Sense of Belonging and Students’ Success: International Students in the Residence Halls

This article examines how international students in the resident halls at a predominantly white institution (PWI) find a sense of belonging. For this study, a qualitative research method involving the use of interviews was used in the data collection. Overall, international students in the residence halls felt connected to their communities when people accepted their thoughts, provided them with assistance, and acknowledged their efforts. 

All people yearn to belong and find acceptance from others (Strayhorn, 2018). Therefore, satisfying the need for belonging is a necessary precondition for higher-order needs. Increases in college students’ retention and success are linked with a sense of belonging. That is, students with a higher sense of belonging are more likely to succeed in their college life than their colleagues who do not feel like they belong on campus. 

Given the effects of a sense of belonging on the development of college students, there has been research into ways students can build connections, engage with people, and utilize resources to increase their sense of belonging (Museus et al., 2017). The purpose of this paper is to consider international students’ sense of belonging in the residence hall, how they build connections, and how their sense of belonging matters and shapes their life. Two research questions were developed to understand international students’ experiences and perspectives on belonging in residence halls:

 

1. How does the residential campus environment influence a sense of belonging?

2. What factors contribute to an international college student’s sense of belonging? 

 

We used semi-structured interviews to understand how international students find a sense of belonging and build connections in residential communities. To maintain the confidentiality of the two participants, pseudonyms were used to identify participants. Participants were allowed to control the narrative around their experiences by disclosing only what they were comfortable sharing as related to their experiences with a sense of belonging in the residence halls and on campus. Themes were developed based on the trends from the questions answered. 

 

Initial Experiences in the Residence Hall

All participants had challenges during their initial transition into college and residence halls. Their reflections on their experiences in the residential community included thoughts about their engagement, purpose, and impact on their success in college. Participants described how they interacted with the people in their hall. They explained how building connections initially was very difficult because of the difference in culture and communication (language barrier). John said, “I did not understand their jokes and they did not understand mine, which made it difficult to engage in communication.” Katie described her initial experience as having ups and downs. It was difficult to approach people with different identities, so she was always looking to connect with people who were like her. This highlights the initial challenges some international students face in adapting to social systems on campus and in residence halls. 

 

Engagement in Hall Activities

Participants discussed how they built connections by engaging in hall activities. Katie said she  built connections with her Residence Advisor (RA), joined the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and Hall Council, and made a couple of friends through the hall council. John expressed how he did not make many friends in the hall. He mainly befriended people in the rooms immediately next to him. He stated, however, that international students do not typically make many friends with other students on their floor. John further stated that international students make more friends in classes or clubs rather than in residence halls. He mentioned there were not many times when his residence hall floor section was required to be together. The only times they did get together was for floor meetings, and then everyone would leave right afterward. This shows that international students find a sense of belonging in both the residence halls and outside the residence halls.

 

Making Connections with Campus Organizations

Organizations were mentioned as sources of practical support. Participants stated how they felt connected in the classroom. They felt belonging when people welcomed and appreciated their presence. Participants joined various campus organizations such as RHA, Margaret Boyd Scholars, Pepsi Scholars, and National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). Katie talked about hoping to start an economics club to create a sense of belonging for other students on campus. While not technically a campus organization, both Katie and John spoke about how they are RAs on campus. They mentioned how their interactions with residents and their role as staff members in their respective buildings have been enjoyable experiences. 

 

Finding Mentors

Participants spoke about having positive connections with faculty and staff members on campus. Katie specifically noted how the Margaret Boyd Scholars program has allowed her to interact with a lot of helpful mentors. While the Margaret Boyd program has been a positive experience for Katie overall, she did run into some relational complexities within that group. She shared an example about a time when someone in the program took something she said the wrong way. After that instance she felt a shift in her sense of belonging within the program. “I don’t blame anyone, or myself, because I know that I did not mean it that way. They might have taken it that way. I don’t want to provide clarification for my own words, so that’s fine,” said Katie. The participants had put significant effort into participating in mentorship programs and building relationships. All participants sought out opportunities and reaped benefits from doing so. This shows how mentorship contributes to their sense of belonging and academic success. These relationships, although generally positive, are not always without difficulties and misunderstandings. 

 

Conclusion

The findings of our inquiry affirm that inclusive dorm and campus practices play a critical role in creating a positive campus climate for international students. As John stated, however, it is difficult to get students, international or not, to attend hall events. Efforts are needed in the residence halls to incentivize and gain attendance at hall events.

Moreover, the findings provide evidence that race and cultural background have a pronounced impact on the interpretation of encounters with peers in the residence halls (Hurtado & Carter, 1997). Katie shared that a miscommunication within an organization shifted her feelings of belonging within that organization.

International students interpreted simple, even otherwise unremarkable, acts of care and concern as strong signals of inclusion (Strayhorn, 2012). When an international student struggled, people who responded with care and concern had transformative effects (Gu et al., 2010). When John’s RA came and helped him move into his first residence hall, John felt an immediate sense of connection and inclusion. 

 

Implications

This study emphasizes the factors that contribute to international students’ sense of belonging in residential communities and on the college campus. We suggest that positive interactions with peers are characterized by an inclusive dorm and campus climate for international students. Therefore, student affairs professionals should advocate for inclusive dorm practices and peers’ intercultural competence, as these play a critical role in creating a positive campus climate for international students. 

International students often feel anxious when talking to their peers (host country students), for fear of saying the wrong thing or making a mistake. Hence, training and awareness on cultural humility would benefit students to interact with a broader scope of people and aid international students in their sense of belonging. Cultural humility should be encouraged to help international students feel deeply known and accepted.

 

References

Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M., & Day, C. (2010). Learning and growing in a ‘foreign’ context:Intercultural experiences of international students. Compare, 40(1), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057920903115983

Hurtado, S., & Carter, D. F. (1997). Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latino college students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70(4), 324-345. https://doi.org/10.2307/2673270

Museus, S. D., Yi, V., & Saelua, N. (2017). The impact of culturally engaging campus environments on sense of belonging. The Review of Higher Education: Journal of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, 40(2), 187–215. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2017.0001

Strayhorn, T. L. (2012). Satisfaction and retention among African American men at two-year community colleges. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 36(5), 358-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668920902782508

Strayhorn, T. L. (2018). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students. Routledge.