WEST LONG BRANCH – A room full of Monmouth University students took a break from the normal lifestyle of college students Wednesday night to watch the first scheduled presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Some were there hoping the debate would help them determine who to vote for, while others were there hoping to see the candidate they were already planning to vote for outshine their opponent. Some were dressed to impress, while others were simply there as an obligation for a course they were taking.

The room was mostly quiet during the debate, aside from the occasional laughter at moderator Jim Lehrer struggling to control the candidates and the few one-line zingers the candidates exchanged with each other.

But as the students left the crowded room located in the university’s Magill Commons, most said that they felt the debate was a slight win for the President.

"I think Mitt Romney did better than I expected him to do based on a lot of the previous media coverage, but I still think Obama did a better job overall," said Nicole Shapiro, 21, of Cherry Hill.

"I came here leaning towards voting Democratic, but now I'm definitely heading in that direction," said Uriah Akinmoju, 22, of Glassboro. "I think Obama did a better job of giving details of what his plans were, while Romney just relied on a lot of rhetoric."

But some of the students who said they were already planning to vote for Romney said they were pleased with the former Massachusetts governor’s performance.

"I definitely think Romney did a better job. I think Obama was unprepared, and you could tell that by his body language and how vaguely he responded to the questions," said Melissa Crosta, 20, of Westfield.

Many of the students were disappointed in the behavior of both of the candidates, however, specifically how they repeatedly ignored Lehrer’s helpless pleas to stay within their time limits.

“It was childish,” said Amelia Hoke, 20, of Selingsgrove, Pa. “I think Romney was just worried about attacking Obama and having the last word. And I don’t think Obama had a good enough game plan for the debate, but at least he gave specifics about his policies.”

This will be the first presidential election that most of the university’s students will have the opportunity to vote in. And just because they are not out protesting or campaigning like their parents or grandparents may have done in their youth, they say it doesn’t mean they are disinterested.

"We're not out there with signs like they did in the 60's, but we don't have to be," said Jessica Roberts, 20, of Barrington. "There are things like Facebook and Twitter now. We can post our ideas and concerns online and then spend the rest of the day discussing and debating them with people. It's faster, cheaper and easier than physically going some place to do it like they used to."

“I don’t think that everyone cares enough as they should, or else this (debate viewing) would be something the entire university was at, not just a room full of people. But there are a lot of us who do care. And that’s why we come to things like this, so we can be as informed as we can be when it is time for us to vote,” said Raven Brunson, 20, of Bridgeport, Conn.

“I’m 20 and next year I will need to find a job and I will need a place to live. The things they are debating matter to my life, so of course I’m interested in what they have to say,” Hoke said. “And, after tonight, I think that I feel more comfortable having Obama in charge of making the decisions that will impact my life than Mitt Romney.”

But even though the students watched the debate with their futures in mind, it could have been a threat to their childhoods that will be the most lasting memory from the debate.

No, Romney’s plan to fire Big Bird if he is elected – by cutting funding to PBS – did not sit well with the college crowd.

"I think Romney really needed to do a great job tonight. He didn't do bad, but he didn't do great," said Dan Roman, 20, of Wanaque. "He said he had plans, but wouldn't give any details except that he would cut programs that people care about, like PBS and Big Bird. I'm not sure if it was a complete gaffe for him, but the fact that it was trending on Twitter wasn't good."