Story and screenshots by Andrea Valadez
The years you spend in college are filled with late night study sessions, stressing about your major, and for some, a lot of tears. It can be difficult to find a constructive way to spend your time amidst all of the stress, but these movies and sitcoms depict the uncertainty of coming of age in a way that may help you realize you’re not alone in wondering what your future will look like.
- Community
This six-season sitcom is available to watch on Netflix and Hulu. It follows a group of seven community college students throughout their journey at Greendale Community College. The show stars actors such as Joel McHale, Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino). The majority of the main cast are older than 21 and going back to school to explore new careers. The show is quirky and has many out-of-pocket storylines that keep an audience entertained while learning about themselves through the characters.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Originally a novel, this movie follows high school freshman Charlie (played by Logan Lerman) as he deals with the trauma of losing his best friend. Charlie is comfortable with being a wallflower – or someone who stays in the background of their own life, as well as everyone else’s. When he meets seniors Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), he realizes that there is more to life than one’s own sadness. He finds joy in music, writing, and most of all, companionship.
- Someone Great
This movie tells the story of Jenny, a music journalist who has recently been broken up with by her long term boyfriend whom she met in college. The hour and a half long movie jumps between memories from her past, while in the present Jenny and her best friends learn about love, loss and the power of female friendship. It is currently only available for streaming on Netflix.
- The Sex Lives of College Girls
One of HBO Max’s newest hits, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” depicts the personal lives of four freshman girls starting out their university experience. They make many questionable decisions, but audiences love the raw comedy and relatable characters. The show is not-so safe for work, as can be seen from the title, but given its 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clearly a fan favorite.
- Friends
While this show is very hit-or-miss for most people, it’s a great reminder that even adults don’t know what they’re doing with their lives. College students often feel like they need to have their whole future planned out by the time they graduate, but in reality, it’s normal to not have your career path set in stone until your mid-to-late 20s, like Rachel or Chandler. Along with this important life lesson, “Friends” has a very distinct comfort-show type of energy that can be really enjoyable in the background while studying or doing homework.