School Feels, Disney Style [Back-To-School Series]

School season has started as people of all ages get back to the grind of class and homework. This time of the year comes with a mixture of emotions: excitement, nervousness, happiness, and a bit of sadness as the freedom of summer has come to an end. To help lighten the blow of starting a whole new school year here are some fantastic Disney movies that you can relate going back to school with.

Our favorite undersea friends in Finding Nemo know all about the first day of school. In the beginning of the movie Nemo is really excited for starting school and making new friends. He is ready to get out of his anemone and dad’s overbearing protectiveness. A lot of us have gone through that experience of our parents being a bit too overprotective of us as we go off to our first day of school. There is a sense of anxiety that parents feel as their child goes off to a new place on their own. Then, if your parents were anything like mine, a few years later they celebrate you getting out of their house and going off to college.

Disney has shown different aspects of middle school and high school life in The Incredibles! Like the characters, Dash and Violet, some of us can feel “different” from our peers that surround us in the social jungle that we call middle/high school. By the end of the film Violet finds the confidence to accept who she is and Dash is allowed to compete in sports to create an outlet for all his pent up energy. This is an accurate depiction of a handful of kids who feel like an outsider. No matter how bad things seem just remember that there are always solutions to making your school experience the best it can be.

Transferring to a new school? Disney has that situation covered in Inside Out. Our main protagonist Riley has to move from her hometown of Minnesota to San Francisco. This movie takes you through the mind and emotions of this young girl going through a major life transition. From going to a new school, finding new friends, and adjusting to life in a busy city Riley has to cope with all these changes. We have all been overwhelmed with different feelings when it comes to school life. It’s okay to let out your emotions and say how you feel. Missing your old house, friends, and school is totally acceptable. Just remember to go out and create some awesome memories at your new school!

No Disney movie pulls on your heartstrings quite like Toy Story 3. In this popular trilogy we get to see a boy transition from playing with some pretty incredible toys to becoming a young man moving on to the next chapter of his life. Going off to college is a crazy time in a person’s life. You’re caught between leaving your childhood behind and preparing for adulthood. You have outgrown toys and belongings that have meant so much to you as a kid, and have given them away to the next generation that will find the same joy that you once had with them. That transition from leaving home and going off to college can be one of the most painful, emotional, and greatest times in your life. Saying goodbye to your past isn’t always easy, but the future is always an exciting path to go on.

All the memories and friends made in college will last a lifetime, and the Disney movie that shows the epitome of college experiences is Monsters University. This movie has a lot of different aspects of college that hold true to real life. Meeting new roommates, going to intimidating lecture halls, Greek life competitions, and different levels of motivation are all part of the college experience. Our protagonist Sully is a “legacy scarer” who doesn’t really care for school and lacks any kind of motivation to succeed. Our other protagonist Mike, on the other hand, has all the knowledge of being the perfect “scarer” but unfortunately doesn’t have a scary bone in his body. With hard work and teamwork these two find a way to make it through college together and end up in there careers at Monster’s Inc. Yes, college is all about partying it up and having a grand old time, but remember that success isn’t measured by how many games of beer pong that you can win. Studying your butt off for your classes and getting that diploma at the end of your educational career is the real highlight of college!

No matter what your feelings are about going back to school remember that many people are in the same boat as you. These Disney movies show us that a new school year can bring change, excitement, and adventure! Make the best of every moment you have at school to create some amazing memories worth looking back on.