Six Things To Learn from the Dawson’s Creek College Experience

I don’t wanna wait…for spring break to be over?

You’d be surprised by the things you can learn from Dawson’s Creek. Despite being a teenage drama, the show is filled with profound life lessons and references to classic films that contain even more advice.

In the fifth season of the show, Joey Potter reinvents her life at Worthington University, a fictional ivy league school where she majors in—you guessed it—English literature. She is no longer simply “the girl down the creek” but a woman filled with important English-y knowledge.

You can skip the first year of University and learn all you need to know about life by watching Joey’s experiences on the small screen.

Here are six things to take away from Dawson’s Creek’s portrayal of college.

1. The season begins with an ominous and truthful piece of advice from Joey’s professor: “You are obviously a writer, which means the torture has just begun.” Ouch. Lesson: finding your calling is one thing—sticking with it is another.

2. James Joyce is important. So is Freud.

3. Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” monologue will be applicable to every life situation. And in case you’re confused by the plot of Othello, Jen Lindley sums it up nicely: “Othello is about a man who is concerned that his wife is cheating on him, so he kills her and then himself.”

4. You will second guess every decision you make. Rule of thumb: Film school is probably not a good idea. (Seriously, Dawson Leery made a horrible life choice).

5. Men take women’s studies classes too, but don’t be fooled: they are always womanizers who are looking to meet the opposite sex. Your other electives will most likely consist of sociology, biology (’cause that’s obviously a requirement for an arts program), and the history of modern Europe.

6. You haven’t truly lived until you sing with a rock band featuring Chad Michael Murray.

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Maria Vicente is a literary agent intern living in Ottawa, Canada. She likes coffee, books, snail mail, and magic. You can find her on Twitter (@MsMariaVicente) or check out her website (mariavicente.com)