We all have our hobbies. For some, it’s devouring tabloids that say Khloe Kardashian is actually OJ’s daughter, while for others it involves breaking a serious sweat (and burning some cals!). But whatever your go-to pastime may be, it’s safe to say that there’s one activity that no collegiette will ever get tired of: watching movies. Because, let’s face it: the big screen plays a major role in our lives. We kick back and relax with a light-hearted comedy, relate our own milestones to how they played out in dramas, and see history come alive in period pieces. Yet, most importantly, these fantasy worlds we immerse ourselves in give us a subtle dose of life lessons that are not only entertaining, but also totally fit in with our own realities. We’ve complied some of the best advice from Hollywood’s finest characters that are seriously helpful for your everyday life. So, slide off your sneaks, hold off on the trashy magazine, a take a moment to listen to what your favorite fictional stars have to say—popcorn optional, of course.
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” – A Cinderella Story
Sam (the adorkable star played by the one and only Hilary Duff) has quite the difficult living situation, to say the least. Her emotionally abusive, evil stepmother pesters her daily, and it seems like the poor girl can never catch a break! But, despite all the bad things weighing her down, she manages to put herself out there and find the good that’s waiting for her. Obviously there’s a huge chance that her Prince Charming will reject her—and the same goes for Princeton, her dream school—but she overcomes the obstacles that present themselves with the hopes that eventually it’ll all work out for the best, relying on the seemingly perfect words passed down to her from her late, all-star dad and role model.
If she can do it, so can you! In college, or just life in general, you’re going to come across a whole lot of hurdles that terrify you. It’s a jungle out there, but that doesn’t mean you can give up and go home. If you don’t step up to the plate, you’re never going to see how much potential you have. The idea of failure is always looming, but a hardworking, confident attitude can help you conquer any barrier, even if the ball lands short of a grand slam. If you’ve got an impossible exam coming up, don’t just give up because you think you won’t do well. Instead, study your little butt off and prove to your professor that you’re trying. It’s easier to negotiate your grade if you’ve proven that you care. You may not make it all the way around the bases, but you could find something good along the way. Whether you make it to home plate or strike out right away, you tried, and that’s the best you can offer. So go ahead and take a swing!
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Do people always tell you to never graduate because college is the best time of your life? Well, you’re not alone; we’ve all heard that before. While pursuing your dream career in the real world is a true adrenaline rush, nothing can compare to college. It’s the one time when you’re free to sleep all day, party all night, and eat Easy Mac as if it was actually a large portion of the food pyramid.
Day after day, life can seem pretty boring. But if you take a second to just let it all soak in, you’ll realize that what you’ve got going on isn’t so bad: you live with your best friends, you’re studying a subject you love, and if you want to eat that second slice of chocolate cake in the dining hall, no one is there to stop you. Be grateful of who you are and where you are.
So before you’re suddenly thrown out of college and into the real world, take some advice from Ferris Bueller and live a little: carpe diem like you never have before! Take part in a crazy campus tradition, ask out that cutie in your English lit class, pull an all-nighter while not doing anything productive, party like its freshman year, or go streaking in the quad! (Okay, maybe skip out on that last one unless you own a good mask, but you get the point) College is about discovering yourself, and that’s definitely not going to get done with your nose constantly in a textbook. Go crazy and have fun!
“Is butter a carb?” – Mean Girls
Ah, the constant journey to lose weight and stay in shape. Been there, done that. Right, Regina? Whether you’re trying to drop a few pounds, add some muscle, or just stay toned, there are some definite things you need to know… such as simple nutrition. Is butter a carb? No. Are these Kalteen bars going make me gain 10 pounds in one week? Well, you should probably learn to read the label (or Google translate the Swedish on it). No matter what kind of health kick you’re currently on—or if you’re just maintaining a fit lifestyle—it’s always a good idea to start at square one and get all your nutritional facts in line. Understanding what you’re eating will help you no matter what your goal weight is. Plus, you won’t feel stupid asking if ketchup is a dairy product.
“Just keep swimming.” – Finding Nemo
Dory knows what she’s talking about—she is, of course, our favorite fishy heroine. When Nemo got picked up by an Aussie diver, the reason Martin got back his little finned fellow was that he kept pushing forward.
Listen: we’ve all been defeated. Didn’t get the internship? Been there. Didn’t get the guy? Definitely been there. But just because life doesn’t always go our way doesn’t mean we should let the waves crash over us. You can have your minutes, or hours, or even (in extreme cases) days to mourn and wear all black in the death of what you thought was your golden ticket, but once the expiration date passes, it’s time to keep moving forward… or swimming, if you’ve got the gills (and the lung capacity). A few failures aren’t the end of the world, and you’re never going to have any success if you don’t keep forcing yourself in the right direction. Watch The Notebook, cry a little, and then brush yourself off and carry on into the future—staying in the past will only continue to upset you.
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“Whatever I feel like I wanna do; gosh!” – Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon lives a painfully mundane and awkward life. But believe it or not, the guy’s actually got a point here. You’re a college girl now, so it’s time to start making decisions on your own while maintaining (or creating) a solid backbone. You can’t be walked all over by dominant people—you know, the frenemies who boss you around, tell you what to do, and expect you to obey their every command. They’re not bad people per se, but at times, they think they can control you.
