As a college student, time is precious. That’s why you need to make Netflix decisions wisely. After a long day of exerting mental energy from trying to understand a foreign professor, lugging books around your excessively hilly campus, and doing a few hours of homework, most people indulge themselves by streaming television shows and movies, most of which consist of repetitive love triangles and unrealistic violence. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with watching six straight hours of Bob’s Burgers in your free time, you should consider another Netflix genre: the documentary.

Documentaries are powerful tools for evoking some emotion from their viewer while providing them with some sort of issue in today’s world. Though some can be excruciating to sit through, there are others that leave you on the edge of your seat and clicking ‘view related titles.’

Biggie and Tupac (2002)

My favorite rapper in the entire world is The Notorious B.I.G., a fellow New Yorker who lost his life to a single gunshot wound while on a trip to California. This documentary explores the deaths of both Biggie and Tupac Shakur, who died as a result of gun violence due to the East Coast/West Coast rap feud. While both murders remain unsolved, documentarian Nick Broomfield goes deeper into the case, exploring their respective record labels and gangs, and even police officers. He believes that there is more to the story than the public knows, and after watching this I can’t help but agree.

Blackfish (2013)

If you’re looking for an informative nature documentary (which, lets face it, is doubtful), I recommend "Blackfish". Science is my worst subject and always has been, so when someone suggested I watch this, I put it off, and it slowly climbed down my queue, replaced by "Orange is the New Black" and "Scandal". Finally, after my mom uncharacteristically posted a link on her Facebook about saving the whales, I decided it was time to educate myself. Not only did I learn about the fascinating minds of Killer Whales, I also became informed of the ill-treatment of these animals at SeaWorld. This documentary follows one whale, Tilikum, on a journey from being taken from the ocean to being placed in a tank, only to kill a SeaWorld trainer. Yes, it’s awful someone lost their life in such a violent way, but this documentary will have you feeling more sympathetic for the whale than the victims of its natural instincts.

Intervention (2005-Present)

Alright, this isn’t technically a documentary, but it’s a documentary series, so it counts. "Intervention" chronicles the lives of people with drug addictions, eating disorders, and fucked up family lives. Within each one hour segment, you find yourself absorbed in a stranger’s addiction and crying as if you were a part of their family. At the end of the episode, the person goes through an intervention, unbeknownst to them. It gets really emotional, especially during the epilogue sentences, where the show sometimes reveals that the person relapsed, or, even worse, died. If you’re looking for an hour (or five) to kill, indulge yourself with "Intervention".

ESPN 30 for 30: Bad Boys (2014)

Focusing on one of the toughest teams in NBA history, "Bad Boys" is an essential documentary for the sports lover. In the late 1980s through the early 1990s, the Detroit Pistons set out on a mission to win the NBA Finals. With Isaiah Thomas and his supporting cast of Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahom, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman, the team seemed unstoppable. During that time, the Pistons were considered the grittiest team in basketball, and weren’t afraid to trash talk or fight if it meant that it would be one step closer to winning a title. The players are interviewed 25 years later, and they still carry so much emotion about their beloved team. The chemistry, intensity, and controversy is what makes this documentary worth putting on your Netflix queue.

102 Minutes That Changed America (2008)

If you were alive when it happened, you remember the events of September 11^th, 2001. As a native New Yorker living in the city when the attack occurred, this documentary speaks volumes to me. There are no interviews, just archival footage from various bystanders, news stations, and even people across the world. The documentary depicts the attacks in real time, from the second the plane hit the first tower until the damage was done by both towers eventual collapse. Even if you have never been to New York City, the 9/11 attacks probably had an effect on you. Watching this footage now brings back haunting memories of that fateful day 14 years ago, and is especially informative if you were too young to process the events that took place.