Students attending public colleges and universities in Texas are facing a new reality in the classroom: loaded, concealed handguns.

Since Monday, those with a license for a concealed handgun are permitted to carry a loaded handgun at public four-year colleges and universities and at junior colleges.

The law will take effect at community colleges next year. Private schools can opt out of the law.

Texas is one of eight states allowing students to carry guns into college buildings.

Supporters of the law say an armed student body could prevent another mass shooting like the one that occurred on Aug 1, 1966, at the University of Texas at Austin. Charles Whitman, 25, an engineering student who had been trained as a sniper by the Marines, climbed to the observation deck of a campus clock tower and shot 49 people, killing 16.

Opponents of the law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott see the potential for more violence.

For some Chinese students studying in Texas, the new law is alarming.

"My knowledge of guns comes from movies and news, and suddenly I realize that guns will be right next to me," said Xing Kaijuan, who will be a freshman at UT Austin and is from Shandong province. "I think tragedy will happen as a result."

Others weren't very concerned.

Yang Yiran, a senior at the University of Houston from Beijing, said: "I don't think it will have much impact. After all, criminals can always get hold of guns. ... Students carrying guns will be a good deterrent to criminals."

Zeng Zijie, a sophomore and president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at UT Austin, said many students in the organization think it is ridiculous that guns are allowed on campus, and they said their parents are worried.

"We plan to hold a seminar on how to adapt to a gun-zone campus," Zeng said.

Zhang Jing, senior counselor at Beijing New Oriental Vision Overseas Consulting, an agency that prepares Chinese students for studying abroad, said the Texas law will discourage some parents from sending their children to the state's public colleges.

"Safety is the number one concern for parents," Zhang said.

Some Texans who are students said they also were concerned. Natalie Teoh, who lives in Houston and is a sophomore at the University of Texas at Dallas, said, "Campus carry is a wonderful idea because, who doesn't want a bunch hormonal and mentally unstable young people (being) encouraged to walk around with guns?"

Because the law requires that a gun holder be at least 21, most freshmen, sophomores and juniors are not eligible to carry a handgun on campus.

Contact the writers at mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com