This week I drove to Davenport and actually shed a tear at the sight of the pop-up Luke’s Diner. These pop-up diners/ coffee houses are promoting the much anticipated Gilmore Girls reunion show coming next month on Netflix. For those who are out of the loop, Gilmore Girls TV show ran from October 2000 to 2007, but still continues to gain fans from re-runs. One of the main characters, Rory Gilmore was the perfect mixture of sweet and smart that as teens we all aspired to be. The series started off with Rory in high school, then choosing the right college, through all four years of college, and concluded with a tear-jerking college graduation series finale. Those episodes are what I based college life on, and on more than one occasion Rory Gilmore prepared me for college life. Here are 7 ways Rory prepared me for college.
1. Coffee is a necessity! Yes, it is frowned upon to drink more than 3 cups of coffee a day, but college students consume way more without any regret. Usually for a last minute paper, or pulling an all-nighter studying for an exam, but more frequently to being able to function through the day without falling asleep in class. Gilmore Girls taught us an addiction to caffeine is alright and you can never have enough!
2. Fellow high school students may follow you to college. Just as Paris followed Rory to Yale, there were at least five people from my hometown that also chose to attend Augustana. People from high school can be a friendly face during those scary first weeks of freshman year and a great resource for car pools home, but depending on how large your campus, is you may never run into them.
3. It is nearly impossible to be “just friends” with a guy. Life would be amazing if we could be “just friends” with guys, yet somehow things always seem to get complicated. Usually with the help of liquid courage, things happen and feelings somehow get confused. When Marty finally tells Rory how he really feels about her, their friendship completely tanks. Been there done that, sadly more than once!
4. During a low point in your romantic life at college, it’s natural to back slide to your high school boyfriend. Just like Rory went back to Dean, you may drunk text one, or call one when you go home on break. Don’t beat yourself up about it, it happens! The whole back slide concept just drives home the point that people change, and the past is better left in the past.
5. Going back home to visit is the best! Everyone makes you feel so special. People plan events around your trips home and you’re pulled in all different directions trying to visit all your friends and family. Now Stars Hallow is slightly more charming than most hometowns, but don’t we all have our favorite eating establishment that brings us comfort, like Luke’s Diner. I make sure to stock up on Portillos whenever I make it home!
6. Just like Rory and Paris at Yale, you will also live with several people in a small space, and I can tell you it can be a challenge at times. Different personalities, different sleep schedules, different eating habits, combined with the drama of sharing refrigerator space and cleaning duties. But, there’s also the fun of finding common ground, like maybe even a fellow roommate who loves Gilmore Girls as much as you.
7. Then comes senior year... Rory’s roommate Paris constructed a senior year to-do chart so that they experienced everything on campus before they graduated. Most seniors experience the same inevitable reality as they face the fact that their time at college is closing in. There’s a new voracious appetite to not miss out on anything; football games, parties, concerts, especially things you thought were lame two years ago now seem worthwhile.
As far as graduation day goes, I’m 99.9% sure I won’t be proposed to by a handsome heir to a publishing empire, but a true Gilmore Girl’s fan can still hold out hope!
