Struggling to have the time of your life at college? You're not alone.
A student named Robert used up much of his freshers' week browsing through digital networks, reading posts about fellow students partying.
"I was just in bed," Robert recalls, describing the week as the most isolated period of his life.
His housemates rarely went out, and his program didn't seem especially friendly.
Although he tried by going to taster sessions for different clubs, he was unable to locate his people.
"I gradually lost my confidence," he says. "I felt like others weren't interested to form friendships with me, or they didn't like me."
Social Media Comparisons
At first, Robert had no intention of studying at university and received employment offers for post-secondary education.
Yet he watched his acquaintances living it up as college students online.
"When you need to wake up for work on Thursday at the morning hour and you notice others went out on Wednesday night, you begin believing situations appear superior," Robert mentions.
University Expectations
Television programs and online platforms can romanticize the concept of college existence.
Lots of people begin university with strong assumptions for what they think could be the best years of their lives.
Certain attendees come to university with "rose-tinted glasses," says a support services coordinator.
Research Results
- Through surveys of freshers in their first week, the main anxiety was belonging and feeling included
- Additional research through polling organizations, nearly one-fifth of attendees said they had no friends at university
- 37% said they worried daily or weekly about making friends
Personal Journeys
Another student's online videos was full of videos of peers socializing while living together in student houses.
But when she transferred from her hometown to university to study journalism, she found orientation period "overwhelming" because of the drinking culture it involved.
She abstains from alcohol and had never been clubbing before.
"I utilized considerable time initially within my living space," she says. "I simply experienced slightly disconnected."
Psychological Aspects
In a 2025 survey of over ten thousand college learners, nearly one-third reported they had considered dropping out.
The main cause was emotional state, accompanied by monetary worries.
"Anxiety about these various aspects is massively common, and typical," adds a mental health professional.
Discovering Answers
With time, all three individuals eventually adapted and formed relationships.
Alisha made friends via her studies and using online platforms, while Christina felt happier when she could to move in with friends.
Practical Advice
In his case, now 24 and in his concluding studies, it was participating in theater activities and getting a part-time job that supported social connection.
The suggested approach to beginning learners finding social interaction difficult is to just "get out of your room" and participate in group trial sessions.
"After a few weeks of regular attendance, people recognise your face," Robert says, "you notice their presence, and friendships begin forming."
