…and What it Means for Student Affairs Practitioners Trying to Build Community
When I started college, I was excited about my new dorm and especially curious about who my roommate would be. Now, though, students are changing how they live and connect. More students see privacy as an important part of living on campus and are opting into single room living as opposed to traditional dorm rooms. This shift in privacy is reshaping residence life, pushing practitioners to rethink long-standing assumptions about community, programming, and connection.
This blog series features different writers responding to the prompt, “How is the rising generation of college students changing residence life practice?”
A recent survey found that more students want single rooms. About 51% of those surveyed chose a single room as their top pick on housing applications. This trend can make it harder for students to attend big residence hall events, but it also shows how living spaces affect student mental health for the better.
As student affairs professionals, we know that making connections is important for student growth. Many students find lifelong friends in their first six weeks on campus (Hudson, 2018). If more students live alone, how will they make friends? How will they build community? Will they be lonely? Instead of worrying and going down the ‘what if?’ rabbit hold, we should adapt. Research on Gen Z shows strong preferences for autonomy, low-pressure social environments, and wellness-centered decision-making, all of which align with the rising advocacy for private rooms (See Seemiller & Grace’s 2019 book, Generation Z: A century in the making). Living alone can support mental health, and sharing a room with a stranger may not work for everyone in the future. Building community is still possible, but it will take more effort as private rooms become more common.
So, what should we do to succeed? For years, student affairs and residence life teams have used big, high-energy programs. RAs encouraged open doors, and meetings were promoted with memes. But for many students, these activities can feel too much. Students aren’t rejecting connection; they’re filtering it by seeking smaller and lower stakes ways to engage. To better connect with today’s students, we can try smaller programs that focus on meaningful conversations with just a few people at a time. For example, instead of attempting to appeal to 30 to 80 students with pizza, trying micro- or passive-programming can be much more impactful.
Privacy does not have to conflict with building community. In a time when we are always connected, we should focus on creating community naturally instead of forcing it. Rather than holding only large events, student staff can use smaller spaces like kitchens and lounges for more focused activities and real connections. As privacy-forward housing models expand, practitioners must also consider equity because these accommodations tend to come with a higher cost.
Student affairs should let students take the lead, not just RAs. For example, students might start online events or host in-person gatherings about topics that matter to them. Supporting these efforts helps students build the connections they want. As a first year hall director, a student asked me about hosting social events in the building, and even led them on his own! That student later became the student body president for the university. Folks who want to lead will. And others will join.
People want to connect, but too much can be overwhelming. As student affairs adapts to these changes, colleges can create healthier and more welcoming communities that fit what students need. Connection matters most when students have the energy to join in, make their own choices, and build community. We should support that, not push it. This generation of college students are not retreating from building community, rather, they are redefining how to engage. Residence life must evolve to continue to support these connections.
Citation:
Hudson, M. (2018). First-year college friendships and their impact on persistence. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 55(1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2017.1365798
