A college student from New Jersey who survived Hurricane Katrina is headed back to New Orleans to start up classes again.

Jaszmine Hawkins had just begun her freshman year at Xavier University in New Orleans when Katrina hit. She said she wanted to wait out the storm, but instead was evacuated by boat. Though she returned to the school when it reopened in January of 2005, she took last year off.

Hawkins said she convinced her parents to let her back for her sophomore year.

?They eventually let me back because I wanted to see what a real year was like,? Hawkins said.

Her mother, Robin Hawkins, said she thought it was important for her daughter to return to school, but can?t wait for hurricane season to be officially over.

Hawkins said at the first sign of an approaching hurricane, she is not waiting for the school evacuation. ?I?m coming straight home. Plane, train?I?m not staying here this time,? Hawkins said.