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Culture > Entertainment

3 Life Lessons that One Tree Hill Taught Us

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Winthrop chapter.

One Tree Hill gave us way more than an addiction to TV and 9 seasons of crazy. Everything about this show is relatable from the characters to the drama. Collegiettes, here are just 3 of the many life lessons we can learn from One Tree Hill:  

1. Never Give Up On Your Dreams

Let’s start with Brooke Davis.

At the beginning of Season 1, Brooke Davis seemed like somewhat of a lost cause. Partying all the time and jumping around from guy to guy often caused Brooke to end up with a broken spirit, and a broken heart. Nonetheless, all of those broken hearts inspired her clothing line, “Clothes Over Bros.” She quickly became a successful, independent fashion designer, but when her mother plotted her downfall and attempted to buy her out of the business, her life began to go downhill. Rather than giving up, Brooke bounced back, took back her company, and even mended her and her mom’s relationship. Brooke Davis became a true fashion queen!

Nathan Scott is also quite the comeback kid. After college, he was set to be a top draft pick in the NBA draft. His dreams were ahead of him. However, after a night out celebrating, he got into a devastating bar fight which left him paralyzed and unable to even walk. In Season 5, we see Nathan and his family go through a hard time as he becomes bitter about the loss of his dream; fortunately, however, in Season 6 we see a better side of Nathan who decided not to give up. He eventually recovered and was reselected to play in the NBA, one much closer to home.

One Tree Hill is no happily ever after fairy tale. While *almost* every character’s dreams came true, they definitely had to overcome major obstacles to get there.

It’s hard to keep pursuing your dreams when nothing seems to be going your way, but One Tree Hill taught us that no matter what you’re going through, you can truly do whatever you want to do. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

 

2. People Can Change

When One Tree Hill fans think of the word “villain,” Dan Scott automatically pops into our minds. In the beginning of One Tree Hill, Dan was literally evil. He hated his son, Lucas, whom he abandoned as a child. He killed his own brother, Keith, and he valued basketball more than any person in his life. Although we could have never imagined it, Dan Scott truly changed. After his grandchildren were born, he became a better man. Nathan and Lucas were always weary of forgiving him, but Dan proved himself when he risked his own life to save the life of his grandson Jamie from a psychotic kidnapper. 

Some times we’re scared to give people second chances, and that is completely normal, but One Tree Hill taught us that no matter how terrible someone may seem, there is always a chance that they can change!

3. Forgive & Forget

We all fell in love with Nathan and Haley from day one, and we thought Haley was a perfect angel who could do nothing wrong. Unfortunately, she let us down. When she left Nathan to go on tour with Chris Keller, we were absolutely devastated, and so was Nathan! Haley eventually came to her senses and came home, but what if Nathan didn’t forgive her? After all, she practically pretended to be Chris Keller’s girlfriend to the whole world while she was still married to Nathan. Luckily, Nathan found a way to forgive her, which gave us the chance to see more of the beautiful love story of Nathan and Haley that we all love and adore.

Forgiveness is more for us than for other people.

Letting things go allows us to be truly happy, and often, better things result from it!

 

Collegiettes, we are all in school trying to make our dreams come true. Take these lessons from the best show ever and never give up! Forgive, forget, give second chances, and just be happy. We only have one life to live! 

Chastity is a Corporate Finance student at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. While she's building her career as a business professional, she loves to cook, bake, read, and paint in her free time. Her obessions include, but are certainly not limited to - Jesus; her Yorkie pup, Max; Christmas; One Tree Hill; and holiday decorations. You can follow her on Instagram @chas.jones :)
Winthrop University is a small, liberal arts college in Rock Hill, SC.Â