TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tomorrow marks the first day of fall move-in for the University of Arizona.
The school will be welcoming over 7,500 students to campus through Saturday, and families are preparing for the chaotic 30-minute move-in time slots.
Incoming freshman Aiden Myers, who moves in Wednesday, traveled from Milwaukee, and they're still waiting on his stuff to arrive.
He said he's looking forward to starting his new adventure in Tucson.
"Coming from Wisconsin, it's a weather adjustment but I've got a few friends already that I know from back home," Myers said. "I'm getting ready to meet my roommate...so I'm pretty excited."
Ella Gordon, a fellow incoming freshman, also flew in from the Midwest. Her family ordered her belongings directly to Tucson and stowed them at a family friend's house so they didn't have to road trip from Chicago.
"We got a truck, put it all in there, and now it's all in the Airbnb. It's really small, so the entire room is covered in boxes," she said.
Despite all the stress of move-in, the experience is bittersweet for parents.
"My excitement for her is outweighing my sadness for myself," Ella's mom, Jennifer, said. "So, I think of it as I'm just so excited that she's starting a new journey, she's getting to do what she wants to do in a place where she wants to do it."
"I know she's worked really hard to get here and I feel like she's ready for it," her dad, Shawn, echoed. "So, it makes it a lot easier for me in terms of not being worried about it."
The families said UArizona has done everything it can to help them prepare for their half-hour window.
"They over-communicate. I mean there's been no shortage of communication from the university. I think we're ready," Aiden's dad, Chris, said.
"And I think that if not, everybody that we've come into contact with so far has been more than willing to point us in the right direction."
Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling, Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona. Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com.
