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Belonging uncertainty <\/span><\/i>(Walton & Cohen, 2007) is when learners feel like they don\u2019t belong, or wonder about the quality of their connection with others in their classes and at college. Although we have all experienced belonging uncertainty at some point in our lives, this phenomenon may be especially common or severe for first-generation students in the college environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Learning requires taking risks and working hard. Mitigating belonging uncertainty removes barriers so learners can engage with, and therefore benefit from, the challenging learning environment you build in your teaching. In studies that compare experiences of first-generation learners with continuing-generation learners, when first-generation learners experience belonging uncertainty, it more negatively impacts their engagement with learning (Gillen-O\u2019Neel, 2021), their motivation, and ultimately their academic achievement (Totonchi, et al., 2023). This puts first-generation learners at a disadvantage and contributes to equity gaps in academic success.<\/span><\/p>\n