Rory Gilmore is an iconic character in pop culture, featured on the TV show Gilmore Girls, played by Alexis Bledel. Rory has transcended both the TV show and the actress as a role model to many young adults because of how she promotes productive ways of being a student in high school. Yet she still remains as she struggles with high school, relationships, and everything in between. By giving a realistic outlook on a student workload and how to manage it, Rory’s successes and lessons learned encourage students to be more productive and work towards their goals in school. Therefore, here are the best of Rory’s tips and tricks. After all, Rory’s right when she says, “Who cares if I’m pretty, if I fail my finals.”
First, students can motivate themselves to work productively by romanticizing the school year. They should take advantage of places such as coffee shops and other public settings which can help elevate a student’s enjoyment when studying. Just like Rory, who is often seen studying at Luke’s Diner or at her school library, the setting is very important when it comes to studying. Depending on each student or the work, a quiet place might be beneficial. While everyone doesn’t have Luke’s Diner, they do have access to a library.
After finding the perfect study location at either a local bookstore or library, the actual study technique is what challenges most students. There are many methods that students should look into including the Feynman Technique, Blurting, and the Pomodoro Technique, as well as more mundane study techniques like flashcards. The Pomodoro Technique, which helps students with how to study a large amount of material, includes studying in sets of three that last 15 minutes with three-minute breaks in between and then repeating that cycle. This can seem overwhelming to students, but Rory Gilmore offers a great way of combating that. In an episode of Gilmore Girls, Rory is caught saying, “And when that gets too depressing, it’s right over to calculus,” meaning sometimes it’s better to switch things up to keep the brain more focused.
No matter how many libraries or cafes students visit, motivation is what gets students through the year. Looking at school with a positive attitude, and as an opportunity for the future to achieve goals rather than something mandatory, makes all the difference. Starting an assignment the night it’s assigned, writing in a planner, and being on top of assignments are what set students apart from others and set them up for success. Rory is a role model, but she is simply a character, whereas today’s students are people and are the future.
