The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2 - 71

Strengths-Based Approaches

DISCUSSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Students who discover their natural talents
by taking the StrengthsFinder® and who
engage in strengths-based discussions, activities, and conversations may, through
increased self-awareness within a positive
psychology framework, be transformed into
efﬁcacious learners whose work is purposeful
and engaging (Lopez & Louis, 2009). We hypothesize that college students who are aware
of their own natural talents and abilities,
proactively work to transform those talents
into strengths, and see the world through a
positive strengths-based lens are more likely
to be engaged because they can more clearly
envision using their natural strengths to pave
multiple routes to achieving their goals and
leveraging their strengths to sustain their
efforts and energy toward degree completion.
Equipping ﬁrst-year students with a shared
language to discuss their talents supports their
transition to higher education by offering a
common language from which they can translate and connect their different experiences
(Soria & Stubbleﬁeld, 2015b). These strengthsbased approaches may be particularly useful as
students navigate their transition into shared
living spaces; when students learn about the
positive traits of their roommates and ﬂoormates, it can help them to initiate friendships
through a lens of positivity and appreciation.
Icebreakers to help residents become
acquainted with each other can include a
strengths scavenger hunt in which students
are encouraged to locate all 34 strengths in
the building and only one person with a given
strength can sign the scavenger sheet, thus
encouraging students to connect with at least

34 other residents. Teams of students representing their ﬂoors or wings can compete with
each other in strengths-related activities, such
as ﬁnding the highest number of people with
the "Learner" strength in one afternoon. Furthermore, residence hall units can promote
a "34 in 34" campaign in which one strength
is highlighted each week for 34 weeks and
students with that strength can be displayed
on bulletin boards, receive special honors or
prizes (e.g., free coffee or candy), or can attend
workshops and dialogues regarding how they
can best utilize that strength in healthy and
productive ways in academics, leadership, or
careers.
Strengths can also be embedded in conversations related to roommate disagreements.
When roommates are able to view each other's
behaviors or approaches through positive perspectives, small annoyances ("All my roommate wants to do is study all of the time") can
turn into moments of appreciation ("My roommate has Learner as a strength-she is really
good at studying a lot and values learning experiences"). With regard to conduct concerns,
students who violate campus rules can make
reparations or engage in developmental educational opportunities best ﬁtting their strengths.
For instance, individuals with Intellection or
Learner strengths may wish to take a class or
write reﬂective papers about their behaviors or
conduct, while those with Woo (winning over
others) or Communication may ﬁnd it more
enjoyable to lead a workshop teaching their
peers the beneﬁts of engaging in more healthy
behaviors. Additionally, because strengthsbased interactions in housing on this campus
were part of a larger campus initiative, these
strengths-based practices can offer language

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 42, No. 2

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