“Confidence to Continue”: A Qualitative Investigation of College Students’ Experiences of Microaffirmations

Microaffirmations Came From Key Individuals and the Campus Environment

Microaffirmations came from faculty, peers, academic advisers, and staff. They included communications in established relationships, such as between a student and an academic adviser who had been working together over the course of a semester, and from individuals with which there was no prior relationship, such a staff member walking across campus or a server in a dining hall. One student described a microaffirmation as a “kind gesture” or a note of affirmation “from a friend or teacher.” Students reported affirmations from peers, such as when “another student texted me good luck before I took an exam that I was nervous for” and when a student working on campus as a resident adviser (RA) noted, “I worked as an RA and each year I had residents that would send me notes of appreciation.” Another student shared that “I have small conversations with dining hall workers that are helpful” when describing his experiences of microaffirmations on campus.

Microaffirmations from faculty were reported most frequently by students—pointing to the importance, power, and influence of faculty–student relationships. One student identified the way a physiology professor greeted students at the start of each class by referring to them “as physiologists, even though the majority of us never had a background in the course” as a form of microaffirmation. The student shared that this greeting “made me feel like I was capable of finishing the course.” The professor’s comment implied a belief in the students’ abilities and validated their experiences engaging with the course material. Calling students “physiologists” conveyed respect for and validation of the students’ learning and their belonging in a professional field.

Microaffirmations were also important for delivering instructive feedback:

My film studies professor . . . always took the time to comment on my assignments letting me know of any criticisms or compliments he had for me. Whether or not I did an amazing job on my work he would frequently let me and other students know that he appreciated our participation and focus in the class.

Compliments from faculty were often coupled with additional feedback appreciating students’ effort and time on task, as well as offering specific ways in which a student could improve their work. For example, one student explained,

My honors adviser is always encouraging me and ensures to point out my successes even when critiquing my work. For example, I was having a hard time being clear and concise when writing my honors thesis, and my adviser was always pointing that out. However, she would [put] smiley faces and great work on sections that were well written.

The time the faculty member took to quickly acknowledge positive work helped the student receive feedback on areas in need of improvement.

Students also mentioned microaffirmations as coming from the campus environment. Students noted that the cleanliness of the campus grounds communicated that the environment, and the individuals in it, are valued. Chalk drawings and messages written on campus pathways were identified as forms of microaffirmation—they sent quick messages of kindness and invited students to join activities. The presence of public art, welcoming landscaping, and natural spaces with trees was also noted. Places to sit comfortably both inside and outside also sent a message to students that they were welcome to be and spend time in the area. The presence of furniture for studying, socializing, and resting communicated to students that they were welcome and appreciated. The campus spaces were designed with students in mind, and this validated students’ experiences and need for study, socialization, and rest.

Microaffirmations Came in Multiple Forms

Microaffirmations were expressed through multiple forms of communication, including verbal and nonverbal communications, physical signs, artwork, sidewalk chalking, electronic communication (emails, texts, and discussion board posts), written feedback on assignments, and course activities. A student gave an example of a head nod he interpreted as a nonverbal microaffirmation: “Every time a professor nods to me in the hallway or tells me to keep in touch I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to here and put in the work.” Other students noted “using friendly facial expressions and gestures” and being “greeted by a smile and kind words” as forms of microaffirmations. Microaffirmations were also expressed through class meetings, office hours, academic advising, and feedback on assignments, in addition to nonacademic spaces, including the campus recreation center: “At the University gym, on the way out they give out free fruit. It sounds small and strange, but the lady always greets me with a smile, and it is a great part of my day.”

