🔗 Share this article Struggling to have a fantastic time at university? You are not the only one. A pair of university attendees share their experiences of life at university. One university attendee passed the majority of his orientation week looking at digital networks, viewing updates about peers enjoying evenings out. "I was just in bed," Robert recalls, describing the week as the most isolated period of his life. Robert's flatmates didn't go out much, and his studies didn't appear very sociable. Although he tried by attending trial events for various societies, he couldn't find people he connected with. "I started to lose my self-assurance," he says. "I believed others weren't interested to become my friends, or they weren't fond of me." Social Media Comparisons Initially, Robert didn't plan of attending college and was offered positions for following college. Yet he saw his friends having great fun as students on Instagram. "When you must rise for your job during the week at nine in the morning and you notice others went out on midweek, you begin believing situations appear superior," Robert explains. College Anticipations TV shows and digital networks can romanticize the concept of student life. Lots of people come to university with strong assumptions for what they believe could be the greatest period of their lives. Some students begin their studies with "optimistic perspectives," says a counselling manager. Survey Findings According to research of first-year attendees early on, the primary worry was fitting in and finding acceptance Further studies through polling organizations, 17% of students said they lacked friendships at university 37% said they felt anxious regularly about building relationships Individual Stories Another student's TikTok feed was filled with content of peers socializing while cohabitating in student houses. Yet when Alisha moved from her previous location to campus to learn reporting, she found freshers' week "daunting" because of how much alcohol it involved. She abstains from alcohol and had not experienced nightlife before. "I actually passed considerable time initially in my room," she says. "I just felt slightly disconnected." Mental Health Considerations In a 2025 survey of over ten thousand university attendees, 29% said they contemplated dropping out. The most common reason was emotional state, succeeded by financial concerns. "Anxiety about all of these different things is extremely prevalent, and normal," notes a counselling expert. Identifying Resolutions Over periods, all three individuals eventually adapted and built connections. She built connections during classes and through TikTok, while the individual experienced improvement after being able to relocate with companions. Helpful Recommendations For Robert, now 24 and in his final year, it was participating in theater activities and working occasionally that helped him make friends. The suggested approach to new attendees struggling to socialize is to venture outside your living space and participate in group trial sessions. "After a few weeks of continuous participation, others notice your presence," Robert says, "you recognise theirs, and you start making friends."