Starting university can feel isolating
Loneliness ranked first despite being less visible than timetables, assessments or moving costs. It shows why realistic advice about settling in and finding support matters before Freshers Week.
What’s the biggest thing nobody tells you before starting uni?
Loneliness was the most common answer, selected by 36% of respondents. Networking followed at 32%, while 28% chose the cost of university and 4% chose the workload.
36%
Loneliness was the most common hidden challenge
Ninety of the 250 respondents said how lonely university can feel was the biggest thing they had not been warned about before starting.
How did students answer?
Respondents selected one option from four. The percentages are calculated from 250 responses and total 100%.
-
How lonely it can feel90 responses36%
-
How important networking is80 responses32%
-
How expensive everything is70 responses28%
-
How hard the workload is10 responses4%
Base: 250 responses, raw counts shownCollected through Unifresher Instagram Stories on 23 July 2026
What does this result suggest?
The result suggests that the less visible social side of starting university can be as important as the practical pressures students expect before arriving.
Networking was almost as prominent
Thirty-two per cent chose networking, only four percentage points behind loneliness. Students may benefit from clearer advice on building friendships, finding communities and making useful connections without added pressure.
68%
More than two thirds chose loneliness or networking
This combines the two most selected answers. It is an editorial calculation based on the poll, not a separate question.
How was this poll collected?
This was a quick audience poll designed to provide an indicative view from the Unifresher Instagram community.
- Exact question
- What’s the biggest thing nobody tells you before starting uni?
- Answer options
- How lonely it can feel, how hard the workload is, how expensive everything is, how important networking is
- Responses
- 250 total responses. Raw counts are shown alongside every percentage.
- Fieldwork date
- Audience
- People who viewed and responded to the poll through the Unifresher Instagram audience.
- Collection method
- Unifresher Instagram Stories. Respondents selected one of four fixed answer options.
- Calculation
- Percentages were calculated directly from the supplied raw response totals and rounded to whole numbers. No weighting or adjustment was applied.
- Verification
- The four final response counts were checked against the supplied poll totals before publication. Original Instagram result screenshots are retained internally for verification.
- Representation
- Indicative audience poll. The result reflects respondents to this Unifresher Instagram poll and is not statistically representative of all UK university students.
- Editorial independence
- No commercial partner directed or influenced the question, answer options, analysis or interpretation shown on this page.
Reviewed by Connor Steele. Data totals, calculations, methodology wording and editorial interpretation reviewed for Unifresher on .
Read the full Unifresher research methodologyCite this poll
Copy the suggested citation below. Please keep the sample size and indicative poll description with the finding.
36% of respondents said how lonely university can feel was the biggest thing nobody tells you before starting. Source: Unifresher Starting University Expectations Poll, 2026. 250 responses via Instagram Stories, collected 23 July 2026. Indicative poll. unifresher.co.uk/data-hub
Explore more student insight
Browse more Unifresher data and practical advice for students preparing to start university.
Copied to clipboard