Environmental signals of microaffirmation ranged from sticky notes left in study rooms—“Someone leaving a note on a white board in a study room saying, ‘I hope you’re having a great day’”—to public art valuing diversity and inclusion, such as a Black Lives Matter monument at the center of campus. As mentioned previously, many students also noted sidewalk chalking, used to advertise campus events and activities, as a means through which students communicate welcoming and belonging. According to students, microaffirmations were also communicated in other nonverbal, asynchronous ways, such as written emails and phone calls, texts, and discussion board posts. Regarding discussion board posts, for example, one student expressed, “I have had many supportive comments from other students,” and another shared, “I almost always received microaffirmations from classmates during weekly discussion boards.” A student described the importance of faculty–student affirmations in the context of online instruction:

Teachers have said positive things to me in an email and that has made me feel good, and that I’m doing well. It is motivating to continue on my school journey. Being that I am an online student this is very important because it’s the only source of affirmation online students get.

Another student who engages primarily in online studies described the impact of a virtual microaffirmation: “This small act made me feel connected to my school community although we’re hundreds of miles apart geographically.”

The Content of Microaffirmations Was Motivational, Inclusive, Generous, and Future Oriented

The information conveyed in the microaffirmations included motivational statements, as described by a student who wrote, “I’ve gotten many notes that just say, ‘you can do it’ or encouraging words that definitely go a long way.” The student also noted the content as promoting inclusion and a sense of belonging. The student described that professors convey microaffirmations “when they use inclusive language, including the acknowledgment of different gender identities and sexualities; when they speak positively of women in the field; when they take the time to learn our names or say, ‘Good to see you again.’” Microaffirmations also included acts of generosity, such as giving help or assistance and providing food, flexibility, and support during challenging times. These acts of generosity ranged from a student giving a peer “lunch for free when I was hungry” to door holding: “It’s a small thing but every time I’m near a door and there’s a person in front of me, they would hold the door for me. I’ve learned to do the same in such a situation.” Students also noted statements about students’ future success as microaffirmations. One student shared, “My neuroscience lab instructor told me that he is optimistic about my future career in the medical field. Another instructor said that I will do well in my career because of my caring nature.” Students commented that these statements show “that they [faculty] care and are invested in your future.” A student described one such meaningful interaction with their professor:

I was meeting with a professor, and we were going over my proposal for a study topic. After giving feedback, the professor told me that the study I came up with was important and interesting, and he was excited to see where I would go with it.

They were also forms of “recognizing the achievements of others” and demonstrating genuine interest in another person. One student, for example, stated that microaffirmations include simply “asking others for their opinions.”

Microaffirmations Influenced Perceived Academic Performance, Persistence, and Navigation of Challenges

Students reported that they believe microaffirmations positively influence their academic performance on assignments and tests. As an example, a student commented, “I was feeling worried about an assignment and the professor encouraged me to relax and that I was capable of doing it,” while another student indicated that the microaffirmation encouraged slowing down and reflecting: “This [microaffirmation] was meaningful to me because sometimes I feel as if I am rushing through an assignment to just get it done and turned in.” Microaffirmations were also noted as encouraging students to continue with their degree programs and advance toward their academic goals. “It helped me in my education to keep going,” offered one student. Another student wrote that the benefit of a microaffirmation is that “it keeps you motivated.” This was especially true for a student who was new to an academic discipline: “It was a subject area I was unsure of being successful and this encouragement made me feel so much confidence and pride in my work and continuing on!” Most clearly put, one student, Moriah, wrote, “It gave me confidence to continue.”

Students shared that microaffirmations helped them to negotiate personal challenges, from recovering from hurricane damage to their home to pregnancy, working full-time, and caregiving while in school. A student shared the following story:

My family experienced terrible flood damage to our home after the Hurricane Fred rains last August. I asked for an extension on a project so that I could get all of the FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] application materials and documentation submitted within the timeframe. My instructor not only granted me an extension but sent a brief message of encouragement and support. It was very much appreciated in such a volatile time!

Microaffirmations communicated to students the belief that they could negotiate the challenges they were experiencing. A student who was struggling during the semester shared,

I was going through a really tough time when this [experience of microaffirmation] occurred. Having a professor who I only saw twice a week notice I wasn’t doing so great made me feel like she actually paid attention to her students and cared about them outside of class.

