Struggling to have the time of your life at college? You're not alone.
A student named Robert spent most of his orientation week looking at social media, viewing updates about peers enjoying evenings out.
"I was just in bed," Robert explains, depicting those days as the loneliest time of his life.
The people he lived with didn't go out much, and his studies didn't appear especially friendly.
Although he tried by participating in sample activities for different clubs, he couldn't find like-minded individuals.
"I started to lose my self-esteem," he says. "I believed individuals didn't desire to be friends with me, or they weren't fond of me."
Online Network Judgments
Initially, Robert had no intention of attending college and was offered positions for following college.
But then he saw his friends enjoying themselves as students on Instagram.
"When you must rise for employment on weekdays at the morning hour and you see someone's been out on midweek, you begin believing situations appear superior," Robert says.
University Expectations
Television programs and online platforms can idealize the notion of university living.
Many individuals come to university with high expectations for what they think could be the most wonderful time of their lives.
Various learners arrive at college with "idealistic views," notes a counselling manager.
Survey Findings
- In a poll of freshers in their first week, the main anxiety was fitting in and finding acceptance
- Additional research through polling organizations, a significant minority said they had no friends at university
- A substantial portion mentioned they felt anxious regularly about building relationships
Individual Stories
Another student's TikTok feed was full of videos of peers socializing while cohabitating in college residences.
Yet when Alisha moved from her previous location to campus to learn reporting, she found orientation period "daunting" because of the drinking culture it involved.
She abstains from alcohol and had never been clubbing before.
"I actually passed a lot of freshers' week inside my accommodation," she says. "I just felt somewhat isolated."
Mental Health Considerations
In a 2025 survey of over ten thousand college learners, 29% said they contemplated leaving university.
The most common reason was emotional state, succeeded by monetary worries.
"Worry regarding these various aspects is extremely prevalent, and typical," explains a support specialist.
Identifying Resolutions
Eventually, all three individuals gradually adjusted and formed relationships.
She formed relationships during classes and via social media, while Christina felt happier once she was able to share accommodation with peers.
Helpful Recommendations
For Robert, currently in his mid-twenties and in his concluding studies, it was engaging in performance groups and working occasionally that helped him make friends.
Robert's advice to new attendees finding social interaction difficult is to just "get out of your room" and go to club and society taster events.
"After a few weeks of continuous participation, people recognise your face," Robert says, "you become familiar with them, and friendships begin forming."