It’s Harder Than Just Saying Hi: Exploring the Formation and Sustainability of Social Bonds Among First-Year University Students
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Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
Forming and sustaining social connections is integral to university students’ sense of belonging and well-being, yet many face challenges in building meaningful relationships. This study explored these challenges through 20 semi-structured interviews with recent first year students. Using thematic analysis, five key themes emerged: (1) Barriers in forming social connections, (2) Strategies used to connect with other students, (3) Sustaining social bonds, (4) Personality traits impact the cultivation of social networks, and (5) University support to aid social interaction. While participants acknowledged the importance of social connectedness, some expressed indifference or deprioritized forming relationships, citing academic pressures, personal preferences, or limited opportunities for meaningful interaction. Barriers such as pre-existing social groups, cultural and language differences, and hybrid learning environments compounded these challenges. Universities should consider tailoring support programs to better align with students’ evolving preferences and the realities of hybrid educational contexts.Description
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International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, ISSN: 0267-3843 (Print); 2164-4527 (Online), Taylor & Francis Group. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2025.2538674
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© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.