VSU students move in for new school year

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - The first week of college is a big deal for some families. Parents are seeing their kids move away from home, and students enter adulthood.

Wednesday, Valdosta State University welcomed its new students to their new homes for the 2022-2023 school year. With so many issues like COVID, school security, and inflation, some parents had their concerns.

This year, VSU has over 2,100 students living on campus between their seven dorms. One student-volunteer who has been helping out with this special day for 3 years now said she loves seeing new faces on campus.

“I love helping the new freshmen move in because when I first moved in, there were tons of people around helping me and I want to give back to them like that,” said Malia Buchanan, RA for Hopper Hall.

Moving off to a new town can sometimes be challenging causing students to be homesick, but some students are excited about the new beginning.

“I just like the atmosphere, the people are really inviting,” said Najah Duncan, a new student at VSU. “The people are very very nice, like even the older students. I was scared like oh my gosh, seniors aren’t going to talk to freshmen or younger underclassmen, but everyone’s really really inviting no matter who you talk to.”

Multiple parents said they aren’t worried or concerned about their child living in Valdosta because every time they visit VSU, the community appears safe, and everyone on campus is always welcoming.

“like the safety here, the police and the kids on campus seem cool to us. And the community,” said one group of parents.

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