Entertainment
7 'The O.C.' Moments That Sum Up Freshman Year Of College Perfectly
Being a college freshman is tough. You have to get accustomed to being far away from your friends and family, while balancing classes with your social life. The O.C. only focused on college in its fourth and final season, but there are still many moments from the beloved show that perfectly sum up freshman year.
Summer is the only major O.C. character who ends up going to college, since Ryan decides not to go as he grieves Marissa’s death, and Seth decides to take a year off until he figures out his plan after not being accepted into Brown with Summer. Then there’s Taylor, who despite moving to France to study at the Sorbonne, ends up quickly moving back to Newport. But, despite having only one of the core four go to college, The O.C. depicted a college experience that felt very realistic, for the most part.
While away at school, Summer goes through a massive transformation, leaving behind her more shallow attributes and instead finding a passion in activism. Even though this passion comes with a set of downfalls, she’s able to grow and learn more about herself during her brief stint in college. There are also tons of standard college moments, like dorm parties, traveling back home for the holidays, long distance relationships, and more. Here’s a look back at how The O.C. got those so right.
1Finding New Interests
Like many college freshmen, Summer goes through the process of finding herself, discovering a love for activism. This makes her change her wardrobe and hobbies, ultimately leaving behind her original persona.
2Befriending Someone Like Che
Chances are you were friends with or at least know someone who is like Che, who fits the persona of stoner activist and takes any chance he gets to inform everyone about environmental perils.
3Attending Not-So-Exciting Dorm Parties
In the first episode of the fourth season, Summer is seen hanging out at a crowded yet chill dorm party on a school night, while someone in the background is trying to study and have fun at the same time. That pretty much sums up what college parties are actually like.
4Traveling Back Home In The Midst Of Classes
When Seth leaves a worrying voice message, Summer takes this as an opportunity to go home. Even though college can be fun, everyone needs to go home and unwind for a bit once in a while.
5Dealing With Long Distance Relationship Issues
Long distance relationships in college are very tough. Seth and Summer's relationship is put through the ultimate test when Summer decides to go to school on the opposite coast. The O.C. perfectly captures how difficult it is to maintain those bonds, and how your partner might not understand your new college persona.
6Avoiding Going Home For The Holidays
Summer dreads the thought of going back home for Thanksgiving because she thinks everything at Newport is an unstable mess. Though it might be for completely different reasons than Summer's, many people can probably relate to wanting to just spend the holidays in your dorm rather than deal with the chaos from home.
7Having To Confront Sexism At School
College is an environment where, unfortunately, many young women realize how they're often treated with less respect than men. In Summer's case, Che is able to stay in school after a rebellious act of activism, while she's kicked out of Brown.
If you're a college freshman or just feel nostalgic about your college days, these O.C. moments will definitely feel all real.
