Introduction. Sociological studies of the social portrait of students are an urgent problem of science, which has recently acquired special significance in Russian conditions. This is due to those circumstances, which, on the one hand, follow from the special characteristics of students as a specific social group, for which the problems of successful socialization are especially relevant, and on the other, they are dictated by the significant dependence of students on those factors that are formed in the political, economic and the legal space of different regions. In conditions of social transformations and turbulence, almost always young students find themselves in a more difficult situation than older generations. In particular, a number of problems arise on the basis of the divergences and nuances of the social perception of reality, which are formed among students who, to varying degrees, are adapted to the local conditions of the university.

Methodology and sources. The theoretical foundation of the study is the concept of youth as a cultural group, the methodology of sociological research of risk and social uncertainty, the works of foreign and national researchers of student youth, which reflect various aspects of students' social life, in particular, the results of a study of the effects of social factors in the information space, new phenomena of youth subcultures, etc., which involve the development of new strategies for a sociological study of the social portrait of young students.

Results and discussion. Particular problems of students' socialization arise in those regions of the country where new legal and political realities are forming. Compared with other social groups, in such social spaces, it is more difficult for young people to integrate and join in a new reality, because the usual mechanisms of socialization, formed earlier, are not actual now, and how to achieve full potential in the new social space is not yet clear to everyone. In particular, such contradictions are clearly visible in the Crimean realities, in the university community of Sevastopol. The purpose of the sociological research conducted by the Centre for Sociological Research of Sevastopol State University was to study the characteristics of the social portrait of student youth in Sevastopol, including those representing various groups of students according the period of their residence on the peninsula. For this purpose, two groups of young people were distinguished in the analysis, differing by the period of their residence in Sevastopol: an “indigenous” one – those who live in Sevastopol from birth or moved here at an early age, and a “new” one – those who moved to Sevastopol after 2014. The results of the study made it possible to determine the strategic life goals of university students, which can be described as ambitious: starting a business, acquiring a car and housing, providing material wealth, pursuing career success and self-realization.

Conclusion. Most of the “indigenous” youth and “new” residents of the southern capital of Russia have shown their attitude to Sevastopol as a city that they want to develop together. This fact was assessed as a phenomenon of social gratitude: the young generation, who found in Sevastopol the opportunity to live peacefully and fulfill itself, binds itself to the city, but wants to make it better. The study also confirms the relevance of highlighting among students social and demographic groups that differ in the perception of social reality, due to the time spent in this social environment. In particular, this is noted in a higher degree of readiness of “old-timers” for practical participation in changes in social reality – participation in public life, volunteering, etc.