Between the steady rain and the tears that came with the goodbyes, there was hardly a dry face on the Oregon State University campus this weekend as students arrived for the fall Move In Day.

With classes starting on Wednesday, students and families living in the 15 residence halls, residential recovery house and family housing complex on the OSU campus made there way to Corvallis and spent the day moving into their new rooms.

According to University Housing and Dining Services, about 3,600 students arrived on campus Sunday. In addition to the 1,100 students that had arrived prior to Move In Day, there are a total of around 4,700 students moving into the residence halls this fall.

“I’m really anxious and nervous. I already have been talking to my roommate so I know what to expect from them, but I haven’t looked at the rooms yet and I’m just really excited,” Shakayla Hadley, a first-year pre-business student said.

The Capper family came from Eugene on Sunday to drop of their daughter Anne, and were met with a mix of emotions as they prepared to return home without her. The family was encouraged by overall easiness of the move in process. Megan Capper, Anne’s mother, had been hoping Anne would attend OSU for a while.

“We were very happy,” Megan Capper said. “We wanted her to go to Oregon State for a long time. We visited here when she played volleyball in high school. We’re from Eugene and we’re really happy she made this decision.”

“Well, it is very sad, but we are very excited for our daughter. It was a great move in experience,” Anne’s father added.

Despite having to say farewell to her parents, Anne Capper is looking forward to her first year at OSU.

“I love my roommate, and everything this campus has to offer, and I’m just really excited,” Anne Capper said.

In addition to the residence hall staff, approximately 500 hundred student volunteers worked to help families unload vehicles, move belongings into student rooms and assist in anyway they could to ensure the move-in process went well.

26 percent of these students are coming from out of state, and another 12 percent or incoming on-campus residents are from outside of the U.S.

Jennifer Viña, the associate director for marketing and communications for UHDS at OSU, touched on the significance Move In Day has for students as they begin the next chapter of their life at Oregon State.

“It is a really a big day for families and students,” Viña said. “It’s a huge milestone in their lives and we want them to be reassured that we are excited to welcome them, we’re ready for them, we can help them in any way we can, and help them make this home away from home.”

According to Viña, the number of residents returning to live on-campus has been increasing in recent years. This year there are an estimated 800 students living in the resident halls and student family housing.

Some new initiatives coming from UHDS for the 2017 school year include the McNary Food Forest, a community garden located on the east side of McNary Dining Center, the Transfer Student Lounge opening in Halsell Hall, a space meant for all transfer students, as well as the gender-inclusive housing options that are available on campus for the first time, among others.

For new residents that are looking for ways to get more involved on campus, a full schedule of Welcome Week events can be found HERE.