Hundreds of excited students carried, dragged and wheeled their belongings into the residence halls at CSU Monterey Bay on Aug. 21, the first day of the three-day move-in weekend.

By the time classes start on Aug. 24, approximately 3,700 students who live on the main campus, in East Campus and in the newly opened Promontory will be settled into the rooms and apartments that will be their home for the next year. All the activity happened with the help of dozens of staff, faculty and students who had volunteered for the Otter Welcome Team. They answered questions, carried boxes and gave directions to the new arrivals, most of whom were accompanied by parents and siblings. With the help of his parents, Saxson Ahern of Sacramento moved enough equipment – control board, mixer, condenser – into his room to set up a mini studio. Saxson came to CSUMB because of the opportunity it provided for him to follow his passion for recording technology. “I never thought I would be majoring in any sort of music thing, but I am, and I’m really happy with it,” he said. “In my heart, I just want to be making music. The music tech major at CSUMB really prepares you for what’s going on.” Then he sounded a familiar refrain: “The weather alone would win me over!”

Saxson’s mom, Lisa, was impressed with the facilities. “To have a bathroom in the dorm room, where else do you get that?”

Sophomore Amanda Barnes moved into the Promontory, the complex of three buildings adjacent to campus. “Last year, I had two roommates in one single room, and now I have my own room and my own bathroom, and it’s awesome,” she said. “I love it.”

The incoming class includes 1,026 freshmen and 850 transfer students. Total enrollment is approximately 7,000, with 53 percent of them living on campus.

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, a comedy and magic show, and a late-night DJ in the Student Center got the week rolling on Friday evening.