NIU students debate whether or not moving in early is worth the price.

On Aug. 23, Mother Nature greeted NIU students with heavy rainfall as many attempted to move into their residence halls.

Although this year’s event included extensive planning, some students said the weather changes made the transition slightly more difficult.

“Overall I guess it was smooth, except for the rain,” said junior communications major James Ottolino.

Other students find the day extremely stressful and prefer to move quickly to avoid crowds.

“Get in as quick as possible and get out,” said Junior Accounting major Alison Lisk,

One way to avoid the large crowds that are commonly associated with move-in day, is to move in earlier. However, this method has a fee of $50 per night.

The fee, which is charged to the students’ Bursar account, has some price consensus students worried.

“I think [paying $50 per night to move in early is] pretty extreme,” Ottolino said

Students generally agree that the fee for moving in early is too expensive for the typical college student’s budget.

“[The fee is] a little high since you’re already paying for room and board and since you have to pay for your own food,” said Lisk.

Some NIU employees disagree and said the move-in fee is appropriate.

“It’s a privilege for the students to move in before the move in day, and they are paying for that privilege,” said Nancy Ondera, the Housing Officer for Housing and Dining.

Lastly moving into the residents halls early does have its drawbacks. For example, students are expected to carry all of their belongings by themselves instead of receiving help from NI guides.

Furthermore, students must find other options for meals because the dining halls are usually not open before the official move in day.