In middle school, I, like everyone else, was living my best, awkward life. The idea of college wasn’t even a thought in my mind until I watched the movie Pitch Perfect for the first time. To me, the idea of trying to find your place in college seemed incredibly difficult (not to mention the showers were separated only by curtains). But hey, if anti-social Becca could do it, so could I.
Flash forward to high school, and college turned into a nightmare scenario. I would have panic attacks about not getting into a good school, and with added pressures from my peers and teachers, I felt like I would never succeed. It wasn’t until I received my official letter stating that I was accepted into a school that I found myself able to relax. The next step, however, would become much harder: social life.
Movies like Pitch Perfect made it seem like everything would fall into place as soon as I arrived. I truly believed that I would make friends easily and quickly, despite being anxious and shy. The truth was that as a freshman, my first semester was hell; I was in a major that I hated, I had few friends and I was sad. I felt out of place; nothing was working the way I wanted it.
Pitch Perfect makes college look like a fever dream—a stand-offish main character adopted into a large friend group is unlikely to happen at real universities. To be honest, being stand-offish is one of the worst ways to meet people. It’s something we all wish that would happen to us, but it rarely happens this way.
It was my second semester when I stopped looking through rose-tinted glasses and realized that no one would make my college experience a good one. I had to do it myself.
I started forcing myself to put myself out there, and I met one of my good friends to this day in my first class. I joined club volleyball as well as a photography club. Through quarantine, I gained confidence and felt better about myself overall, and it’s certainly paid off. I have made several friends in the past couple of weeks, and I have joined new clubs and organizations to keep myself busy. Finally, I have found my place.
So why do we push this narrative so often in mainstream media? Movies like Pitch Perfect put the center focus of college on two things: sex and social life. To be fair, these are popular components of college culture. But to limit the exposure of mass audiences to these focuses is not beneficial. Instead of creating a generation of prepared youths, these movies establish an unrealistic standard for young adults.
Not everyone will have friends right away or love what they are doing. What we should be showing to younger audiences is that it’s okay to not have your life together at eighteen.
Hollywood doesn’t need to make a dull, lifeless movie about a depressed college student. Instead, incorporating real-life college elements can be sufficient so that incoming first-year students don’t blame themselves for not living up to societal standards.
When you go to college, throw away your expectations; they will hold you back more than you could imagine. Take each day as it comes, and work towards meaningful goals. Pitch Perfect is by no means a bad movie; I find it to be hilarious and entertaining. However, it is not worth basing your life off of. Separate reality from fiction, and live your life as you want. I promise your college experience will be much better.