10 Things Rory Gilmore Taught Us About Life

6. College isn’t for everyone

On the flip side, Rory was wrong to think that just because she desired to go to college, college isn’t for everyone. For instance, Dean decided to put college on hold in favor of working so he could start building a life with his wife, Lindsay in “Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!” (Season 4 Episode 18).

But instead of respecting his perfectly viable life choice, Rory was condescending, acting like not going to college would make Dean’s life not as good as it could have been. Not everyone has the means or the desire to pursue higher learning.

7. Check your privilege

On that note, Rory gets a lesson in recognizing her privilege in “Introducing Lorelai Planetarium” (Season 7 Episode 8). When Logan throws a business party that includes a lot of wealthy, hoity-toity young adults, Rory proceeds to mock the pretentious nature of the rich, middle-class group of people, not realizing that she was one of them.

For one thing, both her private high school and her entire college tuition were paid for in full by her grandparents (and later, Christopher), so she never had to worry about student loans, allowing her to pursue a career based on her passions instead of financial stability.

For another, she was living rent-free in a lavish apartment with her boyfriend. Rory rightly recognizes this when Logan points it out to her, and decides to move out on principle.

8. It’s okay to be single

For the majority of Season 4, Rory is single except for the casual date here and there. Rory and her suite mates treat her “dry spell” like it’s a bad thing in “Last Week Fights, This Week Tights” (Season 4 Episode 21), and it might have been a contributing factor in Rory jumping back into bed with her married ex, Dean.

But there was nothing wrong with taking a year to adjust to college and focus on studies, and Rory herself learns that having a boyfriend isn’t everything later on. In “Unto The Breach” (Season 7 Episode 21), Rory maturely makes the decision that during this time in her life, having a career was a higher priority than having a romantic relationship.

That’s not to say that careers are more important than relationships in general, but for Rory herself at that specific point in time, she recognized that it was okay pursue something other than a boyfriend.

9. It’s okay to take risks

In general, Rory has always played it safe in life, being a mild-tempered and level-headed. But going by the books all the time doesn’t necessarily yield great results, and from time to time, Rory shows us that high risks give high rewards.

In “You Jump, I Jump Jack” (Season 5 Episode 7), she literally takes a leap of faith and ventures outside of her comfort zone by joining the Life and Death Brigade’s stunt.

Whether you liked Logan as her romantic interest or not, meeting Logan and his other friends provided Rory with an interesting social circle and led to opportunities she couldn’t foresee, such as an internship at a publication. Later on, Rory decides to forego the safety of a job at the Providence Journal in favor of a New York Times fellowship in Season 7.

It was a risky move that not everyone can afford, but sometimes you have to lose a little to gain a lot.

10. Take setbacks in stride

Speaking of the New York Times fellowship, Rory doesn’t actually get accepted. In “Lorelai? Lorelai?” (Season 7 Episode 20), Rory shows how to take setbacks in stride.

Take a day to mope, go shopping, and get drunk at a karaoke bar. But then move on, and keep persevering. By not giving up, she was able to land an even better job, reporting for a presidential campaign.

What lessons did you learn from Rory Gilmore? What’s your favorite Rory moment? Share your thoughts in the comments below!