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Students And Young Adults Are Living An Interesting Life As Seen In These 50 Memes (New Pics)
Interview With Expert
Late-night parties, random adventures, ramen-for-dinner, college life has its perks. But then there’s the other side: endless assignments, brutal deadlines, and the constant pressure to keep your GPA alive just long enough to land that dream job. Somewhere in between all that stress and chaos is the unforgettable, messy fun that makes college… well, college.
That’s exactly what College Confessions nails with their memes. From painfully relatable student struggles to laugh-out-loud moments every grad remembers, these posts capture the highs and lows of student life perfectly.
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Many of us look back at our college days with a kind of dreamy nostalgia. Life felt lighter and freer, and our biggest responsibilities were finishing assignments or figuring out what to have for dinner. No one was stressing about bills, mortgages, or full-time jobs yet. It was a time of freedom, self-discovery, and a lot of chaotic fun. College often becomes that sweet spot between being a carefree teen and a responsible adult.
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When I was 2 years old my house caught on fire & I was trapped inside, I ended up dying that day & this firefighter, Jeff Ohs, saved me from that building & brought my back to life. Now 23 years later he is holding my 2 year old son. I literally wouldn't be here without him.
But while nostalgia can make everything look golden, the truth is student life comes with its own share of struggles. It’s not all pizza nights and laughter with friends. For many, college is the first time they’ve had to juggle multiple responsibilities—academics, social life, part-time jobs, and personal well-being.
Add in the stress of deadlines, group projects, and exams, and suddenly the “best years of your life” don’t always feel so easy. And when you’re studying abroad, these struggles multiply, as you’re also navigating an unfamiliar culture, lifestyle, and system. Behind the fun, there’s a lot of unseen hard work and pressure.
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A man named Dale Schroeder grew up poor in Iowa, never married, and had no children. He worked as a carpenter at the same company for 67 years and only owned two pairs of jeans. He spent his life savings to send 33 strangers to college for free.
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I asked my grandpa if he would model for me for my photo assignment and he said "let me grab my stethoscope and change into better clothes. I want to look good if I'm getting my picture taken by a professional."
To understand what this looks like, Bored Panda spoke with Nelly Shah, who is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in Informatics: Games Engineering from Technical University Of Munich. As an international student, she has firsthand experience of the hurdles that come with studying abroad. She explained, “One of the biggest issues is the language barrier.
I spent two years learning before joining university, but still, there are technical words I struggle with.” Imagine sitting in class, trying to keep up, while translating difficult terms in your head. It adds a whole other level of stress to learning. This is something most native students don’t have to think twice about.
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Yesterday no one was answering a question correctly in class and my teacher became so incredibly depressed at our lack of potential that he just... Left the class from the window.
Beyond language, finances are another massive hurdle. International tuition fees are often much higher than they are for local students, and they can easily overwhelm a student’s budget. Nelly pointed out, “Tuition fees are another big stressor. You’re constantly worrying about whether you’ll manage them long-term.” And it’s not just tuition–living costs, books, and daily expenses add up quickly. Many students find themselves juggling part-time jobs while trying to keep up with coursework.
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nottheactualphoto 2 months ago
Get that tape digitized ASAP. Recording tape falls apart after sitting around for many years.
Then comes the challenge of finding a safe and affordable place to live. Accommodation scams targeting students are unfortunately very common, and being in a new country makes you an easy target.
Nelly shared, “You need to be careful that you don’t get scammed. A lot of international students struggle with this when they first arrive.” On top of that, even when you find housing, adjusting to new roommates, shared spaces, and different living conditions can be a bit much.
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During middle school, my stepdad used to leave me a note on my door each day to inspire me. well, I kept those notes & It's been 6 years since then. today I gave him those notes back.
StarCrossedFriday 2 months ago
I make sweet notes for my husband and put them in his packed lunch. More often than not I find them crumpled and obviously used as a napkin in his lunchbox the next day 🫤
Being far from family adds a whole new layer of emotional difficulty. Homesickness can creep up unexpectedly, especially during festivals, birthdays, or hard days when all you want is the comfort of home. Nelly admitted, “It takes time to find your place in a completely new environment.”
For many, it’s the first time being away from their parents for such a long period. Trying to adjust while also figuring out how to belong socially can feel overwhelming. It’s not easy balancing academics with the emotional weight of missing home, and it can sometimes lead to loneliness.
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The Kyoto Aquarium has a flowchart illustrating the complicated romantic relationships and breakups between their penguins.
