A huge part of my childhood consisted of animated films. From the classics that came out long before I was born to the ones that came out during my adolescence, I always enjoyed Disney. Even now, I can’t keep myself away from actively searching for a good animation to re-watch. One of my recent favorites is none other than the sequel to the beloved Monsters Inc., "Monsters University." As a college first-year, what better film to watch than one centered on a monster’s somewhat relatable college experience?

Aside from the subtle references, beautiful graphics, and its relatable humor, "Monsters University" actually earned its place as one of my favorites because I noticed some life lessons it included in its plot that I really respected.

1. Sometimes things won’t always go as you planned - and that’s okay.

I think it’s pretty clear that Wazowski really, really wanted to be a scarer. I mean, the kid (monster?) practically worked his entire childhood fighting against the odds to make it into one of the best scaring programs in the monster world. Everything had gone according to Mike’s very detailed life plan right up to his acceptance into MU. Although that was the point where things started getting unpredictably and uncontrollably crazy for Mike and nothing seemed to be going right for him, we get peace of mind knowing that ultimately, he ends up where he wanted to be. Sure, he was kicked out of college- but he still ended up working at Monsters Inc., even if it was in a bunch of odd jobs like mail handling (a serious occupation actually, as tampering with mail is a crime punishable by banishment) or cafeteria work. And although he did make it to the scare floor, not as a scarer but as an assistant, we can all see that Mike was happy with his life. So although things don’t always go as planned, we can be assured we will end up where we’re supposed to be and that is okay.

2. Hard work is better than raw talent

Disney did a pretty great job at portraying two popular archetypes seen in society. Mike, who works his absolute hardest but lacks the predisposition to appear “scary”, and Sully, who takes his renowned reputation and physical superiority for granted, strongly lacking work ethic. The head of the scaring program, Dean Hardscrabble, made this lesson perfectly clear when she removed both boys from the course. Sully’s lack of hard work or desire to actually learn about key material needed to become a scarer made him inadequate and simply being born with a talent for scaring helped him achieve very little. Mike on the other hand “lacked something that cannot be taught.” To put simply, he’s not scary, and no amount of hard work can change that. It’s a sad reality, but it’s one I believe in. Simply having raw talent with no hard work to back it up will only get you so far and the same can be said by those who only work hard but have absolutely no pre-existing advantage. At the end of the day there will be people who possess a combination of both and those are the people who will excel. I loved that Disney turned Mike and Sully into a duo in the end, so that the two can capitalize on their differences and compel each other to become better, filling in the gaps the other lacks. I believe this is how society and relationships should truly strive to be; since we can’t all be perfect, we might as well find people to help us be the best us we can be and vice versa.

3. Sometimes, the bad guy WILL win.

This was something completely, subtly, conveyed. It took many re-watches for me to actually take note of it. It appeared in the end credits, when a bunch of scare cards were revealed to the audience to see which scarers had become hotshots. Yes, it was nice to see the Oozma Kappa crew rocking their very own cards, but it’s important to note that some of the bullies from Roar Omega Roar made it as well. The condescending, egotistical Johnny Worthington actually makes a name for himself as “The Jaw” at Fear Co. This really put things into perspective for me because as much as we’d all love to believe that people get what they deserve and bullies won’t make it far in life, sometimes that’s just not the reality. I’m sure we’d all would have wanted to see Mr. Worthington packing some scream tanks or maybe building some doors writhing in jealousy over Sully and Mike, but that’s not always the reality and that’s okay. Sometimes the bad guy will win; the important thing, however, is that his triumph is not over you and in the case of Roar Omega Roar and the Oozma Kappas, I think this concept is very clear.

I applaud Disney for making a children’s movie that’s not just enjoyable at face value, but stimulating as well. It’s been so long since I’ve watched a movie that taught actual moral or life lessons, and Monsters University certainly doesn’t fall short. Disney has always been a huge part of my childhood, and at 19 I’m proud to say they’re still influencing my life in just as big of a way as they did when I was nine.