Belonging
A page within Oral History Program
The transition to college is a crossroads in the lives of students around the world, past and present. Students enter a new environment, encountering new living and social conditions in dorms as they adjust to being away from their homes, parents, and friends as well as high school clubs and activities. The interviewees in the “College Life” oral history project reflect on what it was like to go through this process at UWL revealing what it means to belong on a college campus, how to make the dorms their own space, and how to cultivate their own micro-communities. As a group, these oral histories illustrate the importance that feelings of belonging can have: helping break down social and cultural barriers, and helping folks get involved in the communities they live, work, and leisure in. Ultimately, fostering a sense of belonging is a process undertaken by each new generation as they arrive on campus and start making sense of their new lives as college students.
Navigating Firsts: New Homes, New People, New Anxieties
The firsts of college life -- in dorms, classrooms, dining halls, and college towns -- have represent an enormous shift in the lives of multiple generations of students. Troy describes what he remembers about preparing for and attending his first classes at UWL. Then, Karolyn and Alex reflect on feeling out-of-place during their first days on campus. Karolyn also remembers how expectations she had as a first-generation college student (a belief that college education was a path towards prosperity) compounded her uncertainty in her early weeks and months at UWL.
Firsts on Campus - Troy (first year: 1984)
First Year Anxieties - Karolyn (first year: 1993)
Collegiate Growing Pains - Alex (first year: 2011)
Strong Bonds: The Significance of Communities and Student Meaning-Making at UWL
While belonging on campus can begin with making friends and identifying common interests with other people on campus, the "College Life" oral histories also suggest a second important step: how students and the micro-communities they create decide what their experiences mean. In terms of meaning-making, Karolyn and Alex recall the importance their family and friends had in helping them find their way and build their own communities. Katy and Alex also offer advice on how to find your niche and foster a sense of belonging. Their experiences serve as a reminder that community-building is an ongoing process: happening across different stages of the college experience. From the green tile floors of the dorms to bonding over 1980s music, each interviewee reflects on the people and places that helped define their college experience and who they have become along the way.
Family Foundations - Karolyn (first year: 1993)
Family & Friends - Alex (first year: 2011)
Advice About Belonging - Alex (first year: 2011)
Advice About Belonging - Katy (first year: 2018)
Production credits: writing by Isaac Wegner and Tiffany Trimmer, research and conceptualization by Isaac Wegner, web design by Olivia Steil, collection processing by Shaylin Crack, Julia Milne, and Isaac Wegner.