Then there’s the academic side, which never really lets up. “You’ve worked so hard to get into a foreign university, so you want to perform well,” Nelly said. That means attending every class, staying on top of projects, and constantly pushing yourself to excel. The pressure is doubled when you remember that parents are making sacrifices and investing so much money in your education. It creates an unspoken expectation to always do well, which can sometimes feel crushing.
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General Anaesthesia 2 months ago
Future paleontologists will have a problem aging you. You haven't aged a bit.
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And of course, there are the dreaded assignments. “Making sure your work is up to the mark and stands out can feel exhausting at times,” Nelly explained. It’s not just about passing, it’s about excelling, because that’s what you came abroad for. On top of coursework, you’re often expected to take part in extracurriculars, internships, or networking to improve your career chances.
But it’s not all struggle and stress, there are plenty of wonderful experiences too. “Meeting new people, having new experiences, and learning in a whole different environment, it all adds so much value to your life,” Nelly said. Studying abroad can expose you to new cultures, broaden your perspective, and give you lifelong friendships. For many, it’s also the first chance to travel, try new foods, and explore different parts of the world. These moments of joy balance out the hardships, reminding students why they took the leap in the first place. It’s challenging, but also deeply rewarding.
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Anonymouse 2 months ago
either thinking outside the box, or lost in it... Been there done that though, when you are so focused on a particular process/solution you are unaware of a much simpler solution that is right there...
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In the end, Nelly summed it up perfectly: “Overall, it’s a mix of struggles and rewards. It’s tough, but it shapes you in ways nothing else can.” The combination of pressure, independence, and discovery makes college life unforgettable. Yes, it’s hard, and yes, there are tears along the way, but there are also laughs, triumphs, and personal growth. Students learn resilience, adaptability, and self-confidence in ways they never expected.
Well, these memes definitely highlight the lighter side of student life. Did any of them hit you with a wave of nostalgia? Or maybe one of them made you laugh way too hard? Share this with that college buddy you miss and relive those chaotic, hilarious days together!
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Ann Tiques 2 months ago
If a parent needs to bring their kid to my class, we go with it. It has never been too disruptive. I mean, I’m in the college of education so sometimes if the kids are too cute it’s distracting. And I’m the only one who has ever made any of them cry and I did it by laughing too loudly while holding him and walking around during the class. It takes a village. We need to make the villages.
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Shark Lady 2 months ago
I've lost count of the number of different titles this has had. The original was a couple who had gone for a walk and found the note on their car when they returned to it.
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JB 2 months ago
Ok. So 2nd year at university, I failed every exam except the open book exam because I was far too enmeshed in a romantic relationship with someone taking computer science. I attended his lectures instead of mine. Wrote his papers (and passed!) while neglecting my own studies. Summer ’88 was an horrific blend of late to close shifts at McDonald’s preceded by min 8 hours a day of study to learn all the things I should have been learning on my own account. I passed every re-sit but it took nearly being kicked out of uni to realize I wanted my degree. My grades never recovered from that year of being stupid because every year counts. But I got my BA (Hons). Can’t say the same for the boyfriend who failed his degree once I stopped writing his papers. Having the lowest grade doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t try. Sometimes it’s indicative of a Herculean effort to get back on track once you figured out the track you wanted.
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Icedragocat (They/Them) 2 months ago
Its like putting your WHOLE MOUTH IN THE BOWL!!
Load More Replies... Evan Connolly 2 months ago
Bored Panda has got to make a better website. The pictures take too long to load (everything does, actually), the keyboard keeps disappearing when I want to type, the page freezes and then crashes, and there is way, WAY too much f*****g censorship.
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StarCrossedFriday 2 months ago
A guy I knew at uni gave me recordings of our lectures as a birthday present. Very mixed feelings about that one 😅
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Bi.Felicia 2 months ago
That blends in impeccably well, I'm guessing that said friend doesn't have many passengers in their car.
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Biofish23 2 months ago
This just makes me sad. There is value in being a broadly educated student. It is perfectly reasonable for a college or university to insist that all graduates of their institutions be exposed to, and understand history and arts and literature and math and science at a deeper than highschool level, no matter what their major It is also perfectly reasonable to want to study a focused vocational training program. Both things should exist, and students should be able to choose which is right for them
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Zero Costa 2 months ago
mine are problems + meds list, dr notes, fainting spell dates, roleplay notes, one (1) recipe, lesser known sanrio characters, guitar practice notes from over a year ago, my significant others details, cats, pop culture to watch/read list, and blank
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Guys I think I'm finally going to leave my neighbours a note about them f****ng all day every day. I can't do it anymore I'm losing my mind I literally can't enter my bedroom without hearing them f****ng they are keeping me up at night and waking me up in the morning it's insane.