One adult learner in the study shared that experiencing the microaffirmation “kept me motivated to keep taking classes and get my degree, even though I work full-time, have children, bills to pay . . . etc.” Another student reported that the experience was important “because going back to school and working full-time can be a little scary so encouragement is helpful to keep going.”

Microaffirmations Validate Student Experiences and Identities

Serving to recognize effort and arduous work, students noted that microaffirmations made “me feel good about the work I have been doing” and “like I am doing a good job. Like I am successfully making progress at what I am doing.” Many students expressed that the microaffirmations helped them feel seen and valued as individuals. For example, a Hispanic female student, Carmen, wrote, “It affirms to me that I am ‘seen’ and for me it’s an act that I’ve not seen in a while.” Other students shared, “I wasn’t just another face to him [professor]”; “it made me feel less like a roster number, and more like an individual student to a professor with many students”; and “it’s nice to feel seen on campus and to know that other people recognize where I was working so hard.” Jessica discussed how it is “easy to get lost in the crowd, especially in some of the courses with a larger class size or one that is asynchronous online,” and that microaffirmations were “acts [that] made me feel seen and valued.” Microaffirmations advanced inclusion, communicated welcoming, and helped with feeling a sense of belonging. For example, Eva shared, “This small act made me feel connected to my school community,” while another student, Grace, reported that the experience of a microaffirmation “made me feel welcomed.” Microaffirmations were also reported as beneficial to students, such as Lauren, who were feeling lonely: “It made me feel supported and less alone.” A student named Jessica shared that a microaffirmation was important to her “because it made me feel included.”

Microaffirmations Increase Student Confidence

Students attributed increased confidence to their experiences of microaffirmations. The small moments of affirmation helped Danielle, a social work major, “feel more confident in my academic abilities and my ideas.” Another student, Emerson, shared that when taking a new course, “it was a subject area I was unsure of being successful and this encouragement made me feel so much confidence and pride in my work and continuing on!” Increasing confidence applied to academic abilities and persisting in college. As previously noted, Moriah expressed that a microaffirmation “gave me confidence to continue.” Other students shared that microaffirmations motivated them to continue in their degree programs and to invest effort in their educational pursuits. Jordan, a transfer student, expressed, “It made me want to work hard and do well in class.” Microaffirmations also contributed to the development of pride in one’s work, as Sophia, a nursing major, shared: “The acts encouraged me to continue in my classes and gave me a sense of pride.” Jeanine described how an affirmation reaffirmed her commitment to pursuing her goals: “It gives me encouragement to continue working for my goal and know that I am a capable student to achieve this goal.”

Carlos, a transfer student, commented that the power of microaffirmations is that they “can change how people feel about themselves.” Microaffirmations helped students feel as though they made good decisions and were where they belonged, as Henry, a history major, shared: “It helped me confirm that I am now on the right path. . . . It made me feel more confident in myself and my abilities when I was experiencing feelings of anxiety and impostor syndrome.” For many students, microaffirmations helped them overcome self-doubt, inspired feelings of high value and worth, and aided them in viewing their contributions as meaningful. Virginia, a first-generation college student and a nursing major, reported, “It gives me reinforcement that what I am doing is meaningful and [I] should continue on in this course. It helps me center my purpose which is to finish my BSN [Bachelor of Science in Nursing] degree.” This comment was like many other statements in which students shared that experiencing a microaffirmation validated their choice of degree program and career.

