Movies That Nail The Grad School Experience

By Elana Goodwin on February 16, 2016

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

There are lots of similarities and differences between undergrad and grad school, which grad students can surely attest to. And while there are many college movies that portray what people view as the “college experience” — like “Accepted,” “Neighbors,” “22 Jump Street,” etc. — there are less films about grad school or flicks that truly capture the grad school experience.

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So for grad students who have been missing out on movies that nail the grad school experience or some aspect of it, here are some films for your viewing pleasure.

“The Devil Wears Prada.” This classic dramedy starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, follows newly graduated and aspiring journalist Andrea Sachs, who lands a job at a fashion magazine as a co-assistant for the demanding and impossible editor, Miranda Priestly. Priestly (Streep) runs Sachs (Hathaway) ragged and gives her countless errands and responsibilities, and at first, Andrea has trouble meeting her boss’s expectations but she gradually starts succeeding and impressing Priestly.

Besides being a great movie, there are many parallels between “Prada” and grad school. As a grad student, you may struggle to juggle your course load, homework, research, and thesis, and as a result, your relationships may suffer as you focus on your academics, similar to how Andrea’s relationships had to fall by the wayside in order for her to succeed at her job. You’ll have to establish for yourself a school-life balance and prioritize what’s truly important so you can have it all (alas, probably without the designer clothes).

“A Beautiful Mind.” This Academy Award-winning biographical drama follows Princeton University grad student John Nash (Russell Crowe) who feels the pressure to publish but wants to distinguish himself and come up with an original idea, which he does when he develops the concept of the Nash equilibrium. Later, he uses his skills at the Pentagon to crack Soviet codes but becomes increasingly suspicious and is eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

There’s a lot of pressure in grad school to do research, publish, and work on your thesis, but don’t feel compelled to publish or work on something you’re not really sold on — hold out for that great idea that you are really proud of and that will set you apart, like Nash did. Additionally, as you’ll see in “A Beautiful Mind,” your mental health and well-being is important, so don’t disregard it in your efforts to succeed.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” This quintessential 1986 John Hughes comedy follows high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) who skips school by pretending to be sick and spends the day in downtown Chicago along with his girlfriend and best friend, all the while avoiding and tricking the school principal, his sister, and parents. Even though the protagonist is a high schooler, there are still many similarities to the grad school experience.

Firstly, you’ll definitely want to take a day off now and then to have fun. You may not have the luxury of being able to skip class as a grad student, but be sure to take some time for yourself to blow off some steam and have a good time. Being in grad school can be hard, and you deserve a break — or as Bueller says, ”Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

“Legally Blonde.” This well-known Golden Globe-nominated romantic comedy is set at Harvard law school, so right off the bat, it’s capturing some of the grad school experience. After Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back. Elle gets into Harvard and sets out to recapture her beau, but along the way she realizes that she’s got a true passion for the law and won’t let anyone stand in her way.

At grad school you pursue whatever you’re passionate about and are focused on studying, just like Elle. But you’ll also meet people in your grad school who’ll become your friends, support group, and study buddies, as they understand what it’s like to be in graduate school and have many of the same responsibilities as you.

Besides these movies, other films that may nail the grad school experience or capture some aspect of it include “Eat Pray Love,” “Into the Wild,” “Post Grad,” “Good Will Hunting,” “The Five Year Engagement,” and “Flatliners.”

So the next time you treat yourself to a grad school movie night, consider watching one of these flicks and compare these films to your life and see how relatable they are and how they hold up.

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

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