CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- UNC Chapel Hill, along with other state colleges and universities, kicked off the new school year Monday amid the pandemic. 

"Mainly most of my classes are online. I have two classes that are face-to-face in person," says freshman Chloe Cochran. She's starting her first day at college with virtual learning, social distancing, and mask-wearing.

"I guess in some ways it is a little bit less exciting," she says. "For your first day you kind of want to get into class, you want to meet your teachers face-to-face and fellow classmates."

UNC has placed ambassadors around campus to remind students of the new protocols. 

Event staff member Paul Ensslin says they're trying "to make sure students are compliant when they come in, let them know how they're supposed to proceed in and out of the buildings."

Campus is noticeably quieter and less crowded with many students and professors choosing remote learning.

Cochran says she's going to make the most out of her home-away-from-home, including "making new friends and experiencing everything she can with what's being offered."