College can be a scary time for any student. Especially if you're attending a university in a new country with no idea what to expect. While there is no way to be 100% certain of everything college will bring, movies can often provide some insight into college life. So, if you are looking for films to prepare you for Indiana University, here are three films to help ease the transition.
“Legally Blonde” (2001)
If you’re hoping to find a movie that is both fun and inspiring, then “Legally Blonde” is the right choice for you.
The film follows fashionable sorority girl, Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), after she gets into Harvard Law School. Though her intelligence is often doubted by nearly everyone around her, Elle is determined to succeed and win her ex-boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis) back after he broke up with her.
Don’t be mistaken though, “Legally Blonde” is about so much more than a girl chasing a man. The film delivers a powerful message about recognizing self-worth and pushing yourself despite what others might think of you. Though hopefully your college experience is smoother than Elle’s was, Elle Woods is a great student role model for when school seems tough.
“Pitch Perfect” (2012)
Finding friends once you get to college can be difficult, but “Pitch Perfect” shows us that sometimes those connections can be made in the most unlikely of places.
This musical comedy follows Beca (Anna Kendrick), a cynical freshman and aspiring DJ. She joins The Barden Bellas, a disgraced all-female a cappella group at the fictional college of Barden University.
Though she is reluctant to like the group at first, Beca quickly begins to bond with the other girls and helps the organization find a cappella glory.
While “Pitch Perfect” has become a classic for its fun characters and excellently done covers of popular songs, this movie also provides some valuable lessons to any college student on the importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
From the start of the film, it’s clear nobody in The Bellas is perfect. Each member comes with their own little quirks, but within the group they are able to create a family. That’s what college is all about: to look past where you think you should be or do and instead go out of your comfort zone to find a community in even the most unexpected places.
“Monsters University” (2013)
What happens if you get to college and learn that you are nowhere near as prepared as you thought you were? It can happen to anyone, but don’t stress too much because “Monster’s University” reassures us that if this happens all is not lost.
The film acts as a prequel to Disney’s 2001 hit film “Monsters, Inc.,” once again following James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), only this time as new students at Monsters University. Right away things are off to a rocky start for Mike and Sulley. They don’t start off as the best friends fans of the franchise know them to be but instead are forced to work together to win the annual campus Scare Games or risk getting expelled from the university’s elite Scare Program.
When it comes to your actual college experience, maybe you get to school and realize that the thing you thought you wanted to spend your life doing is actually of no interest to you. Or better yet, maybe you discover a passion for something that you never thought you would like. The important thing to remember is that regardless of what happens, “Monsters University” teaches us that when it comes to these obstacles, the only thing that matters is what you do next.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's 2026 International Student Guide.
