Back to the books Big Bend students dive into fall quarter

It was less than two hours into the fall quarter at Big Bend Community College, and second-year student Francisco Marmolejo was already hitting the books. Classes started Monday, and by 9:30 a.m. Marmolejo was in the college library, economics book open. “I’ve got to read, might as well do it now, while I have time before my next class,” he said.

Ben Wolters also had the econ book open, studying the difference between macroeconomics and microeconomics. “Oh yeah, got to get started on the day, right?” he said.

The first day of classes meant students in the administration building trying to drop or add classes, classrooms filled with students discussing class objectives, and a little confusion about the 1900 building.

A BBCC employee was out in the ATEC building lobby, helping students find their way around campus. A student checked the campus map in the lobby, looking slightly confused over a humanities class scheduled for the 1900 building. On the map it’s clearly marked as the art building.

“We teach more than art there,” the BBCC employee explained.

Second-year student Savannah Fleming was also confused by the notations on her schedule – where was the room for her life sciences class? The 1900 building? The 1500 building?

Big Bend president Terry Leas said official enrollment numbers won’t be ready for a few weeks, but from the first day enrollment seems to slightly higher than fall 2015. “A lot of excitement and energy, having the students back on campus,” he said.