College is a really stressful time. Full of schoolwork, extra-curricular activities, a part-time job, and a social life. With all of this, it can easily become too overwhelming to handle. Many of us find comfort in a small hobby or interest that brings us back down to Earth when things get crazy. For many of us, we resort to Disney.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

Disney is something that tends to never outgrow within us. We are exposed to the classics by our parents as toddlers, and there’s usually one character we become attached to. As we enter into our older elementary and middle school years, we feel the pressure to give up our old favorites in order to be cool. The more we go through high school, we get a stronger sense of nostalgia, feeling the pressures of adulthood integrate with our desires to be back in to our youth. By the time college hits, we don’t care what people think. We are bigger fans of the classics and the new stuff than we were or could have been as a child.

Disney kept me from pulling out my hair during finals week. Disney kept me calm when I fought injuries that threatened to eject me from my dance classes. Disney was my companion on nights where everyone else was partying. Disney is actually how I bonded with several of my closest friends on campus. Disney allowed me to stay youthful while I was faced with the pressures of an adult.

Disney has a way of attracting not only young people but old people. There are new lessons to learn, new lines to find humor, and new characters to become attached to. But the songs, the story lines, the ever-present feeling of joy and youth: that always remains.

There is no shame in being a Disney fan no matter your age. As for college students out there, if you need a distraction, a way to cope with stress or grief, or a clean form of entertainment, dig out your favorite Disney movie and a new one. Let your negativity wash away with the songs and lighthearted qualities each movie possesses in their own unique manner.