Over 600 students moved in to the Stanislaus State dorms on Wednesday, bringing with them boxes, school supplies and an appetite for independence.  

Estephanie Tovar chose Stanislaus State because it’s far away from her home in Santa Rosa, she said, and she liked the size of the school’s beautiful campus. Her freshman year will be her fist time living away from her parents.

“My high school was really tiny, so I didn’t feel comfortable going to a big university right after,” she said. “This is really surreal, and it hasn’t really hit me yet. I think once my parents leave, then it will sink in.”

Tovar is just one of nearly 300 freshmen who will be living in the dorms this year, and Move-In Day kicked off what is known as Welcome Week at Stanislaus State, complete with a welcome dinner and other social events, as well as workshops meant to educate the new college students on finances, campus recreation, psychological services and money management. The five activity-filled days were created last year to help freshmen become acclimated to their new surroundings.

“Studies show that students who make at least once connection on campus are more likely to persist and succeed,” said Director of Housing and Residential Life Jennifer Humphrey. “For us, it’s about building those connections and relationships.”