The college experience is something that a lot of high school kids dream of immersing themselves in the future. Some teens have a sort of rose-colored view about entering the tertiary phase of their education. But in reality, being in college is about working hard on your studies to build the foundations of your career path while also taking the time to appreciate brief moments of leisure that serves as a respite from the daily collegiate grind.
That being said, it’s easy to see why most high schoolers are eager to become a college student given that Hollywood has produced so many movies that showcase the college experience in its various aspects. Presented below are some contemporary feature films that focus on college kids from different backgrounds and the stories they share that fuel the dreams of many teenagers who can’t wait to begin their collegiate lives in full bloom.
The Great Debaters (2007)
This film carries a strong cultural significance since it depicts the struggles of African-American college students during the racially tense era of the 1930s, and showcased brilliant performances from Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker.
Legally Blonde (2001)
The dumb blonde stereotype was duly turned upside-down with this refreshing comedy film starring Reese Witherspoon giving life to a memorable fictional character who mixed beauty with brains and took on perhaps the toughest of all collegiate paths—law school!
The Social Network (2010)
Based on real events concerning the origins of Facebook, this bracing and intense film takes viewers on a smartly written journey as it follows the beginnings of Mark Zuckerberg and how he built his social media empire when he was still a student at Harvard University.
Pitch Perfect (2012)
Much like high school, college has plenty of extracurricular activities that students can participate, and this gut-busting musical starring a bunch of eccentric yet talented girls hits all the right notes. Never has the world of collegiate acapella looked or sounded this interesting.
Spring Breakers (2013)
Controversy and a whole lot of debauchery can happen when college students go on spring break. And while we personally don't endorse this kind of extreme behavior, the film is a surprisingly timely social commentary about college students gone wild with a highbrow auteur twist of great cinematography and metaphorical storytelling.