Academically, fall semester may have gotten the best of you. You may also have had the best semester of your life. Either way, this holiday break is the perfect time to collect yourself, and inspire yourself to get the best grades yet.
Legally Blonde. The holy grail of inspirational movies. I don’t think I’ve met anyone that doesn’t know what this movie is about, but the plot is as simple as it gets. Elle Woods is in love with this frat star Warner who is going off to law school. Warner breaks up with her because he claims he wants someone more complex. Elle is then inspired to apply to Harvard Law School to prove she can be the complex girl Warner wants. She gets in and basically balls out at Harvard Law School.
Dead Poets Society. Robin Williams plays an English teacher at a prep school where he essentially tells his students to “make your life extraordinary.” Williams inspires his students through poetry as this movie is everything you need to get inspired to learn and thrive.
Good Will Hunting. This film will inspire you to wake up the little genius that lives inside you. Matt Damon plays a janitor at MIT who is the only one able to solve this super difficult math equation on a classroom chalkboard. His success in solving this problem leads him to see a therapist played by Robin Williams who pushes him to study mathematics.
A Beautiful Mind. This movie is dramatic, so if you’re in the mood for something lighthearted, this isn’t for you. Russell Crowe plays John Nash, an Economics Nobel Laureate. It is the story of Nash's life, his paranoid schizophrenia, and how he still managed to earn a Nobel prize through all the hardship.
The Devil Wears Prada. Although this movie has nothing to do with academics, I think it’s a good choice in inspiring a kick ass work ethic. The gist of it: Anne Hathaway plays a frumpy assistant to one of fashion’s biggest editors. While everyone doesn’t believe she’ll succeed in fashion she eventually gains the respect of mostly everyone around her. #blessup.
