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U of M Houses Record Number Of Freshmen

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – There are more freshmen living on the University of Minnesota campus than ever before.

The University reports out of 5,500 incoming freshmen 4,783 have decided to call the campus home.

According to Mannix Clark, associate director of Housing and Residential Life, that's basically 87 percent of first-year students.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Edgar Linares Reports

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"The number will be more than we've had before," Clark said.

On Monday evening students started moving in, and that will continue through Wednesday. The university reports living on campus positively influences student retention, graduations rates and academic performance.

Laurie McLaughlin, director of Housing and Residential Life, says living on campus can make or break one's college experience.

"Living on campus gives students opportunities to meet people, become involved in campus life and experience a sense of community," McLaughlin said.

Rebecca Kang is a first year student from Alaska. She's studying engineering and decided to live on campus so she could find study buddy.

"You're with them 24/7. So you're bound to meet more people and get a lot more closer to them," Kang said.

McLaughlin says in the last decade, the number of first-year students choosing to live on campus has increased by nine percent.

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