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One university attendee used up much of his orientation week looking at digital networks, viewing updates about other students' fun nights out.

"I stayed indoors," Robert recalls, depicting those days as the loneliest time of his life.

The people he lived with rarely went out, and his course didn't feel particularly social.

Although he tried by attending trial events for different clubs, he didn't discover like-minded individuals.

"I began losing my self-assurance," he says. "It seemed that others weren't interested to be friends with me, or they didn't appreciate me."

Social Media Comparisons

At first, Robert didn't plan of going to university and received employment offers for after sixth form.

Yet he saw his friends having great fun as university attendees on social media.

"When you've got to get up for work on Thursday at nine in the morning and you observe peers partied on Wednesday night, you do start thinking the grass is greener," Robert says.

University Expectations

TV shows and digital networks can romanticize the concept of student life.

Many individuals begin university with high expectations for what they imagine could be the most wonderful time of their lives.

Certain attendees arrive at college with "optimistic perspectives," explains a support services coordinator.

Survey Findings

• According to research of freshers in their first week, students' biggest concern was fitting in and being accepted
• Additional research through polling organizations, nearly one-fifth of attendees said they had no friends at university
• A substantial portion mentioned they worried daily or weekly about forming friendships

Personal Experiences

A different attendee's TikTok feed was populated with clips of students enjoying themselves while cohabitating in college residences.

But when she transferred from her hometown to university to study journalism, she found freshers' week "intense" 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 just felt somewhat isolated."

Mental Health Considerations

In a 2025 survey of numerous university attendees, 29% said they had considered dropping out.

The primary factor was their mental and emotional health, followed by economic considerations.

"Anxiety about these various aspects is extremely prevalent, and expected," adds a support specialist.

Discovering Answers

Eventually, the students all found their feet and developed friendships.

She formed relationships through her course and using online platforms, while the individual experienced improvement when she could to move in with friends.

Practical Advice

For Robert, presently older and in his final year, it was joining his university's drama society and employment during studies that assisted in relationship building.

The suggested approach to new attendees struggling to socialize is to venture outside your living space and participate in group trial sessions.

"Following several weeks of regular attendance, others notice your presence," Robert says, "you notice their presence, and you start making friends."