“So it’s a show? It’s a lifestyle. It’s a religion.”
As a teenage girl growing up in Connecticut, watching Gilmore Girls felt practically required, especially in my all-girl household. Our annual fall rewatch was a family ritual, curling up on the couch together night after night. This fall, I’m heading to the University of Connecticut, and the tradition looks different: me, my laptop and a dorm room. New place, same characters I know and love, and the lessons they’ve given me. I’m carrying them with me as a kind of scripture for navigating “Storrs Hollow.”
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!
“I need coffee in an IV.”
Lorelai Gilmore made caffeine a personality trait, and she wasn’t wrong. Two weeks into college, coffee has already become my lifeline: fueling lectures, assignments and late nights. But it’s also turned into an unexpected social glue. Waiting in line for Starbucks’ fall menu with neighbors, trying a barista’s recommendation, or a spontaneous Dunkin run with a classmate; these caffeine stops doubled as small community-building moments. By next semester, maybe I’ll even master Lorelai’s lightning-fast dialogue.
Taylor’s Town Meetings
Stars Hollow thrives on community, and we saw much of that during the town meetings run by Taylor Doose. As over-the-top as they were, the meetings remind us that showing up— participating, listening, and being involved— keeps the town alive. At UConn, I’ve discovered my own version of that sense of community. Chatting with tables at the student involvement fair, hosting movie nights with the girls on my floor, and cheering on the Huskies at my first game with friends. Just like Stars Hollow meetings, there is comfort in being part of something bigger than yourself.
Find Your Own “Luke’s”
“Violent pencil-tossing usually signals a need for pie.”
Luke Danes is Stars Hollow’s constant, and his diner is the safe haven everyone needed.
For Rory, Lorelai, and everyone else in Stars Hollow, Luke’s Diner provided routine, familiarity, and a place to recharge. At UConn, I’ve realized every student needs their own version. It might be a dining hall, a corner in Homer Babbidge or, for me, a quiet bench near The Beanery. But Luke’s doesn’t have to be a place; it can be a weekend walk or a scheduled call home. Whatever it looks like, having a steady anchor makes campus life far more manageable.
Dean’s List, No Dean
Rory Gilmore is the ultimate academic weapon, ambition wrapped in book covers. But college has already revealed the flip side: burnout. Perfectionism, if left unchecked, crashes hard (see: Rory, season five). It is important to remember that aiming high doesn’t mean letting work consume you. At UConn, balance is everything, and classes, clubs and social life all demand pacing. Steering clear of unnecessary drama (also known as Deans) preserves energy and sanity. Lesson learned: be like Rory, but don’t be too much like Rory.
Stars Hollow may be fictional, but the lessons it taught me are very real and applicable in “Storrs Hollow.” Gilmore Girls taught me to build community, lean on small comforts, and not let perfectionism take over. If Rory can survive Yale, I can survive UConn– though it’ll definitely take three iced coffees and maybe a slice of pie.