School is starting soon, which means that CSU is about to welcome over 10,000 students to the Ramily by next week.

According to the University's website, about 2,000 students are expected to move in to their on-campus housing tomorrow (August 21) after the dining halls open at 8 a.m.

3,000 more will join on Thursday (August 22), and the student total for both the residence halls and University apartments is estimated to be 8,300 by the first day of school on Monday, August 26th.

While this means these new Rams are about to start the exciting journey that is college, it also means that you are about to start the not-so-exciting journey that is navigating Fort Collins amidst move-in chaos.

Now, before you let out an exasperated sigh, read this guide to find out the best ways to avoid the move-in stress.

1. Prepare yourself for the inevitable.

Move-in inconveniences are unavoidable, so the best course of action is to take some deep breaths and just accept that this is your life for the next week.

However, knowing what's coming can be helpful. Starting tomorrow, you can expect heavy traffic and increased trash, including lots of packaging. Housing & Dining staff will help to properly recycle these items to avoid waste.

2. Avoid the traffic hot spots.

Stay away from I-25 (as if you don't already try to), Mulberry Street, Prospect Road, College Avenue, and Laurel Street, especially during the mornings and evenings.

These are all popular routes from the highway to campus, and are bound to be crowded. Consider grabbing your Starbucks at a lesser-known location for now.

3. Steer clear of campus in general. 

While some of the campus streets provide convenient connections between bigger roads, these cutaways are going to be packed during move-in week.

However, if you absolutely need to drive through campus, CSU has provided a map of their move-in routes, so you can see which areas are going to be the most crowded.

4. Learn the move-in celebration schedule.

To give Rams a proper welcome, CSU has activities going on from Thursday to Friday (August 22-23).

Starting with a Convocation at Moby Arena on Thursday and ending with Ramapalooza in the Lory Student Center on Friday, it's going to be a busy weekend. Do your best to avoid campus during these events by viewing the whole list here.


And there you have it, the best possible way to avoid the move-in shenanigans. Now you can be (mostly) free of road rage, and students can get settled in smoothly. Go Rams.

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