Sense of Belonging in the Time of COVID-19: Examining the Role of Friendships

College students’ sense of belonging was significantly affected in many ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine its specific impact by examining responses to two research questions: “What role do friendships have on students’ sense of belonging?” and “How has students’ sense of belonging changed since pandemic-related restrictions have been lifted?” A pilot study conducted in the fall of 2020 pointed to friendships as key to belonging. Four students in their senior year of college who had been living on campus as first-year students when the pandemic began and had participated in the pilot study as sophomores were interviewed for this study in the fall of 2022. Study findings reveal that students’ concerns about the virus, pandemic restrictions, and changes to social support and interactions with peers had lasting impacts on students’ sense of belonging. Participants discussed positive interactions, feeling that they mattered and were accepted and heard, and reciprocity in friendships as important factors in alleviating this sense of disconnection. One of the major characteristics of friendships that supported their sense of belonging was authenticity. Close friendships that were supportive, non-judgmental, and allowed students to be their authentic selves were essential to their feeling part of the residential and campus communities.