Aug. 19 was move-in day at CSU Monterey Bay.

The parking lots bustled with incoming students and their parents unloading bags and boxes of clothing, comforters, pillows, electronics and precious keepsakes from home.

Many of the 845 freshmen and 550 new transfer students – some of whom were separating from their families for the first time – spent the day moving into residence halls that will be their homes for the next year, meeting their roommates and figuring out how to arrange the furniture.

They moved into buildings that were refurbished over the summer, with new paint and carpeting.

Throughout the weekend, 1,800 students moved onto main campus. The student body was expected to number about 5,200 when classes started on Aug. 22.

Volunteers – students and staff members – were posted around campus to help carry things, give directions and answer questions, telling people where to check in, how to obtain a campus ID card and where to grab lunch.

The university scheduled a week’s worth of activities to help the new students get acquainted with each other and connect to the campus. An ice cream social, comedy and music concert, and a late-night DJ in the Student Center got the week rolling on Friday.

A complete schedule of Otter Welcome Week activities can be found here.