Sense of Belonging

Feeling connected to others at your institution

For many students, thinking about college involves two things: studying hard and making lots of friends. However, once arriving at college, many students can feel like they don’t belong. If you find yourself feeling this way, the first thing to understand is that you are NOT alone.

It is very common for new college students to feel like there aren’t other students they can relate to, or that the problems they’re facing are unique. Rest assured, there are many students who have faced what you’re facing - both right now and in past semesters. Making an effort to reach out to other students and learn about them is a good first step to feeling less isolated. Learning from experienced students who have faced and overcome those challenges is even better.

It’s also common to feel like the people at your college or university aren’t there to help. Faculty and staff can seem busy, important, or disinterested. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Those people work in higher education just to help students like you. So if you’re feeling isolated or like a problem is too big to handle, asking a faculty member or advisor is one of the most helpful things you can do.

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
Mother Teresa

How can I improve my Sense of Belonging?

Strategies to Use

In each course you’re taking, try to spark up a conversation with just one student you don’t already know. Appreciate both the ways in which you are similar and different. Regardless of those things, it’s likely that you both have similar goals (i.e., a college degree) and similar challenges to face to get there.

Resources at Albany State

Academic Affairs: Provides support to assist administrators, staff, faculty, and students to realize their academic goals in pursuit of high academic achievement. The Office of Academic Affairs at Albany State University oversees services related to the teaching, learning, and research activities on campus.
Academic Support Services: Supplies Learning Centers that are located on both the East and West campuses. The primary purpose of the Centers is to promote student achievement, retention, and graduation by assisting students in enhancing their reading, writing, critical thinking, and lower and upper-level math skills in core and content area courses and helping them achieve college success and, ultimately, graduation.
The Office of Student Engagement: The center of your college experience. Let us help you get the most out of your time at Albany State University through campus activities, student organizations, special events and programs, leadership development and other student success resources.
Student Success: Designed to help you connect with the right campus resources to help you succeed academically and socially.
- Effective transition programs that help incoming Rams fully acclimate to the ASU experience;
- Training and development throughout the semester for students to become self-regulated learners;
- Individualized assistance with study strategies, time management, and balancing college life; and
- Opportunities for students to develop into strong student leaders by expanding their academic networks, connecting them with appropriate campus resources, and helping them craft their own leadership identity.
Career Services: Available to all Albany State University students, from freshman to graduate students, as well as alumni. We provide you with the tools and resources needed to help you succeed during the career development process. The key to a successful job search begins with early planning.

Online Resources

“Getting involved” doesn’t always have to include things on campus. Try Meetup.com to explore volunteer opportunities in and around your community.