There’s something about the portrayal of college campuses on screen that makes them seem more vibrant and attractive than any campus in real life. The weather on move-in day presents perfectly crisp air and beautifully red leaves falling from the trees. There is a chorus of sounds from the wide variety of fun activities and clubs offered on campus. Everyone knows everyone and yet no one at the same time; people are making friends everywhere they go. The professors are prestigious and the library is gorgeously extensive. Campus pride runs rampant and there are football games every weekend. Even the hard times are fun and everyone enjoys themselves. On Screen University (OSU) is a place I have made immense effort to find off screen, but the longer I search, the more I believe it does not exist.
Yes, I’ve been to college. I even enjoyed it more than many of my peers (from what they have told me). While none of what I’m about to say implies that college can’t be a wonderful experience, the OSU that I’ve been chasing is simply impossible to find. It is quite literally picture-perfect, and, as we’re all learning from influencers on Instagram, picture-perfect is never truly within reach.
Hopefully all of us have a good time between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, whether you attend a school that falls short of what you expect or you don’t go to college at all. Inevitably, that era of life is one of immense growth, and there are hundreds of other ways to experience it that are not at OSU. In retrospect, OSU might even be the worst place to go through all of these changes. People don’t grow in environments that are perfect (although wouldn’t it be wonderful if we did?). On screen, universities are presented as a sort of elusive paradise: just close enough to what we imagine, but flawless enough to be unattainable. The human experience requires bumps and bruises to give it character, and sometimes that means losing out on aesthetics.
Sometimes we need to go through a flawed version of life and look back at it with a prettier lens, and that’s the point of film and television. Sure, sometimes it’s great to see our genuine experiences played out on screen, but a lot of the time, our entertainment is meant to provide us with an alternative world to escape to. I don’t believe a real version of OSU exists, but I do see a regular attempt to put it back on screen. Luckily, about every few years, we get to spend more time in this impressive version of reality (and we are about due for a new one soon)!
Of course, not all universities on screen look the same. What I’m referencing here is not necessarily the college we see in the show Community, for example. Here are the movies and shows that I think best demonstrate On Screen University:
Pitch Perfect - Of course. What better display of college than an attractive, hilarious, and musically savvy club. They make singing-at-random seem cool, which is something I’ve strived for my entire life. Becca’s college career is seemingly nothing but singing and making friends (not even attending class, from what I remember). We also see the classic move-in day scene where she is bombarded with tons of whimsical clubs to join on campus and people that are genuinely excited for her to be there. The movie was filmed at the University of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and while I’m sure the real campus is just as beautiful as in the movie, I have doubts that the Pitch Perfect environment truly exists there during the school year.
Monsters University - This one has to be my favorite. While I have read that the campus is based off of UC Berkeley, it is very much a fantasy version. It is the most colorful rendition of a college campus that I’ve ever seen, and with programs designed for a monster’s education, it’s a much more thrilling environment than one meant for humans! Mike finds his way at Monsters U by joining a wholesome fraternity, meeting his lifelong best friend, and competing in a high-stakes, elaborate competition in front of the entire school. The campus is cohesive and full of life, and I would pay a lot of money just to attend one semester there. However, until Disney makes a Monster University Land (which, unfortunately, does not seem likely), I’ll just have to wear Monsters U t-shirts and pretend I’m a student there.
22 Jump Street - While this is intended as a caricature of college life, I still think the university looks incredibly fun! The physical campus may look realistic (it was filmed at Tulane University), but Schmidt and Jenko’s experience of college is absurd: pretentious poetry slams, one-night stands, extreme partying, fraternities and football games. The characters are rarely in class, but when they are, it is a beautiful and spacious lecture hall. The students are welcoming and fun, despite being stereotypical. Even though this movie offers a chaotic image of a university, it is still one that used to shape my expectations of what college would be like.
Neighbors - Speaking of caricature, Neighbors is one of the most far-fetched versions of college I can think of. I’m fairly certain they don’t show the school’s campus in this movie at all. However, the frat house (and therefore the fraternity) run by Zac Efron’s character defines the type of culture that I see in OSU. The students take part in colorful, loud, and extreme parties. They are carefree and hang out with a group of peers that seem to be having as much fun as they are. I am aware this is a ridiculous portrayal of college students, but I can’t help being a little disappointed that students don’t truly behave this way in real life.
The House Bunny - This is another movie that has almost nothing to do with actual campus life, yet illustrates the type of university I’ve always wanted to attend (supposedly this was filmed at USC and UCLA, but neither of these schools come close to the scenes in the movie). Just as they are in Neighbors, the parties are colorful and extreme, and everyone is unbelievably hot. Although it intends to be a silly display of sorority culture, the characters seem to be having a great time, and I wish a real place existed for me to experience this kind of absurdity.
Legally Blonde - Now this is the kind of university I had been looking forward to: Harvard. Well, sort of. Legally Blonde actually isn’t filmed at Harvard, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. I wish this version of Harvard was real! The campus is beautiful and prestigious. The students, although a little snooty, are all incredibly intelligent and have amazing opportunities at their fingertips. They are competitive and daring, all while living and studying in a beautiful environment. Although this version of Harvard isn’t centered on school pride and football games like the other movies, the academic side of OSU is shown to be too beautiful, as well.
Scream Queens - This is the only television show that I feel truly belongs on this list. Although several series depict students on a college campus, Scream Queens is the only one that I feel truly demonstrates the OSU aesthetic. It captures the perfect fall feeling of the back-to-school season. Like 22 Jump Street, it was filmed at Tulane University, (alright, somebody send me to Louisiana!) but presents it as trendy, sexy, and seductive. The campus is beautiful, as are its students. This is another depiction that is mostly off-campus, but with the sorority’s glamorous (yet murderous) aura, it’s hard not to be envious. I don’t necessarily want the campus culture to be part of my life, (because of all the murder) but aesthetically, this is a beautiful example of OSU.
As I have already mentioned, these are not the only examples of college students on screen. I have seen other versions of college (none that feel realistic to what I experienced, but that is for another post!). Instead, these are examples of a unique way that universities are portrayed on screen. Although the tone of all of these films/shows are different, I feel that aesthetically, the campuses they portray are similar. I enjoy seeing this version of college played out on screen because I feel I will never find it in real life, but that’s ok! These movies are easy to find, and whenever I feel like attending Monsters University, I can at the click of a button.
"people don't grow in environments that are perfect" amen