The Role of Social Connectedness and Perceived Social Support in Predicting Life Satisfaction among First-Year Undergraduate Hostelers

The sudden shift in identify from being “school going” student to “college going” student marks an important developmental phase. This transition can be tough, especially when moving into a hostel. It often comes with higher academic demands, less privacy, shared resources like bathrooms and dining areas and being away from parents. Students also face new social networks and peer support systems that can impact their mental health and wellbeing. Those living in college hostel may feel especially vulnerable during this time because of the distance from the family and the need to build new friendships. The present study examines the relationship between social connectedness, perceived social support and life satisfaction among first year undergraduate students who had resided in hostel for a minimum duration of six months. A sample of 101 undergraduate students residing in college hostels was recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected using standardized scales, including the Social Connectedness Scale (Lee & Robbins, 1995), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985). Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed significant positive associations between social connectedness, perceived social support, and life satisfaction. Furthermore, Multiple regression was employed to determine the unique predictive power of these social factors. The overall model was statistically significant, F (2,98) = 21.96, p < .001, explaining approximately 30.7% of variance in life satisfaction (R2= .307). Results showed both social connectedness and perceived social support were significant unique predictors. Social Connectedness emerged as relatively stronger predictor suggesting internal sense of belongingness is more critical for the wellbeing of hostel residents than the mere perception of external support. These finding underscore the importance of fostering deep social bonds to enhance the subjective wellbeing of students within residential academic settings to enhance student mental health and overall wellbeing.