Becoming a part of the college community can feel like a huge task for some students, es-

pecially if they are new. In general, if students feel like they are a part of the university they are
attending, they may feel more inclined to be engaged in their course work and school functions.
Conversely, if a student feels isolated in their campus environment, they may withdraw them-
selves from their work and from their peers. Deep down, a lot of students understand this, and
they go into their first year of college “wanting to find a community.” Thankfully, many univer-
sities (including those in Florida) also realize this fact about their students, and have imple-
mented a community program into their universities for their new arrivals — Living Learning
Communities.
Living Learning Communities, or LLCs, are at the most basic level a collection of stu-
dents with common majors and/or interests, typically housed within one residence hall. When a
student is accepted into a college or university that offers LLCs, incoming freshmen will be able
to sign up for one if they wish. For example, Cawthon Hall at Florida State University offers a
Music LLC for incoming Music majors and minors. To emphasize the goal of having students
connect and develop interpersonal relationships within the LLC, students within are required to
take six credit hours with other members of the LLC. This provides a system of academic sup-
port for all enrolled students. It is not an uncommon experience for those living in an LLC to sit
in a common area to start work on an assignment only to find other students working on the ex-
act same thing.
One of the main draws of LLCs is that established community. A student in an LLC may
find it easier to access campus resources, or have a more direct connection to faculty members
and relevant professionals. In the Music LLC, a student may have more access to performances
on campus, while a student in the Women in Math, Science and Engineering LLC may have an
easier time finding additional research opportunities in their intended career path. Yet perhaps
the most beneficial aspect of LLCs is the response from students themselves. According to one
student who was a part of an LLC, the “only reason” they returned to school was because of the
love they felt from their LLC community. If your student has something they are passionate
about, whether that is a hobby, school subject, or social cause, yet still is “trying to figure out
who they are,” a Living Learning Community on campus may be exactly what they are looking
for!