## Metadata - Author: [[Wonkhe]] - Full Title: Opportunity Blocked: How Lonely Are Students? - Category: #Source/articles - URL: https://wonkhe.com/blogs-sus/opportunity-blocked-how-lonely-are-students/ ## Highlights - ==13% do not consider to have any true friends at university== ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hnezddsqyssrctqj7w7z3f)) - Mature students, those that live at home with their parents/guardians and those that self-identify are disability are the most likely to report not having any friends. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hnf3w4mqn7f1jvc7j9925g)) - Opportunity blocked” was carried out at the end of the academic year – giving students a chance to reflect on the year just gone. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hnd5mbgnk7t0kapjsj392e)) - In this study ==more than 1 in 10 students (12%) report feeling lonely on a daily basis and more than a quarter (26%) on a weekly basis.== ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hnd9ewcnbf76jzy4e6ektb)) - ==11% do not have anyone to call on== ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hndf6nd1mwd7ad0xc3axhb)) - 10% claim that they would not have who to seek help from ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hndpj2sngfcq0hqtccyrem)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hndvf79v7af38k9h1hnfxr)) --- Aliases: Opportunity Blocked: How Lonely Are Students? Related: Created: 2024-05-30 Epistemology: Publish: Reviewed: False ---  ## Metadata - Author: Wonkhe - Full Title: Opportunity Blocked: How Lonely Are Students? - URL: https://wonkhe.com/blogs-sus/opportunity-blocked-how-lonely-are-students/ - Date: 2024-05-30 ## Summary Unlike many other studies, “Opportunity blocked” was carried out at the end of the academic year – giving students a chance to reflect on the year just gone. In this study more than 1 in 10 students (12%) report feeling lonely on a daily basis and more than a quarter (26%) on a weekly basis. … Continued ## Highlights - 13% do not consider to have any true friends at university ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hnezddsqyssrctqj7w7z3f)) - Mature students, those that live at home with their parents/guardians and those that self-identify are disability are the most likely to report not having any friends. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hnf3w4mqn7f1jvc7j9925g)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hvwwb30e234ek1p69src0g)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hvwyfw9gjbj31jh2m5k9dr)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hvx6htsgk31te57j7zsxwa)) - Which students are lonely and why? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hvy0pkezby1e2s9sm1yktx)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hvy5rv37r5e5egq4bdp8v6)) - While loneliness is not synonymous with social isolation, it is linked to students’ sense of belonging and fitting in. Just over a third (35%) of the students that feel lonely on a daily basis feel that they belong at their university, compared to 82% of those that never feel lonely. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hvyenprh488xn6vaeghz9j)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hvz5faa4tch17ee5xmwx67)) - 11% do not have anyone to call on ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hndf6nd1mwd7ad0xc3axhb)) - A third (29%) of first-year students are concerned about making friends/meeting new people, and while the proportion halves, still more than 1 in 10 finalists (16%) are considering this one of their top worries. This is even more concerning when we consider that more than 1 in 10 final year students (12%) do not think that they have any true friends – only marginally fewer compared to first-year students (15%). Furthermore, almost half (44%) of the students in their first year of study report feeling lonely on a daily or weekly basis, and while the percentage slightly decreases, still 4 out of 10 (40%) of middle year(s) students and 35% of finalists feel the same. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hy102k3pydkx9mbthrz4kr)) - 10% claim that they would not have who to seek help from ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hndpj2sngfcq0hqtccyrem)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hndvf79v7af38k9h1hnfxr)) - What are the consequences of loneliness? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hy19mm0fxet78m9gtfaxej)) - The lonelier the students are the more likely they are to report feeling unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives. The students that are the most likely to feel lonely on a daily basis, in particular, LGBT students, those that self-identify a disability and those living with their parents/guardians are more likely to report lower wellbeing scores compared to the average. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hy1dj6h2dbbndq9pwcq81e)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hy2vfwc759v6by83edc376)) - However, loneliness may even influence students’ outcomes and career prospects. One in 10 (11%) of those feeling lonely on a daily basis are thinking about dropping out of their course and over a third of these (32%) think about it on a daily basis. By comparison, overall, 4% of students are thinking about dropping out and 16% think about it on a daily basis. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hyf32gnq01r8f8mzprznxt)) - How can universities and SUs help those that feel lonely? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hyfwhjtj9wttvrzktfja0g)) - We’ve seen that loneliness is linked to sense of belonging and, in order to answer the above question, it is essential to consider what influences students’ sense of fitting in and sense of belonging. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hygakagnd27fz869mppjpw)) - How can universities and SUs ensure that more students feel comfortable expressing themselves and being part of the community? One possible way is by creating safer environments. Students that feel safe at their university are 5 times more likely than their counterparts to also feel comfortable expressing themselves. Black/African/Caribbean students that feel safe on campus are more than 4 times more likely to feel comfortable expressing themselves than their counterparts that feel unsafe. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hyje18t4e0h8xq84rm30js)) - Another suggestion would be to encourage participation in various aspects of university life. Students that are involved in extracurricular activities are twice as likely to report having a large group of friends (29% compared to 14% of those that do not take part) and more likely to report having people to call on if they wanted to socialise or if they needed help. 72% of them feel they belong at their university and are twice as likely as their counterparts to feel part of a community of staff and students. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hymghjdd8zqndeybz0twkw)) -  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hynjjfpv7eem58szhc05d3)) - Key takeaways: ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hysbkws6a927vwcg4cwx94)) - Students report that their course is a key place to find friendships – ensuring that academic schools/departments/faculties facilitate meaningful opportunities to build friendships is key. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hysc7s5903zyth9548xaq1)) - Ensuring that there are regular opportunities throughout an academic year to build friendships is crucial. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hyse03k7w7pgdhrvw7qy3t)) - It is also important to identify ways in which opportunities can be designed to reduce the level of initial commitment (be that financial, opportunity/time, and crucially emotional). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hysg4z8f7dyz7m0xyd755g)) - Tags: [[favorite]] - Create more inclusive environments by making sure that a wide range of activities are provided,(especially day time activities that do not involve consuming alcohol as this excludes certain student groups) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hysqm8v62rc23brdw1n2v6)) - Raise awareness of the support services available. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h5hyst5qjmgs8m9e5pss6e97))