Conference PaperExamining Shifts in Sense of Belonging, Engineering Identity, Intent to Persist and Stress Levels: A Repeated Measures Study of First-Generation Students in a First-Year Engineering ProgramAsghar, Muhammad; Reeping, David; Sorby, SherylThis repeated measures study analyzes self- reported variables, including sense of belonging, engineering identity, intent to persist, and stress levels, among first-generation engineering students during their first year of education. Given the persistent stress culture in undergraduate engineering programs, significant efforts are being made to improve these factors to support students' well-being and academic success. Over time, we aim to provide a detailed understanding of how the sense of belonging, engineering identity, intent to persist, and stress interact and evolve to shape the experiences of first-generation students. From the first- year engineering program at a larger Midwestern university, 488 students (27% female, 46% first- generation) responded to our survey twice at the end of their Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters. Independent and paired-sample t-tests were conducted to analyze the significance of any changes in belonging, engineering identity, intent to persist, and stress levels among first- year and continuing engineering students. Results showed a significant decrease (p < .05) for both first- generation and continuing-generation engineering students across two variables, i.e., intent to persist (averaged scores decreased) and stress levels (average scores increased), between their Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 end-of-semester survey responses. Sense of belonging and engineering identity remained stable. These results suggest that persistence and stress are more immediately influenced by the academic environment, whereas belonging and identity may evolve more gradually. Targeted support for stress management and persistence is crucial, particularly for first-generation students, to promote well-being and academic success.Frontiers in Education Annual Conference Proceedings2025-10-1310675653https://doi.org/2337003National Science Foundation