A new school year begins, and many, many freshmen flock to Cornell—5,824 to be exact. One can only hope they’re ready to embark on their new journey as college students, if there is such a thing as “ready.” As a freshly-seasoned college student entering my second year at Cornell, I feel ever so slightly qualified to manage expectations on what to see coming, what might surprise you and, of course, what movies and TV shows to watch to feel represented and validated through the unique and wild experience that is freshman year.
I’m focusing on three TV shows and one movie (along with some honorable mentions), spanning from most to least accurate—some are just here for the absurdity of it all. The first being Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating on Prime Video. Overcompensating is a comedy-drama series following the life of Benny, a closeted former football star from Idaho who’s entering his first year at Yates University, grappling with sexuality, fraternities and friendships. Released on May 15, 2025, Overcompensating couldn’t have come at a better time; it dropped precisely on my last day of finals at Cornell. Watching Benny experience the first-year “canon events” like hunting for a fake ID, awkward pre-games, Halloweekend and complicated crushes made for a hilarious opportunity to reminisce on my own. My favorite plotline, and perhaps the most relatable from the show, was Benny’s best-friendship-turned-raging codependency with Carmen, an English major he meets during orientation. Carmen and Benny’s friendship withstands the strongest tests freshman year throws at them, from misinterpreting their platonic love as romantic to not being able to eat at the dining hall without the other around (canon event: eating at the dining hall alone anxiety). All in all, I found Overcompensating to be the most accurate and laughable depiction of freshman year to date.
If you’re not on the “self-discovery” side of freshman year just yet and are holding on to a high school sweetheart, the movie Sweethearts on HBO Max is a fun watch! While I do have my qualms with this movie regarding it’s categorization of “rom-com” — it’s not — there are some noteworthy moments that ultimately capture that long-distance relationship struggle in a comedic yet sincere light. The movie follows two college freshmen in a codependent friendship that make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break. The heart of this movie is in Caleb Hearon’s character Palmer, the third counterpart to the main characters’ best-friendship. His character provides comedic relief and a thoughtful plotline about feeling like you have to leave your small town in order to live a noteworthy life (spoiler: you don’t!). If you or any of your friends have gone through the long-distance experience or just want a relatable depiction of freshman year, Sweethearts is a lighthearted and chuckle-worthy film (although the ending may disappoint … you’ve been warned).
It would be sacrilegious to talk about college-based movies and TV without mentioning Mindy Kaling’s The Sex Lives of College Girls — basically the most college TV show to ever college TV show in the history of college TV shows. The Sex Lives of College Girls is ideal to watch with a group of girl-friends, whether it be your roommate, podmates, suitemates, etc., and makes for a relatable watch as you follow four unlikely suitemates navigate the Essex College campus. Whitney, a soccer prodigy, Bela, an aspiring comedian, Kimberly, the self proclaimed “next RBG” and Leighton, a closeted sorority girl, come together to experience losing their virginities, relationships, and, on top of it all, balancing classes. I fondly remember watching this show before entering college and using it as a reference point for what freshman year might look like. So far, it has been comically accurate from the dining hall debriefs to the themed parties.
If Greek life is what you’re looking for, look no further than Ryan Murphy’s dark comedy satire Scream Queens. This slasher show exaggerates the exclusivity of Greek life; Wallace University, renowned for its Kappa House, is rocked by a string of murder scandals that occur following the University Dean’s mandate that all sororities must open pledging to all students. The head of Kappa Kappa Tau, Chanel Oberlin, is faced with a deadly threat to her sisterhood when KKT is targeted by a serial killer using the university’s Red Devil mascot costume as a disguise.
Some honorable mentions are Spring Breakers, Gilmore Girls, and Normal People (although God forbid anyone experiences a Connell Waldron-esque college experience).
There’s value and comfort in having content to reference to make you feel even a little more prepared for a whirlwind year. Seeing characters we grow to love experience the awkwardness and growth so many of us experience during that first year makes us feel a little less alone in a big, new and scary place.
Paulina Delgado is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at pmd99@cornell.edu
