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Robert Medhurst passed the majority of his freshers' week looking at online platforms, viewing updates about fellow students partying.

"I stayed indoors," Robert explains, characterizing that period as the loneliest time of his life.

Robert's flatmates rarely went out, and his course didn't feel very sociable.

Despite putting himself out there by going to taster sessions for multiple organizations, he didn't discover his people.

"I started to lose my self-esteem," he says. "I felt like people didn't want to form friendships with me, or they didn't appreciate me."

Online Network Judgments

At first, Robert had no intention of attending college and had a job offer for post-secondary education.

But then he observed his peers having great fun as college students online.

"When you must rise for employment on weekdays at the morning hour and you observe peers partied on midweek, you begin believing others have it better," Robert says.

University Expectations

TV shows and digital networks can romanticize the concept of college existence.

Numerous students come to university with high expectations for what they believe could be the greatest period of their lives.

Various learners arrive at college with "idealistic views," explains a mental health professional.

Survey Findings

• In a poll of freshers in their first week, the primary worry was finding their place and feeling included
• In another survey through polling organizations, nearly one-fifth of attendees said they were without companions at university
• 37% said they worried daily or weekly about making friends

Personal Journeys

Alisha Miah's TikTok feed was full of videos of peers socializing while living together in university housing.

But when Alisha moved from her previous location to campus to study journalism, she found initial days "daunting" because of the substance involvement it involved.

She avoids drinking and had not experienced nightlife before.

"I did spend much of orientation within my living space," she says. "I just felt a bit alienated."

Mental Health Considerations

In a 2025 survey of over ten thousand undergraduate students, 29% said they contemplated withdrawing from studies.

The primary factor was psychological wellbeing, accompanied by monetary worries.

"Concern over all of these different things is very widespread, and expected," adds a mental health professional.

Identifying Resolutions

Over periods, all three individuals all found their feet and built connections.

She built connections via her studies and through TikTok, while the individual experienced improvement after being able to share accommodation with peers.

Practical Advice

In his case, now 24 and in his last year, it was participating in theater activities and employment during studies that helped him make friends.

The suggested approach to new attendees experiencing connection challenges is to simply leave your accommodation and attend organization sample activities.

"Subsequent to periods of continuous participation, people recognise your face," he mentions, "you become familiar with them, and friendships begin forming."