'I think I’m very ready for it': Nearly 5,000 students expected to move into U of G dorms over long weekend

Students move in to residences at University of Guelph. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV Kitchener) (Sept. 2, 2023)

It’s move in weekend, as thousands of post-secondary students descend on the Royal City to attend the University of Guelph.

Students from all corners of the country unloaded their belongings on Saturday, with parents and university staff coming together to make the transition as smooth as possible.

"I'll be excited to meet new people and stuff and meet my new roommates and everything," one student told CTV News.

Tearful parents helped unload full vehicles, some of them bidding farewell to their children after driving for hours to help them settle into their new homes.

"It sounds like it's been a great move-in day and really organized with lots of helpers and stuff like that," one parent said.

Zeid Abushar says it’s been both an exciting and nerve-racking experiencing, but overall he is ready for the new chapter of his life.

"It's emotional, I'll have to say bye to my parents you know, but it's a next step so I think I’m very ready for it," he said.

While Zeid’s mother, Tonia Jordan, is excited for her son, she says it’ll be hard to see him fly the nest.

"I think we're ready, emotionally I get my strong moments and then my weaker moments," she said. "But I’m excited for him and I think he'll do great."

The university expects around 5,000 students will move in over the Labour Day weekend.

"We've got a lot of our students moving in today,” explained Patrick Kelly with Student Housing Services at the University of Guelph. “This morning, they started bring and early and then yesterday we had a full day of move in as well."

Many moving in on Saturday were able to secure housing early on.

Student Housing Services understands that some students are still struggling to find a place to live.

"It's tough, and I think we know kind of how it's been a difficult time for lots of people to find housing,” Kelly said. “The university itself has an off campus housing department that can hopefully help navigate some of those stresses."

While all residences are currently at full capacity, Kelly says there are services that can help students find accommodations.

"We're pretty confident as we go through the semester that if students are interested in coming to live at residence, if they're having some struggles somewhere else to find places, apply for residence," said Kelly. "It might not be this weekend but we will try to work through the process."

With a mix of emotions on campus, students say goodbye to their parents as they embark on their new journey towards independence.

"I'm a bit excited and a bit nervous but I think I’m ready," Abushar said.