Don’t deny it. You grew up watching Disney movies and you haven’t stopped because you do your own laundry, sometimes. And now that you know how to adult, the lessons you learned as a kid from these beautiful movies can still translate. While they may not teach you how to live happily ever after, they can teach us a lot about living college life.
Here are some Disney movies that describe college life:
1. Frozen
True love doesn’t have to be romantic. It could be your freshman year roommate as a matter of fact who likes watching Netflix and staying just as much as you do. It could be the advisor who understands that you don’t want to take Organic Chemistry under any circumstance. Or true love could be your mom who devotedly sent care packages three consecutive weeks in a row before midterms to make sure you were stocked with Ben and Jerry’s and a new ‘I’m gonna destroy that Chemistry 101 midterm’ sweater. True love doesn’t have to be the Hans, who you met for like five minutes and don’t know much about; true love can come in all kinds.
"Love is putting someone else's needs before your own." -Olaf
2. Wreck-It Ralph
Be proud of how different you are. And if people preemptively misjudge you, then prove them wrong. Your professor just announced the final group project that you’ve been putting off in your head because it’s on the last page of the syllabus. You hate having to pick groups in a class where you are utterly friendless because people always think introverts aren’t a valuable group member. It’s like this: since you don’t contribute in class, you won’t contribute in a group project. Right? Wrong. Just because you’re introverted you have to find your way into a group that’s never heard you speak, when in fact, the gears in your brain are already working double time to show them you’ve got tons of ideas. People are always going to misjudge, that is until you prove them wrong.
“I’m bad, and that’s good. I will never be good, and that’s not bad. There’s no one I’d rather be than me.” -Ralph
3. Toy Story 3
Even when you grow up and move forward, there will always be those people in your life that will be loyal until the end. Even if your best friend is moving across the country for school, if he is the Woody to your Andy, those daily FaceTime dates will stand. And even when the Buzz to your Woody meets a new Woody at their school hundreds of miles away, that doesn’t mean their new Woody is your new Emperor Zurg. If they are a loyal friend, then they will be there for you no matter how far you move or how much you grow up.
“Now Woody, he’s been my pal for as long as I can remember. He’s brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he’ll never give up on you… Ever. He’ll be there for you, no matter what” -Andy
4. Inside Out
It is important to communicate feelings when you’re going through stressful situations so that a healthy balance can be found. College is stressful, there’s no denying that. You’ve got this new place with new people and several buildings with numerous rooms to get lost in all while trying to study for five tests in one week and writing twenty pages’ worth of research papers by next week. There is no doubt college is stressful, and depending on what the day throws at you, sometimes you want to handle it like Joy, sometimes like Sadness, like Disgust, Anger, or Fear. “We could cry until we can’t breathe,” is how Sadness cures all. Then there’s Anger who loses his temper over broccoli on pizza. But no matter the issue or how we choose to deal with it, there needs to be a happy medium among our feelings. If this can be found simply by talking to a friend, then so be it. But for others, seeking help might be the way to go. No matter which direction you take, just make sure you can find the balance.
“Do you ever look at someone and wonder, what is going on inside their head?” -Joy
5. The Lion King
The past shouldn’t be something that holds us back, but instead something we understand so we do not make the same mistake twice. It could be something as simple as deciding not to turn up on a Thursday night before your big presentation just like last time. Learning from that C+ and trying to make it an A- the next time around. College is that time of your life, when you are not just allowed to make mistakes—it’s a time of your life when you’re supposed to. As long as you learn from them. I’m sure that your evil uncle is not planning to usurp your father’s throne, but even if a semester comes to that, then hey, there are plenty of lessons to be learned.
“Oh yes the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it.” – Rafiki
6. Finding Nemo
When you’re trying your best and things just don’t seem to be working out, keep going. Dory might be the sagest advice giver during midterms week. You have two papers, three exams to prepare for, and don’t forget the newest season of The Walking Dead just started again. Never give up on working toward your degree, getting into graduate school, or even simply getting through cursed midterms week.
“When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do? Just keep swimming!” - Dory
7. Zootopia
When people embrace stereotypes as truths, they only hinder change. Life throws enough challenges at you, and the predispositions of teachers and students around you only limit you from performing your absolute best. College is hard enough, and believe it or not, stereotypes still influence how people are treated. While there are federal laws like Title IX that prohibits discrimination by sex in any federally funded program, stereotypes still influence how people of certain sexes, races, religious groups, etc. are treated. Just as Judy Hopps did, prove them wrong and shatter the stereotype.
“Life's a little bit messy. We all make mistakes. No matter what type of animal you are, change starts with you.” –Judy Hopps
Disney movies are fun and relatable at any age. This is coming from a 20-year-old who saw Zootopia when it opened. Disney movies relate so much to problems we face and challenges we overcome in college. And as college students, sometimes the only way to triumph over these issues is to binge-watch all our favorites.