Care Is Communicated Through Microaffirmations

Microaffirmations communicated comfort and care and even inspired students to care for other people. For example, a biology student, Kelly, said that experiencing a microaffirmation “reminded me that people do care about me, and I should do the same.” The communications resulted in students experiencing positive emotions, as evidenced through statements like “it brightened my day” and “makes me feel good!” Several students noted how nice it is to “know that someone is thinking of me.” Of a faculty member, Savannah expressed, “It felt so nice knowing someone was thinking of me, practically a stranger at that. She took time out of her day to make sure my day was bright and that was very kind”; another student, Anya, shared that her “professor reached out to me one on one which made me feel taken care of and paid attention to.”

Microaffirmations Are Often Unexpected

Students frequently described microaffirmations as unexpected or surprising communications. For example, Suchi, a first-generation college student, reported, “It was an unexpected compliment that boosted my confidence in my academic abilities.” For many, the microaffirmation was seen as someone going beyond what was expected or required, as evidenced by student comments that “most teachers don’t do this” and “most people do not show these acts of kindness.” That the communication was not required or essential to achieving a task made its impact especially powerful, as it was perceived to require additional effort and intentionality. Yang said of his professor, “It meant a lot to me because they did not have to do that for me,” and Madison shared, “Most people would turn the other cheek and not worry about someone else’s life.” Finally, Madison reported, “This small act was meaningful to me because it reminded me that someone did care about me and there is good in the world.”

Campus Environment

The campus environment includes physical spaces and structures where students noted microaffirmations. In the data, the library was mentioned more than any other building or physical space on campus as a place where students felt welcomed and appreciated and had their needs affirmed. The library was identified as a place where students could go any time of day. The comfortable furniture, signage, and welcoming staff communicated to students that the library is a place where students belong and are valued. From this finding, we encourage campuses to appreciate that the library can be an important venue for communicating microaffirmations. We advise speaking with library staff about microaffirmations and considering ways to increase student use of the library by promoting it as a safe space for community, study, and contemplation and as a refuge during eventful days on campus learning, working, meeting, and completing the administrative tasks typical in the daily lives of busy college students.

Within the domain of the campus community, we recommend using sidewalk chalking to communicate microaffirmations. We were surprised by how frequently this was cited in the data. On our campus, student groups and organizations frequently chalk messages to students on pathways throughout campus. Based on the evidence in the data regarding chalking, we propose that there is likely great value in encouraging student leaders and organizations on your campus to chalk affirming, invitational, and welcoming messages to students on campus sidewalks, especially by classroom and residential buildings. Finally, from the campus environment domain, we recommend public art installations that convey inclusion to students. For example, students in our study noted the importance of a Black Lives Matter sculpture in the center of campus and other art displays, such as one including photographs of diverse community members. When considering new, public art on campus, we recommend considering art that sends a clear message of inclusion to students.

Within the domain of the campus environment, open doors and comfortable furniture are additional recommendations. We encourage faculty, staff, and administrators to keep office and department doors open as much as possible. During the pandemic, as many moved to remote work, offices were shuttered. As people have returned to campus, doors may be propped open less frequently than before. To remediate this change, we advise scanning your campus buildings to see where doors are open and where they are not. In our study, open doors sent a clear message to students that they are welcome, even if they did not access the person or service behind the open door. Simply seeing an open door was a visual cue that students are welcome in the environment. Finally, we recommend using comfortable, casual furniture in student spaces. If a student feels like they might break a chair if they put their heavy backpack on it or ruin a table if they spill soda or coffee on it, they are less likely to be at ease in the environment. We recommend sturdy, comfortable, and stain-resistant furniture. Before buying furniture, we recommend having students test and give feedback on options.

Teaching

Within the domain of teaching, three key applications to practice emerged from our work. First, we highly recommend the use of online discussion boards as a forum for peer–peer and faculty–student microaffirmations. In higher education, students are active collaborators, along with faculty and staff, in their learning (Mercer-Mapstone et al., 2017). This was especially apparent in the descriptions we received about conversations on course discussion boards. Many students indicated that online discussion boards were places where their thoughts, ideas, and questions on course content were seen, validated, and further developed. This was true for fully online, hybrid, and in-person courses using a learning management system. We urge instructors to use online discussion boards often, to monitor discussions closely, and to teach students how to use the discussion boards for both productive discussion and positive affirmation.

