Now that the semester is winding down and finals season is in full swing, it is time for Bobcats to start packing their things and leave behind the Athens bricks for summer.
All university halls officially close for the Spring Semester on May 3 at 8 p.m., but students can leave anytime before that date as their exams wrap up.
Friday, April 26 is the last day of classes for the Spring Semester, but the examination period lasts from Monday, April 29 to Friday, May 3. Many students opt to leave after their final exam of the semester.
Ethan Brown, a senior studying economics, sociology and global studies, has been a resident adviser in Washington Hall since his sophomore year.
“I think move-out, at least from the RA side, seems to be a little less stressful because it can happen over a longer period of time,” Brown said. “Students can leave whenever they’re done with classes, instead of being assigned a day and time you have to move in … The hope is people will slowly leave as they finish their classes, so there’s less traffic.”
Move-in, on the other hand, is a much more complicated process, in which students have a designated time and a 30-minute window to unload their belongings.
Bella Burcsak, a sophomore studying English literature, culture and writing, resides in Reed Hall on East Green and recalled how stressful move-in was.
“I live on the fourth floor, so it’s really not fun having to walk up all of those stairs,” Burcsak said. “I had my brother and my dad help me move in and carry a lot of stuff, but I have a feeling I’m going to be moving out on my own. So that’s going to suck not having people to help me carry stuff down.”
Burcsak said it seems like moving in and out is increasingly more challenging, as OU enrolls record-breaking class sizes every year.
“It 100% contributes to a lot of the craziness with even scheduling too,” Burcsak said. “For moving in and moving out, there’s just so many people.”
While moving can be a stressful process for those living in the residence halls, it’s often a different experience for students living in houses or apartments.
Emilie DeOreo, a sophomore studying English creative writing, lives in the Delta Zeta sorority house and found move-in and move-out a lot less stressful.
“It’s so much easier,” DeOreo said. “I remember move-in freshman year … and it was just packed … I lived in Sargent Hall on West Green, so it was just very compact, very clustered.”
DeOreo said it was easier when she had access to an elevator in her sorority house.
“Luckily we have an elevator and a ramp, so we were able to move all of my stuff easily,” DeOreo said. “I’m a little more concerned about move-out because my parents aren’t sure if they’re going to come down.”
Out of OU’s 36 residence halls, only 16 have elevators. The following halls all have elevator access: 4 University Terrace, Adams, Bromley, Bryan, Bush, Carr, Dougan, Ewing, Hoover, Jefferson, Lincoln, Luchs, Sowle, Tanaka, True and Wray.
“I think not having an elevator makes it a very different experience for those who live on the fourth floor versus the first floor,” Brown said. “It’s not something a lot of students think about when they originally pick their rooms. If it’s the fourth floor, it's going to be a lot tougher for them to get their stuff up or down.”
After accumulating items throughout the year, moving out can be a physically taxing process. Luckily, with the move-out process spanning one to two weeks, students can leave on their own accord, which could make it an overall easier process than the dreaded move-in day.