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Anonymouse 2 months ago
Please add "accidentally" or "intentionally" to resolve lingering concerns
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Anne Roberts 2 months ago
I think that's sweet. Some hospitals have service dogs that can visit patients to cheer them up.
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RomanceRadish 2 months ago
Texting would've been a handy tool to have in the 1990s. We would call around and speak to clueless roommates about group project meetings. It was a mess.
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Stephanie Did It 2 months ago
I'm not eating off of something that's been cruising the floor a few inches away from everyone's feet. That's gross.
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Lady Eowyn 2 months ago
Since when do you have to pay for a diploma? I mean the physical object.
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JB 2 months ago (edited)
Chuckles in “old”. Back in my day, books were made of cardboard and paper, and you could copy as much as you needed to, to support your point… by hand. The poorer students, like me, bought this year’s textbooks from last year’s students who had mostly bought their books from the year before. I’m a bit fuzzy on the details but so far as I remember, no professors were allowed to set their own works as required reading unless the book(s) were provided to the students at no cost. The most challenging part of studying was getting access to the required reading in the library because copies were limited; followed closely by figuring out what additional books we could use to present a balanced paper/essay that showed we read around the subject. I thought I was seriously “hot stuff progressive” when I enrolled with the computer centre and taught myself LaTeX on a dumb terminal to be able to print out my essays with bold, italic, larger and smaller fonts, indented quotes etc. Nowadays, the likes of MS Word do most of that work for you; heck, if you remember to footnote the source of a quote and use the appropriate text type for images, graphs and tables it’ll create your bibliography, table of contents, table of tables, table of… I’m not saying either is better, it’s just so very different, and only 30 years ago.
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Stardust she/her 2 months ago
A quote from my teacher back in first grade: “God gave you hands before he gave you spoons”
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Zig Zag Wanderer 2 months ago (edited)
Tell me your parents are rich without telling me your parents are rich.
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Michael Largey 2 months ago (edited)
Students: "How were our test scores?" Teacher: "Strictly disco." Students: "Huh?" Teacher: "Stuck in the 70s."
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Kelly H. Wilder 2 months ago
move two dots from the nine (leaving seven) to the eight to make ten...8+9=8+2+7=17
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Zero Costa 2 months ago
my SO has one of these from work but with a different note it's so funny
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Stardust she/her 2 months ago
My classmate and I once vandalised a table at school by solving math equations on it as we didn’t have enough paper and we were pretty desperate to get the answer. I later used hand sanitiser and a cloth to clean it
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Undercover 2 months ago (edited)
Just remembered when I had one big a*s difficult exam at university and after some time the prof got up and announced that he "had to go to the library for 5 minutes", giving us time to cheat 🤣😭 he also told us that he regularly had to do night shifts before he went to a congress, finishing up his presentations last last minute 😂😅 great guy! 😍😍❤️
Anony Mouse 2 months ago
This post is a mess. At least half of these are over-posted from “heartwarming” threads that have nothing to do with the title.
Stardust she/her 2 months ago
Had a physics exam a few weeks ago and the person who corrected the paper didn’t even know the marking scheme and insisted that the surface area of a metal sheet with a given thickness is actually lenght into breadth instead of 2(lb+lt+bt). I was dumb enough to write the former but she cut marks anyways. Also according to her parsec and lightyear are units of time. I sure do love being a student
Undercover 2 months ago (edited)
Just remembered when I had one big a*s difficult exam at university and after some time the prof got up and announced that he "had to go to the library for 5 minutes", giving us time to cheat 🤣😭 he also told us that he regularly had to do night shifts before he went to a congress, finishing up his presentations last last minute 😂😅 great guy! 😍😍❤️
Anony Mouse 2 months ago
This post is a mess. At least half of these are over-posted from “heartwarming” threads that have nothing to do with the title.
Stardust she/her 2 months ago
Had a physics exam a few weeks ago and the person who corrected the paper didn’t even know the marking scheme and insisted that the surface area of a metal sheet with a given thickness is actually lenght into breadth instead of 2(lb+lt+bt). I was dumb enough to write the former but she cut marks anyways. Also according to her parsec and lightyear are units of time. I sure do love being a student
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