In honor of Netflix putting every season of Gilmore Girls up online (we know what we’re doing the next couple of weeks), Her Campus Xavier chose the 8 most important life lessons we’ve learned from Lorelai and Rory Gilmore throughout the seven seasons. We may haven’t had a chance to live in Stars Hallow, but these characters are like family to us, shedding their wisdom on everything from television to love.
1. It’s important to let yourself rest. Your life is so busy, collegiette; don’t run yourself ragged and stress yourself out too much. The world isn’t going to end if you sleep in instead of working out on the weekends.
2. It’s okay to indulge yourself in your favorite show. Just because most of your friends don’t understand your fascination with reality television, doesn’t mean that it’s not good for a little R&R.
3. Being grumpy sometimes is to be expected. Not everyone is on their game 24/7. Whether we’re stressed out about that midterm or we had a bad night’s sleep in the dorms, let yourself be a little grumpy today. But know that you have a lot going for you, and with a positive attitude, you’ll be back to your happy, excited self.
4. Grades are important. C’s may get degrees, but getting a job is a different story. Although we always want to look our best, no one is going to judge if you look less than perfect the morning of that huge final.
5. Know who you are and who you want to be. Only you can really know yourself, so do what makes you happy in life. Don’t let yourself be pushed into a less than interesting major or join the clubs you think will look good on applications over the ones that you actually enjoy. Set goals for yourself that you really want to accomplish and go after them!
6. Sometimes, we turn into our moms. And that’s a good thing. We’ve moved away from home, our parents are away, and we’re our own person. That is, until we say something that sounds exactly like our mothers. But, honestly, don’t stress out about it too much. You can be your own person and still be your mother’s daughter, with all of the best parts of her. (And someday, you and her might even be best friends).
7. Breakups are hard… but in time you’ll get over it. It may feel like the world is ending right now, so let yourself feel upset and sad. But with the help of your friends and family (and possibly some adult beverages), you’ll realize that you still have so many relationships ahead of you.
8. Live a life you would want to read about. We could write a ton of really corny lines about how you only have one life, live to the fullest, and carpe diem. But, honestly, Paris says it best: