The transition to university can be challenging for students. One of the most important factors for both well-being and study success is feeling safe and at home at university. This can be referred to as sense of belonging (Kahu et al., 2022; Ajjawi et al., 2023). The transition to university is intimately intertwined with the development of a sense of belonging.

As students navigate the phases of the transition to university – from preparation and initial encounters to eventual adjustment and stabilization (Nicholson, 1990) – they embark on a journey that shapes their sense of belonging.  Sense of belonging is a basic human need that takes on heighted importance at certain times and in certain contexts where individuals are prone to feeling vulnerable for alienation, unsupported, or lonely, like the first-year of college (Strayhorn, 2019). Strayhorn (2019) defined students’ sense of belonging as “students’ perceived social support on campus, a feeling or sensation of connectedness, and the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the campus community or others on campus such as faculty, staff, and peers” (p.4).

Recently, it has become increasingly accepted that sense of belonging is not static, but is dynamic and situated (Allen et al., 2021; Cureton & Gravestock, 2019; Gilani et al., 2024; Gravett & Ajjawi, 2022). Research has shown that the feeling of belonging can grow, may stop, disappear or blossom again within an individual throughout life (e.g. George & Selimos, 2019). It can even change frequently over short periods of time, such as the course of a day or a university study (Allen et al., 2021; Cureton & Gravestock, 2019; Graham & Moir, 2022). It is also situated, meaning it is context-dependent. For instance, Gravett and Ajjawi (2022) found that students’ sense of belonging during online meetings differs from their belonging in face to face meetings.

The more dynamic and situated nature of sense of belonging is not yet represented in the way the concept is often measured. Most sense of belonging measures are unidimensional and static, often relying on questionnaires, representing a snapshot of an individual’s perception at the time of administration (Allen et al., 2021; Dias-Broens, 2024). However, a more nuanced approach is needed to capture the development of students’ sense of belonging.

Although students’ sense of belonging received ample attention in higher education policy and research, the temporal and dynamic nature of sense of belonging is often left out of the picture. Especially the first semester in the first year at university might be punctuated by several important moments that impact the way students will adapt to the context and experience sense of belonging. This initial period marks a critical juncture in a student's academic journey, as it sets the tone for their entire university experience. To fill this lacuna, we took a more dynamic approach to understanding students’ sense of belonging in the first year. The research questions are: 1) How do students see and describe their development of sense of belonging during the first semester at university? 2) What elements do students associate with sense of belonging? And 3) What key experiences or moments are crucial in this development?

Participants In this study, 11 first-year students majoring in Psychology from the Faculty of Social Sciences of a Dutch university participated. All students were female, which is expected in light of the student population, and were aged between 18 and 32-years-old (M = 20 years). Instruments Data are collected with semi-structured interviews. In the interview, we used prompts with metaphor cards (Glegg, 2019) and a timeline (Bravington & King, 2019) to elicit students’ stories and feelings. During the interviews, participants were first provided with an introduction to the study. This was followed by some general questions about the student’s background. Then, students chose images that metaphorically represented their sense of belonging in the first months at university best from a set of 30 images. Thereafter, students were asked to draw a timeline for the first semester. As for the timelines, based on the figure of De Clercq et al. (2018), students were asked to draw a chart of how their sense of belonging unfolded in the first semester of the first year at university. In addition, they were invited to indicate major events which fostered/hindered their sense of belonging. This representation was used to discuss with students how and why their sense of belonging developed over time. Procedure Participation in this study was voluntary and in return students obtained credit points. The interviews took place one-on-one in a quiet room and were conducted by two different researchers. The interviews were held in December 2022 and January 2023. The duration varied from 23:50 minutes to 49:10 minutes with an average duration of 42 minutes. Anonymity was guaranteed and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the researchers’ institution. Analysis We coded the interviews using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), where the timelines and metaphor cards were used to gain a deeper understanding of students’ personal stories. First, the interviews were transcribed and reread. Second, relevant quotes were selected and each quote was assigned an initial code. Third, the assigned codes were reviewed, compared, and merged where possible, leading to the identification of overarching themes.

The results show that the development of sense of belonging varies among different students. Some students exhibit a consistent upward trajectory (Figure 1), while others navigate through peaks and valleys (Figure 2). We noted that students’ descriptions of their development of sense of belonging were so differently as they referenced to different elements of sense of belonging. Students identified the specific elements of sense of belonging that were personally meaningful to them. This led to the identification of four distinct elements of sense of belonging: The social element involved feelings of being part of the group, supported and identification with the social community. The academic element reflected students’ attitudes towards their study and future profession, their engagement with study material, and the adequacy of studying efforts. The element self pertains to students’ development of their identity including the process of understanding their values and gaining more independence. The element university involves a sense of ownership over the place and identification with the atmosphere of a place. Students identified specific moments that were crucial in their development, such as introduction week, study groups, lectures, Christmas break, and exam periods. During these moments, social experiences can vary in their impact. Some experiences strengthen the sense of belonging, while others may have a negative effect. Additionally, the same experience can be perceived differently by students, leading to varying contributions to their sense of belonging. This study contributes to theory by demonstrating how sense of belonging can vary over time and context and is influenced by personal experiences. It highlights the importance of a contextual and time-sensitive perspective in theorizing about sense of belonging. Practically, the findings emphasize that a tailored approach is crucial in fostering sense of belonging, ensuring it aligns with the specific needs and experiences of students.

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