Struggling to have a fantastic time at university? You are not the only one.
Robert Medhurst passed the majority of his first week at university browsing through social media, reading posts about fellow students partying.
"I was just in bed," Robert explains, characterizing that period as the loneliest time of his life.
His housemates didn't go out much, and his program didn't seem especially friendly.
Even though he made efforts by attending trial events for different clubs, he couldn't find his people.
"I gradually lost my confidence," he says. "I believed others weren't interested to become my friends, or they didn't like me."
Social Media Comparisons
At first, Robert didn't plan of going to university and was offered positions for post-secondary education.
However he watched his acquaintances having great fun as university attendees on social media.
"When you must rise for work on Thursday at 9:00 and you notice others went out on the previous evening, you start feeling the grass is greener," Robert says.
Higher Education Assumptions
Television programs and online platforms can romanticize the concept of student life.
Many individuals come to university with great anticipations for what they imagine could be the best years of their lives.
Certain attendees arrive at college with "rose-tinted glasses," notes a mental health professional.
Research Results
- Through surveys of new students initially, the primary worry was fitting in and feeling included
- Further studies conducted by analysts, a significant minority said they were without companions at university
- Over one-third reported they felt anxious regularly about forming friendships
Personal Journeys
A different attendee's TikTok feed was filled with content of peers socializing while living together in student houses.
But when she transferred from London to Sheffield to study journalism, she found initial days "intense" because of the drinking culture it involved.
Alisha doesn't drink and had never been clubbing before.
"I did spend a lot of freshers' week inside my accommodation," she says. "I just felt slightly disconnected."
Mental Health Considerations
In a 2025 survey of over ten thousand undergraduate students, nearly one-third reported they had considered leaving university.
The most common reason was psychological wellbeing, accompanied by economic considerations.
"Concern over these various aspects is very widespread, and normal," explains a counselling expert.
Discovering Answers
With time, Robert, Alisha and Christina all found their feet and built connections.
She built connections during classes and through TikTok, while another student became more content after being able to relocate with companions.
Practical Advice
Regarding his experience, currently in his mid-twenties and in his last year, it was participating in theater activities and working occasionally that assisted in relationship building.
Robert's advice to new attendees experiencing connection challenges is to simply leave your accommodation and attend organization sample activities.
"Subsequent to periods of regular attendance, others notice your presence," Robert says, "you notice their presence, and you start making friends."