Another teaching application centers on incorporating microaffirmations into critical academic feedback. Students reported that when a microaffirmation was coupled with critical feedback, it helped them receive the critical feedback. We recommend this approach, for example, acknowledging the effort a student put into the work while also suggesting an improvement or addition to the work. Using this strategy could improve not only student work but faculty–student relationships. Part of belonging is wanting to be understood by others; when individuals feel understood, their relationships are positively influenced, whereas when individuals feel misunderstood, their relationships are negatively influenced (Reis et al., 2017). Saying to a student “I understand and see the effort you put into this” will help the student feel understood. Also, giving specific feedback to help an idea grow shows care and understanding. We recommend, for example, instead of writing on a paper “this section is vague,” using more affirming and detailed feedback, such as “The idea you present here is compelling; however, the supporting evidence needs to be strengthened. Can you bring in more specific details from our readings?” This may help the student appreciate the feedback and build a stronger relationship between the faculty member and the student.

In this same vein of wanting to be understood by others, our third recommendation, check-ins with students, can help students feel seen and supported. This may be especially true and valuable after a difficult experience. One respondent to our survey, Emily, offered, “A professor reached out after a meeting to ask if I was okay because I seemed nervous. She gave me encouragement.” Jake, an exercise science major, shared,

I had a professor that was truly invested in my life. They really cared how I was doing emotionally, physically, and academically last semester when I was going through so much. Their constant reaching out to me and just doing small check-ins with me is what I would consider the microaffirmation.

Nora reported,

I had a wonderful professor in the Education program that noticed I wasn’t acting completely like myself that day. She asked to talk to me after class and asked me how I was doing and wanted to make sure everything was okay. This is the most any professor has ever done for me at this campus, and it meant the world to me.

These examples emphasize the capacity and optimal positioning for faculty to both see and connect with students during pivotal moments in their educational experiences. To see and connect with others effectively requires a practice of sustained raised awareness, increased emotional intelligence and sensitivity, and a decided posture of initiative to share compassionate observation of someone’s behavior, ask thoughtful questions, and then offer support.

Training and Development

Our final suggested domain, training faculty, staff, and student leaders on the power of microaffirmations and how to give microaffirmations, can help exercise these practices.

Within the various everyday exchanges that students have with others on campus, a microaffirmation has the potential to transform a transactional interaction into a developmental one. For example, an adviser could simply complete a transactional interaction, such as signing off on a course schedule requiring approval, or alternatively, the adviser could employ a microaffirmation, such as saying, “I see you have chosen some interesting and challenging courses this semester. Can you tell me about your selections?” This statement sees and validates the student’s choices and opens the door for a conversation about the student’s interests and motivations. As another example, consider a student who might be talking with the registrar or financial aid office about a thorny administrative issue. While attending to the student’s needs, the staff member could be advised to take a moment to say to the student, “I can see how frustrating this is” or “Contacting us is a good first step toward getting this situation resolved.” These brief statements can convey care and appreciation for the student’s experience.

It is important to note that college students are navigating a unique set of experiences that significantly impact their well-being, including the COVID-19 pandemic and sociopolitical events that evoke distress for many communities (Lederer et al., 2021; Marler et al., 2021; Office of the Surgeon General, 2021). While microaffirmations are not a comprehensive strategy to address this great and multifaceted challenge, a campus culture that actively practices affirmation between individuals does hold promise to mitigate the threats to well-being most cited in the literature. The microaffirmations students cited in this study align with the acts of social support by faculty and peers that can reduce loneliness and stress for college students (Apker, 2022). The findings of this study support how microaffirmations can help students feel seen and connected in moments when they feel alone, empowered when they feel limited in their own capacity for success, and supported when they feel underresourced or of little concern to others.