With the back-to-school season upon us, many people are returning to college campuses, and what better place to look for academic inspiration than Gilmore Girls’ best and brightest: Rory Gilmore. Whenever this time of year comes around, I am automatically bound to rewatch the show in an attempt to inspire and prepare myself to be thrown into the world of academia and learning again. Gilmore Girls touches on every aspect of going back to school, such as studying, the first day of school, moving into dorms, and other college experiences. In chronological order (with spoilers ahead), here are eight of my favorite episodes to rewatch this time of year for academic motivation:
1. Season 1, Episode 2: The Lorelais’ First Day at Chilton
This episode is the perfect example of what it is like when everything goes wrong on the first day of school. Enemies are made, projects are broken, and classes are way harder than expected. However, the extremely academically driven students that attend Chilton offer a great environment for focusing on schoolwork and activities. Rory’s first day at Chilton inspires the perfect academic vibes that I need to romanticize school and get ready for getting back into the swing of things.
2. Season 1, Episode 4: The Deer Hunters
This episode features a whirlwind of study vibes and motivation. It begins with Rory and Lorelai very humorously shopping for school supplies, follows Rory through her English class, and includes a study session run by Lorelai for an important English exam. It is entirely focused on schoolwork and improving grades, even when you falter a little. This episode is so cozy and fun, and it provides a lot of motivation when studying for exams.
3. Season 2, Episode 18: Back in the Saddle Again
Moving on to season two, this episode features Rory working on a group project with her grandfather and other kids from Chilton. We follow the characters as they work on their business project in and out of school. This episode is perfect for preparing yourself to work in groups and focus on important schoolwork. Paris’ extreme dedication to school and the project inspires me to work hard on my assignments too.
4. Season 4, Episode 2: The Lorelais’ First Day at Yale
Just like the previous first day at Chilton episode, this episode follows Rory as she enters a new school, but this time she is going to university! We follow Lorelai and Rory as they go through the stress every college student knows all too well: moving into a dorm room for the first time. This episode is as fun as it is chaotic. I t is a yearly rewatch for me every time I am getting ready to move back to school. Knowing that a beloved character has been through what you are about to go through provides a sense of comfort and allows new college students to get a look into what that first day will feel like.
5. Season 4, Episode 9: Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out
This episode inspires the perfect amount of college spirit as it follows the Gilmore’s through the Harvard-Yale football game. This episode never fails to get me excited about going back to college and participating in school events such as football games. We tag along with the characters as they go through old college traditions and meet up with friends. This episode is great for getting excited about college experiences outside of academics.
6. Season 5, Episode 6: Norman Mailer, I’m Pregnant!
At Yale, Rory joins the Yale Daily News and is responsible for writing articles for the paper. In this episode, we follow Rory as she buzzes through the newsroom trying to write and research a topic for her article. As an English major, I love rewatching this episode and getting inspired to write articles for internships and other extracurricular activities. It’s incredibly fun and motivational to follow Rory through her research and discovering secrets at her university.
7. Season 5, Episode 7: You Jump, I Jump, Jack
Following Rory’s previous research, this episode shows the secrets Rory uncovered in full swing as we follow her through the events. Rory and her new friends camp overnight at an extravagantly themed top-secret event and spend the next day participating in insanely fun and possibly life-threatening stunts as tradition. It may be unrealistic for a typical college experience, but watching and imagining yourself participating in something as amusing as this while writing an article is still fun[AP6] . It also includes many adorable scenes with Logan, my personal favorite boyfriend of Rory’s, which is always a plus.
8. Season 6, Episode 13: Friday Night’s Alright for Fighting
As Paris takes over as editor for the Yale Daily News, things quickly escalate into a dumpster fire mess as the crew attempts to get their weekly paper finished and printed at the last minute. When most of the staff evidently quit, Rory is responsible for taking over and finishing the work in a frenzy. This episode is great to rewatch when it feels like everything is going wrong and you are overwhelmed with too much schoolwork. It also provides an incredible amount of motivation to get all of your assignments done, even if it is at the last minute.
Although I enjoy rewatching the entirety of Gilmore Girls more times than one should, it’s great to rewatch these specific episodes when going back to school to inspire and motivate myself for college and all the experiences that follow it. These are just some of my favorite episodes that I think are perfect for rewatching this time of year.