College move in comes with a lot of mixed emotions— excitement and nervousness from the students, pride and sadness from parents, and vicarious enthusiasm from the staff helping them begin their new journey.

Move in at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is no different and on Sunday, Aug. 21, the incoming freshmen and their families experienced the emotions first hand.

UMass Dartmouth welcomed about 1,200 freshmen this year, a majority of which live on campus. This seems like it would make for a stressful and chaotic day, but the move-in staff made it as simple as it can be.

“I always watch the lines to see if people are in a good mood,” said Mark Fuller, the chancellor of UMass Dartmouth, “Everybody’s in a good mood.”

Last year, 73% of freshmen lived on campus, compared to 49% of upperclassmen. Move in for the rest of the university began on Wednesday, Aug. 27 and will end on Monday, Sept. 1. 

The process starts with public safety officers guiding students to their dorms. Freshmen unload bags and boxes filled with mirrors, microwaves, mini-fridges and clothes into bins with the help of current students and staff. They check in, receive a UMass Dartmouth T-shirt and continue to their dorms. 

There are two freshman buildings, Spruce and Balsam, which house about 1,200 students according to Jennifer Vincent, the director of the career center. 

As they waited in line to get to the elevators, students listened to a live DJ, played lawn games and enjoyed ice cream and popcorn. Families took photos and danced along to the music.

Daniel Pimentel from Weymouth was no exception to experiencing mixed emotions. Both his aunt and uncle went to UMass Dartmouth when it was Southeastern Massachusetts University. 

His mother, Sandy, said she is very sad to see “her baby” leave, but is happy for the opportunities he will have. 

While Nai Castillo from Boston has mixed feelings about moving in, her mother said she feels “great” for her. 

“I feel it's a rite of passage,” said her mother, “And she’s going to have an amazing time.”

Falone Bertrand from Holbrook chose UMass Dartmouth because of the community and the good things she has heard about the biology department. 

Her mother said she felt  “bad and sad” about her daughter moving out, but acknowledged this is a necessary opportunity for her daughter. 

The university kicks off the school year with WOW! Weeks of Welcome, which has over 50 events in the first three weeks. There are mixers and social events to meet new friends, with students able to attend football games, themed craft and academic help events. 

“Campus is coming to life again,” said Vincent.