While most Penn State students are dealing with the stresses of classes and exams, other students have quite a different schedule to worry about.

John Malone (junior-English), who withdrew from the university last spring to fight in Iraq with the 25th Marines Echo Company, said he thinks it's hard for most college students to picture what Iraq and the life of a soldier is really like.

"For the average American and average college student, it's a guy on TV with a gun. I was that guy on TV," he said. "It's hard to explain and so foreign to those outside of the military."

According to the most recent statistics from the Office of the Registrar, 53 students left Penn State in fall 2003 due to military activation, and another 36 left this spring.

Since September 11, 2001, a total of 377 have left the university, although the figure may include some individuals twice because of those who came back and were again deployed, said Kaye Keith, Penn State administrative assistant of enrollment management and administration.

As for those that have re-enrolled after activation, the number is undeterminable.

"We no longer give out re-enrollment figures because they're subjective," Keith said, explaining that she is only able to track students who withdraw from the university.

Whatever the circumstances, all students called to active duty receive a full tuition refund, and are eligible for re-enrollment into the same major and location as at the time of their withdrawal or leave of absence, which usually ranges from 12 to 18 months, Keith said.

Other services are also available to students to help ease the transition, including the Penn State Veteran's Organization.

"We help students who have already spent time on active duty through the process of coming to Penn State," said Dave Manwiller (senior-business logistics), president of the organization.

Manwiller served from February to September 2003 in Kuwait and Iraq as a truck driver in the Marine Corps Reserves.

Manwiller said his transition from a soldier in Iraq to a student in college was awkward.

"You hear explosions everyday over there. It was difficult to relax, and I had bad dreams for a little while," he said.

After returning from overseas, Manwiller, 26, left the reserves because he wanted to graduate.

Keith said re-entry can be difficult for many students because they go to school with individuals their age but then get activated for military service.

By the time they get home, they are sometimes nearing 30 years old, Keith said.

Clayton Tussey (junior-crime, law and justice) was in the same unit as Manwiller when they left for Iraq.

After President Bush declared the 48-hour ultimatum and Saddam Hussein did not surrender, Tussey and his unit crossed from Kuwait to Iraq for the invasion.

"In the beginning, we were really in the thick of it for awhile, where all of the action was going on," he said. "We were part of the forces that went straight up the middle right into Baghdad."

Tussey stayed there for two weeks until U.S. forces took Baghdad and ended the combat portion of war. He returned to the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2003.

Because fall semester had started, Tussey waited until spring to come back to the university.

Tussey's unit is planning to replace soldiers in Iraq in June, although it is not definite.

"It's not something I want to do again, but once you get back into the routine of it with the same guys by your side, you get used to it," he said.

Deployment overseas can be difficult for families as well.

Maggie Kenny (senior-history) has a brother, Patrick Kenny, who was sent over to Iraq about a month ago. Maggie has not heard from him yet.

"Every single day, every single moment, he's in my mind," she said.

Malone said he has a friend from Penn State still over in Afghanistan right now and cannot help thinking about him and other Americans.

"Everyday, one or two are dying, and that's terrible because it's someone's son or daughter," he said.