University of Idaho students returning to classes this week said they were “in better spirits” and “comfortable” on campus in the wake of Bryan Kohberger’s arrest for the murders of four of their classmates last fall — while some also acknowledged that the school may never be the same.

“It was really depressing the first week that it happened,” student Jenna Price told NewsNation on Tuesday of the Nov. 13 stabbing deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at an off-campus house in the college town of Moscow.

Many University of Idaho students fled campus in the wake of the brutal killings, opting to learn remotely through the end of the fall semester. With seemingly no suspect in sight by the holidays, it remained unclear how many students would return in the spring.

The arrest of Bryan Kohberger in Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, however, brought the community much-needed closure.

“I think a lot of people are a lot happier and in better spirits,” Price said of the student body ahead of the start of spring classes on Wednesday.

“When I heard the news [of the arrest], I was sitting around the living room with my family, watching the report about it,” sophomore Ryder Paslay told KXLY. 

“We all looked [at] each other [and thought] ‘Well, they got somebody who they think it is,’ and I breathed [a] sigh of relief and I’m pretty sure my mom did the same thing.”

Another student, who declined to give their name, told NewsNation that the weeks after the murders were “unnerving,” but that she was “comfortable … now that he’s caught.” 

Still, many students are also acknowledging the lingering trauma and anxiety from the aftermath of the murders.

“Since they got [Kohberger] … it’s been a lot better,” freshman Jennifer Branson explained to NewsNation.

“But [there is] still a bit of worry.”  

Sophomore Paige Pazinski told KXLY that the campus of over 8,000 undergraduates may never return to the way it was before the brutal events of Nov. 13.

“The tragic events that have happened, I don’t know if it will ever feel the same,” she explained. 

“But I think just being conscious of knowing what’s happened and having more protections in place has been huge,” she continued, referring to the campus’s reinforced security measures in the wake of the murders.

In addition to an escort program that allows students to request security accompaniment to and from their dorms, administrators are focused on creating a sense of well-being.

“There [are] no easy answers, and unfortunately, life is full of violence at times, but we are putting every effort into place to create a safe learning experience,” vice provost of student affairs and dean of students Blaine Eckles told the outlet.

Many students are also taking personal safety into their own hands, with sophomore Shua Mulder saying she would “definitely stay in groups” when hanging out with friends.

“I’m pretty sure that the university will not try to endanger students,” Paslay added.

“I’m pretty sure that the police are looking out for us at least in this case the best they can. I’m pretty sure everybody is doing their best to be able to keep us safe.”

About 15 minutes from Moscow, classes are also back underway at Washington State University in Pullman, where Kohberger, 28, was studying for a doctorate in criminology.

NewsNation’s Brian Entin said the Washington campus was in “shock” following the arrest, but shared the University of Idaho’s “relief that hopefully things can start to feel like normal again.”

The start of the spring semester at both schools comes one week after Kohberger was extradited from Pennsylvania to Latah County, Idaho, where he was charged with four counts of murder and one of felony burglary. He has not entered a plea and remains in custody without bail.

He is expected back in court on Thursday, Jan. 12.