Thousands of students will be living on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus this semester, making it easier to roll out of bed and walk to class, the dining hall and football games.
This experience provides the first taste of independent adulthood for many students, who told Knox News the newfound freedom is exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Mostly first-year students live on campus as required by UT, which can now house around 9,500 Vols with 14 housing options after the opening of Torchbearer Hall. Some returning students are also choosing to return to on-campus living.
As Knox County anticipates 75,160 new residents by 2040, the UT will temporarily increase the local population by nearly half that number as students return
for the fall semester starting Aug. 17.
With more than 7,000 students continuing to move their belongings into dorms before the semester begins, Knox News caught up with a few freshmen on campus to talk about what scares them, what excites them and what brought them to UT. Check out the video above!
Keenan Thomas is the higher education reporter for Knox News. Email: keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What University of Tennessee freshmen want most is also what scares them
