By Nicole Marino
In college, it’s so easy to get tied up with trying to get a job that you end up too focused on how to achieve your end goal, and nothing else. In fact, it almost feels impossible to avoid it between the endless networking opportunities, emails from the Career Development Center, and the pressure to find the perfect internship. While we’re in school to learn and eventually get a job, we’re also here to learn more about ourselves and explore what the world has to offer. If you only focus on your future, you’ll miss out on some great opportunities that are right in front of you. Unfortunately, there is not a class that will teach you that, but that’s where the movie, The Little Prince, steps in.
Based on the French novel, Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the 2015 film adaptation tells the story of a little girl who uses the power of innocence and imagination to break free of the minute-by-minute schedule her mother creates for her. With hopes of her child fitting into her new prestigious and rigorous academy, the mother takes every step possible to help her daughter understand her “true” potential. The girl is taken off track when she discovers an aviator’s tale of meeting a little prince from a different planet who falls in love with a rose. This opens the girl up to a world she never could have imagined had she still been so focused on her schoolwork. Just like her, college students need to be reminded it’s okay to let loose, have fun, and simply be a kid again.
With so many lessons to learn from this movie, it’s worth taking a break from whatever show you’re currently binge-watching on Netflix to watch it. Especially with finals season approaching ever so quickly, you won’t be disappointed. Let it serve as a reminder that if one of your finals doesn’t go well, it’s not the end of the world. You can still get your dream job, and you can still achieve great things. The Little Prince taught me that life is worth making an adventure and that doing everything just to get a job or an internship doesn’t guarantee happiness. The prince teaches you that if it makes you happy, it’s okay to fall in love with a rose, even if that wasn’t part of the plan.
The little prince taught the aviator and the girl a lesson, and he can teach you one too, ranging from opening up your mind just a little more than you did the day before, to allowing yourself to grow up with a child’s heart. It’s easy to lose sight of these things when overwhelmed by the stress of finals, the prospect of getting a job, and any other stress you might be feeling, and The Little Prince is a great way to remind yourself that in hindsight, happiness and imagination are what matter. In the words of the little prince himself, “Here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Â
If being taught a lesson about letting yourself be a kid no matter what age you are isn’t up your alley, then at least watch it for all the Instagram bio-worthy quotes. It has a message that is too often forgotten. With a shifting focus on the importance of self-care and having a good work/life balance, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the emergence of more movies sharing a similar idea. The Little Prince does this with beautiful imagery that really lets your imagination flow.
To all the college students out there, take a little break. Put the books down. Join a club because you like it, not because it will look good. Let The Little Prince tell you why you should please your inner child from time to time.
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Cover image from https://www.blog.thelittleprince.com/the-little-prince-new-trailer-in-english/
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