🔗 Share this article Not having an amazing experience at uni? You are not the only one. Robert and Christina talk about their journeys of life at university. One university attendee spent most of his orientation week browsing through digital networks, reading posts about other students' fun nights out. "I was just in bed," Robert explains, characterizing that period as the most solitary phase of his life. The people he lived with rarely went out, and his program didn't seem particularly social. Even though he made efforts by participating in sample activities for different clubs, he didn't discover people he connected with. "I started to lose my self-esteem," he says. "It seemed that individuals didn't desire to be friends with me, or they didn't like me." Online Network Judgments Initially, Robert wasn't considering of attending college and was offered positions for after sixth form. But then he observed his peers having great fun as students on Instagram. "When you've got to get up for employment on weekdays at nine in the morning and you observe peers partied on midweek, you do start thinking the grass is greener," Robert mentions. College Anticipations Television programs and online platforms can idealize the notion of university living. Many individuals come to university with great anticipations for what they imagine could be the most wonderful time of their lives. Some students arrive at college with "rose-tinted glasses," says a mental health professional. Study Outcomes Through surveys of first-year attendees early on, the main anxiety was belonging and being accepted Further studies conducted by analysts, 17% of students said they were without companions at university Over one-third reported they experienced concern frequently about making friends Individual Stories Another student's TikTok feed was populated with clips of students enjoying themselves while sharing accommodation in university housing. But when she relocated from London to Sheffield to study journalism, she found freshers' week "overwhelming" because of the substance involvement it involved. She avoids drinking and had not experienced nightlife before. "I actually passed much of orientation inside my accommodation," she says. "I merely sensed somewhat isolated." Emotional Wellbeing Factors In a 2025 survey of more than 10,000 college learners, nearly one-third reported they thought about withdrawing from studies. The most common reason was their mental and emotional health, accompanied by economic considerations. "Concern over all of these different things is massively common, and expected," notes a mental health professional. Finding Solutions Over periods, the students all found their feet and built connections. Alisha made friends through her course and via social media, while the individual experienced improvement when she could to share accommodation with peers. Helpful Recommendations Regarding his experience, now 24 and in his last year, it was participating in theater activities and working occasionally that supported social connection. His recommendation to new attendees finding social interaction difficult is to venture outside your living space and participate in group trial sessions. "Following several weeks of regular attendance, individuals become familiar with you," he explains, "you become familiar with them, and relationships start developing."