Throughout the year, I learned much about belonging and what it feels like to really fit in with a group. I took a course second semester called “Gateway to Belonging” which highlighted the importance of belonging and how it can change someone’s entire outlook or experience.
After I finished the course, when it came to the true definition of belonging, I came up with this definition:
Belonging is a psychological feeling of being at home, or feeling like you are a part of something. According to Lisa M. Nunn’s research, she refers to belonging as “feeling as if you are meant to be there” and that you can “truly be yourself.” There are different realms when it comes to belonging, such as social, academic, and community. Social belonging comes down to feeling as if you are a part of a social group and that they are people that are similar to you and might like to do the same things that you like to do. Academic belonging can be described as feeling a part of a percentage at your school, possibly according to your major, GPA, or other academic placement numbers. Community belonging is when you find a group of people that are similar to you and possibly share the same ethnicity as you, making you feel like you are already a part of a group. In short terms, belonging is something you decide that you are, no one else can decide for you.
Therefore, before you decide you don’t like a place, try first to look within your self to welcome new changes, then look to others.