Belonging is essential for college student success, yet little is known about how residence hall spaces affect this experience. This article reports on selected findings from a multi-year research project that aims to understand the multiple uses, experiences, and meanings of spaces in the residence halls. Qualitative analysis of student-created photo journals, interviews, and focus groups indicate that residents’ bedrooms play a critical role in their collegiate experience. In particular, we found that students engage in the processes of creating privacy, personalizing their space, and shaping a presentation of themselves through their bedrooms and bed areas as a reflection of their sense of belonging. Findings from this study can inform the design of student life programming to more effectively support students in personalizing their residence hall spaces in order to enhance student belonging.
Samura et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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