About 1,250 returning students volunteered to help their peers move into the residence halls Friday, marking a 12.5 percent increase in student participation from last fall’s move-in day, according to an NIU news release.

About 4,239 students are living in the residence halls this semester, and NIU’s halls are full, said spokesman Paul Palian. The university expected 4,278 students to live in the residence halls in fall 2013. Of those 4,239, about 3,100 freshmen and transfer students were expected to move into the residence halls between Thursday and Friday, according to the news release, with 900 returning students moving in over the weekend.

Move-in day is the designated day when new students move into the halls with the help of returning students, administrators, faculty and staff and community members.

“This is the time where we can open the doors to our new students and let them know we’re here to help,” said NIU President Doug Baker, who also volunteered to help students move in. “I’m very excited for the fall semester.”

Students from NIU organizations volunteered to help move in, using shopping carts set up near the residence halls. About 105 faculty and staff members also were available to assist new students.

During last fall’s move-in day “it was downpouring the whole time and everyone was soaked for hours,” said Nick Natalizio, senior kinesiology major. “This year is a lot better.”

There were also students who weren’t part of an organization but were there to help.

“I just thought it would be nice to help out the community and get involved,” said Linda Zalewski, junior visual communications major. “I lived in the [New Residence Hall] as well, and I just thought it would be fun to see the new students moving in and give them ideas for what to do around campus.”

David Thompson, freshman physical education major, said he had no problems with move-in day coinciding with his birthday.

“Everything is wonderful,” said Thompson while getting his room assignment and key. “I really want to get a good start and a strong finish to the year.”

Samuel Arthur Edward Piecz, freshman computer science major, said he was going to stay focused on his school work to get better grades.

“This is the school I wanted to go to,” Piecz said. “I wanted to stay in-state and the Huskies seem pretty cool.”