Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Entertainment

Life Lessons from 'Shameless'

#relatable

Tia Patterson

Jan 22, 2017

Kent State University

TV Guide

First of all, I just want to say that if you have never watched this show it’s important that you do. It’s great. 'Shameless' is a series on Showtime and Netflix that showcases an outrageously dysfunctional family as they tackle life living the south side of Chicago. Not only is this show wildly entertaining but it also shines a light on some important issues and provides a variety of life lessons for the viewer. Here are some of my favorites:

Appreciate your family.

The Gallagher siblings have to work through some pretty heavy family dysfunction but they are always there for each other.

Be strong.

Life is really not kind to the Gallagher’s most of the time and they take each struggle head on.

It’s okay to make mistakes.

The entire show is based around the mistakes that the members of the Gallagher family make. They know it’s okay to screw up, you can’t be perfect all the time.

Don’t be afraid to take risks.

The Gallagher’s rarely play it safe and it has lead to some pretty interesting opportunities or set backs depending on how you look at it.

The negative effects of addiction.

Shameless shows how drug and alcohol addiction can affect people. It shows a few of the main characters that struggle with addictions in the show and while it provides dark comedic content it does brings awareness of the harmful effects addiction has.

Love is love and mental illness exists.

One of the main things I love about this show is how diverse it is. They do a good job at shedding a light on mental health issues and regularly have LGBT characters on the show.

If you haven't jumped on the Shameless bandwagon maybe now you'll be curious to see what all the fuss is about. Happy binge watching!

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

Things I Am Actually Going To Do This Semester

Or at least try to do.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

1574

CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less

new year

Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

Southwestern University

1971

woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

library

Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

Michigan State University

1239

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

University of Vermont

380

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less

finals

Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

Kennesaw State University

1791

group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

Photo by Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.