But, unfortunately for them, you need to do you. When it comes down to it, you have to look out for yourself. That being said, if you want to stay in on a Thursday night and your BFF wants to go out, don’t be peer pressured into an all-night rendezvous that you know you’ll regret come morning. A little confidence and courage will take you far—and won’t have your friends taking advantage of you. Not to mention, every day should have a little something that just makes you happy, whatever that may be. It’s your day and your life, gosh.
“Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you’re born to stand out?” – What a Girl Wants
Amanda Bynes is definitely living by this mantra right about now: you can’t sacrifice who you are and surrender to what the world expects from you. While getting to know her estranged father in London, Daphne (played by Bynes, pre-meltdown) comes across the city’s aristocratic snobs who look down on her flared jeans and open personality. But, she eventually learns to ignore their snide remarks. Yes, she’s a little out of whack in comparison to the elite, but at least she’s happy in her own skin, resisting the urge to be another wallflower in pearls.
One of the best aspects of college is that there’s no reason to force yourself to blend in with the crowd. So what if you’re a little bit loud, a lot of bit awkward, and unquestionably crazy? You’ll find your niche where you can thrive—suppressing your quirkiness is only going to lead to boring unhappiness. You’ve got to keep waving your weirdo flag high. Be proud that you’re a true individual! Being part of the norm is so ‘90s, and as much as we love to be nostalgic of the past, we’re glad the times have changed. Seriously, wouldn’t you rather be loved as the quirky girl you are than moderately liked for the bland, generic person you’re trying to be? Let’s be honest for a second: if someone likes you for being mediocre and unoriginal, than they’re the one who is in need of a reality check.
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.” – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Confronting someone you can’t stand isn’t that hard; you’re not necessarily worried about his or her feelings, and since you’re only acquaintances (if that), you don’t exactly care what they think of you. You make your peace with it and move on with your life. But standing up to a friend can be a little trickier. You don’t want to upset them or ruin your relationship, but at the same time, you need to get something off your chest.
So how do you go about it? You just have to muster up the courage, like Neville Longbottom did when he told his friends that he didn’t condone their mischievous (albeit lifesaving) behavior. Once you rip the Band-Aid off and spill your thoughts, you’ve done everything you can. The ball is in their court now. But, in the end, if you speak up without attacking them and go about it in a mature way, you’ve done the bravest thing you could.
“Why so serious?” – The Dark Knight
So maybe you don’t think you’d be able to get quality advice from a psycho murderer who paints himself up like a clown—understandable. But all that aside, here’s a question that you should ask yourself from time to time: “Why so serious?”
We get it; your life can be rough sometimes. Trust us, we all have those days where simply getting out of bed seems like the hardest thing to do, and it’s only the beginning. But, reality check: you’re young, smart (obviously, since you read HC!), and things could definitely be worse. So crack a smile and show off those pearly whites! We swear it won’t kill you (and we swear you’ll look better than the Joker while doing it). Not to mention, people are more likely to approach you when you at least look happy and not like the queen of doom and gloom.
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“There’s no place like home.” – The Wizard of Oz
All Dorothy wishes for is a one-way ticket back to Kansas, her home. But what really makes her farm home? It’s the fact that she’s comfortable there, surrounded by the love and support of those who care about her the most. Isn’t that what home really is? It’s that place where you can just be you. For some, it’s their crammed dorm room where they laugh nonstop with their roommates, and for others, it’s the family room in the house they grew up in with their parents by their side. It doesn’t matter where it is, what matters is that you can find that special place to call home. And when you discover your home, cherish it forever, because as they say, there’s seriously no place that compares.
“Sometimes you have to show a little skin.” – Clueless
Flaunt what you’ve got—it’s as simple as that. As a 20-something, your body is H-O-T, and you should show off your confidence in a killer outfit (Cher Horowitz would recommend a little red Alaïa—it’s like a totally important designer). Obviously, don’t go parading around in a barely-there skirt and just a bra; that’s a little excessive. But instead, every once in a while, get a little dressed up! Toss the workout clothes to the side and kick off your boyfriend jeans, and throw on an outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks when you go to class on Tuesday. It can be a classic LBD or a pair of skinny jeans and a tank that shows off your Michelle Obama-toned arms. It’s up to you what you feel sexiest in, but whatever it is, don’t let it collect dust in your closet.
“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life.” – Animal House
The frat kings of Animal House knew how to rage like no one else. But they put all their time and energy toward chugging beer and picking up girls—not exactly a resume builder. Of course, college is all about living and learning, but unfortunately, we all have to grow up eventually and shake off our old habits. That doesn’t mean you can’t go out and party—please, keep up the good work—but it does mean that, as you get older, the levels of indecency and craziness need to be toned down a bit. Having fun should be a lifelong thing, but your priorities need to change eventually; you can’t show up to your internship still hammered, reeking of last night’s bar, and drooling as you pass out on your keyboard. You’ve got potential, so don’t waste it on seeing how many marshmallows you can drunkenly fit in your mouth at once.
So, collegiettes, the next you turn to the big screen for some quality entertainment, look for what the characters are saying to you. Their over-dramatic, happily-ever-after lives can actually help you learn and grow in real life. And if you’ve got a favorite movie quote to live by, tell us in the comment section below!