Columbia, SC (WLTX) - It's one of the biggest weekends of the year for USC. But it's not a game day. It's move-in day.
More than 4,500 freshman are coming to the campus of USC this weekend--the largest crop of new students ever. And welcoming them--along with staff and faculty--will be the recently renovated Patterson Residence Hall.
"Move-in day is really monumental because it represents the end of something and the beginning of something very new," says Kirsten Kennedy, USC's Housing Director.
For many of the students, it will be the first time they've ever truly been on their own.
"We really see a wide range of emotions while they're moving in, sometimes tensions show up in how they're interacting with one another but overall it's a really exciting day for everyone," Kennedy says.
And with more freshman than ever, the composition of the residence halls is changing.
"Before we were maybe 60 percent freshmen, now we're closer to 70, 72 percent freshman," Kennedy says. "It makes the dynamic in the residence halls a little bit different and we train our staff a little bit differently because freshmen issues are different from upperclass issues."
"It is really a campus wide effort, so from the mailroom to financial aid to housing to the Russell House, we're all there trying to get prepared."
Including the newly spruced up Patterson Hall.
"It's a lot of work behind the scenes," Kennedy says. "But getting everyone in smoothly is worth the effort...Of course there have been challenges along the way, but we are really excited...I think the students will find that it's been worth the wait"