The college experience is supposed to be a time of growth, self-discovery, and new connections. But what happens to college students when the in-person experience is suddenly taken away?
It’s no secret that the global pandemic brought monumental changes to the college experience. Students spent a school year isolated from their peers, taking class via camera, and missing out on the on-campus experience. With most universities in the U.S. returning to full capacity this Fall semester (no more midday naps, unfortunately), it’s an important time to talk about the benefits of spreading kindness on campus and why it matters now more than ever.
Recent studies have confirmed what many of us have felt: depression and anxiety levels in young adults have risen significantly since the start of the pandemic. The Center for Studies in Higher Education found that “the prevalence of major depressive disorder among graduate and professional students is two times higher in 2020 compared to 2019,” and found generalized anxiety disorder to be 1.5 times higher as well.¹
There was a lot to keep college students anxious during the last school year. Deciding if higher tuition rates amidst significant on-campus restrictions was worth the cost. Worrying about their own health along with that of friends and family. Keeping watch for a potential sudden outbreak to shut down their campus. These were just some of the thoughts swirling in students’ minds during the past year, and the impact has been significant. A study from Columbia University’s Psychiatric Epidemiology Group surveyed more than 900 students from over 70 colleges and found that 36.7% of them even felt the pandemic had “ruined” their college experience.²
It’s clear that solutions are needed to help students deal with the issues brought on by the past year and help them transition back to fully in-person campuses. And, believe it or not, kindness may hold a surprisingly powerful key to the puzzle.
How does kindness on campus help?
For the last 5 years, our team has explored the impact that kindness can have on our mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. Our meta-analysis led by Research Director Dr. Oliver Scott Curry found that those who choose to be kind to others are happier overall. The meta-analysis reviewed 27 studies and found that acts of kindness increased the well-being of the actor (most of whom were university students) to a similar degree as that of mindfulness and positive thinking.³
So kindness increases happiness, but why is happiness important for college students? Well, besides the obvious benefits to student well-being, studies have shown a strong correlation between happiness and strong academic performance. A study conducted by Christina Hinton of Harvard Graduate School of Education found that happiness is positively associated with intrinsic motivation, as well as GPA, and (to bring it full circle) that “happiness is predicted by students’ satisfaction with school culture and [their] relationship with students and peers.”⁴
Or, to put it another way, the research suggests that a kinder campus is a happier campus, and a happier campus leads to greater student health and success.
So how can universities cultivate campuses that foster kindness among students? I’m glad you asked. I, Edison Escobar, kindness.org intern, this article’s author, and sudden fourth wall breaker, asked my fellow interns, all of whom are college students, their thoughts on spreading kindness on campus.
Kindness.org interns bring kindness to campus
Gillian Hoelzel, a senior attending Marymount Manhattan College, believes that students have had a difficult time readjusting to fully in-person campuses. She noted that class interaction and discussion “can be a little bit harder” than usual because students are still getting “used to being around people again.” One way that Gillian thinks kindness can be spread on campus is through small but meaningful acts of kindness. “Because we haven’t been around people in a while, we kind of appreciate when people go out of their way to do little things”. Things like opening doors, or asking someone if they need help with a question can go a long way.
Nyah Doe, a graphic design and advertising major at Seton Hall University, spreads kindness on campus by helping to direct students around school grounds, especially freshmen or students looking for multicultural organizations (which Nyah is highly involved in). “I talk to them, share some events with them and give them my phone number. It can be hard going away from home and feeling as though you can’t find a community, but there is a safe space for them,” Nyah explains. “They just need someone to point them in the right direction.”
Ange Atoumou, fundraising and development intern and student at The City College of New York, believes that universities should host social events to encourage student socialization and kindness. Ange suggested that universities host monthly events for students to get together and “eat, talk, and just relax.” Universities often have social events during the first few days of each semester to welcome new students, but Ange’s idea of having them throughout the semester would be a welcome break for students feeling stressed around midterm and final weeks.
The impact of small acts of kindness on campus
I also asked my fellow interns to share personal stories of times they showed kindness to someone on campus or experienced kindness themselves. Hearing their stories made it evident that spreading kindness on campus doesn’t have to be a major, time-consuming event;
even small acts can go a long way in improving someone’s day.
Gillian shared a simple act that made a big difference this semester. “My computer died and I didn’t have my charger. Someone helped me charge my computer while I was in class to take notes,” Gillian explained. On another day, Gillian had an opportunity to show kindness herself. She was sitting on one of the benches in front of her campus when a student sat next to her. Gillian struck up a conversation with the student and found out that it was his first semester on campus. Meeting new people can be a big challenge for new students, and something as small as saying hello can mean a lot.
Nyah shared a moment when someone was kind to her as well. “I was walking on campus and this young lady stopped me. I had never met her, but she’d heard about me and told me how beautiful I was and that she loves what I do on campus within my student organizations.” As someone who is deeply involved in campus life, a compliment like this meant a lot to Nyah.
All too often, heavy coursework can make students forget to take care of themselves. Ange experienced kindness on campus when her friend looked out for her by reminding her to take care of herself. Ange shared that she would often skip meals due to being too busy or stressed. Having her friend remind her to eat was a small moment of kindness that still stands out to her.
There is a proven correlation between kind acts making students happier and happiness leading to more success. Ange, Gillian, and Nyah showed us that small acts of kindness can go a long way. As the world continues to return to normalcy, college students have an opportunity to create kinder campuses with every choice they make. Why not make the choice right now? You can get started here.
- Chirikov, Igor, et al. “Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” EScholarship, University of California, 17 Aug. 2020, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/80k5d5hw
- Dedman, Ben. “How Covid-19 Is Affecting Our Students.” Association of American Colleges & Universities, 8 Feb. 2021, https://www.aacu.org/aacu-news/newsletter/how-covid-19-affecting-our-students.Jones, Victoria. “Because I’m Happy.” Harvard Graduate School of Education, 26 Mar. 2015, https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/15/03/because-i%E2%80%99m-happy
- Curry, O. S., Rowland, L. A., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., & Whitehouse, H. (2018). Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 320–329.
- Jones, V. (2015, March 26). Because I’m happy. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/15/03/because-i%E2%80%99m-happy.