We’re here!

The clacking of move-in bins’ wheels on the sidewalk can only mean one thing: Students have returned to Northeastern for the new academic year.

More than 8,000 students are expected to move into campus residence halls before classes begin on Wednesday. For first-year students, it’s the start of a new chapter in their lives, while returning undergraduates are happy to be back.

“It’s going well so far,” said Sarah Seymour, BSH’18, who made the short trek back to campus from Marlborough, Massachusetts. “Moving in is a little easier this time around mostly because I know where everything is.”

Seymour said a new addition to her packing list this year was kitchen supplies for her apartment. And she and her mom Kathy agreed another big change from last year’s move-in day is that there wasn’t nearly as much crying.

Some students, such as Julian Safford, E’18, got an early start to their move-in day on Friday. He woke up at 4 a.m. to make sure he got to campus, from his home in upstate New York, right when move-in started at Davenport A. “I love Boston and I wanted to see my friends, so I wanted to get here as early as possible,” he said.

Many students—including Northeastern’s newest Huskies—have also been sharing their excitement via Twitter about their new campus dwellings. Nicole Messere tweeted about her room in West Village, writing “I love my new dorm room.”

“So excited to move in for @Northeastern Welcome Week!,” Catherine McLean, DMSB’19, tweeted on Thursday. Another first-year student Yihan Zhu, DMSB’19, summed up his enthusiasm in one word: “Orientation!”

More than 750 student volunteers helped to make their peers’ moving process seamless. About 1,000 of the coveted move-in bins were expected to be used during the week.

“We have a lot of fun with move-in but it does take a lot of planning,” said Rachel Alldis, director of Residential Life. “We want the students to feel welcomed and excited about coming to campus and that they are becoming part of the Northeastern community.”

President Joseph E. Aoun joined students for lunch at the International Village dining hall before the start of the fall semester. Photo by Brooks Canaday.

President Joseph E. Aoun joined students for lunch at the International Village dining hall before the start of the fall semester. Photo by Brooks Canaday.

President Joseph E. Aoun took time on Friday to welcome some students back to campus, playing foosball at Speare Hall and swinging by International Village for lunch.

Not all students were able to travel to campus by car. Ross Alter, E’18, flew in from California Thursday night and had an empty move-in bin ready to fill with some of his belongings he stored with a friend in Boston for the summer.

“I’m really excited about my first co-op this year,” Alter said.