Pixar's best films have captured the real emotion in decidedly unreal things. Toy Story 3 gave us toys that made us consider our own childhood nostalgia. Wall-E gave us robots that made us think about human love. Now, for their upcoming prequel to Monsters, Inc. the animation gurus seem to be trying to get something else right: college. During the Rose Bowl, Pixar launched a viral marketing campaign that expertly imitated all the clichés of college websites. Now, with the branch of Disney dropping two new looks at Monsters University, it appears that Pixar is trying to make their characters' college experience actually mimic something like reality. That is, if reality involved googly-eyed monsters. 

In a video released on YouTube (via io9) at the end of last week, director Dan Scanlon explains: "We wanted to explore as much as we can, the monsterization of the college and the college character." So that means they have a mascot:

A directionless student:

A scary dean, who is in charge of, well, the scare program: 

And Greek life: 

Including a frat that seems a bit like the milder monsters' version of Animal House's Deltas: 

And then there's the U.K. trailer out today, in which we get a glimpse at an activities fair: 

And dorm life: 

Leave it to Pixar and their monsters to make you remember how awful it was to be a freshman. Watch the preview and trailer here: 

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Esther Zuckerman