GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado (KJCT) – Colorado Mesa University welcomes the largest freshman class in its history.

The campus is coming to life as students move into their apartments and freshmen move into their dorms, but leaving home for the first time can be daunting.

“I’m a little scared. There are tons of people here, but I’m really excited because there are a lot of new opportunities to meet people,” said Megan Rotunno, a freshman at CMU.

The number of students enrolled at the largest public university on the Western Slope is expected to steadily increase. To accommodate the influx, CMU built an apartment building, Wingate, on campus last fall. The co-ed building can accommodate up to 140 students.

The university offers an early start program for new students.

“Since I came here because of the early start, it hasn’t felt that bad, but I guess it’s going to start to feel cramped… but you know, it’s exciting because a lot of people are coming here, so you get to know more people,” said Jackson Lowers, a freshman at CMU.

First week of school events begin on Monday and kick off with a barbecue and t-shirt giveaway. For more information on the rest of Welcome Week events, visit the CMU website.

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