Why uni life in Leicester is exactly the same as Peep Show

In the midsts of second year as my life was gradually collapsing, my housemates and I decided to take on a new commitment that would override everything else – binge watch all nine series of Peep Show. It was something about its relatability and cold cynicism that drew me in, and I wrapped up in it like a warm blanket.

However, the more I watched, the more I realised that this show wasn’t just relevant, it was startlingly real. I was gradually turning into a strange combination of Mark and Jez. It occurred to me that this wasn’t healthy and I went cold turkey.

Fast forward to this year, and as I ordered four naan from the local takeaway, all the memories of the binge watch came rushing back. As I was tucking in, I realised that university was just a warm-up to my life becoming Peep Show. Escalating rents fucking over Millennials, forcing us to live in a bathtub until we could get a shit job working at a credit firm – this will definitely happen to me, I thought.

That's insane

So what are the other ways that uni life is like Peep Show? I’ve made five accurate comparisons I’m sure us students can all relate to:

Breaking promises

Whether it's the promise of meeting your group in the Percy Gee building to do work or promising your housemate that you won't eat their pizza in the fridge, uni tends to force your hand and make you a terrible person and a liar. Under the stress, you'll start justifying your deceit in the most twisted ways possible – just like when Mark justifies his decision to break a promise with the explanation: "Hitler promised not to invade Czechoslovakia, Jeremy. Welcome to the real world."

No career prospects

As a history student, I know what I signed up for. £9000 a year to read some books whilst simultaneously funding Biology the resources to reincarnate the dodo. It's a competitive world out there, and it's not always easy to get a job tailor-made to your degree. Jez pleads with Mark in one episode: "I can't believe you're trying to make me get a job not in the media." Reality is you'll probably have to sit in your office cubicle and get relentlessly bullied by wankers like Jeff everyday.

Options narrowing? There's always DMU

Disgusting cooking

Turns out cooking is hard, and once mummy and daddy are no longer around all the time to cook for you, all sorts of strange recipes and combinations are tested. In the end, you'll end up doing what Mark does, and mixing pasta, mashed baked beans, raw egg and lettuce into a big pot, sticking it in the oven and referring to it as a 'Moroccan' dish.

Sorry vegans

Shambolic house parties

It tends to be a dangerous idea to have a party at your own house or accommodation. There are upsides to hosting – meeting new people, being in control of the playlist etc. The downside is, you'll probably have to deal with someone who gets far too drunk and requires life support like Gerard or a druggie like Super Hans who lets a potentially lethal reptile loose in your house.

Brain Damage

As your brain melts from the constant deadlines you'll forget how to communicate like a normal person. This is why Peep Show is so relatable, as all the characters humiliate themselves by saying stupid things in exactly the same way us students do. Gems from the show include – "Mark, if I can just get rid of the dog corpse, there's a chance I still might get laid here." "What happens if you eat letterbox hair?" (it has definitely crossed our minds in the past) and everyone's favourite, "Twenty thousand pounds?! I'm going to be a millionaire."

Seriously though, this show is the best.