Are you ready for move-in day at WWU?

Plan ahead for excitement, traffic and a quick goodbye

Students get a look inside a residence hall
room during Summerstart.
WWU photo by Brett Flora

Students have probably been thinking for months about what they’ll pack when they move on campus this fall.

But John Purdie, associate director for residence life, has some advice: Take everything you plan to bring, and see if it fits in a closet.

That may be a bit of an exaggeration, Purdie said. But it really is easy to bring too much, so coordinate ahead of time with roommates.

Planning ahead for move-in day can make the whole day much easier. Here are a few more tips:

• Move-in day is Sunday, Sept. 19. Students can move in as early as Friday, Sept. 17, for an extra fee, but dining halls won’t open until dinner on the 19th.
• Find the right freeway off-ramp. Take exit 252 for Fairhaven, Highland and the Ridgeway complex. Exit 253 is best for Edens, Edens North, Higginson, Nash or Mathes.
• Be prepared to wait for parking. Bring snacks or water or even something to read while you wait.
• Send in your student to get keys and other materials. Volunteers will help you unload the car.
• Don’t try to have the “Big Speech” on move-in day, which already has enough emotional and logistical distractions. Students might be more receptive to families’ words of encouragement and last-minute advice in the weeks before the move.
• Sunday night is already booked with your student’s dinner with new neighbors and “community-building” events with Residence Life staff. So save the dinner out in Bellingham for your next visit.

If students are moving into housing off campus, offcampuswwu.com has useful information such as tips on setting up utilities and managing deposits, advice on being a good neighbor, and rental lists.

Students also need to stop by the Western Card office, if they haven’t already, to pick up their Western Card and bus pass. The office will be in a temporary location through the first week of class: Wilson Library, on High Street across the street from the bookstore.