DeKALB – From Aug. 21 through Aug. 25, NIU students moved into the residence halls while enjoying the weather prior to the start of the fall semester.
Cars were lined up outside of the various residence halls as students unloaded their belongings and moved them into their dorms.
Shopping carts were available for students to put their belongings in to make transportation more efficient at the residence halls. Some students had U-Haul trucks to bring their belongings to campus.
NIU Housing and Residential Services, NIU Police and volunteers – including students and faculty – were stationed around residence halls to ensure move-in went smoothly for new and returning students.
Student volunteers were able to fill out a form to help students move into their residence hall. Most of the student volunteers were members of fraternities or sororities.
Move-in time can be an emotional time for everyone, especially new students who may be leaving home for the first time.
Evelin Rodriguez, a first-year sociology major who is living in one of the Stevenson Towers, said she was sad to leave home initially.
“Specifically, at first when I was on the way (to campus), I was kind of sad. But then, now that I got here, I was like, ‘it’s kind of easy’. I’m not feeling bad about it right now, everything’s been pretty smooth,” Rodriguez said.
Living in a residence hall can be a big adjustment, from living with roommates to having independence.
Charles Nicketta, a first-year computer science major, said the biggest adjustment living in the residence halls is being mindful when sharing a living space with others.
“Probably just being completely self-sufficient and just always being mindful of keeping my space clean because I have roommates, and being respectful of everyone’s space. But I mean, I feel like it shouldn’t be that different. I just gotta take care of my own stuff,” Nicketta said.
Students living in a residence hall must fill out a room condition form if there is any damage in their rooms. Room condition forms for residence halls must be completed by Sept. 6. Students who need assistance with housing related issues can visit the Housing and Residential Services website.
