As a precursor to undertaking the focus groups, I decided to conduct a survey with my Year 1 students to just get a temperature check in terms of how folks are getting on with friends and forging community.
Survey Question:
Intro: Take a moment to reflect on the question below and share as much details as you feel comfortable. These answers will be collected anonymously. Your name and/or personal information will not be reflected anywhere in the research. Your answers are subject to being published anonymously and will be used as data points in the research.
Question: In 150-200 words, describe how your first few months at University has been. Reflect on any new friendships you have gained and the role the play in your learning journey, sense of community and belonging.
Note* I intentionally included an image of myself from my undergraduate studio days when I was on an exchange semester in Shanghai. I shared a personal anecdote with the students about what this image means to me. On the surface it’s a rather mundane image off me and two of my close friends (and group mates in this case) pulling an all-nighter while building spaghetti bridges for our upcoming ‘Building Technology’ submission. Yes, I went to Architecture School – the good old days. But what it represents is the invisible bond of us sharing a light moment and laughter amidst the stress of a studio submission.
Link to Responses:
Ravin Raori’s Research Project.xlsx
Reflection
Students responses ranged from celebrating little winds to acknowledging anxieties around forming new friendships and fostering a sense of belonging. There is a real vulnerability that comes to the surface. See below a visual representation of all the responses. One of the responses that really stuck out was a student who commented (as part of their response) saying, “…I keep searching for home. But I don’t know where home is.”
This one statement stuck with me and ended up even becoming the name of this project. At first there is an immediate sadness to it but on further reflection also an acknowledgement of displacement; and the search for belonging. I truly believe that there is something quite powerful in the acknowledgment as it is something that several of us are probably facing too or have faced in the past. As such it becomes part of the collective/shared experience of the cohort. Perhaps in some ways it could translate as an opportunity for a deeper commitment to community.
Onto the focus groups – feeling excited and ready!