College Students Communities

Most college students become members of one or more communities during their college career. These communities, which function as social networks for college students, can be formal or informal and may be formed at the beginning or near the end of a college student's experience. College students can join these social networks through a variety of different methods, ranging from paying dues and attending meetings to progressing through lengthy initiation processes.

Historically, these social networks were in the form of student communities, major-minor-related groups, honor societies, or groups of students living in a particular residence hall. Recently, groups of college students have expanded to include living/learning communities and online communities.

Various researchers have examined the impact and the importance of college student involvement in communities. Vincent Tinto developed the theory of oppositional culture that emphasizes the importance of study involvement in college communities. This theory highlights that one of the greatest indicators of student support is their participation in student communities. Student support in social communities emerges in the form of social and academic supports.

College students experience various benefits from social networking in college student communities. Students involved in communities (or student organizations) are more likely to experience a reduction in stress. In addition to the health benefits of these communities, students who are involved in academic and social communities are more likely to persist toward graduation.

[Page 141]Some college students experience some negative effects of membership in college student communities, ranging from excessive drinking behavior and increased opportunities for academic dishonesty to hazing. Despite the fact that college students have opportunities to join almost any community on campus, some college students are excluded because they cannot afford the membership dues.

Overall, most colleges and universities provide their students with a wide array of student communities that meet students' academic and personal interests, ranging from traditional forms of college student communities such as learning/living communities and athletic communities to new forms of college student communities such as Facebook and MySpace.