keeping up with forcing myself to keep myself accountable, keep studying and forcing myself to learn the material because nobody's gonna be there to tell me hey keep studying your missing this you need this so it's just myself pushing myself to make sure I'm on track," said Aileth Suarez.