First-year agriculture communication student Becca Ludwig outside of Houston House, where she lives among her fellow members in the Kellogg-Moser Food Security and Sustainability Living-Learning Community. Credit: Courtesy of Kenzie Giffin
When Becca Ludwig came to Ohio State in 2025 she didn’t worry about making friends or finding community despite the university’s large enrollment and physical size: she had her living-learning community to welcome her.
As a first-year agricultural communication student, Ludwig applied and was accepted into the Kellogg-Moser Food Security and Sustainability Living-Learning Community.
Living-learning communities bring together students who have similar interests to live in one location and can help acclimate to college life. Ohio State has 15 of these communities that turn housing into a resource for peer connections through community and academic growth.
“You get extra stuff with it, more activities, and just a lot more friends and help,” Ludwig said.
The Office of Student Life describes living-learning communities as groups of first- and second-year students who apply to live together on residence hall floors with shared majors, career goals or personal interests.
The Columbus campus communities include majors and interests such as the Future Health Professionals, the John Glenn Civic Leadership Community and Engineers, Architects and Planners.
The application process involves an online questionnaire about the applicant and why they would like to join a community.
Some Ohio State students say they are drawn to living-learning communities because they provide a built-in sense of community and an opportunity to build professional skills.
“I think bringing the community together in a way where we’re all making friends, but then we can see the careers that are there for us,” Ludwig said.
Julie Sanzone, associate director for living-learning community involvement in the Housing and Residence Education Department, said being in a community can improve academics.
“Maybe you don’t know people coming here, and you want to find a way to have some folks that you’re connected with from the get-go,” Sanzone said. “I know that we definitely find students have an easier time finding study groups.”
Residence hall directors and living-learning community advisers help to plan events, meetings and trips for members to have fun and apply what they learn.
“For the individual living-learning communities, we have planning processes that our staff use every year,” said Sanzone.
Outings include trips, including one to Topgolf, a golfing entertainment venue, to celebrate the end of the semester or more informative meetings with career professionals.
The team decides what they want students to get out of the living and learning community experience and then plans events that will support that goal, Sanzone said.
These events help foster fellowship among members and get them prepared for professional careers, Ludwig said.
“One of the things I actually really like about our living and learning communities is that they’re really a true collaboration between our hall staff and housing and residence education and our academic partners,” Sanzone said. “I think the living-learning communities are a great way for you to have an early community built in.”
Finding common ground among members is an easy way to build community with your fellow resident neighbors and community members.
“A selling point for students is just instantly knowing that there’s other folks around you who care about the same things, who are studying the same things or who want to make a career in the same kind of area,” Sanzone said. “Just kind of gives you a commonality at a campus that can be a bit large to navigate from the very start, right.”
Applications for 2026 living-learning communities are now open and are due by Feb. 15, 2026.
“For incoming students, I just want them to know that this is a safe space, that they’re going to find community,” Sanzone said.
