Between classes and exams, us college students need a good escape from the real world and due dates showing up on Canvas. And no, I don’t mean scrolling on our phones for hours until you look up and see that your room is suddenly pitch black. Although it may sound oddly similar to that, I’m actually talking about watching a show that has so many seasons you’d think it might take your entire college career to finish, given how busy our lives get. In my opinion, “How I Met Your Mother” is the perfect thing for just that. A binge show for anyone navigating their 20s and trying to figure out their life (or just trying to survive the semester).
How I Met Your Mother is a nine-season sitcom centered around Ted Mosby, who sits his kids down to tell them the long (and I mean long) story of how he met their mother. While it sounds like it would be quick and simple, it’s really a story about friendship, growing up, and all of the moments that come with figuring out adulthood.
I know, nine seasons can sound like a huge commitment, but the best part of “How I Met Your Mother” is that it’s honestly really easy to watch. You can have it on in the background while you work on assignments, eat dinner, or do whatever else might be on your plate, or you can lie on your couch and get really invested in it. It is also really easy to relate to during this chapter of our lives. The main friend group is Ted, Robin, Marshall, Lily, and Barney, and they are the kind of people you wish lived down the hall in your dorm or apartment building. Ted is a hopeless romantic who overanalyzes everything (relatable), Robin’s the definition of a girlboss, Marshall and Lily are the couple trying to juggle love and real life, and Barney is the wild card who’s always up for a good time and never lets you spend any time alone in your apartment or dorm. All the perfect stereotypes of a group of friends.
What makes How I Met Your Mother stand out as a college binge is how well it captures that phase when you’re not really a kid anymore, but you also don’t really feel like you’re ready to be an adult either, which I’m sure we’re all dealing with. Every episode mixes humor with just enough emotional reality to hit close to home. You see the characters go through breakups, job changes, identity crises, and moments of growth, all while holding onto the friendships that keep them grounded. Everything that you experience during your college years.Â
Despite being the perfect college show, none of the characters are actually in college. They’re all in their mid-to-late 20s and still trying to figure everything out. And that’s kind of my point. “How I Met Your Mother” reminds everyone that nobody really has life completely together, not after high school graduation and not after college graduation either. The show makes it clear that growing up never comes with a timeline; you don’t suddenly wake up one day with all the answers. So while it might feel like everyone around you already has their five-year plan mapped out, watching Ted and his friends stumble, learn, and laugh their way through adulthood is a comforting reminder that it’s okay to not have everything figured out yet. It’s the kind of show that makes you laugh at one scene and then reflect on your own life the next. Whether you’re watching it while cramming for finals, eating dinner, or just avoiding that one paper that’s due tomorrow at 11:59, How I Met Your Mother is the perfect mix of funny, comforting, and surprisingly relatable.