The sense of belonging on your college campus is, for some, the most important aspect of being a college student. The more a student can feel that they belong, and are supported and not alone, the more they can handle the stress of being a full-time student who is more than likely away from home and everything they know.
Students who feel they belong in an environment like a college campus can walk through the halls of school and feel no worries for the next four years of their life.
If there is no sense of belonging then it can affect many situations that are thrown our way as college students because at times, being in school feels like a job that you can never clock out of. It takes up most of our day and leaves us with little more to do than focus on school. At least, these are the feelings you have when you have not felt that necessary sense of a second home.
When you are happy with the place you have selected to call home for the next four years, it positively impacts your learning experiences, academic excellence, and friendships. Students who feel like they belong are simply more engaged with their university as well, more likely to join university student associations, and make better connections with the higher ups, whether it be student body leaders, advisors, coaches and more.
It is hard to remember at times when you first go down this journey that you are free and college is only going to be what you make of it. The college experience can be a stressful one that takes months, or years to adjust to, along with the lonely nights and the tireless hours of studies and the Ramen noodle dinners.
However, if you can get all the best qualities out of your university, you will have friends, enjoy waking up for class, enjoy your weekends with new people or be okay with the company of no one at times. Before you know it, you’ll be going home, instead of back to the dorms.
