Most of us come into college with a lot of nerves and excitement. Most movies and TV shows do not accurately portray real college life. Shows like “Gossip Girl,” “Teen Wolf” and “One Tree Hill” miss the accuracy mark by a bit… or a lot. On the other hand, some books, movies and TV shows accurately depict college life.
“Grown-ish” (2018-2023)
“Grown-ish” is a spin-off show from ABC’s “Black-ish.” It follows the oldest daughter, Zoey Johnson, as she goes to college and navigates drugs, relationships and sex. The show captures the spirit of being on a college campus and all the things most college kids experience. Making friends, losing friends, awkward first interactions, crazy parties and confusing boys. Ultimately, Zoey realizes she doesn’t know as much as she thought.
“Boy Meets World” (1993-2000)
“Boy Meets World” starts when the main characters, Corey and Shawn, are in 7th grade. We follow them as they grow up and progress to high school and college. I think this show accurately portrays high school life and college life because, yes, the fact that Corey, his best friend, his girlfriend, his brother and his best friend’s girlfriend all end up at the same school is not that likely to happen in real life, yet these characters interact and go through real-life situations in the show.
“The Idiot” by Elif Batuman
This novel follows Selin Karadag, adjusting to her first year at Harvard. The story is set in the 90s, so email and carrying phones are new concepts to them. Selin throws herself into the experience. She deals with everyday college girl things and is highly relatable. Even the most mundane scenes in the novel, like her picking a poster for her room, make the book even more accurate and relatable.
“Ordinary People” by Sally Rooney
People are still determining how high school relationships will transfer into college. The book follows Marianne and Connell, an unlikely pair, as Marianne is a loner and Connell is popular. Nonetheless, the two are romantically involved but pretend not to know each other at school. They end up at the same college, but now the roles are reversed: Marianne is famous, and Connell is left on the sidelines. As the story goes on, the engagement is an on-and-off relationship that becomes complicated when Connell’s future gets brighter and Maiannes turns dark. This story deals with complex topics, but it also deals with fundamental issues. It shows the inevitable changes that come with adulthood.
“Monsters University” (2013)
I know this may sound wild, but hear me out. Ignore the fact that they’re monsters and imagine they’re real people. The movie depicts everyday college experiences like competition for good grades, career placement, the pressure to fit in with the right group, the importance of finding good friendships and navigating academic challenges. Mike Wazowski deals with self-doubt, not knowing where he belongs and academic pressure. These are mostly all college students’ experiences in real life, which is why this movie accurately depicts college life, even though it’s shown through monsters and exaggerated situations.