The issue stems from the overlapping processes of accepting students and estimating how many of them will be living in the dorms, while students are also choosing where to attend. 

MSU typically sets overall targets for the amount of first-year students and transfer students it recruits. But Vice Provost of Enrollment and Academic Strategic Planning Dave Weatherspoon said that when it comes to transfer students, MSU assumes that their needs for dorm rooms may not be as high. 

"It's a balance we have to find between all incoming students, and it's hard," Weatherspoon said.

Additionally, the closure of Campbell Hall for renovations and FAFSA delays meant that not only was there less space, but it was also unclear how many students would be enrolling for the fall. 

"This year we found trying to gather that information was a bit more difficult with those FAFSA delays," said Bethany Balks, the associate communication director for Residence Education and Housing Services.

Since move in, MSU's housing services have met backlash from students and parents alike, who say they were not aware of the situation or believe it is unfair, Balks said. 

Many parents were frustrated with the situation due to space issues and pricing. When a roommate is added to a room, MSU divides the overall price by three instead of two for double rooms, and five instead of four for quads. 

Some parents have said the discount is not worth the trade-offs, though Balks said MSU does not "look to make money off this situation." 

Students who are in transitional housing will also have to move again during the school year. The process has already started, Balks said, with over 500 transitional housing assignments at the start of the semester now being under 300. 

Balks said the housing team has communicated as effectively as it can throughout the process.

"While we had been sharing some initial communication, we had a letter that went out in April and a webinar that happens each May," Balks said. "We mentioned that transitional could be a possibility, but we didn’t have the data to say that it would be certain because students were still doing their deposits."

For prenursing freshman Amy Garcia, the immediate reaction to finding out she would be in transitional housing "was just confusion, not knowing how it was going to work and what the situation even meant" for her. 

Garcia said not having the full details or room layout was "unsettling in ways," especially as it put a damper on plans for move in and decorating.

"It left me wondering how much of the stuff I bought would be able to fit in the room," Garcia said. 

But because Garcia is a freshman, she said it's "not too bad" because she lacks prior dorm experience to compare it to. 

However, some students find the stress of the extra person unbearable. Journalism freshman Kendall Kaberle said having an extra roommate "makes it hard to relax in my own space." Kaberle said it can "feel very claustrophobic," living in a space that was meant for two but now holds three. 

"I was already worried about being in a space with one person but having another person thrown into that mix made it worse," Kaberle said. 

While MSU has been in communication with transitional students about the moving process, it still leaves these students with unknowns. Garcia said not knowing whether they will even stay in the same neighborhood is "unsettling."

"Not knowing if my family will be able to help me move into my new space when the time comes is stressful," Garcia said. 

Balks said students can put in a maintenance request for assistance in moving their belongings to their new space. If MSU keeps breaking down transitional rooms at this rate, Balks said they expect to be done by the start of the coming spring semester.