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Gilmore Girls walking through Fall Festival
Gilmore Girls walking through Fall Festival
Warner Bros. Television
Life

How I Channel Rory Gilmore’s “Academic Weapon” Attitude

Abigail Botsford
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

The fall semester is upon us, and for me, this means it’s time to begin my annual Gilmore Girls rewatch. For anyone unfamiliar with this early 2000s classic, it’s a seven-season show that follows the lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother-daughter duo who live in the cozy town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The show focuses on their daily lives and relationships and is often associated with Rory’s academic journey. If you also want to romanticize studying or need motivation to be an academic weapon this semester, here’s how watching Rory in Gilmore Girls helped me! 

Romanticizing academia

The first season starts during the fall, with Rory transferring to a prestigious and academically rigorous high school called Chilton, beginning her era known as “Chilton Rory.” As I begin my rewatch with the start of the new semester, it coincides with Rory beginning her journey at Chilton. We quickly see that she loves everything to do with school, studying, and reading, which is glamorized through her dark-academia aesthetic. I find this motivating, and it’s much easier to be productive when I romanticize my schoolwork! 

Channeling Rory’s work ethic

I first watched Gilmore Girls during the fall of my junior year of high school. Now, every time the season rolls around, I rewatch it like clockwork. During this period, I was inspired by Rory’s love for school and translated that into studying for my classes and SAT exams. Then, during my senior year of high school, I was again inspired by Rory’s determination to get into Harvard and the other Ivy League schools. I channeled that same energy when I applied to universities. For those who haven’t watched Gilmore Girls, I won’t spoil which Ivy League university Rory decided to attend, but when I entered my freshman year of college, I knew it was time for me to start romanticizing again.  

Now that I’m beginning my sophomore year of college, I plan to rewatch Gilmore Girls and emulate the Rory Gilmore academic aesthetic in my studies! It’s important to remember that Rory can be extreme with her ideals of being perfect, and that’s not something necessary to live up to, as it can lead to burnout. I’ve learned that perfection in school isn’t everything, balancing my studies with other activities is just as important, and mental health matters. I know that I won’t attempt to be perfect in all my classes, I’ll just be using Rory and the overall fall aesthetic as a way to make studying a bit more bearable because that’s what motivates me. 

Finding Study Spots With Friends

Rory loves to study and read, which we see her do all around her picturesque town of Stars Hollow, whether that’s in the cozy Luke’s Diner or in the Independence Inn! This semester, I plan to follow her example by setting out to my favorite study spots like the Sweet Shop or Landis Green (once the weather cools down) to hunker down and do my schoolwork. Rory can also be seen studying with her classmate, Paris, or alongside her other friends, like Lane and Jess. This semester, I’ll be channeling this vibe, as I love to head to the library to share a study room or table with my friends! Even if we’re each studying for different classes, it’s nice to sit in comfortable silence and have a productive study session together. 

Enjoying Extracurriculars

Rory is an academic weapon, but she also participates in activities that she enjoys, like working on the Chilton newspaper (and eventually her college newspaper) and reading books in her spare time. It’s important for me to have balance as a college student. Participating in a fun club or having a hobby is a great way for me to destress and do something I enjoy when I’m not focusing on classwork. In my case, this means participating in school organizations and finishing the growing stack of unread books on my bookshelf.  

This fall, I know I’ll be constantly hearing the Gilmore Girls theme song, “Where You Lead,” by Caroline King, as I pull out my textbooks and drink my hot chocolate. It’s time to have a fall semester the Rory Gilmore way!  

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Abigail Botsford is a sophomore at FSU, double majoring in English (Editing, Writing, and Media) and Media/Communication Studies. Abigail currently serves as the Chapter Facebook & X Manager for HCFSU! She has previously served as a staff writer and as full-time social media staff. Outside of Her Campus, Abigail is involved in the FSU Honors Program, the Honors Student Association, undergraduate research, and FSU's Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter. In her free time, Abigail enjoys going to the beach, reading, spending time with friends, and cheering on FSU in all sports.