BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – Thousands of students and families are doing hard work this week to transform empty dorm rooms into their new homes.

The move-in week is a little more relaxed this year, as the move-in days for certain dormitories are now further apart and each family is given an hour to unload.

For some parents who live out of state, that hour is simply not enough time to say goodbye.

“Oh, now you’re making me cry. Will, I just want to tell you, Will, how proud I am of you and that you deserve this,” said Ora Cummings, a new mother of a Virginia Tech student.

Other parents who live in Blacksburg say it won’t be any easier for their new college-bound child as long as he or she stays nearby.

“I just took a part-time job because of this. I’m going to find excuses to come here, drop things off and check on him,” said Amanda Poff, a mother of a Virginia Tech student.

Francis Keene, vice president for student affairs, says that in the 22 years she has been overseeing new students moving in, the most enjoyable part has been watching them grow.

“You’re trying to figure out what classes are going to be like. Honestly, by the middle of next month, they know where to go. They know where to eat. They start making friends. They start bonding with their professors. You really see that sense of comfort on campus, and it’s just beautiful to see,” Keene said.

9Students can look forward to some new amenities this year as the War Memorial Hall gymnasium and an additional dining hall in the new Hitt Hall reopen.

Classes for the Hokies begin next week on August 26th.

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