Emotions and boxes a part of move in day at the U of M

Dorm room gear
Piles of supplies are stacked up outside the dorms on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis during move-in day for students.
MPR Photo/Tim Post

Move in day turned a campus intersection near Territorial Hall into a scene that rivaled any bustling city's busiest street corner. That is if residents decided to stop their car along the side the street and began to unload piles and piles of stuff.

"We are moving in clothes," says Lexi Schoenbauer, as she stands on a sidewalk outside her dorm next to a stack of boxes filled with essentials.

"Food, lots of water and Gatorade. A fridge, a microwave, pretty much everything we thought we couldn't live without."

Schoenbauer, who's from New Prague, is excited to get started on her college career. She's going to study to be a nurse. And while she's fired up about going to school, leaving home earlier in the day was tough.

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"I was very excited for the last year, just to move out and try something new. And today when I said goodbye my mom just started bawling, so it's hard. I cried a little bit."

Down the hall
Students take their gear through the halls of their dorms.
MPR Photo/Tim Post

Her biggest worry is navigating the U of M campus and Twin Cities traffic, Schoenbauer says. Mike Bausch, who's standing nearby guarding his daughter's belongings while she finds her dorm room, has some of the same concerns. Bausch is worried his daughter's move from a small town in Wisconsin will be a big adjustment.

"(There's) kind of a fear of this big of a town, that's mainly it I guess, fear; her moving into this big of a thing, first time she's been on her own.

Freshman Brad Bertarm is getting help from his dad on move in day. The two are pushing a homemade cart that's completely full. They figure they'll need to fill it two or three more times before they're done. Bertram wants to someday become a pharmacist, and hopes his education so far has him ready for classes.

"The only thing I'm really worried about is just making sure that all my classes prepared me enough for the college courses I'm taking, that's about it. Otherwise just ready to have fun and start living on my own."

Move-in day
Students begin moving into their dorm rooms Wednesday on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis.
MPR Photo/Tim Post

With all that students have to look forward to and worry over, leaving home, meeting new people, preparing for college classes, the one thing most students say they're thinking about right now is simply moving in.

That's all that Erin Stanly from Green Bay, Wisconsin is focused on as her brothers help her move into her dorm.

"I just want to get it over with. I think once it's all done then I'll be more relaxed, and just look forward to getting adjusted to the campus and everything."

Like some sort of comic punctuation to that point, Stanly's brother accidentally drops her microwave on the sidewalk.

The University of Minnesota is well aware of the stress caused by move in day. The school has volunteers, both students and faculty, spread across campus during move in day. They do everything from provide directions to parking garages, to help carry refrigerators up stairs.

Elizabeth Graham works at the U's college of liberal arts and says their goal is to make students feel at home, as quickly as possible.

"Get them settled in as soon as possible, meeting their roommates, kind of relaxing and getting to feel at home before classes start in a week or so."

Welcome week events for freshmen will take place for the next six days. The events include everything from concerts to mandatory classes on student finances.