THE UNLONELY FILM FESTIVAL: BEST OF FEST

My College Transition

The glory days of college life are supposed to begin when you arrive as a freshman, right? It turns out that juggling assignments, fitting in and finding friends adds up to a major readjustment. Everyone on social media makes it look like a piece of cake, but loneliness is more common than many think. Here’s a lighthearted look at admitting to and conquering college loneliness, 101.

Meet the Filmmaker

Emery, whose hometown is Montclair, New Jersey, is finishing her freshman year at Cornell’s Architecture Art Planning program. Her dream job, she says, is to be an art director: “…simply the possibility of working with a big team of creatives, surrounded by those ready to make something beautiful, just gets my blood pumping!”

Join the Conversation

How does the film change your perspective on what addiction can look like? When nothing outwardly seems wrong, how can we check-in with friends and family to make sure they’re coping and have someone to confide in?

Share your responses in the comment box below:

27 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    so trure about clubs. Sharing the same interest can be helpful but not a sure fire way to make friends

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    Agree that making new connections is difficult but having realistic expectations and relizing it’s a process that everyone goes through is reassuring.

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  3. Anonymous

    College is not what everybody says its going to be like. Adjusting and finding where you belong can be lonely and difficult, but in the end you grow and learn something new.

    Reply
  4. Carly

    Definitely takes time and so hard to feel alone

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  5. cm

    I think everyone has these feelings when starting college to some degree. i played a college sport and had 30 instant friends, yet there were still moments of loneliness and questioning if i belong.

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    Takes me back in time. I recall similar feelings about being around people and still being lonely.

    Reply
  7. M

    Starting college is somewhat stressful, especially when I just emigrated to America. There were lots of requirements needed by the school that I was transferring to, taking the entrance test, registering for classes, and attending classes in which my classmates are now Americans.

    Reply
  8. Anonymous

    Good job describing an experience that people can have in college. Fun and interesting production too.

    Reply
  9. Anonymous

    I relate to this as I felt the same way in college, and even more so as a stay at home mom.

    Reply
  10. Anonymous

    I felt similar to this my freshman year of college, however it got easier as time went on. This was a great video that put to words what a lot of people experience.

    Reply
  11. Anonymous

    I went through the same thing my 1st year of college and it got easier the 2nd year.

    Reply
  12. Anonymous

    I loved this video! I think its so true, and really represents the misconceptions of how fun college is.

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  13. Anonymous

    Im going through the same thing. It’s very hard to make friends especially in college. Because I feel like I am intrusive and I don’t know, it just gets lonely.

    Reply
  14. Anonymous

    I agree I experienced many of these things when I migrated to America.School is hard and we face many new requirements that we are not used to

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  15. Anonymous

    I felt the same way going into college. I expected myself going to parties all the time but that didn’t seem to happen.

    Reply
  16. Anonymous

    So relatable. I thought I was the only one who was having a rough first year but its nice to know that everyone goes through this and that I’m not alone.

    Reply
  17. Anonymous

    It’s actually really relatable. Pretty much everything that was talked about resonated with me, so it’s nice someone got real about college and how they feel. You can feel isolated sometimes especially when you feel like there’s something wrong with you, when really it’s how college portrayed (as opposed to reality.)

    Reply
  18. Anonymous

    It is reassuring knowing that you are on the same boat as a lot of other people and I think it can actually encourage you in the way to trust in the process

    Reply
  19. Anonymous

    This is basically where I am right now. I just need some advice to help me make find a group.

    Reply
  20. Anonymous

    It is refreshing to not hear the typical “it get’s better” trope. It was jarring at first to hear a more truthful perspective as I am used to waiting for the “it’ll all be okay”, but I appreciated it in the end.

    Reply
  21. Anonymous

    Very relatable, especially during the lockdown.

    Reply
  22. Anonymous

    i feel like with the online environment and being a commuter everything is a lot more difficult than if it were all in person

    Reply
  23. Anonymous

    I agree, it’s important to join clubs and extracurricular activities, but not confident if we can make friends.

    Reply
  24. Anonymous

    Being a remote learner makes it difficult because I feel that real connections have to be formed in person

    Reply
  25. Anonymous

    Yep pretty normal college experience if you go alone. You will grow from it for sure but there are growing pains…..

    Reply
  26. Judy

    Looking back I was a loner in college and through out my life, but pushed myself to fit in. Now as a senior I have the same issues and this film reminded me of this

    Reply
  27. Christina Swindle

    As a Freshman back in college after being out of school for over 20 years, it is super scary, at least for me. I’m usually all about talking to people but being an online student; it isn’t easy to make friends with classmates compared to being on-campus learning.

    Reply

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