AMHERST — Hundreds of students displaced by this weekend’s fire that destroyed a 72-unit apartment building have scattered, with some going back to their family homes, others crashing on friends’ couches and some renting hotel rooms.

The 232 tenants, most of whom are University of Massachusetts students, also are scrambling to replace laptops, calculators and bookbags they desperately need to finish the second half of the semester. Most are also buying some of the most basic things burned in the fire, such as eyeglasses, medication, underwear and socks.