"It's a stressful day for parents and students, and it can be emotional," said Bev Wyatt, associate director of housing. "We need to remember that we are here for them, and they are our purpose."

This year, move-in will be structured a bit differently to better manage the influx of students returning to town. Wyatt said first-year students will be moving in first, with times assigned by individuals' last names. Freshmen are scheduled to move in as follows:

• Last names A to F should arrive to move in between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday



• Last names G to K should arrive to move in between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday



• Last names L to R should arrive between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday



• Last names S to Z should arrive between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday

Wyatt and others are encouraging upperclassmen to move in Saturday and Sunday.

For general questions or directions on campus, Ohio University staff members (in bright T-shirts) will be located on each of the greens. There also will be complimentary bottled water.

And as they've done in past move-ins, President Roderick J. McDavis and First Lady Deborah McDavis will be helping students get settled this year. The McDavises will help students from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at Biddle Hall.

For more arrival tips, visit the Arrival Guide.

Getting into Athens

Travel into Athens is expected to be congested because of ongoing construction on state routes 50 and 33.

Ohio Department of Transportation District 10 Public Information Officer David Rose suggests planning and preparation to make dealing with construction headaches less stressful.

"We understand the frustration of traveling in construction areas. We urge all students and their families to preplan their trip and use patience when traveling through the construction zone on Route 50 and Route 33," he said.

For move-in weekend, all the ramps but the Stimson Avenue ramp westbound are expected to be open to traffic. Students and their families can track progress on construction in the Athens area by visiting ODOT's District 10 updates Web site (please note, following this link will take you outside the university's Web site). Or, if you have questions, you can call ODOT's District 10 at 740-568-3904.

Parking

Students and families are allowed a half hour to unload their car. After that, they must park in a long-term lot. Designated long-term lots for parking are what Wyatt calls "big lots" -- such as the lots by Nelson Dining Hall, Ping Center and Morton Hall.

All parking lots will be open for move-in traffic, said Parking Operations Supervisor Teresa Trussell. Faculty and staff should be aware that parking will be very tight Thursday and Friday because of the activity.

In addition, the light green lots (lots 18, 19 and 20) near Bromley Hall will be open to students who are moving into Bromley Hall from Thursday, Sept. 3 to Sunday, Sept. 6. Parking in these lots will be limited to 30 minutes per vehicle. Faculty and staff who typically park in these light green lots must park in a dark green or purple lot to allow student access to the area.

"We do close those off for students only, because there is no place to park at all (by that hall)," she said.

Meter parking will continue to be enforced during the weekend. Click here to see complete move-in weekend parking information.

Students seeking parking passes can visit the Parking Services office on Factory Street Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Trussell suggested that students who requested parking passes online come in on Saturday.

Dining

All meal plans begin with lunch on Thursday. The dining halls at Nelson and Boyd will be open all weekend, and Jefferson Dining Hall will be open beginning Sunday, Sept. 6. Parents are welcome to have a meal with their son or daughter. The West 82 Food Court in Baker University Center also be open.

For more information on opening times and meal times, click here (PDF).

Events

Move-in weekend will feature a number of options for entertainment beginning Thursday with a luau on South Green's "South Beach" from 8-11 p.m.

Other events include:

• Bobcat Bash, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday, at Baker University Center



• Bobcat Tailgate Party, starting at 5 p.m., Saturday, at Bobcat Student Park (next to Peden Stadium)



• Movies on the College Green, starting at 8:30 p.m., Sunday

Meanwhile, individual college orientations will take place Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Locations are listed in the Arrival Guide.

The President's Convocation will cap the weekend, starting at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the Convocation Center. After the ceremony, the president will accompany the new students as they walk up Richland Avenue to the College Gate. There also will be a Student Involvement Fair beginning at 4 p.m. Monday on the College Green.

Visit the Arrival Guide for a complete schedule of scheduled welcome week events.