While his friends were in class on Wednesday, one high school student played basketball at the University Recreation Center and went to class in Smith Entrepreneurs Hall just like a TCU student.Freddy Arellano, a ninth-grader at Amon Carter-Riverside High School in Fort Worth, participated in the College Student for a Day program, which gives selected Tarrant County middle school and high school students a chance to experience college life.

Arellano arrived in the morning and was paired with Chris Volpe, a sophomore business major.

“It was fun; we played basketball and racquetball,” Arellano said.

Arellano said he was interested in participating in the program because he wanted to learn more about the university. While others told him to look at the University of Texas and other larger Texas schools, Arellano said the size of TCU is what he finds most appealing.

“I like the one-on-one you can get with the professors,” he said.

Volpe, who is in his third year of participation with the program, said he and Arellano spent time with another friend who participated in the program. The four toured parts of campus in addition to visiting the Rec Center.

In Volpe’s statistical analysis class, he and Arellano reviewed for a test Volpe and his classmates will take Friday. Arellano said he also got a chance to meet other students in the class.

Even though Arellano said he does not know what he wants to study in college, he said geography, health, reading and Algebra II are some of his favorite classes right now. He is also on the football and basketball teams at his high school.

The two also attended Spanish in the Bass Building where one of Volpe’s classmates said he wished he could’ve had a student follow him around.

“I think it’s really cool, and I would’ve liked to have a program like this in high school,” said Clayton Root, a freshman environmental science major.

Root said the program gives students a feel for college life.

Marcus Bahena, a freshman radio-TV-film major, agreed with Root, saying it benefits the students to see what is expected in college.