Campus awoke from its long summer nap Sunday when nearly 7,000 freshmen and new students arrived on campus. As early as 8:30 a.m., students began to move into 20 different residence halls around campus. By the time everyone finishes moving in, the Office of Residence Life estimates that there will be 8,500 residents living in the dorms, 600 more students than last year.This increase caused the university to seek out alternative housing for many students. Morrison Tower was converted from a graduate dorm to an undergraduate dorm, the properties at 209 and 211 W. 10th Ave. were turned into residence halls and extra beds were added to north campus dorms where space was available, according to a university statement.Some students will be housed in temporary rooms until more space is available.Mack Hall is undergoing renovations to accommodate the students formerly housed in the Ohio Stadium dorm, which was eliminated due to the stadium renovations.Barb Kefalas, Stradley Hall director, said the retention rate of students living in the dorms has also increased.”Students enjoy the convenience, company, closeness and affordability of the dorms. That’s why they choose to live here as upperclassmen,” she said. Residence hall move-in day is usually known as one of the most hectic days on campus, but it ran smoothly this year, Kefalas said. FreshmanChris McQuiniff said he had no problems moving in on Sunday. McQuiniff arrived early and said he found the moving process to be efficient. Many support systems are in place to make the process as easy as possible for parents and students, Kefalas said.”Each year, we receive tremendous help from the Ohio State Welcome Leaders (OWLs). Also, the resident assistants and office assistants are on hand to answer questions and to give directions.”In exchange for being able to move into the dorms a few days early, OWLs welcome new students to campus and help the students move their belongings in. Jennifer Nyiri, a freshman education major, said being an OWL is a good way to get involved from the start. “I’m excited about helping people, and being an OWL is a great way to meet people,” Nyiri said. “Plus, arriving early helped me learn my way around campus better.”