What better way to kick off the beginning of another hellish period of exams and papers than with some good ol’ procrastination! One of my favorite pastimes is definitely watching movies. Netflix has been one of my greatest vices since I have had access to a subscription. Characters in films are often so relatable to the circumstances of the audience. If you agree, then this article is for you! Below is a compiled list of quotes from some chick flicks that may or may not have anything to do with the emotions and events related to finals week!
Before the Exams
Clueless
Cher: She’s a full-on Monet. It’s like a painting, see? From far away, it’s okay, but from up close, it’s a big old mess.
Cher: Oh my god, I am totally buggin’!
I think we all reach a point during studying when we can’t fix how we look anymore. We’ve panicked so much that we can function normally, but when we are required to interact, it’s obvious how burned out we are.10 Things I Hate About You
Mr. Chapin: You look pretty nervous.
Kid: Yes, sir.
Mr. Chapin: You’re sweating like a pig.
Kid: Yes, sir.
Mr. Chapin: And your eyes are all… bloodshot.
Kid: Yes, sir.
But we don’t have pot. It’s almost finals week and we’re stressing about the papers we should have done weeks ago. Miss Congeniality
Gracie: I am in a dress, I have gel in my hair, I haven’t slept all night, I’m starved, and I’m armed. Don’t mess with me!
The morning of the exams…
Bring It On!
Courtney: Let’s not put the ‘duh’ in dumb!
Some of the more studious among us will actually open a book to prepare for this exam. You people are admirable. Surely, you won’t but the ‘duh’ in dumb!
Sixteen Candles
Samantha: I can remember a lot of things.
Samantha: I can’t get happy. It’s physically impossible for me to get happy.
…everyone tries to deceive themselves when cramming for an exam. It doesn’t work. Sorry. I will believe that you are not able to get happy though.
Mean Girls
Cady: Gretchen Wieners had cracked.
I think we all could have replace Gretchen Wieners’ name with our own at some point and I’m sure many of us will crack under the pressure and cry in a corner with our blankets. Is that just me? Oh.
Twilight
Bella: Death is peaceful, easy; life is harder.
Yes, Bella. That may have been the one thing you were right about with your immortal vampire boyfriend. Obviously, you knew of the hard life. What did you know about the struggles of exam season?
Easy A
Olive: Welcome. This is where the magic happens. And as we all know, by “magic” I mean “nothing.”
At some point my fellow procrastinators and I have come to realize that being honest about not doing anything is better than lying about doing nothing.
Pretty Woman
Vivian: I want the fairytale.
Yes, indeed. All college students do. We want to pass our exams with flying colors, to graduate cum laude with a degree in two majors, find our mating partner, get the job of our dreams, live in a nice home in a nice area, and retire at the age of 40. Yes, that is the general hope. Most importantly, we want our loans paid.Titanic
Molly Brown: Do you have the slightest comprehension of what you’re getting into?
Jack: Not really.
Every teacher has tried to assure students that they are probably underestimating the exam. Most students still don’t believe them.
Freaky Friday
Anna Coleman: I’m ready for the test Mr. Bates.
Mr. Bates: “Prepared” is to “you” as “not” is to “test.”
Then there’s the plain rude teacher who just underestimates your ability to cram knowledge into your head.
During the Exams
Mean Girls
Cady: All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.
When looking at the exam in front of you, it’s no good to worry about anything else. Don’t think “I should’ve studied harder,” or “I should’ve reviewed this part more.” None of that matters now. The exam is there, handle it with the attention it deserves.
Clueless
Cher: If it’s a concussion, you have to keep her conscious, okay? Ask her questions.
Elton: What’s seven times seven?
Cher: Stuff she knows!
Even if we study well for an exam, we can usually find that we don’t know as much as we thought we did.
Twilight
Edward: You don’t know anything.
Bella: I’d never given much thought to how I would die.
This is a representation of our brain telling us it doesn’t have any information to pull out for this exam. Its files are stuffed with blank pages. In that moment of panic, the thought of death by paper cuts doesn’t seem too bad an idea.
She’s the Man
Viola: Oh, for the love of God! It burns!
My eyes also burn when I’m holding back the tears of failure.
Titanic
Jack: No matter what challenges that keeps us apart, we’ll always find a way back to each other.
Promises we make to motivate ourselves. Whether you had to sacrifice Netflix, ice cream, leisure reading, or sports, you can look forward to getting back to it once the exams are finished.
Bring It On!
Torrance: Are you intimidated?
Cliff: Yeah. A little.
Let’s be honest with how we feel. When the exam is staring you in the face, it’s hard to say we’re okay with it.When Harry Met Sally
Jess: Draw SOMETHING resembling ANYTHING.
When we buckle down and try to actually answer some questions, we do realize that most of it is crap. That’s not stopping us from trying though.After the Exams
Titanic
Jack: I’m king of the world!
Jack: I figure life’s a gift and I don’t intend on wasting it. You don’t know what hand you’re gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you… to make each day count.
After the exams are over, so much weight is lifted off your shoulders. That tension relieving feeling when you’ve submitted the last paper is amazing.
Sleepless in Seattle
Annie: You make a million decisions that mean nothing, and then one day, you order take-out, and it changes your life.
After exams, I know my common celebration is food. Good food preferably. After that, I usually forget about the exams and papers. Food is my de-stressor.
Easy A
Marianne: If the Good Lord had wanted Micah to graduate, he would have given him the right answers.
Let’s not blame our negligence on God, shall we?
The Notebook
Noah: It wasn’t over, it still isn’t over.
After the blissful downtime, we remember that it isn’t over. Sure, we took the exams and wrote the papers, but what matters are the grades.
Receiving the Grades
Sixteen Candles
Randy: Would you stop feeling sorry for yourself? It’s bad for your complexion.
I think everyone has that friend who tries to cheer us up if we got an 88 instead of a 90. That friend is also probably annoyed with us, because they got a 76. Let bygones be bygones. Your grade is your grade. Accept it. Embrace it.
Clueless
Cher: Did I pass?
DMV Tester: *laughs*
I don’t want anyone to fail, but if someone laughs at a question like that, it’s not a good sign.
27 Dresses
Jane: I feel like I just found out my favorite love song was written about a sandwich.
I think this quote best suits anyone who studied well, didn’t worry at all and then got a grade lower than an ‘A’ or a ‘B.’
She’s the Man
Duke: Some are born great, some achieve greatness.
Yes, I am aware that Duke is not the origin of this line. It’s Shakespeare, duh. The whole movie is based around the plot of Twelfth Night. Yes, I’m going to use this quote anyway and yes, the line still rings true. While the results of the exam season may not be what we expected, there is always time to improve. After the exams is the time to consider what to do better next time.
Image Credit: Cover, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.